cloth peg iconography

Look what a lovely happy mundane find Designboom found- It's a great exhibition happening in Isreal that is all about Clothes Pegs (or clothes pins, as we say here in the States.). Yoav Ziv and Gad Charny have collected over 300 pegs, old and new, from all over the world. It's such a basic yet useful item that can be used for so many purposes. It crosses cultural boundries since it's such a simple concept, and yet has so many variations. The exhibition is curated by Yaacov Kaufman and is on display June 16th, 23rd, and 30th at Kaufman's studio in Jaffa, Isrea. Designboom has a great article that goes into a deeper discusion on our helpful friend. read more here.
images from Designboom

Sears: Simply Indoors

When Sears launched their Ty Pennington Style home collection last year, I was really curious to see what new changes this would bring to Sears. Previously, Sears had tried their "come see the softer side..." campaign, which, frankly, didn't do much to impress me. But I think with the success of Target's home collection, as well as Martha's collection at Kmart, the other mass retailers are quickly learning that by updating their home departments, they can jumpstart a brand revamp. When I first saw the Ty Pennington collection, the bedding collection stood out to me the most. I especially loved this "firebird" pillow, as well as this "bali hi" set (both on sale/clearance now). (although it kind of annoyed me that you had to buy the whole "set"- with the exception of throw pillows, they didn't sell the bed stuff individually.) Anyways... I could go on about individual things that are suprisingly really good about the initial TPS collection, but what this post is really about is what is happening now. I recently stopped by Sears and noticed they had these signs everywhere, touting "Simply Indoors"- as the new name of their home department. So of course I had to take a looksee. I found some really interesting things. Great bedding assortments, dinnerware sets, tchotchkes... but the biggest news is that they're doing furniture pieces. And some aren't half bad- the models in the store were not all ding'd up and on the verge of falling apart, (as they are when you go to Target.) They are offering a few "collections", that follow the Target way of grouping, ie. "trend" "timeless" "tailored"... (much like Target's "global home" "classic home" "Modern home", etc..) then they have three "designer" brands - Ty Pennington, Luxe, and Grace-Overall, each collection is presented in a really easy to follow, yet contemporary way- with something for every taste/style. Sears isn't going waay fabulous trendy- but they definitely are now "on trend", particularily for the more modern aesthetics. They had some great pieces that were reasonably priced and with items that are current. I'm just glad that for those that don't always have easy access to hip boutiques (ie. us suburbanites), we now have another option available... check it out if you get a chance. The online site gives a good representation- I think you'll be as surprised as I was... (and probably will walk away with a few things too!)

Sagaform

Sagaform is a well known European based company that puts out some amazing housewares and gifts. I recently came across their website and was immediately drooling over some of their products. Check out this super cool Herb Pot- or this glass/wood bowl and this camouflage apron ...
and this beautiful oil/vinegar set, or this collection of melamine dishes, flask, and glass bowl with printed melamine lid...Stylish, clean, minimal and modern, their products range from kitchen utensils to textiles, and even office supplies. There are too many to list- I have an e-mail into their US distributor to find out more info on what stores here carry their stuff, so I'll update once I hear back...- but you can peruse the many goodies at their website.

Blue Monday: Bad weekend and Vogue Living (Au)

Ok, so it's monday and what a blue one it is. I'm just gonna say it. My weekend kinda sucked. I left for what was supposed to be a fun quick Las Vegas jaunt Thursday, but the trip was kind of cursed to begin with. Before I left, I received this frustrating and annoying e-mail from a client. Basically, work drama. I hate leaving on vacation with the feeling of impending doom when I return. Unfortunately, the e-mail required me to make a much dreaded phone call the following day, so all of thursday was spent driving and travelling, on long boring roads... with nothing to do except mull/relive/rethink/rehash/ the morning's dampering e-mail. Sadly, for the rest of the trip, a dark cloud followed me. It was hard to let work matters go mentally, and to make matters worse, I caught a cold thursday night. So... Friday, I battled the sniffles, and by the time I got home on Saturday, I was in full blown congestion/runny nose. (sigh).. and I didn't win any money either. (sigh)

On a brighter note. When I got home, I was thrilled and awed at all the responses I got from my last post. I'm so amazed at the variety of locations that you all are viewing this humble blog from. Thank you so much for the kind words and its so comforting to know there are so many other people out there that share an appreciation for a happy mundane life! (by the way, please continue to tell me where you're at! represent!)So for today's Blue monday post, I wanted to post these images from March/April's Australian Vogue Living. I realize it may be old news for those who live outside the US, but since International issues of magazines are slower to arrive, March/April 2006 is still new to us american readers (and still on newstands)- I love love love the scandinavian pottery pieces on the cover and corresponding editorial spread. So simple and modern, yet homey and chic. I would never have thought that navy blues and black would go together but I love it here and now am obsessed to do something with it. What do you think?

where am I? where are you?

