defaced.

defaced by jen gotch. [via digital crushes.]

star wars r2-d2 peppermill.

star ware r2-d2 peppermill from thinkgeek.

objectified.

objectified by gary hustwit. gary hustwit, of helvetica fame, is coming out with a new documentary on industrial design.

objectified is a feature-length independent documentary about industrial design. it’s a look at the creativity at work behind everything from toothbrushes to tech gadgets. it’s about the people who re-examine, re-evaluate and re-invent our manufactured environment on a daily basis. it’s about personal expression, identity, consumerism, and sustainability. it’s about our relationship to mass-produced objects and, by extension, the people who design them.

where are my leaves and where is my trunk tea cup.

where are my leaves and where is my trunk tea cup by bailey doesn't bark.

cityscape twin silos pillow.

cityscape twin silos pillow by up in the air somewhere. (this reminds me of my hometown in wisconsin...)

deepa panchamia.

i love these beautiful textile shoes by deepa panchamia.

mixer.

mixer by naoyafujii.

youlike.

youlike by henning boegershausen. [via grijs.]

tokyo houses.

browsing around flickr the other day i found an amazing photostream of tokyo houses. i'm in love.

emergency break glass money box.

emergency break glass money box by suck uk.

add coins at your own risk: only by smashing the glass can they be retrieved. as you watch your money literally build up, you will be torn between the desire to save more or cash in. with money rapidly disappearing into plastic cards and online transactions, the physical presence of ‘in case of emergency' money box will make you think more carefully before you decide to splash out. what will be your moment of need?

venetian blind shirt.

venetian blind shirt by shikisai. [via design milk.]

poland.

one of the few remaining milk bars in kracow

remnants of the jewish ghetto in warsaw

a colorful lorry

i also spent 12 days in poland visiting gdansk, warsaw and kracow while eating lots of pierogi and goulash, seeing lovely architecture and taking a break from my cell phone, email and even blogging. you can see more photos here.

kirsuberjatréð.

one of the best pieces of advice i received (from guest blogger kelly) was to visit a shop called kirsuberjatréð. this shop is run by ten female artists and they take turns working in it. its a beautiful place and had so many interesting, unique things. i bought a couple bracelets and a wool wrap as my souvenirs. happy, happy me.

iceland.

reykjavík art museum

one of the many corrugated iron facades

lava field and hot springs

my lovely little hotel (thanks to melissa for the tip!)

one of the shops on laugavengui street

iceland was beautiful and though i only had two days and both were cold and rainy, i loved being there and took lots of pics. i visited the reykjavík art museum, ASÍ art museum, visited gullfoss falls and the many hot springs around the island, spent an afternoon in a coffee shop and did a lot of walking around. there is so much modern art and design in iceland and even the older buildings are minimal in their design. the corrugated metal facades and bright colors took me by surprise and i like that even the wood buildings use the vertical patterning.

its such an odd, wonderful place and i already want to go back (but this time with a warm jacket and hat...) as usual, i've posted more photos here.

thank you, thank you, thank you.

i want to thank kelly and ann for guestblogging while i was away! i'm back and will be posting some photos from my trip today. if you didn't get enough of either one, you can find kelly's blog here and ann's here. thanks again guys!

porridge.

designer of the perfectly nostalgic (and blissfully modern) housedress, porridge has now branched its product line into housewares. -atk