Do It In Damask

8 new ways to get your fill of damask.
Just click on the item below for details or to purchase.

Once relegated to Grandma's bed spread, Damask has made a major comeback as the new 'modern' pattern!

After the past few years of minimalist design in furniture and objects, Rococo, ornate and baroque have come back with a vengeance!

Don't believe me? Just looky...

See more of my Divine Damask list at ThisNext.

Take A Hike...well, okay...A Walk.

NOTCOT(the fabulous site by my friend, Jean Aw and colleagues) did a nice feature story on this cool site, so I am reprinting it here.



Jean Aw: "Odds are if you are reading this, you PROBABLY should check the Walk Score of your current location and get walking. I mean seriously, we spend a bit too much time at our computers… well me at least. Apparently my current walkscore is well in the green, at 88% - what is that, a B+? A-? Its been a long time since i’ve thought about grades. “70 - 90 = Very Walkable: It’s possible to get by without owning a car.”

This is an interesting mashup - Walk Score uses a patent-pending algorithm to calculate the walkability of an address based on: The distance to walkable locations near an address, calculating a score for each of these locations, combining these scores into one easy to read Walk Score. More details below on how the calculate an areas walkability…"

From Walk Score:

Walkable Neighborhoods

Picture a walkable neighborhood. You lose weight each time you walk to the grocery store. You stroll home from last call without waiting for a cab. You spend less money on your car—or you don’t own a car. When you shop, you support your local economy. You talk to your neighbors.
What makes a neighborhood walkable?



Walkable communities tend to have the following characteristics:

* A center: Walkable neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it’s a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
* Density: The neighborhood is compact, rather than spread out, which brings people closer to stores and jobs and makes public transportation more cost effective.
* Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
* Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
* Accessibility: The neighborhood is accessible to everyone and has wheelchair access, plenty of benches with shade, sidewalks on all streets, etc.
* Well connected, speed controlled streets: Streets form a connected grid that improves traffic by providing many routes to any destination. Streets are narrow to control speed, and shaded by trees to protect pedestrians.
* Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
* Close schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.

They even have a page of “How it doesn’t work”


www.walkscore.com

Plastics Engineer Turned Nature Photographer

Ever have a talented member of your family you new nothing about?
Well, yesterday I discovered that my second cousin -who I thought was merely a brilliant plastics and polymers engineer, is actually a talented photographer to boot!
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Above: My cousin, Larry Broutman.

Larry Broutman

Larry Broutman has a passion for travel, particularly to remote areas of the world. During the past 15 years he has traveled to all 7 continents and even included a trip to the North Pole aboard a Russian nuclear icebreaker. His interests have included visiting hill tribes in Asia, nomadic tribes in Africa, and touring in India and other Himalayan countries. A desire to document these travel experiences sparked his enthusiasm in photography. His interest in photographing other cultures eventually broadened to travel and outdoor photography, or as Larry describes it, "photographing images of the natural world."

Larry has specialized in photographing people, wildlife and landscapes. He has studied and toured with some of the best-known documentary and nature photographers in the field. His images have been sold to corporations, private collectors and travel publications. He currently has an exhibit scheduled to open at the Illinois Institute of Technology in the fall of 2004 and has completed an installation of wildlife photography at the Childrens Memorial Hospital Outpatient Clinic.

Larry's people photography captures the human side of foreign cultures and tribes. A Japanese sumo wrestler sweeps the floor with an antique broom. A stunning beauty from Namibia shows off a hairstyle caked with mud. A young monk from Bhutan in traditional dress stands in striking contrast to the blue wall of his monastery.

People:

Above: Namibia

Above: Laos

Above: Cambodia

Above: Hamar

His wildlife and landscapes also take us to breathtaking locales and capture moments of vivid intensity. A cheetah from South Africa gazes into a golden sunset. A lilac breasted roller reminds us of the impossible beauty that is commonplace in Botswana. A landscape in Anza Borrego, California captures the fuchsias, greens and violet hues of the desert.

Wildlife:

Above: Giraffe, Nambia

Above: Polar Bears, Norway

Above: Wildebeest dive

Above: Malachite Kingfisher

Above: Baboon and infant


As if his beautiful photography weren't enough to impress you, he also invented a specific way to use the Quick-set pan and tilt positioning tripod (the benefits of being an engineer and photographer):
QuickSet Goes to Africa
When Larry Broutman packed his bags heading for Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park this April, he surely brought his safari hat. But even more important was his trusty Quickset Pan and Tilt. Broutman, a professional photographer working on his second educational media project for the Lincoln Park Zoo’s Regenstein African Journey exhibit, spent much of April photographing the migration of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles. This migration is a constant, cyclical movement between Kenya and Tanzania. It follows the rain and birth cycles, carrying herds south from Kenya into the Serengeti in the springtime. When he arrived, Broutman was greeted by millions of wildebeests, among them the new calves, born just this February. It was a truly awesome sight to see.

While there were many anxious photographers roaming the African plains hoping for the perfect shot, none went about it quite like Broutman. Because of the mostly flat topography of the Serengeti, he thought it would be ideal to have the benefit of elevation in his work. He wanted a 40-foot telescoping mast attached to his truck, allowing for mobility and the unique aerial perspective he sought. He mounted a digital camera atop a pan and tilt, linked to the ground by a video feed that would be his eyes. From the shelter of his truck, Broutman was able to maneuver the camera through an incredible range of shot angles and to capture the still photographs onto his laptop. These photos can be seen as part of the zoo’s African Journey, delighting and educating visitors from all over the world.


Above: the quick-set tripod in use by Larry


BIO
Larry began his professional career as a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He has his undergraduate and doctorate degrees from MIT in the field of Materials Science. Larry is known worldwide for his research and has published 160 research articles and several text books in the field of plastics and composite materials. In the mid 80's, Larry founded, L.J. Broutman Associates and co-founded Advanced Polymer Compounding. The former company became one of the largest and most prestigious plastics laboratories and consulting companies in the U.S., and the latter is among the foremost plastics compounding companies in the U.S.

Larry continues to travel and recently returned from trips to Cuba and Southern India. His plans include additional wildlife installations and further exhibits of his people photographs from around the world. His travel agenda for this year will include China, Africa and India.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of Larry's photographs can be seen on his website.
For further information, please call Lisa Ridolfi at 847-337-3987.

Exhibitions:
Eye on Africa
June 23-Sept 30, 2005
Hermann Hall
Illinois Institute of Technology [info]
Chicago, IL


East Africa-The Wildebeest Migration
Permanent Exhibit
Regenstein African Journey Building
Lincoln Park Zoo [info]
Chicago, IL.

