i feel like doing this right now...

with the warm weather goin' on in LA right now, i feel like doing this right now after taking a dip in cool water...

// via three thousand

studio {love} : bedow creative

lovely creative packaging + identity design by swedish design studio bedow creative. the use of minimal colors mixed with refined, but whimsical type just makes my heart flutter.

// bedow creative

i want : fresh calico spool candle

 

isn't this candle just adorable? would love to have this along with my spools of thread.

// anthropologie

i want : sweaters

fall + cooler air + leaves falling = sweaters.

// j crew
// steven alan
// urban outfitters

video : anthology magazine

Print Is Not Dead from Anthology Magazine on Vimeo.

(via design for mankind)

this stop motion video was created for the inaugural of anthology magazine and i must say it is very inspiring! oh so adorable + stylish, i love everything about it from the styling to the music! just melts together like a good mixed flavored ice cream.

looking forward to holding + reading the magazine! here's to women who take matters into their own hands to make things happen!

// anthology magazine

eye candy : vain & vapid

really loving this adorable coat by vain & vapid.

// vain & vapid

announcement : aira (sp'11 show TONIGHT! // NYC)

 

if you're in the NYC area tonight and want to go check out a fashion show, you should take a peep at this!

location: the gates on 25th street + 8th avenue

time: 9pm 

date: thursday, september 23rd (that's tonight!)

also, if it's any incentive, MC + musician extraordinaire derek kan of magnetic north will be there too. 

wish i could go... loving their debut line!

// aira

// magnetic north

i want : pancake & franks

lately i've been really into collecting stationery from different artists/studios/companies and placing them up in the studio for some inspiration. i also think of it as a way to 'train the eye'. my dad, who is a french chef, shared with me that when he creates a dish, he considers composition, color, spacing, on top of taste. in order to hone his aesthetic,while working working in london, he would visit museums  just to view 'good work' even though he had no idea what it was that he was looking at. he didn't come from an art background, but he had a feeling that as long as he continued to culture his eye + mind, that eventually it would sink into his psyche. i do have to admit, the food he prepares is art and i love gobbling it up!

i want to incorporate pancake & frank's beautiful stationery into my visual museum for inspiration.

// pancake & frank

studio {love} : official manufacturing company

omfg!!! well, not sure if these witty + cleaver designers wanted their name to be used in this context, but look at their work! even without using the 'f'-word in the sentence, i think it's eye-popping! a crossroads between experimental + sophistication, the work of official manufacturing company is definitely on my list of eye-candy.

// official manufacturing company

fait a la main : special project

happy sunday! today, i wanted to share a photo of a special project i have been working on this past week. along with going into the music studio to do vocal translations for a japanese artist, i created some custom zakka nouveau products for the incredible and very inspirational individuals that i have thankfully been able to work with. what a crazy week with music studio + zakka nouveau projects, but was well worth it!

now back to zakka nouveau full force!

p.s. you might be seeing that tote bag available sometime in the near future. if you're interested, stay tuned!

i {heart} work : anna emilia laitinen

really loving the pastel, soft colors mixed with nature-themed works by illustrator anna emilia laitinen. her images + style remind of children's picture books, except this children's book would be in my own book collection.

// anna emilia laitinen

studio {love} : bureau for the advancement of lifestyle and longevity and success (sg)

bureau for the advancement of lifestyle and longevity and success. how can you not be intrigued by this studio's name? i know i was, but thought it was some scientific/voodoo magic/zen thinking cult society. little did i know that this group of young + talented designers was creating work that was well, mesmerizing without the puff + abracadabra.

// bureau for the advancement of lifestyle and longevity and success

i {heart} work : valentina vos

looking at the work for valentina vos and her latest book entitled one seventy four, all her photographs capture a moment. very serene and natural and yet intriguing in a way that you wonder what the person in the photo is thinking or was caught doing. viewing her work makes me think, "i am so glad to have been born a girl."

yes, girls just want to have fun. but in her work, i would say, girls just want to have serendipitous magical natural fun. i just want to jump into these shots.

// valentina vos

product*obsession : kwodrent

fall smell in the air + softness = kwodrent.

i need to get my hands on one of grace tan's creations. elegant + versatile, i can see myself wearing her creations with a cocktail dress, but also with a t-shirt + jeans. just lovely.

also, if you'll be in singapore or live there, she'll be speaking at crafty 2010 along with other wonderful creatives. go check it out!

photographs by the very talented darren soh.

// kwodrent

i want : hard shell suitcase

with some traveling coming up at the end of this year, i've been wanting a new suitcase... the one i have been using is black, soft bodied and has only 2 tires. it's quite heavy to lug around when moving from city to city and is hard to find on the conveyor belt when there are 1,000 other bags that look just like yours. recently when some friends visited from japan, i fell in love with their sky blue + electric pink suitcases that were light, colorful, easy to push around and priced within reason. i went online to do a little eye shopping and wow, what a selection! now i don't know which one to get!

although, i love them all, i think i'm leaning towards either the black dots on white or the green one. which one do you like?