First, I'd just like to take a quick second to thank all of you that come and visit happymundane every day. It means so much to me that you take the time to click over and humor me as I babble about my mundane musings. Posts for the next few days will be light as I'm headed off on a random road trip. But I will try to throw in a few things when I can. Anyhoo, recently, I installed this map thing to the blog, over to the bottom right, and it shows a very general map of where people are visiting from. This has been fascinating! Where are all of you? I'd love to hear what city or state or country you're all from! If you would be so kind, could you leave it in the comments to this post? just click on the grey number next to the title... in the meantime, I leave you with some yummy ramen and gyoza. More to come...

We were Young and it was summer

Souther Salazar is an LA based artist that currently is having a show at Giant Robot:New York gallery, called "We Were Young and It was Summer"= His pieces consist of drawings, paintings, sculptures, collages, and more. I love all the little creature drawings he juxtaposes, and am fascinated by his sculptures. Lots of found objects and clay figures, with interesting details. Great title for the show too. Check out more pieces here, and if any of you in NY get a chance, let us know what the show is like in person- It's showing through June 21st.

AUDREY Flower Tea Strainer

I really enjoy a nice cup of tea every now and then, and I've recently really been getting into loose leaf teas. The only problem is trying to strain it- I have one of those tea-ball things that you cram some leaves into, but that's kinda cumbersome. Well how cool is this thing? The AUDREY flower tea strainer is from Kozoil, and its made of acrylic. You put the tea leaves into the blossom, and the petals rest on the edge of your cup- and you let it steep-Afterwards, the blossom sits on the green leaf stand so you don't drip everywhere! Get it here.

jet blue

I guess this doesn't really have much to do with "design" per say, but maybe it does in a general sense. "design" of a company. I've always loved what Jet Blue airways has done with their company. Their packaging, look, uniforms, etc... Having the "tv" option has been so amazing because it makes those long flights so much more bearable and comforting when I can zone out to HGTV and Food network. Now apparently Jet Blue will start offering WEB service! Oh.My.God. so now, not only can I watch tv, I can surf design blogs! Gotta love Jet Blue. Read more here.

Wallpaper: Nigel Robinson

I love the June/July limited edition version cover for Wallpaper magazine by Nigel Robinson. Inside, there's a great editorial piece he did as well that incorporated lots of woodgrain, but naturally, we posted that on Its(k)notwood.

bluemonday: blue hue

What a nice way to wake up on a monday morning and look at the soothing color blue. I recently discovered this wonderful flickr group called the Blue Hue- its just a bunch of random and interesting photos all focused on my favorite color...

mundane aesthetic: 3

Because when it's hot like today, sometimes you just need to sit in your patio and have a bowl of ice cream. (chocolate chip malted crunch + neopolitan)

glasses

I think these "glasses" are hillarious. The description says "If you are what you eat, then why not think what you drink." There are clever phrases behind each different shaped frame, such as "Drink to make other people look good", "What you see is what you get", "Here's looking at you", and "Drink nothing without seeing it." Available at Target.

magic yamville

These little plush rocks kill me. TOO CUTE! or these Tom-Stones. All from Magic Yam's etsy page. There is also a blog too that shows other cute creations!

housekeeping channel

I hate cleaning the bathrooms (I have 2 1/2 to deal with). It's such a chore and I wish I could afford a maid just to clean the bathroom. At the same time though, I love the feeling of accompishment of a clean bathroom and I'm fascinated by reading about other people's household tips, which then makes me want to clean the bathroom to see if they work. (I'm weird I know.) Lately I've been transfixed at this website that was tipped off to me, called the HousekeepingChannel.com It's this incredibly hardcore informative website, that basically just has non-stop information and open forums about any sort of housecleaning you can think of. It's almost too much information... but I just can't stop looking! My only gripe is that there isn't enough pictures. However, I'm just a visual person, and obviously this site isn't about pretty pictures. It's about serious cleaning. Which is great. Here's a page from the site that gives a handy how-to-hit-list for bathroom cleaning. I always forget that you need to let some cleaners sit for a bit to allow time to really disinfect, but this guide shows you an order to do things, which I appreciate. Do any of you in blogland have any good bathroom cleaning tips? please share...