Zero Sheds New Light at Euroluce 2007

Zero of Sweden unveiled some of their newer lamps at this years Euroluce lighting show.

Here are their newest pieces:

Above: The Material pendant lamp

Above: The Camouflage pendant lamp

Above: The PXL pendant lamp

The PXL table lamp
About Zero:
Roland Gill and Andris Nolendorfs were both working with lighting at Orrefors Glassworks when they got the idea of starting their own business. Weary of glass fittings hanging crooked, they decided: no more glass, sheet metal is the right material! Both had made the acquaintance of designer Börge Lindau and their confidence in him was so great that they decided to start their own business if Börge would join them as designer. Börge was convinced by the bold idea and said he would support them with his interest and skills. When the newly formed company was christened, it was Börge who suggested the name Zero.

In view of the very small resources, Börge felt that the choice of materials for the first lights was very important if they were to be noticed and considered innovative. So he suggested that perforated sheet metal would be suitable. The choice of material proved so successful that practically the entire range for the first 10 years consisted of various fittings in different types of perforated sheet metal.

After moving the business from the garage, wharf and attic, they gradually rented premises in an old industrial estate in the centre of Nybro. Here there was room for the company which after some years began to expand quickly. When Börge established his own furniture company, Blå Station, Zero began their long-term, forward-looking and still ongoing collaboration with Per Sundstedt. He wanted to start designing glass fittings as he was tired of metal. Today Zero's range is dominated by various glass fittings designed by Per Sundstedt!

In 1989, Zero acquired the Pukeberg Glassworks and its premises. Pukeberg Glassworks in Nybro was started in 1871 and for many years was owned by the Böhlmarks Lampfabrik in Stockholm. Böhlmarks began by producing paraffin lamps but as time went on became an important manufacturer of electrical light fittings. They bought the glass for the paraffin lamps from Pukeberg and quickly became the Glassworks' largest customer. At the beginning of the 1900s, Böhlmarks had begun to work with artists and now they had an opportunity to start designing Pukeberg glassware. It is interesting to note that the first designers, Harald Notini and Uno Westerberg, were both interior designers. Göran Wärff joined them as an architecture student to practice on a new building in Pukeberg and was afterwards employed as a designer as he was an excellent draughtsman.

Of all designers who began their careers at Pukeberg, perhaps Eva Englund is still the most famous. She joined the company as a graduate from art college and succeeded Göran Wärff who had joined Kosta. Eva, who returned to Pukeberg after a long career at Orrefors, here created some of her greatest successes including Malakit and Indigo. In the last years of her life she created some of her most fantastic Graal pieces.

The tradition of lighting production returned to Pukeberg when Zero brought Pukeberg in 1989. The year before Zero had started a subsidiary, the Lustrum furniture company, and it now appears that Böhlmarks too was making tubular steel furniture in the 30's. The circle really is complete!

Today Pukeberg's q-marked glassworks is a famous tourist attraction. Here you can watch glass manufacture and visit a glass museum. There are treasures to be found in the shop, or visit Zero's and Lustrum's exhibitions. The old grindery has been renovated and in September 2002 became the home for Designline at Kalmar University. This should guarantee that both vision and tradition will live on and continue their exciting meeting at Pukeberg!

http://www.zero.se/

Jewelry Designer Bruna Hauert's Funky Rings

These rings are hand crafted by German jewelry designer Bruna Hauert and are available by clicking the link at the end of this post.


Ooops
Ring von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silber AG925, Schneekugeln
USD $689.90



Riä nö wa phlü
Ring von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silber AG925 (sterling silver)
USD $457.35


Spacebear Fred, looking for Flash Gordon
Ring von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silber AG925, Schneekugel
USD $596.90


Wedding Cake - Zuckerbraut
Fingerring von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silver AG925, Epoxy
USD $503.90


Jeder sein eigener König
Ring von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silber AG925 (sterling silver), Epoxy
US$ 457.35


Zwergenschaukel
Ring von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silber AG925, plastic
USD $589.15


Ring with thread by Bruna Hauert
Ring von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silver AG925, thread
(also in Titanium, Gold over Palladium plated)
USD $248.05


Spacewedding
Ehering von Bruna Hauert
Material: Silber AG925, Schneekugel, Kunststoff
USD $596.90

Buy any of the above rings here.

The Simpsons Sport Couture (Or Designer Dresses...D-oh!)

In this month's Harper's Bazaar (August 2007 issue), The Simpsons model the latest and greatest designer dresses from Versace to Viktor & Rolf.

Harper's Bazaar August 2007
"The Simpsons go to Paris with Linda Evangelista"

If you aren't able to stop by a newsstand and pick up an issue, here are the wonderful spreads from the issue:








"Models": The Simpsons, Linda Evangelista, and various designers
Illustrations by Julius Preite

See the amazing real life dresses as compared to these wonderful animated versions right here!

Science & Sons Cool Bonsai Planters

Drawing inspiration from the bonsai, park planters were created to elevate the common household plant to the status of full grown tree. The potted plant becomes the backdrop for an urban park scene. Ranging from dog walkers to flashers and muggers, no two scenes are alike ensuring the autonomy of each piece.

$150

More images:






buy it here.

Product Pick Of The WeekThe DaysAgo Counter

Wondering when the last time you watered the plants or fed the fish?
Was that yesterday?
Or the day before?
How about those eggs?
.....and that turkey sandwich...did you put it there last week or the week before?





This handy device is a digital day counter that stays on by suction or magnet.




Now you'll know how fresh that food is or when you need to water those plants-

or change that air filter....


Use it to remind you when you last took your meds

The timer attaches with a magnetic or suction backing and counts up to 99 days. It’s easy to use: Remove the clear plastic tab on the side of the timer to engage the battery inside the unit. Press and hold the button for five seconds to begin counting elapsed days. DaysAgo will always be “on” and a flashing light on the LCD screen will indicate that it is running. Cleans with a damp cloth; do not submerge in water or place in dishwasher. Comes with a battery, which is replaceable. Magnetic and Suction are sold separately; two pieces to a package. Assorted colors. Magnetic or Suction.





Can't believe it took this long to come up with something like this!


Read more or buy it here.

Artists Take The Plunge: Part III- More Pool Paintings

....continued from yesterday's post Artist's Take The Plunge Part II, which featured paintings of people swimming, in and around pools.



