I’ve featured plenty of embroidered art, over the past year especially, but the work of Melissa Zexter just feels different. For starters, she’s a photographer by trade using her hand-sewn embroidery technique to enhance not distract. Digging deeper, Zexter combines the slow, meditative sewing process with the more immediate development of film to explore identity and femininity. And then it comes together in one fell swoop and we’re left staring in amazement.
If you’re like me you prefer to wake up to one of your favorite mellow tunes rather than the jarring blare of an alarm clock. Those first few minutes of the day can determine your mood for hours (especially on a Monday), and Soundfreaq created the alarm clock/bluetooth speaker hybrid Sound Rise with just that in mind.
The stacked design looks right at home on your bedside table in either black or wood tones, and the sound quality is seriously impressive. You can also enjoy solid sound while you get ready or soft music to relax to while falling asleep. Control the tone of your music with neutral, warm, and bright options for a customized experience. One of my favorite Sound Rise functions is the ability to set different alarm times for weekdays and weekends – who hasn’t accidentally set their Saturday wakeup for 6am? The worst. And you can even blackout the digital display, perfect for someone light sensitive like myself. Sound Rise features a USB power port you can use to keep your phone charging while you sleep, without having to fuss with a dock of any kind. Just one last thing: a nap timer. Soundfreaq has seriously thought of everything!
And now the part you’ve been waiting for – a chance to win your own Sound Rise! Get every day off to a better start by entering any number of ways below, but do it before Sunday, June 15th at 11:59 pm. a Rafflecopter giveaway
This week on Design Crush:
Beautiful experiments with dye and the sea by Arnaud Lajeunie.
I finally upgraded to a chair fit for a boss lady! Andy Boot gives rhythmic gymnastic ribbons a second chance at life. Area has flat out nailed simple but quality textiles for the home.
This cut paper alphabet from Tony Ziebetzki is so good.
A traditional game is reimagined with Pieces N Play Domino. Big Happy Family is helping me stay organized as I dash out the door. Whimsy Milieu is creating pieces that make every day a happy one.
Show you’re passionate about the creamy treat with pudding 10 ways.
I think pudding is a highly underrated dessert/snack/midnight comfort food. It’s cool, creamy, and perfect for summer with its ease of prep and days of lasting time in the refrigerator. Not to mention the massive variety of recipes available for pleasing any and every taste palette. And if you put enough thought into it, pudding can even be healthy enough. Here are ten recipes to help bring pudding back into your life!
Click on each image to go to the recipe. All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.
The best things are coming out of Australia, this time it’s via Malaysian-born maker Jacqueline Chan and her shop Whimsy Milieu. Aptly named because whimsy is definitely the key ingredient in Chan’s formula to create happy objects used in everyday life. I’m especially taken with this hand wall hook that can be used to organize jewelry, but the pretzel necklace and animal ears wall hooks also caught my eye!
Modular things make me stupidly happy, so it was a no brainer that I needed the Big Happy Family in my life. But which part of my home to organize? I could get culinary tools in order or plant an herb garden in the kitchen. The office could stand some wrangling in terms of small supplies that I’m forever misplacing. But the entryway, yes. That was the answer.
The differently sized magnetic modules were perfect for what I had in mind, some organization and some green all in one place. The Big Happy Family was fairly easy to install, all it takes is some sheet rock anchors and screws. The wall plates snap easily onto the brackets that get attached to the wall, then the various modules attach to the plates via magnet. This makes removing everything such a breeze and reorganizing the modules on a whim super simple.
I used the small Shorty modules for plants – a cactus, a succulent, and an air plant – and I love how easy it is to remove each one when it comes time to water. (I’ve been known to be clumsy!) Outgoing mail finds a home in the Wide Mouth, while the String Been makes an ideal vase for clippings from my yard or flowers from the market. And the Wide Mouth is a perfect catchall for my keys and whatever else I don’t want to forget when dashing out the door to meetings and hot dates. (Ahem.) I’m thrilled with this new addition and am looking forward to figuring out new purposes for Big Happy Family as time goes on!
This is a sponsored post by Viesso. As always, all words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush going!
The Pieces N Play Domino set takes a classic game and simplifies it with the use of color instead of numbers. Now I’m sure domino purists will scoff, but I for one think it would make me want to play even more. Now I just need a set, a picnic blanket, and a partner!
A scanner. Paper. A ruler. A scalpel. These are the only tools that went into creating this incredible paper alphabet by Tony Ziebetzki. Take a look at the project in its entirely, I think the S is my favorite.
Once I finally get my move underway (which keeps getting pushed back further thanks to a lack of available real estate in Pittsburgh) I don’t plan on downsizing, but I do plan on consolidating. Some of you might recall that I had a massive garage sale last October which got rid of a lot of things, but still more to get rid of if at all possible. I only want to have two categories of possessions: meaningful or functional.
As soon as I saw Area‘s textiles I knew they were a perfect fit. The independently owned company is completely focused on quality and originality, which I’m hoping is just what my next home will be full of.
