when i wake up in the morning, it’s thanks to a giant white cat stepping on my head and not-so-subtly jamming his whiskers in my nose. it’s not a pretty picture. as much as i love my cats, i would much rather wake up to the sweet chirping of birds next to my bed. but considering that the closest birds i have are a nasty gang of pigeons that congregate on the top of our air conditioner, i think i’ll have to go with the birdbox instead.
luckybits recently released a fun new product that combines a tech product (an iphone app) with an actual object (a simple paper house) to create a cheerful alarm clock. all you do is drop your iphone in the decorative box and turn on the app, that gently wakes you up to the sound (and sight) of nesting birds. such a clever idea. i’ve really enjoyed watching designers play with the iphone and find new ways to combine something digital with something physical. want to check it out for yourself? the app itself is totally free and the box is around $12- click here to get more info and to buy. [thanks, emma!]
on cold mornings like this one, it takes everything i have to get up and going. but a nice hot cup of coffee or tea often helps the process. and if that cup of coffee was dressed up with a bow-tie sweater? even better. i know it’s unabashedly girly, but sometimes i need a little girlyness in my mornings- because if it makes me smile, it helps me start the day off on the right foot. if you could use a little bow-love in your morning routine, click here to pick up one of jessica goodman’s cozies ($15) at waysideviolet on etsy.
if my cup of tea doesn’t do the trick, this bright orange ‘fold’ chair from design student nina bruun at the danish design school in copenhagen will certainly do the trick. nina’s finished chair is being shown at the stockholm furniture fair and reminds me of one of my favorite bouroullec designs, their cloud tiles for kvadrat. nina used bright orange segments that connect to each other as an homage to both scandinavian and japanese folding designs. the chair itself is made of plywood, with six plastic segments upholstered in wood felt. i love the idea of a chair folding around you as you sit, so i’m excited to see if nina ends up producing and selling things in stores. fingers crossed. until then, you can check out more of nina’s work right here. thanks, nina!
today amy and i are shopping around terrain so i should probably step away from my phone and laptop and focus on green-things. before i sign off for the weekend, i wanted to share some gorgeous new pieces from canvas, like these colorful felt cushions ($150), cedar boards and bowls ($50-$250 each), black plaster lamp ($350), and earthenware ($180) and lemonwood bowls ($20). i really love the handmade/rustic feel of everything, but love how clean and simple the shapes are. you can check out the canvas site for information, or order/purchase canvas products at the ochre store in nyc (462 broome street/ 212-414-4332).
i’ll see you all on monday- thanks so much for all of your fun questions at formspring. feel free to add more if you have any. i’m always happy to share any resources, tips, or advice i have. have a great weekend! below is a summary of this week’s highlights:
i’ll admit, i’m not really a bike-riding girl (i’m a little too scared of nyc drivers). but if i was, i would totally rock one of these matching seat and handebar bags from beatrice holiday. beatrice holiday owner alison franson uses quality vintage upholstery and vinyl fabric to create matching seat covers, basket liners and handlebar bags. i know the matchy matchy look may be too much for some, but i can’t imagine how any girl’s bike wouldn’t look cuter with a seat made from vintage fabric. or maybe that’s just the fabric lover in me. either way, the day i buy a bike, it’s getting one of these seats. click here to check out beatrice holiday’s full collection and shop online. thanks, alison!
ps: the bbb craft sisters are tackling stitchcraft today! click here to check out their pretty stitching projects!
i couldn’t resist sharing a little monday morning eye candy of the avian variety. this colorful new mobile from madeleine stamer at little circus design is painfully sweet. whether you have a little one who needs above-crib decoration or have the perfect spot for this in your adult home, you can pick up one of madeleine’s new mobiles in cool blue or warm red shadesright here. thanks, madeleine!
the moma design store’s new 2010 gift catalog includes this adorable little paperclip holder named “chip”. the chrome plated sculpture uses internal magnets to hold clips, giving it the appearance of wings or feathers. perch it on top of your papers and you’ve got a handy paperweight, too. it’s a tad over my budget for an office accessory, but that doesn’t stop me from wishing it perched on my desk. click here for more info and to buy online.
before i head out for the weekend i wanted to end the week with these great new designs from budesign of latvia. their accessories hanger is such a great idea- i always have so many small things that i want to put away (too many to leave on an entryway table) and this is a great way to make better use of a hallway closet. it would even be great for small scarves and gloves- which always end up buried under my shoes in the closet. in addition to their closet hook/hanger, budesign made some beautiful lighting inspired by a cheese grater. it would be so fun to see in a grocery store, deli or cheese counter. which reminds me- it’s time for lunch. i’m off to raid the pantry for something to eat- i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and i’ll see you on monday! stay tuned for a new d*s desktop wallpaper next week! below is a summary of this week’s highlights:
yesterday i heard from a bazillion people asking “did you hear about the ipad?!?!” so this morning i’ve got mac products on the brain. normally i’m pretty simple when it comes to lugging my macbook around (throw in bag, shove 2 scarves on either side to keep it from slamming into things) but when i heard from ashley at hither and thither about these cool “book covers” for your laptop i was instantly intrigued.
made of distressed leather, each “bookbook” is unique and is designed with dual zippers with leather pulls that look like bookmarks on first glance. you can keep your macbook charged while it’s protected because of the dual zippers (zip them to one side and leave a small space for your cord to plug in) or zip it up and carry it with you. i absolutely LOVE the idea of hiding your computer (something i never like looking at, despite its sleek design) inside of a book that looks like its been around for ages. for me, this is the perfect way to house something that looks a little too sleek and modern to match the rest of my house. click here for more information on bookbook and to place an order ($79.99). i think i may have to break out my credit card and make one of these my own. thanks to ashley for the tip!
one day when ac and i have a bigger home, we plan on adding another furry friend to our family- more specifically, a dog. so whenever i see cute dog beds i get little “i want a dog!” pains in my stomach that make me head over to petfinder looking for a friendly face to rescue. until that day comes, i’ll keep on loving things like this- a colorful new pet bed from muovo. muovo is a design studio in helsinki founded by textile designers anni kääriä and sanna väänänen. on a mission to “design products that put you in a good mood”, anni and sanna recently released a dog bed and footstool design made of detachable, machine-washable cotton. what i love about the dog bed is that it’s inflatable- so you can travel with it! if you’ve got a fuzzy friend that needs a soft place to sleep, click here to check out muovo’s products online.
when it comes to cards, i tend to stay away from the humorous variety. i’m more of a decorative/blank-inside type of gal. but i’m loving these new “headlines” cards from old tom foolery. each card has a simple (and funny) message and comes with a bright red envelope. you can check out all 16 new styles on the old tom foolery site right here. thanks, lauren!
i am seriously in love with this colorful nursery makeover from marta and jason or lorem and ipsum. marta and jason converted their home’s “bonus room” into a baby room for their new son liam. i think it’s such a cheerful space- and it’s got some real character without going overboard or stepping into “disney overload” baby territory. to read more about their makeover, click here!
[have a before & after you'd like to share on d*s? just shoot me an image here with your (low res, jpeg) images!]
CLICK HERE for sara’s dressing room makeover after the jump!
i nursed a pretty major crush on a sailing boy for years when i was younger, so i’ll always have a soft spot for anything sailboat-related. these new angela adams sail bags are made from recycled sails in collaboration with a local portland, maine company, sea bags. i’m partial to the full-sized bag, but the wine totes are great for frequent party-goers, too. click here to check out the collection and shop online.