Now take a look at some of paintings of children in pools:

A few of Michael Blessing's paintings:



and Wendy Willis' work:


Pipa Lehar's "Poolside":


and Fiona Jack's "Learning To Swim":


Clearly, another popular subject are people hanging poolside, as witnessed by these numerous appealing renderings:


Above: DJ Hall's "Above It All"


Above: Terry Rodger's "Burfield's"


Above: Bea Kuhlke's "The Pool"


Above: Scott Bricher's "St.John Pool"


Above: Laura Loe's "At The Pool"


Above: Kay Crain's "Ladies by The Pool"


Above: Robert Floyd's "Poolside"

And At Night:

Above: Patricia Chidlaw's Girl In Pool


Above: Linda Christensen's Reflection

Not to be missed, are these fabulous, further abstracted depictions of people in pools:

By Isca Greenfield Sanders:




Lisa Wright:




And:

Above: Moto Kotsuki's serene "poolside"

I could go on and on.

I have undoubtedly left out hundreds of talented artists who paint pools and people in them. So, forgive me. I just hope you can appreciate the small sampling of talent I found and find their work as inspiring and captivating as I do.

Be sure to read Part I (great paintings of pools without people) and Part II (paintings of people swimming).

Artists Take The Plunge: Part II, People Swimming

Last week I posted "Artists Take The Plunge: Swimming Pools" and introduced you to paintings of swimming pools; empty, full, still, even at night.

As promised, this week is part II (well, it's so long, I'm actually only showing half the post today, so be sure to visit again tomorrow so you don't miss out on the second half, Part III.) of "Artists Take The Plunge: People swimming in and lounging around Pools."

There are so many wonderful artists who paint swimmers as their subjects, but in this particular post, it's limited to people in swimming pools...so you won't see beach scenes here, but you will get your fill of wonderful underwater and above water work.

I'm going to start with some contemporary photo-realistic works by some artists who have captured the essence of light, buoyancy and reflection beautifully.

Lorraine Shemesh and her amazingly lifelike swimming paintings:





Suzanne Vincent's equally talented works:





Or RJ Clark:




and Ernest Ward:





Alan Brown:





Luigi Boriotti:



And the inspiring works of Eric Zener:






And now to share with you some looser interpretations and slightly impressionistic work, I'd like to introduce you to some of David Shevlino's fabulous paintings:






And Stanley Goldstein's wonderful work:






Robin Cheers' Joie de Vivre:


Mark Pearson's Lucy Swimming:

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Don't forget to come back tomorrow to see the second half of this post and see various paintings of children in pool, people lounging around poolside, abstracted pools and more!

Part I can be seen here: "Artists Take The Plunge: Swimming Pools"
Part III can be seen here: Artists Take The Plunge: Part III

Funky Find Of The Week:Your Own Super Hero Action Doll

Ever wondered what it would be like to have a 12" action figure in your likeness?
Well, wonder no more! At herobuilders, you can order just that!



They describe themselves as The Largest and most respected Custom Action Figure, Personalized Action figure company in the USA, These can also be considered Custom dolls or Custom Talking dolls. There are thousands of samples of our custom action figures that you can view and we also make Custom figures, and personalized Action figures that look, talk, & dress just like you, We now have the largest selection of custom action figure clothing and custom action figure accessories in the USA.

Below is an example of Their "Conan" Doll:



Above & Below: It can be made in the image of anyone, any age


They say:
We can make your custom action figure in just 2 weeks. All custom action figures are made right here in our studios in Connecticut by our in house sculptors and mold makers, no answering machines here, JUST REAL PEOPLE to help you so if you have a question feel free call 1-877-HERO-TOY or e-mail us. This page is dedicated to making 12" custom action figures and personalized action figures.

It's not hard, either, just follow the instructions (below is taken directly from their site):

TO YOUR 12" CUSTOM ACTION FIGURES, follow the 3 simple steps below:

Step 1: E-mail sales@herobuilders.com following steps 1 thru 3. Please Specify talking or non-talking, male or female and white or African American. Male action figures come dressed in urban camo pants and white T-shirt. Female Action Figures come dressed in a blue pant suit, but you can order other clothing options and accessories as detailed in step 2... To see the quality of our action figures click here.

Non-talking custom action figures are $425.00 for the first one and 39.95 for copy.

Talking custom action figures are $425.00 for the first one and 49.95 for each copy. The sound clip can only be 20 seconds long max, our new voice chips can be programmed and re-programmed by you if you choose.

Step 2: Specify if you would like us to , make a custom accessories or custom outfits, we can make anything that you can imagine we will just need images of that product OR you can browse our in stock store by following the links and information below. Do not order from our online store, just list what you want on the email.
(go to their site here to see the options)

Voice clip file if requesting talking action figure. And yes you can record or re-record once you receive the action figures.

Image of any requested custom clothing (e.g., T-shirt), and or custom accessories you may want.

Send your e-mail. We will quote you right away then you can place your order by calling the office toll free at 1-877-HERO-TOY or we will create an e-payment on-line solution.

Better get yours soon-They say the holiday rush begins in July!!!

Order them here.

Black Is Back (But Limited)

After years of silver, titanium and aluminum, black is back...and in several limited editions.
Here are a few of the hippest black limited editions of some fun items.


Above: Flos' Miss K lamp in black
available here.


Above: Philippe Starck's Gnome Stool in black
available here.


Above: Chevy's Limited Edition Black HHR due out this fall
read about it here.


Above: Chanel's Limited Edition Black Satin nail polish
Get it here.


Above: the Xbox 360 in black
read about it here.


Above: The Takamine 2007 Limited Edition The Storm Acoustic-Electric Cutaway
get it here.


Above: David Horvath's ultra hip Ugly Dolls, now in black
available here.

even black toilet paper.....


Now available at wishingfish.com


Above: Tom Ford's Limited Edition "Black Orchid" perfume
Only available here.

New Finds For The Designer Dog

Canine Couture is hot and these amazingly beautiful (and pricey) dog beds are just a few now on the market. Whether it's the corbusier-styled Philip Plein dog bed or Bark Deco's platform beds, these are priced at around $400-$2000.00. Also, I included Karim Rashid's cool dog bowls with built-in handle and non-skid bottom.

Just click on any of the above images to learn about and/or purchase the item.

See more of my Shopping For Your Hip Pet (and pet lovers) list at ThisNext.

Chic Defense: The New Colored Tasers For Women

Feel Lucky, Punk?"

The TASER C2 is our newest product designed for personal protection. Utilizing the same technology as our proven law enforcement models, the C2 has incredible take down power.



