August 27, 2007

Dean &am Deluca's House Blend.

I’ve been a devoutee of all things Starbuck’s since high school. Ever since the only place you could get some of that sweet, sweet caffeine near my hometown was at the Barnes & Noble twenty minutes away. Nothing could change my belief that their coffee is by far superior to all others.

Or so I thought.

A few month’s ago I bought a bag of Dean & Deluca’s Breakfast Blend and have been a changed woman ever since the first sip. It’s amazing, I don’t know what else to say. Not only am I loving their coffee, but their simplistic branding and design as well. Starbuck’s will always be near and dear to me, but I fear our relationship may never be what it once was. Sigh.

Posted In food
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August 24, 2007

Alice in Wonderland.

This Alice in Wonderland dinnerware at Fishs Eddy is awesome. I love the pen and ink feeling of the illustration against the white background of the dishes. And the grotesque stretched Alice on the drinking glass is fantastic. All pieces are priced $4.50-$16.95.

Posted In kitchen
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August 24, 2007

Cube Jigger.

I’m an unintentional collector of barware. Most of what I own is retro in design, some of it actual vintage pieces. I run the gamet though and even own some crystal. I’m always on the lookout for cool pieces and accessories, which might explain why I own something like five cocktail pitchers alone.

The Aluminum Cube Jigger by designer Josh Owen is so innovative – it has different pour measure on every side. According to Josh “the design of the Aluminum Cube Jigger evolved from an experiment to compress the six most common liquid measures used to mix alcoholic drinks, into the smallest possible dispenser. the form was inspired by traditional box-shaped, Japanese sake cups, from which sake is sipped from the corners.”

You can get your very own at at Unica Home for $20.

Posted In entertaining, grand design
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August 23, 2007

V Chocolates.

V Chocolates has some incredible packaging going on. I love the baby blue box, which I’m convinced we equate with Tiffany’s in our mind which then equals quality. Or maybe that’s just me! Regardless, not only are V Chocolates (and toffee and berries) amazing to look at, but I’m betting they taste delicious as well. Master chocolatier, Ron Best, has been in the business of creating chocolates for more than twenty years.

Posted In food, packaging
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August 23, 2007

Back to School.

This week is Back to School time in Oklahoma. It seems crazy to me being from Pennsylvania originally and never starting school until the very end of August, if not after Labor Day. Being the Paper Lover that I am, I was always excited to go shopping for school supplies. And I still am. Every year I never fail to end up roaming the school supply aisles of Target and buying at least one notebook (that I don’t really need) just to reminisce. Now with places like Russell + Hazel and See Jane Work it’s kind of like year-round Back to School for gals like me.

I’d mentioned a few months back about Thomas Paul coming out with a new line of office supplies and stationary, but until recently I couldn’t find it anywhere. Now his entire collection is available through See Jane Work. I’m definitely going to have to get my hands on some of this!

Posted In office
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August 23, 2007

A+R Store.

A+R is everything design and pop culture. The constant is design that charms, functions and inspires. Their hope is that “you find things you’ve been looking for all your lives, and stuff you didn’t know you needed.” I came across some beautiful pieces while browsing that I’ve not seen anywhere else. There’s a lot of great design, so check it out.

Clockwise from top left: Minima turquoise bottles $32, Tord Boontje garland light $68, Cocktail forks 4 for $10 and Vast Design’s tube coffee $95 for the set shown.

Posted In house and home
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August 22, 2007

Caramel Apple Bars.

Oh my gosh. It’s not fair that I saw these Caramel Apple Bars in the middle of the afternoon when I was totally jonesing for something sweet, ooey and gooey. These would 100% fit the bill and are so incredibly wrong that I had to share.

Posted In recipes
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August 21, 2007

ferm LIVING.

Wall stickers are all the rage right now, the other day I even saw some at Target in their Back-to-School dorm section. And why shouldn’t they be popular? They’re easy to apply, remove and re-apply elsewhere (or so I hear). There’s a huge variety of sizes, colors and patterns available, too, so there’s most likely something for everyone. Besides that, wall stickers can be used on all flat surfaces: walls, ceilings, furniture, windows, mirrors, etc.

I have a few favorites that are candidates for my soon-to-be house. Right now the Branch and Berry Black from ferm LIVING are at the top of that list ($105 and $90 respectively). Okay, especially the branch. I would love to have it on the wall in some cozy corner where I could curl up and read. You can pick up your own at Design Public.

Posted In house and home
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August 21, 2007

Billbirdhouse.

I’m completely infatuated with Bom Design’s billbirdhouse at the moment. Because 1.) I love when products are a reincarnation of some other product (um, obviously billboards in this case) and 2.) I love when things are one-of-a-kind, which these defnitely are. No two could ever match. You can pick one up at Bom Design for 40 euros.

Posted In grand design, outdoors
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August 16, 2007

Stain.


Stain is a set of a teacups designed to improve through use by artist Bethan Laura Wood. In the process, they examine the assumption that use is damaging to a product while proving it can be quite the opposite. The interior surface of the cup is treated so as to stain more in predetermined places. The more the cups are used, the more the pattern is revealed. The cups are available in two different stain patterns for £35 a piece through the artist’s website. Ms. Wood is incredibly talented and the site also displays some of her graduate and live projects.

Posted In grand design, kitchen
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