4.30.2009

Nightowlishness

I often beat myself up over the fact that I cannot regulate my sleeping hours. I've always thought that the worst offence to our body is to stay up late. But try as I might, I have not been able to discipline myself to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Even when I do, I always end up relapsing into my old habits a couple of weeks later.

Which is why this lil discovery in Wired Magazine makes me feel better about myself. A lot better.

Night owls are more creative. 
Artists, writers, and coders typically fire on all cylinders by crashing near dawn and awakening at the crack of noon. In one study, "evening people" almost universally slam-dunked a standardized creativity test. Their early-bird brethren struggled for passing scores.

4.28.2009

Need a laugh?

A crummy day made better by this.

via Jean Snow

4.27.2009

Eco on my mind

I've been on the lookout for on-the-go hashi for ages and I think I'm finally closing in on my ideal pair -- Eco-Pocke-My-Hashi by Yuento. Anyone in Japan willing to help a poor gal out with the purchase?

 yuento-chopsticks

Also, am hyper-ventilating over the re-useable shopping bags by Baggu, the colors alone won me over! (Yah, me a sucker for colors!)

baggu-bags

4.25.2009

Machado Handmade

Machado-Sandals

Loving this so much it hurts. Found it here.

4.23.2009

Marc Monzo

At first glance, Marc Monzo's site seems to be that of a game designer's (I felt like I was playing some version of the memory game when I was there), but I was pleasantly surprised once I started clicking around -- the most delectable pieces of contemporary jewelry hiding behind 3D-rendering-looking images. Ooh la la! Pictured below is a taste of what you'll find at his site.

4.22.2009

Frazier & Wing mobiles

frazier-wing-mobile-yellowfrazier-wing-mobile-blue

Never thought of myself as a mobile lover, but da-yum, these are looking mighty fine!

via tas-ka.

4.19.2009

Trever Hoehne

Trever-Hoehne-blurrythings-nature

Trever-Hoehne-blurrythings-city

Enjoying "Blurry Things" by Trever Hoehne. I'm no pro when it comes to photography, but I do think beautiful blurry photos are harder to achieve than it seems. 

via The Best Part.

Bonus! Here's a couple of links that I thought you might also like to visit. 

Charlotte Tollstén, a jewelry maker from Gothenburg (I haven't checked out her jewelry yet, her blog is winning me over though!); 

and



Mark Rodda, a visual artist based in Melbourne. There's a playfulness to his images that is striking the right chord with me. 

4.17.2009

Too Tall Teahouse

Takasugi-an

Takasugi-an-interior

Treehouses were something I knew of only through books, but its innate concept of a hide-a-way had always fascinated me. After all, who wouldn't want to escape from a suburban childhood :-)

Is it any wonder, then, that this teahouse by Terunobu Fujimori is so tugging at my heartstrings?


The Japanese have a thing for treehouses, eh?

4.16.2009

Cisternerne

Cisternerne-entrance

Just learned of
Cisternerne, an underground museum in Copenhagen that showcases modern glass art. It was part of the city's underground reservoir before it became the Museum of Modern Glass Art, and apparently visitors can still see water dripping from the wall onto the floor and stalactites that had formed on the surfaces, how cool is that! 

Pictured above is one of the two entrances to the museum. I'm presuming that visitors would then have to descend some stairs.


Water, glass, lights -- I can only imagine the loveliness when these elements are at work together. Would be one hell of an interesting visit.


More images of the interior can be seen here.

4.15.2009

Michael Velliquette

michael-velliquette

Enjoying papercut art by Michael Velliquette. The folkloric ones are among my favorite.

via Craft

4.14.2009

A Tokyo Diary

luis-mendo-tokyo-diary

I've always attempted to keep a sketch diary when I travel but y'all know what "attempted" suggests, right? Yup, it means the idea always ends up being that -- an idea. I would either be too tired from the day or too excited that I forget to spend time with my sketchbook. I invariably return home with a few measly doodles, no notes and a beat-me-up guilt complex that compels me to promise myself that I will be more diligent the next time I travel. But have y'all heard of the phrase, "yeah, right" before? Said in a disbelieving tone? Sorta like a scoff? Yeah, that one.