The TASER C2 is a self-defense electronic control device. Electronic Control Devices (ECDs) use propelled wires or direct contact to conduct energy to affect the sensory and motor functions of the nervous system. The TASER C2 uses a replaceable cartridge, containing compressed nitrogen, to deploy two small probes that are attached to the TASER C2 by insulated conductive wires with a maximum length of 15 feet (4.5 meters). The TASER C2 transmits electrical pulses along the wires and into the body affecting the sensory and motor functions of the peripheral nervous system. The energy can penetrate up to two cumulative inches of clothing.



Advanced Features
# Small non-gun design
# Lightweight and easy to carry
# Lithium Power Magazine is good for over 50 uses
# Available in four designer colors
# 15 ft. (4.5 m) range




See it, buy it, read about it here.

Artists Take The Plunge: Swimming Pool As Subject

I got such a wonderful response to my post about varying artists' freeway and overpass paintings, that I thought I'd do the same with one of my other favorite subjects; the swimming pool.

Years ago, I bought one of my favorite paintings, an empty swimming pool painted by Christy Botkin Reeves of Los Angeles. Unfortunately, a nasty subletter stole the painting upon being evicted from my apt...so if you see it, let me know (seriously...).

Perhaps it's the stillness of pools when no one is in them, or the beckoning of an empty pool, that appeals to me. But either way, I'm clearly not the only one who finds beauty in them.


Above: My now stolen pool painting by Christy Botkin Reeves, 48" x 72"

When it came time to replace it, I was craving one of Glenn Ness' photo realism pool paintings, but couldn't afford an original the size I wanted.

Here are a few of his that I've coveted:


Above: Glenn Ness' Should I have Stayed?


Above: After The Lie, 12" x 18", Glenn Ness


Above: A Mysterious Childhood by Glenn Ness


Above: Fading Of June by Glenn Ness


Above: Maintenance by Glenn Ness

Upon realizing I'd never have the huge Glenn Ness original of my dreams, nor would I get my Christy Botkin Reeves' back, I actually began looking for pool paintings. This became a labor of love, not to mention enlightening.

Anyone familiar with David Hockney is aware of his fabulous pool paintings and images of pools done with paper pulp and printed as monotypes. For those who aren't, let me show you:


Above: David Hockney's "A Bigger Splash"


Above: David Hockney's "Pool With 2 Figures"


Above: Hockney's painting "Peter getting out of of Nick Wilder's Pool"

As I said, he not only painted pools, he used paper pulp to create monotypes of pools, now very collectible. The one below went for over $5,000 at Sotheby's in 2000 and would easily fetch over double that now:



Well, by now I was hung up on the photo realism thing after Glenn Ness, so this led me to find several contemporary realists who knew their way around a pool, so to speak.

There were so many talented artists who paint pools.
Empty Pools.
Still pools.
Pools at Night.

I'm going to break this article into three posts.
Today's is just paintings of POOLS, next week will be paintings of PEOPLE SWIMMING IN POOLS, so be sure to come back.
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Johannes Schramm and his photo-realistic pools:






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And one of my other absolute most coveted artists, Patricia Chidlaw:


Above: Whites Motel

Above: Still Pool

Above: Pool and Birds of Paradise

Above: Patricia Chidlaw's White Chairs
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've always been a fan of Rick Monzon's work and was happy to see that he, too, painted a pool!


Above: Rick Monzon's Florida Pool
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Above is Cindy Stapper's Vernal Invitation
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Above: Sharilyn Neidhardt's Lazy pool
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Above: James P. Kimack's Pool
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Above: My Houses (Pool with Waterfalls) by Julia Jacquette
available here from Pace Prints.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below: Jane Freilicher's The Pool:

Available at the Tibor De Nagy Gallery
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For today, I will leave you with another one of Glenn Ness's works and be sure to see the upcoming post about swimming in pools, it's almost twice as long!


Above: ... finally, Glen Ness' Long Thoughts


Be sure to see the amazing paintings in the following posts:

Part II: Paintings of People Swimming

Part III: More People Swimming Paintings

Product Pick Of The Week: Ebon-aide

product description from their site:

New Ebon-Aide™ is the adhesive bandage specially designed for people of color. From the licorice look to mocha, coffee, cinnamon, and honey skin, new Ebon-Aide™ blends with your skin to help conceal as you heal™.

Ebon-Aide™ comes in three different sizes and five different shades. At last you've got it made in your shade.™

If you would like to purchase individual boxes of Ebon-Aide™ adhesive bandages please visit our online store where you can buy individual boxes with secured transactions.

The online store does not seem to be functioning but you can order them or get investor or distributor info by calling(917)270-1376.

It's about time someone came out with band-aids in various skin tones.
Now, I just have to divide mine up between my summer band-aids and my winter band-aids!!

Read more about them by clicking here.

A Shop That Sells Consumer Awareness: The FLOWmarket

A shop selling consumer awareness
FLOWmarket™ is a shop designed to inspire consumers to think, live and consume more holistic.

Present imbalances from the 3 dimensions of the FLOW model™ have been addressed and transformed into physical products in the shape of aesthetically designed (empty) packings with humorous and thought awakening labels that the visiting consumers can buy at prices ranging from 5-20 dollars.



FLOWmarket™ ”basic collection” offers 40 different scarcity goods in 3 product categories:





The product category ”Individual flow” offers e.g: ”stress killers”, ”ups and downs”, ”addiction liberators”, ”detox”, ”obesity dissolvers”, ”a lack of exercise killers” and ”symptom removers”.




The product category ”Collective flow” offers e.g: ”off liners”, ”commercial free-space”, ”presence”, ”tolerance”, ”exploitation free produce” and ”consumption moderators”.




The product category ”Environmental flow” offers e.g: ”organic food”, ”clean tap water”, ”pollution dissolvers”, ”factory farming antibiotics”, ”renewable energy ” and ”100% GMO”.

In relation to these new scarcity goods the FLOWmarket™ is addressing imbalances from each of the 3 product categories as well as elite companies that have succeeded in gaining a leading position in the rapidly emerging “holistic market” through their unique approach to sustainable innovation.

The first FLOW market™ opened in 2004 and has due to it’s commercial success been granted a permanent status at the Danish Design Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. The goal is to make FLOWmarket™ a global franchise success.

Of appraisals FLOW market™ has received a danish design award in 2004 along with a Danish broadsheet and a Swedish TV-program naming it the danish design event of 2004. In 2006 FLOW market™ won the ICFF editors award in New York.