// arukikata
// hideo wakamatsu

studio {love} : pencil + paper

i found the lovely pencil + paper through grain edit recently and couldn't get enough eye candy! such variety in their work and yet has a feel of cohesiveness that lets you understand and learn about their aesthetic philosophy. i especially love their retro feel yet not to the point of being throwback style, but in a sense a modern rendition of retro.

their denver music company project is what caught my eyes the most with a complete design/look of a music store. how i would love such a project! to brand or re-brand a completely company from start to finish in such a creative + fun way! such a great inspiration.

// pencil + paper

product*obsession : tembea

what can i say? i want them all... and the photography just makes me oogle them even more. simply gorgeous in a utilitarian way.

// tembea

food {love} : shoyu + butter spaghetti

introducing a new series on everyday curiosities! meet.... food {love}! we'll be focusing on recipes, dishes, food items, desserts, ingredients + anything related to the art of food with a japanese twist!

to start off this new column, today we'll be introducing a family classic, shoyu + butter spaghetti. i remember my mom quickly whipping this up in the kitchen and having it ready to eat in no time at all! she's such a great cook. not only is this dish easy to prepare, quick + easy, but you can virtually use any vegetables left over in your fridge as long as you have some key main ingredients. let's start cooking!

..................................................................................

shoyu + butter spaghetti (2 servings)

key ingredients:
+ organic soy sauce (or regular soy sauce is ok, but try to not use low sodium as it doesn't give as much flavoring as the regular kind. don't worry, you won't use too much)
+ garlic (2 cloves)
+ 1/2~1 onion (thinly sliced)
+ salt + pepper (try to use fresh pepper as it gives a wonderful aroma + i like to use red salt as it has a milder flavor)
+ butter

ingredients (there are interchangeable):
+ greens (spinach, asparagus, green bell peppers, komatsuna. something with similar consistency/flavor. feel free to use as much or as little as you like. for 2 i usually you one bunch of spinach and 1/2 a bunch of asparagus or 1 green bell pepper)
+ meat (bacon, ham... my fiance likes spam, but i just put some on the side for him. you can even try canned tuna. for this recent concoction, i used 3 slices of ham.)

directions:
1. while heating up water for pasta, warm up some olive oil and throw in the sliced garlic. once the garlic begins to make a shhhhhhhh sound, throw in the sliced onions.

2. once the onions are starting to brown just slightly, throw in the asparagus and after a few swishes in the fry pan, throw in the spinach. (if you are using other vegetables, start throwing in vegetables that take longer to cook.)

3. when the veggies being to soften a bit, mix in your choice of meat and fry until cooked thoroughly.

4. by this point, you would have wanted your pasta to be cooked and ready.

5. throw the pasta into the veggie + meat mix and toss.

6. once everything is mixed, drizzle some soy sauce over the pasta and toss gently. taste a little sample to check the salt consistency. add a little salt and butter and stir. taste a little more.

7. at this point, add in either salt/soy sauce/butter until you get a flavor that you're happy with. i usually try to adjust with soy sauce and butter vs putting in too much salt as it begins to taste a bit flat.

8. twirl the pasta onto a plate, sprinkle some fresh ground pepper and bon appetit!

..................................................................................

would love to hear how your dishes turned out if you decided to substitute things with exotic ingredients!

i {heart} work : liv bargman

can i just start off by saying... i love liv bargman's color palate! yes! reminds me of a sunny summer afternoon in front of the ice cream truck figuring out which flavor/type of ice cream i was going to stuff into my face.

coincidentally, my mom was looking over my shoulder while writing this post and all she could say (in japanese, but translated) was, "oh my.... i love the colors! just beautiful! i would love to create a japanese kimono print with her work!" i was thinking, yes! that would be divine. i would wear it even if it's not for a special occasion just because it would make me happy looking at myself in her artwork.

needless to say, her illustration style gives a feeling of fantastical, playful, wonderfulness with a touch of how should i say... refinement? hmm... purpose! yes, of purpose. that every element she drew feels that it was meant to be placed where it is and yet it doesn't feel up tight. just adorable!

looking at the lower 3D paper piece, it would be great if that was a cuckoo clock made out of paper! i would put it in my studio instantly!

// liv bargman

video : "A" stop motion

The making of A from Bianca Chang on Vimeo.

i am loving this paper "A" stop motion video by bianca chang. quite lovely~

// bianca chang

i {heart} work : david mikush

once entering david mikush's site, you will instantly get a feel of welcome. the type of welcome you feel when you go to someone's home for the first time and yet it feels familiar and you soon find yourself hanging out on the couch with a beer in hand and laughing the night away. ok, well i would have a juice in hand.

a handsome collection of work + an 'about page' with his picture on it, the entire site is integrated for the viewer to not only get a sense of what type of design he is, but of his character as an individual. i am definitely loving the nature-esque tones within all of his work, but what really caught my attention was the fact that he also writes music! and for readers who have been following my blog or read some other entries, i am a fanatic about people who are interdisciplinary in their approach to... anything! breaking/pushing boundaries and bringing different flavors into the mix is what creates new recipes for creativity! not to mention, awesome new perspectives.

please go and enjoy yourself!

// david mikush