100 Colors, 100 Writings, 100 Days October 12, 2009

I saw this on Design Observer’s twitter and thought Rachel Berger’s project was so good, I had to blog about it.  I sat after dinner in the kitchen reading Rachel’s favourite forty paint chips.

The project is simple. For 100 days, she picked a paint chip noted the name of the colour and the number of the day (of 100) and responded to it by writing. Everyone knows that there is memory in scent, but a shade or tone of colour can also remind you of things. And it most certainly can influence moods and emotions.

Rachel’s writing is thoughtful. The kind of writing I love. There is a lot of personal experiences, quirky observation and some random facts. Everything that makes for great reading is here.

08 Candied Yams “I bought my first yam this week. I wanted sweet potatoes, which sound a bit friendlier, but the store didn’t have any. The yam is quite rooty, forever looking freshly pulled from the earth — something that is born, grows, and dies in darkness. It’s bumping around my cupboard now, rolling into view when I take out the sugar canister, tin of anchovies. It’s clumsy and bulky. I rudely shove it back, out of my way, further into the darkness.“

48 Moss Landing “Ken Kesey’s Sometimes a Great Notion opens with a description of the frightening, dripping, verdancy of Oregon. It continues for many pages, and it’s all true. In Portland, moss grows on the roofs of the houses, ferns sprout from cracks in the sidewalk, even the best maintained streets and buildings are prone to sliding around during the dark wet winter. One time in college, I came home for a holiday, and there were huge gray mushrooms growing out of my bedroom carpet.“

52 Glacial Tint “I’m stranded at my father’s house, what Joanna calls “the Greenway Inn,” on Greenway Avenue, way up in the West Hills. It snowed all night and is snowing now. Seven, ten, thirteen inches. Never in my life has it snowed this much in Portland. When I describe the white carnage to people in Connecticut and New York, they are not nearly impressed enough. They think Portland is like I think Denver is, snowy, cold, mountainous. I was shocked when I finally visited Denver and it was flat and sunny.“

57 Cool Melon “Only three times in its hundred-year history has the Crayola company changed the name of a crayon. Prussian Blue became Midnight Blue in 1958 and Indian Red was renamed Chestnut in 1999, both in response to requests from educators. In 1962, the company voluntarily changed Flesh to Peach, partially in response to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.“

I urge you to read the full set of Rachel’s musings here.

Creamy White Ceramics. The New Green. October 11, 2009

Designs are best when they tick the aesthetic box and the functionality box. The best ones also come with a bit of humour.  Seletti’s Estetico Quotidiano is a great collection of ceramics modeled after throwaway objects of the modern world.

Consider the milk carton, the sardine or anchovy tin and the egg carton.  While you may recycle these objects, the shapes of these everyday objects have been designed to serve its purpose in the best way. Now they can have a permanent room in your kitchen.

I wonder if this collection was inspired by Rob Brandt’s crinkle cup. Whatever it is, Seletti have taken ceramics to a new level and I love it!

Two by Two October 6, 2009

Keetra Dean Dixon creates magical art in the vein of Miranda July. Just Between You and Me features various objects that require co-dependency. I especially love the objects above. The glasses you wear to see eye to eye would definitely help reach compromises. The shadowing shoes = hugwalks and the balloons that take two to blow up.  Now that it’s getting colder, I am feeling rather romantic and daydream of walks on fallen leaves, wrapped in layers with the boy.

On the topic of sharing and togetherness, I recently spotted the Loving Cup by Maria Lintott Ceramics. The double handled cup  makes it easy to pass hot drinks, which will make it perfect for when it gets colder. While you’re on the website, check out the moustache-protector cups too!

You’re A Mug! A Moustachioed One! October 1, 2009

My love for moustaches is well-known. Guy sent me this link. Peter Bruegger’s mugs come with a different moustache on each side. At £11.95 a pop for this wonderful piece of disguise it is guaranteed to brighten up mornings.

I can’t wait to get my hands on all of them!

Sweet Endings and a Happy Meal September 11, 2009

I love mixing things up. So when the opportunity came to make some cupcakes to look like a happy meal… it was too good to resist.

Sarah came to visit and we baked. The result is the above. Hamburger cupcakes and sugar cookie fries.