FLOW

A brand and template that meets the rising demand for sustainable innovation
Throughout the 20th century the pursuit for technological and economic progress has given the industrialized world great new possibilities but has also resulted in a wide range of imbalances and challenges on 3 levels:

The individual - man’s relation to oneself:
(rising stress- depression- and obesity curves, addictions, eating disorders, symptom treatments etc.)

The collective - man’s relation to society:
(over-consumption, increasing fear, xenophobia, global inequality, cultural rectification, conflicts over resources etc.)

The environmental - man’s relation to nature:
(pollution, agricultural toxics, factory farming, decreasing biodiversity, non renewable energy consumption etc.)

Challenges that individually and together bear witness to an unhealthy development of our societies.

As a response a need for more sustainable growth is rising to the top of the agenda of individuals, business and nations.

Thus a new consumer market based on values is expanding rapidly, where the materialistically rich consumer increasingly judges products and sevices on their immaterial values and on level of sustainability.

Businesses, whose role is changing from being production units to becoming ”corporate citizens” know this.
They themselves point towards social responsibility and innovation as the most important competitive parameters of tomorrow, but they lack the skills to combine the to notions.

FLOW™ - a template and brand
In order to meet the rising demand for sustainable growth and innovation we will have to be able to navigate within
the term sustainablility. For this purpose we have created the FLOWmodel™, a design model that reflects our three dimensional view on creating sustainable growth:

Individual flow:
Balanced physical, mental and spiritual growth.

Collective flow:
Balanced interpersonel, cultural, economic, social and technological growth.

Environmental flow:
Balanced environmental growth.

A holistic mindset that is the essential basis of all our future commercial and non-commercial activities. Thus FLOW™ is the brand name for our products and services that in each of their own way catalyze sustainable growth.

A FLOW™ product is caracterised by providing beneficial solutions on both the individual, the collective and the environmental level.

A wide range of products created from theFLOWmodel™ are in progress, and will be serving consumer markets in the near future. The first product launch will be FLOWbottle™ in august 2007.

You can buy the products here.

all information and images courtesy of FLOW.

Seriously Cute Cable Management from Copenhagen

Earlier this week I wrote a post about cable management and charging stations, but little did I know that one of the cutest forms of cable management was about to hit the market; Woofy for Normann Copenhagen.

Okay, actually I did know it was about to hit the market, only I forgot until I received the invite to the extremely cool launch party in Denmark (see below) for Woofy in black:

.

Woofy comes in white but this new black edition is a limited release.

About Woofy:
Design: Gabriel Nigro
Materials: Hardened plastic
Colours: White


He’s cute, smart and doesn’t bite – normann copenhagen presents your new friend…

Introducing Woofy, our new addition to the normann family. Woofy is a cable container dog with many good qualities, designed by Gabriel Nigro. Woofy is your new friend and a personalised way to conceal cables.

The story of Woofy is one of experiences, of pleasure and love of design. Woofy’s Dad is Gabriel Nigro and the idea for Woofy came about during a visit to one of Gabriel’s friends, who happened to have cables lying around all over his flat. On the way home, Gabriel began drawing, and by the time he was finished Woofy was born.

Woofy never needs to be walked, fed or trained. His fur is smooth and he doesn’t cause allergies or wet the floor. Woofy can conceal your cables in his tummy and he will always be there when you need him.

Woofy will be sold in stores and online from the end of august 2007.



The Woofy Around The World Blog is adorable and loaded with cute pics
like the one of Woofy in Florence above.


Also check out Woofy on Myspace and Woofy's latest photos with friends.

Woofy in White will be available online and in stores at the end of August 2007.
I can't wait!

Get Off The Net, It's Beautiful Out!

Click on any of the items below for more information or to purchase

With the glut of stunning outdoor furniture, gazebos, tea houses, rockers, loungers -even outdoor showers and tvs, there's hardly any reason to be indoors -unless of course, you're shopping for those items online.

Now, if only I could take my own advice.....

See more of my Get Off The Net, It's Beautiful Out! list at ThisNext.

A beautifully designed site: The Astier de Villate Online Catalogue

The other day, I came across an online manufacturer's site that was beautifully done.



Aster de Villatte is a manufacturer of tabletop and home accents that is carried in high end boutiques all over the world. Although you can't order direct from their site, you can browse their interactive catalog and locate many stores that carry their products.



But that's not the point of this post. The point is how much fun you'll have looking for those stores, and at their objects, because of the unique interactive presentation of their wares.

In their online catalog, not only is each page a new mystery (click around and find info) but each is photographed beautifully and the animation is pretty darn seamless.



When clicking on certain objects, you will see how they are showcased.
Click on the plates above, for example, and you will get this:



Click again, and it becomes this:



even the search page is very cool:



And the way you choose the country to locate a store:



If I show you anymore, it'll give away the fun, so go check it out for yourself by clicking here.

Credit for this compellingly designed site belongs mainly to:
Sophie Delaporte (photographer), William Simon (webmaster) and Ivan Pericoli (art director).

Bark Mitzvahs: a Canine's Coming of Age?

Above: Doggies decked out in yarmulkes and talis for their big day


The article below is reprinted and was written by Lisa Katz for About.com:Judaism.:

A search on the Internet turned up photos of Bark Mitzvah parties in homes, gift packages for Bark Mitzvah dogs from pet stores, and invitations to Bark Mitzvah ceremonies from synagogues.

Are Bark Mitzvahs actually a spiritual event in the lives of American Jews today or simply an excuse for a party?

The Celebration

Above: A Bone shaped cake for the Bark Mitzvah Boy

Some people do Bark Mitzvahs for Purim entertainment, some do it to raise money, and others do it simply for the fun of it. Those celebrating Bark Mitzvahs today are mostly Reform and Conservative Jews.

At Home

Above: Floyed enjoys his bone shaped cake at home

Bark Mitzvahs celebrated in private homes tend to be personal and fun. Guests, who sometimes bring their own dogs along, greet the hosts with “Mazal Tov” and bring doggies presents for the Bark Mitzvah dog. The dog of honor generally feasts on bone-shaped doggy cake, while the human guests feast on gourmet food.


Above: Kasha's Bark Mitzvah was actually at a temple

The Bark Mitzvah party of Kasha can be viewed online by clicking here.

Above: The friends' table at Kasha's Bark Mitzvah

Alfie's Bark Mitzvah is the focus of Shari Cohen's children's book Alfie's Bark Mitzvah. The CD of children's songs that comes with the book, created by the internationally acclaimed Cantor Marcelo Gindlin, includes a song describing Alfie's Bark Mitzvah.



At the Doggie Salon
Some people have more formal affairs, and new businesses have cropped up to support them.