Anyway, this post isn't about me. It's about Amsterdam-based designer, Luis Mendo, who is successful in keeping a travel journal, and is reaping the rewards now. Pages after pages of keepsake from his time in Tokyo. Lucky for us, he's sharing it on the Internet.

link and image via Jean Snow.


P/S: Someone else who successfully sketched while in Japan, Kate Williamson.

4.12.2009

Michael Laube

michael-laube-installationmichael-laube-object

Something beautiful after that last somewhat somber post -- German artist, Michael Laube's work.

via The Post Family, a site totally worth bookmarking. Go on, you won't regret it.

4.11.2009

Homelessness

An illuminating read on homelessness. I've often wondered about the state of homelessness and if it's as easy a state to fall in as I fear it is. After all, not everything is in our control all the time, is it? I remember, on one of the numerous occasions that we walked past men sleeping in cardboard tents on the sidewalk, a co-worker exclaimed that she will never allow herself to reach that level of desperation. It was said with such force that it's left me pondering ever since -- is determination all it takes?

4.10.2009

Elsa Mora

elsa-mora-papercut

If like me, you have a fascination with papercutting, you'll most probably enjoy a visit to Elsa Mora's papercutting blog, where she showcases some of her truly magnificent work. Her talent is wide-ranging – so be sure to visit her main blog to check out her other creations. 

4.09.2009

Julie Evans

julie-evans
Wow. Julie Evan's work is blowing my mind away!

via Edward Winkleman's Artist of the Week.

4.08.2009

Shell we?

Senosiain-Nautilus-front

Senosiain-Nautilus-inside

I applaud anyone who has the courage and tenacity to make their dreams come true, even if the dream is to live inside a shell. Actually, especially if your dream is to live inside a shell.


4.06.2009

Therme Vals, Switzerland

therme-vals

Wow, this place doesn't look half bad. (Translation: Anyone wants to buy a kidney so I can fund a trip there?)


4.05.2009

Falling in love, Rajboori-style

rajboori-pillows
rajboori-coverlets

'Tis was love at first sight -- I don't think I've ever seen beddings I've coveted as much as these. (Although, I have to admit I have quite a crush on Denyse Schmidt's). I love how everything at Rajboori can look so contemporary, kitschy and luxurious at the same time. And if you visit their site, be sure to click on the artisans link. They go to some length to show you the process the craftsmen partake in to produce such gorgeous creations.

rajboori-bed

via sara jensen of lost bird found, guestblogging at design*sponge.

4.04.2009

Tehching Hsieh

tehching-hsieh-cage-piece
tehching-hsieh-cage-piece2

A friend alerted me to an article in the NY Times of Tehching Hsieh, a performance artist whose work is being displayed by MoMA. I have not known of him prior to this but I find his work extremely remarkable because he utilizes himself and his life with such intensity and in so unequivocal a manner. I have the highest regards for that kind of immersion, I find it's something worth aspiring to.

This is my favorite quote from him in the article: "Living is nothing but consuming time until you die" -- a tenet the existentialist in me had never let go of, probably to my very own detriment.

Photo by Tehching Hsieh, from his work, "Cage Piece".

4.03.2009

Under the sea

ithaa-undersea-restaurant-maldives

Beautiful place to dine, but I'd be too distracted to eat. :-p

via picocool.

Guess the Classroom

chinese-cave-school

I can never be sure I would feel the same way if I did indeed go to school in a cave, but right now, looking at the pictures, I so wish I did. It looks like the kind of environment that requires you to let your imagination run free and wild. Plus, you never need to stare longingly out the window anymore, do you?


4.02.2009

Javier Jaen



Thoroughly enjoying the witty imagery of Javier Jaen.

via Drawn!

blog disclaimer:


Please be advised that a couple of archived posts could be considered adult in the sense that it shows nudity, albeit minimally and in an artistic sense.