eyecandy : botanical garden

with august just around the corner, it reminds of how important it is to enjoy each moment that we have... recently, during a visit to santa barbara, i decided on a whim to just close my computer and go enjoy an afternoon in some greenery. that split second decision ended up being so powerful in that it allowed for not only much needed relaxation, but the room to let thoughts flow without any restrictions. nature is indeed very nurturing. 

i have to keep reminding myself that sometimes it's just better to put aside what you're doing to enjoy some quiet time with yourself.

shopaholic : renegade craft fair los angeles!

wanted to share some adorable finds from the renegade craft fair in los angeles! i wanted to everything, but had to refrain from getting too much stuff... just adorable!

// randL
// tinted mint
// ticings

studio {love} : tankboys (venice)

crisp, precise, monochromatic color scheme with clean type + fun = tankboys!

// tankboys

furniture*obsession // NAUT

really love the simplicity in the designs + the material. wood gives such a warm feeling.

// NAUT

studio {love} : A-B-D (stockholm)

it is getting hot-hot-hot here in los angeles! how is everyone keeping cool from the summer heat? i hope with lots of ice cream, lemonade and cold iced tea. that sounds so good right about now.

sometimes when the weather gets too hot, it's hard for me to feel inspired to do anything and instead makes me want to go just lie underneath the fan + do nothing all day... but we all know that doing nothing = well, nothing. (although i am a strong believer in the necessity of working hard, but also knowing when to take a break and relax. still trying to incorporate this belief into my daily life... little by little.) so, with the smoldering heat making me lethargic, i needed to find something that would bring the ZING back into my attitude!

and energy i found! the work of stockholm-based A-B-D is very far away from anything bland. with a diverse breadth of work to showcase their many talents, this design studio is making me itch with excitement and the need to create something exciting! i am especially loving the different ways in which they incorporate type into their work from hand-drawn to refined, clean and straight.

if you want a little ZING in your day, check them out! i'm feeling all peppy now!

// A-B-D

shopaholic : CHIGO

to be honest, i've never been one to be into baby clothes or baby anything for that matter. when people would swoon over cute little booties, i would think that it was 'cute', but not to the point of going ga ga over them. but with so many of my close girlfriends being pregnant/having babies and currently planning a baby shower for a good friend, i started to do a little bit of research to see if there was indeed some baby stuff that would spark my interest. oh how i was wrong! there are so SO many talented baby clothing/accessories designers out there now who are creating beautiful pieces!

one particular company that caught my eye recently was CHIGO. let me just say, the designs are adorable and even more swoon-worthy because they resemble clothes that i wouldn't mind wearing myself, only a mini-me version of it. 

if you're looking for a baby shower gift or something for your own little one, check this store out!

// CHIGO

studio {love} : the round table inc. (jp)

good evening! after being full from some sweet + sour stir fry for dinner, i felt that i wanted to also fill my eyes with some wonderful designs. i ended up finding something more fulfilling than what i had originally intending to view!

i began being intrigued by the work of the round table inc., but the deeper i engaged in their designs, i realized that the studio was more than meets the eye. not only do they do design work, but also do planning and even integrate a cafe into the mix. they state that they do event planning, branding, live events related to food/culinary, creative services and food/beverage related design. that is what i'm talking about. interdisciplinary, no boundaries work! i love it!! especially loving how they tie their creative work with culinary arts.

gochisou sama deshita!

p.s. their website is also fun to navigate~ go take a peek!

// the round table inc.

video : marian bantjes

amazing AMAZING work + talk by marian bantjes through TED. i've always been inspired by her + her typography. something so organic and pure about the way she approaches each project. you can see her touch and i love that she is simply being who she is + pursuing her inner calling. thank you for your inspirational work!

and thank you for sharing this with me taryn!

// TED x marian bantjes
// taryn hiroshima

need to watch : the visual language of herbert matter

Matter Teaser from Herbert Matter on Vimeo.

i definitely need to go and check this out! has anyone heard of where they are going to be showing this?