For $50, Places Everyone offers a seating kit for your Bark Mitzvah celebration, as well as a free Bark Mitzvah certificate for your dog.

Above: A Doggie Draydel or Draidel or Dreidel

If you really want to go all out, then you can get the $95 Bark Mitzvah package from CleosBarkery. It includes: all meat canine Bark Mitzvah cake, happy Bark Mitzvah Hat, Doggie Treat Bag filled with draydel and menorah biscuits, Star Bark Mitzvah collar, and a ribbon balloon cake topper.


Above: Custom Pet Candy Bar Wrapper from Wrapsody Designs

You can make sure your guests will remember the event by sending them home with a pet candy bar wrapped by wrapsodydesigns.com. The wrapper commemorates the Bark Mitzvah celebration and even provides personal information about the Bark Mitzvah dog.


Above: A bulldog, dacschund and a weimeraner donning Tallits and Kippahs

Some people send their guests home with satin yarmulkes with the dog’s name and Bark Mitzvah date printed inside.


Above: A hand crocheted kippa or kippah or yarmulke

Yarmulkes just for the guests?
Some Bark Mitzvah dogs get all dressed up for the special occasion. There’s been unprecedented demand for doggie-sized tallit and yarmulkes tailored to fit over dog ears.

At Shul
Bark Mitzvahs celebrated at synagogues have a bit more of an “official” flavor to them.

Above: Kasha checks out the Mogen David

Often Bark Mitzvahs performed by rabbis begin with the rabbi reciting a prayer or blessing the dogs. The prayer said when seeing beautiful animals is an ideal opener. The rabbi generally ends the ceremony by awarding a Bark Mitzvah certificate to the dog's owner.

One California Reform shul promotes it Bark Mitzvah ceremony with “All participating pets will receive blessings, treats and a special pet kippah/yarmulke.”


Above: Awwwwww!

One Reform Shul, Beth Shir Shalom in Miami, holds Bark Mitzvah celebrations for the congregation members' dogs on Purim. The ceremony takes place in the synagogue parking lot and not in the sanctuary; thus, there is no chance of a dog having an accident in shul. Bark mitzvah dogs are given certificates, and the dogs’ family members bark and say a prayer.

Temple Kehillat Chaim, a Reform temple in Atlanta, uses the Bark Mitzvah celebration as a way to raise money. The synagogue sponsored a "Bark Mitzvah Day" fundraiser in which about 60 dogs competed in a dog-show spin-off. "Most Jewish" was one of the competition's categories.


Above: even teeny weeny tallis and kippas are avilable

Behind the Celebration
Most Bark Mitzvahs are simply a fun reason for a party. However, there are those who recognize a spiritual component to them. And, on the other side, there are those who find them offensive.

A Spiritual Component
Some people do see a spiritual component to the Bark Mitzvah ceremony. They claim that the Bark Mitzvah is a celebration of the spiritual connection they feel for their dogs. And they want to express this spiritual connection in a Jewish, communal way.



Others claim the ceremonies express the divine spark in animals. What is dog spelled backward? In this way, the Bark Mitzvah can be seen as the Jewish equivalent to the Catholic ritual of blessing animals in the church.

Still others simply want to celebrate a rite of passage for their dog. Some celebrate it after the dog has lived 13 human years, while others wait for 13 dog years.


William Wegman's jewish, isn't he?

An Offensive Component
Some people find Bark Mitzvah celebrations as offensive. They feel that dressing a dog in a yarmulke and tallit dishonors Judaism. Others say that Bark Mitzvahs marginalize Jewish identification to the point where stereotypes are perpetuated.

A Humorous Component


The great majority of those celebrating Bark Mitzvahs today simply do it for fun. And the jokes abound: Feeding the dog biscuits shaped as Stars of David. Reading Arf-Tara instead of Haftara. Barking in honor of the dog.

They say that so many of the bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies of humans these days have lost the religious coming-of-age meaning and have turned into showy social affairs, so why not a Bark Mitzvah?

You can view an MSN video report about a Bark Mizvah by clicking here.


Above: A big edible Doggie Dreidel for the guest of honor

What to buy the dog who's celebrating?


Check out Oy Toys by clicking here.


Or get some Judaic dog and cat toys here.

And there a good selection here, even Kippahs (yarmulkes) for dogs!

More Jewish Chewish Toys

Books & sites that may interest you:


How to Raise a Jewish Dog


Yiddish for Dogs: Chutzpah, Feh!, Kibbitz, and More: Every Word Your Canine Needs to Know


Jewish Dogs: An Image and Its Interpreters (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and C)


Blessing of the Animals: A Guide to Prayers & Ceremonies Celebrating Pets & Other Creatures

And be sure to check out her website of the same name, Blessingoftheanimals with several links and other resources.

Here's a site to help you name that Kosher Dog of yours!
Jewish Dog Names, their meanings and Origins

And I'll leave you with this cute "Jewish Dog" joke:

A man walks into synogogue with a dog. The shammas comes up to him and says, "Pardon me, this is a House of Worship, you can't bring your dog in here."

"What do you mean," says the man, "this is a religious Jewish dog.... Look."

And the shammas looks carefully and sees that in the same way that a St. Bernard carries a brandy barrel round its neck this dog has a tallis around its neck.

"Morris," says the man to the dog, "daven (pray) !".

"Woof!" says the dog, stands on his hind legs, opens the tallis bag, takes out a kippa and puts it on his head.

"Woof!" says the dog, stands on his hind legs, opens the tallis bag, takes out a siddur and starts to daven in perfect Hebrew.

"That's fantastic," says the shammas, "absolutely amazing, incredible! You should take him to Hollywood, get him on television, or get him into a Yeshiva and your dog Morris could become a Rabbi !!"

"You speak to him," says the man, "he wants to be a lawyer."

Resources and links for your own Bark Mitzvah!:

bark mitzvah bash

Hey pup, have you called your mother lately? You know she worries. $65 for (5) dogs, contact us for other pricing.

• potato knishses
• Jewish chicken soup pie
• ice cream flavor K-9 quencher
• honey pupcakes with cinnamon frosting
• stuffed toy to match theme

•Order the party package above from www.mydogcatering.com

Get your Bark Mitzvah Invitations & supplies:
www.mydogcatering.com
http://www.johannthedog.com
http://www.canineparties.com
http://www.dog-birthday-parties.com/
Bark Mitzvah Seat Planner Kit available here.