Bohemian Modern

I picked up this new book over the weekend called "Bohemian Modern: Living in Silverlake" by Barbara Bestor. Barbara, an architect, has compiled a really great overview of homes, shops, and offices of the many artists, designers, and folks that make up the Silverlake (and adjoining) area(s) of Los Angeles. She's coined this aesthetic/lifestyle "bohemian modern", which basically refers to this community of people that "live happily and comfortably in modern environments without sacrificing their individuality." It's fascinating to see this fresh take on interiors and homes, with each featured person/home/family telling their story about how their home came about and showcasing their eclectic tastes. There is an undercurrent of modernity that ties each place together, whether it be in how they solved a solution, the little accents/details they've added, or just the fact that many of these homes were mid-century relics that have been restored or rethought. There are amazing illustrations by Silverlake local artist/designer, Geoff McFetridge, which actually was the real selling point for me.However, more importantly for me, this book represents the type of aesthetic that I myself feel akin to. Although I don't live in an area like Silverlake, I feel my home shares similar principles that those in this book have. I do live in a "modern environment", and I don't feel I've sacrificed my individuality. I've made my space work for me, and let what I'm passionate about dictate my living spaces. The "bohemian modern" aesthetic isn't bound by where you live, its really about how you live. A great reference, with inspiring visuals- get yours now!

kmart: part deux

Ok, I'll stop with all the Kmart after this, hehe- but just a few other things I thought were also worth noting: I loved this cool set of coaster/frames- I imagine you could also put other things inside beside photos, like a fun fabric swatch, or wrapping paper, etc.... they came in other colorways too, a blue tones one and I believe a brown/neutral tones one...This fun "mosaic" series of cups (which had a subtle gradation from blue to clear- hard to tell in the photo), carafe, acrylic serving trays (one big tray with three small removable compartments, each in a tonal translucent blue), melamine plates, and even a vinyl table cloth! (which i ended up actually buying...don't know what i will do with it though...)

kmart: cute prints-o-rama

I'm continued to be impressed with what Kmart has been offering lately in home decor. Granted, not all of it is to my taste, but there are still gems to be found. Their Essential Home line that I posted about previously, provided much pretty-ness in the towel department for both kitchen and bath. I love this vintage-y floral print that had matching showercurtain and bath towel assortment.Then there was this great 5 pack set of dish towels by Martha Stewart that had this "island hop" floral/stripe combos, also in the tropical pink/orange color scheme...and then these fun beach towels- one with a cool retro op art print, and another with a Pucci-esque printand then finally, this super cute fruit print that was on a set of porcelain dishes, as well as on vinyl table cloths...Sadly, again, most of these (with the exception of the beach towels and dinnerware) is on their website- but obviously all in store (and a lot on sale!). There are a few other fun things worth noting from the "K" and I will continue with those in the next post... stay tuned!!

Blue Monday: Yeti slippers

Happy Memorial Day! Ok, so its basically summertime...Being in SoCali, right about now, all I wear are flip flops. But is it bad that I still really really want these? These "yeti" slippers are by Gamma Go and they're so cool!

mundane aesthetic: eggs

Since tomorrow is Memorial Day, I thought it'd be fun to make egg salad. But oh how quickly I forget the drama that is boiling eggs. You would think something as mundane as boiling eggs wouldn't be such a hassle, but I have come to realize I am not gifted in the ways of the art of egg boiling. Prior to today's experience, I always just boiled the water, threw the eggs in, and then let it go for awhile... However, recently, I read that I should boil the water, remove it from the heat, add the eggs, and then let them sit for 10-15 minutes... I think it was on Martha or something... anyhoo.. so I did that, but this time, the eggs were boiled, I peeled one; but the yolk was not totally solid/consistent all the way through- (I did do the whole rinse in cold water thing, and that did get rid of the ugly greenish outside) So I re-boiled them... tested another, still not totally done- then finally on the third reboil, tested one- Success! But that took way longer than 10-15 minutes... and then trying to peel them was random too!- How do you get it so that the eggs peel easily? (sigh) In the end, the egg salad seems to be good- but it was definitely a bumpy ride. Anyone care to share any of their tips to help a brutha out?

Little Friends of Printmaking

It's been really refreshing to see the resurgence of hand crafts, especially the strong return of printmaking and silkscreening. I love artists who are making bold graphic, and mildy subversive statements, and these guys are a perfect example. The Little Friends of Printmaking (love the name) are a husband and wife team based in Madison Wisconsin. I was first introduced to them via their supercoolness wallets for Poketo. I've been looking for a poster to frame and put up in my slowly evolving staircase wall/ gallery, and my only problem right now is deciding which one of their many rockin' pieces to get!

Target Home: Kitchen (an UPDATE)

My first post a few weeks ago for Apartment Therapy was for Target's new HOME brand line of organizational/storage products. I really loved their "Kitchen" category, and had to have this neat under-sink-organizer thingy. Here is what my dark and scary under-the-sink area looked before:And now, finally, after a week or two of just sitting in the pretty box (no help from my lazy-ness) , here is the AFTER:YAY! It feels so much nicer to have that area worked out. I wonder what would happen if I could get the rest of my life this organized?! This under the sink thing is not on Target's website yet, but if you go to the AT post, in the comments, several people listed similar options and locations to get one too...