7 rules of design

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only if...

i had a house... or any money for that matter.... i would put these tiles all over the place.... le sigh.

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VerTerra Dishes

I have seen these compostable dishes around in stores before but never made the big purchase. But last night I was at an event party where all the cocktails were served in these little plates. They are really cool looking and good for the environment! I pretty much wanted to keep each plate served to me... but since my clutch was about the size of my hand, I had to leave them all behind. Luckily there are a few places in my area to grab some for the next party I throw! Now just to do the planning.... :)

Monday Inspiration

amazing! Check out Yulia Brodskaya here!

Leaf Ties

Now who said zip ties couldn't be cute?!
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Blu Dot Real Good Experiment

Blu Dot Real Good Experiment from Real Good Chair on Vimeo.

Pretty cool experiment! I was silently chuckling to myself the whole time :) Check out more here.

Have a spending problem?

If so, then you should check out this Partner Wallet by Jin Hong.

Each zipper reveals a supportive message as you open, such as:

I believe in U.
You will beat your shopping impulses.
You are in full control of your finances.
You know it’s never too late to stop.

Maybe a good gift for that friend who just can't resist racking up the cc bill?! I could probably use one of these myself in fact :)

Obsessive Consumerism

I was just turned onto this book by a friend of mine. We happened to be talking out our crazy urges to buy random things, especially on sale. It is no secret that I love to shop.... in fact I would love to buy this book with all the wonderful illustrations! However, a commenter on another blog mentions that it is rather strange to BUY a book about Obsessive Consumerism... touché.

I think this book is one that I will definitely check out from the library, but if you are in the mood to purchase you can do so here!

Time Flies

Where does the time go? daylight savings.... now already spring?

I thought I would share this awesome clock screen saver from Alan Dye. Instructions on how to install are super easy!

Lonny Mag- Issue 3

LOVE!

Where the Wild Things Are

No childhood (or adulthood) would be complete without reading Where the Wild Things Are. I am so excited to see that this children's book has transformed into a movie creation. You can see the trailer and read more about it on the official website.



With the movie coming out soon, Cory Godbey created a blog called Terrible Yellow Eyes. He writes, "Terrible Yellow Eyes is a collection of works inspired by the beloved classic, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

Over the coming weeks and months I'll display a growing collection of works created by invited contributing artists and myself.

We share a love and admiration for Sendak's work and the pieces we present here are done as a tribute to his life and legacy."

I encourage you to go over to the blog and check out all the amazing work from artists who are inspired by Where the Wild Things Are. Above are two of my favorite illustrations that were submitted to the blog. Enjoy!

New Retro Lady in the Shop!

I have a new retro lady in the shop for all you cat lovers! My husband has been bugging me forever about cats... (I grew up with dogs, he grew up with cats... you can see where this is heading!) so I thought it would be appropriate to have a note card for all you who prefer cats over dogs! Since I am allergic, this is probably the closest I will come to ever owning one of these little feline friends!

Retro Lady and Cat Flatcards

I hope you all enjoyed your Labor day weekend- I know I did!

A Splash of Fun

Illustrator Helen Dardik has been a favorite of mine for some time. I love her fun, young, retro, and whimsical style. Some of my favorites she has done are from when she started experimenting with watercolor- what an effect! She has a really fun blog, Orange You Lucky!, that I read daily as well as a great website, One Lucky Helen, where you can view her illustrations, patterns and art. She even has an etsy shop where she now sells some of her prints! I can't wait to get a few some day- they would really add a splash of color to any room!

What to wear this week

Kate Spades new clothing line debuted a little bit ago and all I can say is wowza! I am not a big fan of some of her handbags as they are a bit preppy for me, but this line of clothes has a great sense of trendy prep with bold graphics and bright hues. If I could afford it- I would be first in line to grab some of these pieces and start layering! Of course I would pick up that owl bag (Go KKG!) AND a pair of these shoes too.... HOT!

If I could, I would

...have an entire wall filled with overlapping, seemingly mismatched tiles just like this. What a statement it would make, especially with a fabulously simple tub just like that. Dang!

Good Design- Tea Forte

This weeks good design is being brought to you because I LOVE TEA. And after chatting with a few fine folks from the Minnesota Etsy Street Team about tea, I needed to just write about it for a bit while I drink it!

The new packaging design for Tea Forte is absolutely and simply stunning. It really brings the idea of high end gift giving to a new level. Now, I enjoy loose tea myself, the packaging alone for this tea makes me want to try it. Of course, I am a sucker for great designed packaging. Designers do what they do because of shoppers like me! I simply love the clean architectural presence of these little tea bags. AND, not only did they come up with a great product design, they came up with accessories for your tea. They have specific cups and holders to fit your special little tea bag. This tea product manufacturer was serious abut making a whole market for its product! I could spend a long time on their website filling up my cart with o so delicious tea products!

The Dieline Blog (a HUGE favorite of mine) has some great comments about this new tea product and its packaging. I invite you to read here!

Good Design- New Nano!

Holy shmoly. When I saw these on the apple site I just fell in love. Don't you just loooove the RICH, BRIGHT, IN YOUR FACE colors of the new nanos? If I weren't so obsessed over getting an ipod touch I would get this beautiful blue nano... or quite possibly this kelly green... OR the bright orange color. dang. so cute!

In the future, every Wednesday will be dedicated to finding good design in the world. It might mean product design (like these fabulous little nanos) or graphic design, furniture design ect. If you have something you think is a fabulous design feel free to leave a comment or email me!