Above:the seat planner kit from Places Everyone sells for $49.95

Bark Mitzvah catering:
www.cleosbarkery.com
www.k9treat.com
www.westchesterbarkery.com/

Bark Mitzvah gifts:
www.Gollygear.com
www.jewishbazaar.com
www.nvo.com
www.oytoys.com

Funky Find Of The Week French Water Ice Cubes by Mail!

There have been a lot of postings on here about fine waters, but fine ice cubes?

About them:
Better water, better ice, for those who want to have their ice and drink it too - with the same great level of quality. ICEROCKS® are secured sealed ice cubes made from spring water drawn from the Vendée Region of France in the Massif Central. Wow!

These glorious cubes, ready to be frozen, are hermetically packaged in disposable, recyclable containers, providing complete guarantee of hygiene and safety. The ICEROCKS® light mineral water features 37 milligrams per liter of Calcium, 157 mg/liter of Bicarbonate, 42 mg/liter Silica, and Sulphates at 53 mg/liter. Nitrates are ZERO.

Just click on the image above to learn more or to order.

It's White. It's Wood. It's Wonderful.

It's also long been known loosely as 'faux bois'. Belleek (the irish porcelain maker) had a series of glazed white tree trunk vases long before Roost was ever in business. But that doesn't stop these simulated trees, branches, bark and wood grain items from being in every hip tabletop and accessory store out there.



above: The Ted Muehling designed Bark vase for Nymphenburg Porcelain

The blending of inorganic materials into organic shapes is one of my favorite art forms.

Roost is company that has a log and driftwood collection (they have birds and leaves and mushrooms too) made of white porcelain.

And Nymphenburg Porcelain of Germany has Ted Muehling designed branch vases and candlesticks in white. Both are stunning and are available in different prices and sizes from the stores below.

As well as some other lesser known, but equally as beautiful, products.

From Jayson Home and Garden:



Click here to order

From Rose and Radish:

Nymphenburg's porcelain vase by Ted Meuhling available here.

Or Ted Muehling's Branch Vase with Moss, available at Moss, online for $845.00 USD:




And Roost makes a series of log vases and accessories:

Available by clicking here

And the Curiosity Shoppe seems to have the same log vase in size medium (Jayson carries the large and small):

Only 40.00 here.

And lovely white branch candlesticks by Ted Meuhling available at ER Butler:

Buy them here.

Porcelain driftwood votive from Sprout Home:

Only $15.75 here.

And Greener Grass Design also carries the driftwood vase and votive, but a bowl too!:

buy them here.

The Burls collection of subtle wood grain relief platters and dishes in Oyster are beautiful too!:



Buy them here.

Also commonly referred to as Faux Bois, this tableware is from Room Service:

buy it here.

And this faux bois bowl is on sale right now at Gumps for $34:

...and these faux bois votives are on sale for 19$ for the set of three:

buy them here.

And Ty Travis of Stonewater Studios on etsy has some faux bois products as well:


And lastly, more subtle, but still beautiful are Coe and Waito's Bark vases:

Buy them here.

Car Classic '07 This Coming Sunday

Dream Machines: Imagination Gone Wild


Celebrate the wildly entertaining side of automotive design at the Art Center
Car Classic ’07. This year’s event includes speakers Luigi Colani and Harald Belker TRAN ’90, two of the world’s most wildly imaginative designers. Barry Meguiar, host of Car Crazy and KABC’s Dave Kunz will once again emcee the event.

Event Highlights:

Dream Machines Showcase Corral featuring incredible vehicles by Figoni & Falaschi, the Alfa Romeo BAT cars, Italian concept cars and more

More than 100 rare and exotic vehicles on display including classics, sports cars, racecars, hot rods and customs



Tours of Art Center’s transportation design studios and galleries
Art Center College of Design
Sunday, July 15, 2007
10 AM – 4 PM



TICKETS TO CAR CLASSIC ’07 ARE $55 AND $25/ALUMNI.



About Car Classic

During the past six years, the Art Center Car Classic has carved out a unique niche among the hundreds of annual automotive events taking place around the country. As many of the traditional concours d’elegance and car shows continue to grow larger and less personal, the Art Center Car Classic remains a focused and very special experience for the approximately 3,000 car collectors, automotive designers, Art Center alumni and design students who participate.

The Art Center Car Classic celebrates the very best in automotive design and affords the opportunity to showcase Art Center’s strong ties to industry and honor many of our noteworthy alumni. Past events have featured such sought-after speakers as alumni Chris Bangle, Peter Brock, Henrik Fisker, Chip Foose, Syd Mead, Shiro Nakumura, Ken Okuyama, Chuck Pelly, and Frank Stephenson, plus other noted designers like Reeves Callaway, Dan Gurney, Steve Moal, Gordon Murray and Patrick le Quement.

Bringing together high-caliber speakers with some of the world’s most beautiful automobiles in an setting steeped with creative energy is what makes the Art Center Car Classic so special, and is why it shouldn’t be missed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Tickets for Car Classic '07
General Admission = $55
Alumni = $25
children 12 and under = free


To purchase tickets, click here.

Tickets include:

•Parking at the Rose Bowl
•Shuttle to and from the event
•Complimentary event program

Access to all of the following benefits:
– Over 100 world-class vehicles on display
– “Meet the Designers” presentations by legendary figures in the
automotive world
– An exciting Awards Ceremony
– Special behind-the-scene tours of the Art Center’s Transportation
Design studios and shops
– Vintage racing films
Purchase E-Tickets

Their preferred method of purchase is through their on-line eTicket sales.

They anticipate a sold-out event, so they highly recommend purchasing your ticket(s) as early as possible.

Take Charge: Affordable (and not so affordable) Charging Stations

Take Charge!

First cellphones, then digital cameras, then ipods, then rechargeable batteries, then Blackberrys. And now, the iphone.

So many things to charge. And recharge. Again and Again.

It's true that many companies make 'charging stations' nowadays and more and more creative minds are coming out with ways to hide those wires, but if you've ever searched for them at Frontgate or Levengers, you'll find they they run upwards of $150.00!
Not at Kangaroom Storage where they have some options that look very expensive but are amazingly affordable.
Kangaroom Storage is the anal (and frugal) computer geek's dream.

Check out these functional and

affordable

products:

PHONE PDA CHARGING STATION in Navy Blue or Black ($35.00 USD):


We’re all proud of having the latest (and smallest) electronic gadgets to organize our lives. But what good are they if we can’t find them or the uncharged battery dies right in the middle of a conversation? With our Charging Station you can say good-bye to multiple chargers and their unsightly electrical cords snaking all over your desk. You can corral up to three items and neatly tuck a 10” power strip out of sight behind the sliding door. No room on your desktop for the 13" long Charging Station? You can also mount it to the wall as easily as a clock with two dry wall screws (included). The Charging Station is available in black or navy.