// courtesy of grain edit

fashion*love : stella mc cartney

  

a good friend was sharing with me this morning about the importance of not abusing one's power. to know that even if you're sitting at the pinnacle of where you would want to be, it does not mean that you should inflict pain upon others just because you can. she said that we are all human and humans are imperfect. that i agree. but i also agree with her that it is important not to let things get to one's head and to always stay focused on what is right not only for yourself, but for others.

i feel that stella mc cartney shows this in the way she has built her company + philosophy. she chooses to promote and produce things that are as friendly to the earth as possible, to shed light on the possibilities of beauty + fashion co-existing without necessarily harming the earth and individuals. not to mention, i am in love with her logo + packaging design! so pretty~ but that's just me geeking out about design. 

i hope that i can continue to stay focused on what my core values are within zakka nouveau and not get tempted or swayed by other things. focus. focus.

// stella mc cartney

 

fait a la main : happy 4th of july + father's day card

happy 4th of july! the day of independence for the united states. a day to remember how this country became a place where one is free to voice their thoughts, be who they truly want to be and is supported for their individuality. well, maybe not completely, but these days looking at other countries, i realized that with every country, there are pros/cons, but with the united states, the one great thing about it is that one is able to pursue what they want if they want it bad enough. as they say, it's the 'land of opportunity'.

that thought alone brings me to think about my own parents and how much they sacrificed so that i can be where i am today. to simply put, they had a choice between living a life of comfort, but instead chose to stay in the states so that their child could be bilingual and in hopes that it would allow her to have more opportunities in life. if someone were to tell me right now to go live in a different country where i couldn't speak the language, had no clue what my next job would be and had no secure income, i'm not sure if i would be able to do it. i am thankful for their decision to stay in the states. if it wasn't for this decision, my life would be completely different. who knows if i would be able to speak english? or to have met my fiance who only speaks english? or have been able to attend college or be practicing design right now? it makes me ponder about our decisions in life and how they can make a monumental difference in how things turn out in the long run.

in the spirit of 4th of july, i wanted to make a card for my dad for father's day (yes, yes. it's a bit late, but we have been waiting for his gift to arrive and it finally has!). i was thinking about making a card that was a business suit with a tie as that is the image of father's day, but i thought about what my image of a dad was and it has always been a white chef outfit with a chef's hat. so instead, i crafted a chef uniform card for my dad for father's day. i hope he likes it.

thank you dad + mom for giving me my independence to dream and tell me that the sky is the limit. that anything is possible. looking at the both of you, i believe that anything is truly possible.

design*obsession: 0_100 editions

happy july!! wow! it's already july! how the time is just whizzing by... isn't it? and yes, i do sound like a broken record as i think i have written this thought on my blog so many times! i apologize if i have been saying it quite often, but it just surprises me when i think about how we're already past the half way point this year. i seriously don't know where the time is going...

a beautiful visual post to start off july on the right foot! i am a BIG BIG fan on magazines. i've written about them on many other posts, but something about them just does it for me. so do visual books, but mags, yes. i do love thee. but a zine that feels as significant as a book? now this is where some magic happens. i feel that 0_100 edition zines fall into this category. the design is simple and yet enticing... a magazine yes, but feels precious like a book. a delicate balance between something that is fleeting vs something that has longevity. even their own company description is minimal, but to the point. it feels that that is what the zine is all about. each detail is thoughtful. makes me think about how the way we spend our time in our lives is fleeting, but if we were to take each moment at a time, it could feel more permanent...

also, before i finish up my blog post today, i just wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank all the people who have been so very supportive the past 3 years. the launch yesterday was just wonderful and all the positive feedback made me realize that through the many ups and downs, at the end, it was the right decision to choose the path of starting up zakka nouveau. i don't know where this path will lead me, but i do now know that, more than anything, it's important to believe in oneself and follow your heart. heart, thank you for guiding the way and never giving up on me.

// 0_100 editions

announcement!: make it funky! /chinatown los angeles

are you interested in perhaps having a funky weekend the last weekend on july? then you'll have to check out 'make it funky' presented by the awesome flock shop on saturday, july 31 2010 from 2p~12am!! if you want more info, click on the link below~~ sounds like it's going to be a fun time!!

// make it funky
// make it funky {twitter}