afternoon tea : pacific dining car (LA)

with may coming to a close, it makes me reflect upon how we spend our daily lives in this rushed world. myself included, i always find myself rushing about my daily life and instead of paying attention to the people who i love the most in my life, i end up making excuses about how busy i am with work or having to take care of 'other things'. but taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, in a life where nothing is limitless, especially the time with the people who love you and you cherish the most, i start to think what truly is important. yes, making a living is important, but that can always be earned in different ways, if you want it bad enough, but the time that one has with someone, it's not something that can be substituted.

this weekend, i spent an afternoon with my mom, fiance and auntie sipping on some tea and munching on finger sandwiches/cakes/scones. it was the best! not only was the afternoon tea + food wonderful, but the company is what made it memorable.

perhaps if you have a moment, instead of writing that e-mail you had been meaning to send off or finishing up that one project for a client, take a moment out and enjoy an afternoon tea party with the people you love.

// pacific dining car

renegade craft fair : los angeles!

can't wait to go this year and check out the wonderful marvelous stuff~ i'll need to be holding onto my wallet tightly if i don't want to be buying everything in sight! if you have a time and will be in los angeles, i would highly recommend going and checking them out!

// renegade craft fair : los angeles

the simple things in life...

are the best.

strawberry jelly birthday cake by my mom. :)

i {heart} work : KREIS (jp)

as humans i feel that we are always in need of 'more' or 'better', but does this equal to true happiness? more expensive cars, bigger houses, the latest technology... i think in some ways yes, it does create a sense of well being, but sometimes i believe that the lines are blurred between acquiring material goods in ones life because it is needed vs want. i think that many goods are produced by various people/companies to enrich people's lives in a positive way and that it's important to purchase value goods instead of mass produced disposable goods. i myself have been trying to be more mindful of my goods collection and purchase things that truly add value to my life, whether it be for inspiration, daily use, or positive emotions.

artikel by kreis is a line of goods that fit into all 3 categories i look for when looking into purchasing products. simple, thoughtful and elegant, each piece allows for one to enjoy the item on many different levels. within their ideology it states that:

... through their designs and products, to be thankful for the meetings we have in our lives, the paths that cross together, our circle of people and hope that it continues to prosper.

i love companies that are inspired by the connections of human x human relations. i believe that the encounters we have in our lives help cultivate us to become the individuals that we are today.

// kreis

it's def. my birthday!

i <3 my friends. really. they are the best~ thank you suzanne for this! it's awesome~

// suzanarchist

studio {love} : studio formafantasma (the netherlands)

life and the way that we are all intertwined... how without the life of others, nature, the helping hands of the things that surround us, our life would not be possible. thank you mom + dad for giving me life today 29 years ago + for all the love and sacrifices you made for me... and thank you to all my ancestors who have given life which enable me to be who and where i am today.

the thought of souls + philosophies coming together to make new creations that affect and hopefully support the lives of others, i believe, is the core of design itself. this idea of 'collaboration' is illustrated beautifully by the work of studio formafantasma. they describe themselves as:

andrea trimarchi and simone farresin are formafantasma - two italian designers based in eindhoven, the netherlands. andrea and simone's current interests are in re-evaluating disappearing craft techniques by creating links between local cultures and global context, and integrating craft elements into the industrial processes. apparent incongruities or unexpected mixes are part of their work, as well as a desire to play with the boundaries between fragility and durability, low tech and hi-tech, and the cheap and the valuable.


although all their work is lovely with, as stated in their philosophy, a mixing of different aesthetics, i am particularly drawn to their work 'rapsodia'. delicate + intricate work, the mono-tone nature in which it is presented makes you want to dive deeper into their world. when viewing their work, it reminds me of the connections that we have in life and how although from afar seem simple + create a beautiful full image, when looked upon closer, it is actually built of small individual parts, that when brought together, help to make the picture... complete.

// formafantasma : rapsodia

taking a moment to notice...

the greatness of mother nature.

...but can't help feeling a bit jarred by the juxtaposition between the beautiful sunset + the highway.

i {heart} work : simon corry

it seems that people are comforted by the thought of categorizing individuals into a particular... well... category and if they can't find a 'place' for this individual to fit into, they find themselves feeling very uncomfortable or even worse, will even go to the extent of outcasting the individual to find mental peace. being japanese, although born in america, i see this quite often in the japanese culture where if one is not part of the 'mass',  they are considered an 'ochikobore' (meaning: fall out = fall out of society) and this holds true in so many other parts within the culture: fashion, education, marriage, wealth, etc. the list goes on.

during my studies at design school, i used to think that in order to become a viable graphic designer in the industry, one would have to only know and do graphic design. nothing else. at one point, i felt that i needed to throw away my background in music in order to become a 'true' graphic designer. but somewhere during this 'graphic design purification' process, i realized that what is more important than tagging myself as a 'graphic designer' was to be truly happy in what you create. to some, it might be that they immerse themselves in graphic design and become an authority in the field, but for myself, i realized that i don't necessarily see myself as a graphic designer, but more as a creator. i love the idea of mixing ideas/mediums/techniques/disciplines to create a new perspective on a subject. creation cross pollination? not sure if that's even a term, but sometimes i feel like a mad scientist jumping from one discipline to the next trying to find a way of communicating what is in my brain and bringing it into the physical world.

simon corry reminds me of this type of thought process where one goes beyond their 'label' to explore different ways of communicating their interests + backgrounds. being a designer + illustrator, he is also a scientist and describes himself as:

"This is just me and the art of colouring in."

Simon is a designer and budding scientist, currently based in the UK. Simon's ability to combine the creative, with the technical has afforded him the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients from the New York Times to the Royal Mail, and many more.

don't be fooled by his scientist background. nothing complicated + unexplainable to the un-trained mind/eye here. his work is thoughtful, thought-provoking and not to mention, fun to explore. go take a peek.

now i must go and do some more mixing of elements in my studio.

// simon corry

alicia keys : no one

Alicia Keys - No One (Official Music Video) - Watch more top selected videos about: Alicia_Keys


with a powerful voice + positive message, alicia keys is one artist that i keep falling in love with over and over again. her aura + attitude of 'anything is possible' makes me believe that the sky is the limit. this month i want to start it off with the power + energy that she exudes.

let's go!