Chocolate brownie is sandwiched in between Vanilla cupcake. Attention to detail meant toasting some sesame seeds and scattering them on the top bun; using coloured icing for the lettuce and cheese and jammy jelly for ketchup.

A Happy Meal is a Sweet Ending.

Weekend Away: Paris August 26, 2009

I have always dreamed of being in a band. And when I was in Paris at the weekend, we spotted this on the ground, outside my favourite shop in Montmatre.

I’ve been to Paris a few times now, but have never seen any of the cemetries there. We went to Cimitiere Montparnasse because I wanted to see Jean Seberg’s tombstone. It was very sunny that day. And she was nowhere in sight.

I found Serge Gainsbourg’s instead.  His was filled  with cigarettes, metro tickets other curiousities like this Bob charm.

It was a funny coincidence as only two days ago, my friend Siobhan was telling us how she liked the name Bob. We decided that the Bob in Twin Peaks was one Bob we didn’t like.

The best thing about being away is having the time to walk about. I remember when I lived in Edinburgh thinking that it was lacking a river. Having a river = having bridges. Bridges make a city very pretty.

Walking around a city is the best way to discover hidden gems. Nothing is better than stumbling upon a spot of beauty.

Or spotting the prettiest petits fours. When travelling, breakfast can be long and leisurely. Not unlike a weekend brunch. We had a breakfast of freshly baked breads. We were served a selection of yummy jams and nutella. Mmm..

I like revisiting cities that I love. You end up with a list of favourite places. Almost like you lived in that city.  In Paris, a favourite gallery is the Fondation Cartier.

The exhibition we saw was Grafitti- Born on the Streets. On the way out, we spotted a bunch of grafitti artists tagging a wall propped up in front of the building. It was a nice touch by the curators.

Touch Wood August 13, 2009

A trip to Edinburgh is never complete without a cheeky stop in The Red Door Gallery on Victoria Street.  On my first evening back in London I found myself trawling the interweb and found myself on their blog. I saw many lovely items and spotting the wooden ipod by Josh D led me thinking about other wooden wonders.

I love the use of wood in modern products. As a material that is losing its place to plastic, what I found was that there were many out there who yearned for the aesthetics of wood. I love plastic for its transparence and colours that pop; but wood is like the quiet, natural beauty. Like a girl who does not wear much make-up and doesn’t need to.

On the electronic/gadget front, I found the Ki-Board DIY kit by Hacoa a wood products dealer.

While the ipod and the keyboard are digital products, Lightning Heat has turned her analogue christmas decoration into a cool brooch.

Sniffle Co. is awooden haven with the cutest wooden brooches and buttons. My favourite is the woody Woody Allen.

Wide Eyed July 31, 2009

I discovered this amazing website yesterday, a real treasure trove, full of delights especially so if you have to buy a present for a baby. Bianca and Family also restore furniture. Look at the beautiful school desks that were featured on Apartment Therapy.

The magnets above reminded me of a few things which I’ve seen that are as kitsch and I love. I went to Saigon earlier this year and spotted the selection of toys below.

Last week I went to see Walking In My Mind and was delighted to look into Yoshitomo Nara’s student shack and his display of toys and dolls.

What I really want to get is these earrings from Les Nereides’s diffusion line, N2 which are also available as a brooch and cute hair grips.

But if wearing kitsch is not for you, there is always decoration. This wallpaper from Nono fits the bill.

Or buy this beautiful tree designed by Millicent & Frank. Although I think it’s the little deers that complete the look.

A Pretty Way with Doilies July 30, 2009

Mhari McMullan makes beautiful things. She does this best with doilies. I particularly like the idea of making a lot of different doily art and displaying them on the wall like you would with china. Look at the doily art individually- each one is so different.

She also creates some really delicate pieces using doilies, including a postcard for Lula.

Check her website for more beautiful works.

Horse Meat Disco July 24, 2009

I can’t get enough of disco. This morning I walked into work listening to Danny Wang’s Bodytonic Live and thought that it was time to see who were the latest to mix or feature in Bodytonic’s Live or Mix.

Horse Meat Disco’s mix is full of sweet tunes and even features Share The Night which was one of the best tracks on Metro Area’s Fabric 43. Get it here and get ready for le weekend.