I need the Twice As Nice Double Timer in my kitchen. I’ve been making a lot of dinners lately that require a few pots to be going at the same time and using both my oven and microwave timers to keep things on track. Pathetic. This little thingamajig is the answer to my prayers. And as a bonus cute and retro-y.
:: via Rare Bird Finds
Posted In grand design, kitchenI started seeing bits and pieces of Daryl Banks’ Crinoline Flowers collection a few months ago, but I had no idea who was the mastermind behind these striking, unexpected beauties was. Thanks to brocade design etc, I now know.
I love the idea of a bookplate in every volume on my shelves. They just scream ownership and love to me. Oh, and keep your hands off! These Peanut Butter Bookplates from pink loves brown are adorable and have really great type.
:: via design is mine
Posted In paper goods, read up
Note: This product is fictional.
Susanna Hertrich designed the Chrono_Shredder while studying the idea of human hibernation.
“The Chrono_Shredder is a device that makes past time tangible. It is a hybrid between calendar, clock and waste producing automaton. It has no on/off-button, thus it is unstoppable, just like time. It features the 365 days of the year represented on a paper-roll. The paper-roll is led through a hacked paper-shredder, which is programmed to use exactly 24 hours to shred one ‘day’.”
:: via CasaSugar
Posted In calendars, grand designForgive me if I seem a little out of it. A little flighty or flakey. A little “Did I put on deodorant today?” This week is leaving me with a mental meltdown, a fried egg for a brain. And it’s showing itself off in all other aspects of my life. Only one more day to go, but until then there’s this…
:: image via ffffound
These paintings by Stellalola (aka Julie Lewis) are perfectly fun and vintage, yet somehow have a modern vibe all at the same time. Hooray for versatility!
I first came across Wedding in Your Pocket in an issue of Communication Arts a few years back and have had it bookmarked ever since. It’s basically pure, lovely genius in paper form. The kind of design that makes me envious and a little green with jealousy. In other words, the absolute best kind.
“What does it take to tell the story of a wedding? In our case, six books. Each book in the wedding series corresponds to a specific event in the process: invitation, welcome, ceremony, etc. A custom illustration by Adam McCauley opens each book, playing on cliche wedding terms (think getting hitched and dropping the anchor). The books combine honesty (ten things you may forget) with humor (how to find a hay barn in town), while maintaining a taste of elegance and tradition.”
Love this.
The Before I die I want to… project was inspired by a combination of factors: (1) the “death” of the Polaroid, (2) a psychologist’s tool called safety contracts, and (3) a passion to get people to think about (and act upon) what is really important in their life through this simple, very straight-forward question.
Process
Creators, Nicole Kenney (Brooklyn, NY) and ks rives (Chicago, IL) keep their Polaroid cameras close at hand, taking portraits wherever they go to add to the collection. They snap the photo while the subject is saying what they want to do before they die, getting them in the act of stating their desire. Nicole and ks then request that the subject writes his or her statement on the Polaroid starting with the words “Before I die I want to….” As the subjects are signing the release form, the artists ask them to include their email.
The website is updated continuously with new portraits.
In a number of years (five, ten, twenty, etc.), Nicole and ks will contact the participants via email to see if they have accomplished their goal, if they are on their way, or why they haven’t made steps in that direction. At this future time, Nicole and ks will ask them to write a short story next to their photo on the website about fulfilling their expressed want. Seeing online that other people are fulfilling their desires will motivate participants to complete their task and write a story of their own.
:: via Josh Spear
Posted In collaboration/project, onlineA few months ago my friend Megan, the lone copywriter at Capsule, hooked me up with the latest book in their Design Matters series. Design Matters: Packaging 01. Design is an increasingly competitive marketplace, one in which you constantly need to be in the “know”. But these days most design books only focus on type, color, and layout. The Design Matters series takes a more strategic approach, allowing designers to learn not only what looks good, but also what sort of design is smart.
Packaging 01 is the latest book in the Design Matters series and focuses on developing, creating and implementing package designs. The book is full of beautiful, intelligent examples, so readers can understand the points being highlighted along the way. Their goal? That by the last page you walk away with a better understanding of packaging, the process of creating it, and how it influences our world.
Mission accomplished.
{Thanks Megan!}
Posted In graphic design, read up
The Space Grill. Not as in aliens and UFOs, but as in multi-functional awesomeness.
“The unique, swing-out grill system comprises of two heavy-gauge stainless steel grills that height-adjust for different cooking temps. On the top grill, sit a serving dish, a saucepan or use as a back-up cooking or warming grill. The larger main grill swings out to enable quick fuel top-ups. Underneath the bowl is an integral ash collector and adjustable ventilation system. We also love the eco-friendly bamboo chopping board and built-in hooks for tools.”
Posted In grand design, outdoors