Dimensions: 13”L x 3.75”W x 5”H
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE 2 POD CHARGING STATION ($20.00 USD):


Let your electronics sit in the lap of luxury while charging. This sleek faux leather two pod charging station allows you the space to store and charge up to two of the following: cell phone, digital camera, mp3 player, or PDA. Unsightly cords are hidden by feeding them through bottom and out the back of the unit. Available in black, green or red, these charging stations can be a great color accent to any room and make a great gift for friends, family, and students.



Available in black, lime, or cherry.
Dimensions: 6.5” x 5.125” x 4.75”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE BLACK BOX CORD ORGANIZER ($60.00 USD):


Until electricity is wireless, tangled masses of cords will need to be hidden. Our Black Box Computer and Media Center Cord Organizer sits on the floor and keeps cords out of sight behind a sliding access door. It has two shelves to accommodate modems and adapters, room for a standard or large size surge protector (not included), nine prongs to neatly wrap excess cord, and convenient left and right side openings. Made of flame resistant black acrylic. We covered the ventilation issue by cutting 5 ventilation strips in the back, and 4 2" x 2!2" rectangular cut outs (for cord feed).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COMPUTER CORD STORAGE & ORGANIZER ($27.50):


Four bottom compartments can accommodate large transformers while the top tray holds five accessories and lots of cords. Customizable labels are included.

The way it works is that it is a double decker unit that has two zippers, one to access each level. They remain attached on one side even when it is completely unzippered. What is great about this product is that there is a separate compartment and label for each charger.The bottom level has deeper compartments and can hold up to 4 more cords or chargers for larger things like laptops, computer accessories, transformers, earphones, etc..

For tech savvy people, it is always a challenge to keep all the chargers and extra batteries straight, especially when you are talking about a family, and each kid has a range of electronic devices that all have different chargers! This is the only product of its kind on the market and I think it really addresses a big need of what to do with all those cords.



Available in black or blue nylon, or brown faux leather.
Dimensions: 13”L x 12.875”W x 3.25”D
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CELL PHONE CHARGING STATION & MORE ($30.00 USD)

Cell phones and Blackberrys and iPods — oh my! — each with its own charger. Tame tangled "octopus cords" with our unique Charging Station. Individual compartments accommodate 4 devices, leaving the cords neatly tucked away beneath a removeable tray. Perfect for the multi-cell phone family or one multi-device person. Available in black or brown faux leather with blue accents. Comes with pre-printed labels or create your own.




The way it works is by laying the electronic devices in one of the four beds (of varying widths for cell phone, Blackberry, small camera, etc.) and running their charging cords through the slot to hide it. The slot opens to a wide space where the accumulation of cords can sit without having to be seen. This area is accessable as the top shelf (for keys and other small loose ends) is removable. There is also a subtle, length-wise opening for the major power connection in the back, hidden from view. So even though they'll never make all your cables the perfect length, at least now you don't have to look at the mess. Surge protector sold separately.
Dimensions: 11.5" x 6.75" x 4.25"



Visit Kangaroom by clicking here

And now some more affordable ones from other sources:

From We Love Macs

The 20150 iPod/iPhone/Cell Phone/PDA Centralized Portable Charging Station (Now on sale for only $24.95 USD!):



Now you can charge 3 devices while you drive.
Transformers are hidden in the back of the unit so no wires to get tangled.
You need only plug the Power Station Traveller into your cars lighter socket or in your home with (optional DC/AC adapter) to get power. Circuit protection guards against voltage/surge overload. Deep well inside has plenty of room for tall transformers, and for excess lengths of cord.

Dimension: Length 11.1" x Width 7.5" x Height 4"
*To order the optional DC/AC adapter please order part number 20155 from www.welovemacs.com

Regular price: $39.95 pad
Sale price: $24.94 pad
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And this family charger from SmartHome for only $19.99:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now of course, if money is no concern, there are some tragically hip charging stations that are

not so affordable

like the ones seen below:

The $180.00 Ebase from A+R store seen below:


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or the MultiPot:


MultiPot Table Lamp and Charger
Design by Dante Donegani and Giovanni Lauda, 2005
Imported from Italy.



MultiPot belongs to a new generation of lighting objects and is the first of Rotaliana products to combine lighting with other functions. This hybrid, multifunctional lamp combines an LED ambient night light with multiple sockets, along with a space to keep cables neatly stored. MultiPot provides new comfort levels, both in the home and the the office by catering for both old and new requirements: our habit of emptying keys and other personal items, from pockets into containers, with new requirements to manage our increased use of rechargeable mulitmedia equipment, home computers and the transformation of televisions into home theatres. With its familar looks, lighting function and translucent finish (to filter the light while masking the electrical cables), the MultiPot is a picture of elegant functionality.

On sale now from $352.50 to $235.00 USD here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or the Contactboxen from sweden in a tabletop , floor or wall mounted versions:




Measurements

The Box
15/42/14 cm (h/b/d) including feet
Weight approx 3 kgs

Big Box
28/42/15 (h/b/d) including feet
Weight approx 4 kgs

Cabinet
42/16/10 (h/b/d)
Weight approx 2, 5kgs

The box is made of black or white laquered steel,
Feet; Black rubber. 1 cm and removable
Top; Oiled solid oak with ten holes for cables
There are holes on one side for wall mounting.



The cabinet is white with front in red, white or solid oak with elasticated cord.

Power board especially manufactured with enough space for six large transformers. The space between each point is bigger and is parallell with the bar itself. No more 45° angles limiting space! The power board has an on-off-switch which we recommend you use for fire-safety reasons.


You can buy the Contactboxen here.

Funky Find Of The Week: See Saw Bookshelf

See-Saw Bookshelf
Designer: BCXSY
Price: US$1,899.00

Availability: 6-8 weeks
Shipping: Ground Shipping to US & CAN is included*.



Every book tells its own story. Every book has its own weight. By playing with balance, the See-Saw bookshelf visualizes the breadth of our home libraries.

Is Kafka truly heavier than the latest issue of Vogue?..
Product Specs

Dimensions:
shelf: 47.25" x 9.8" x 2"
stand: 13.75"

Materials: Walnut wood with powder coated steel parts.

Available by clicking here.

I'm Officially A Geek

So, I open my mailbox yesterday to retrieve my mail and what do I find, but a picture of myself and my late doggy, Abbey, staring back at me from the cover of Wired Magazine!

No, I'm not on newsstands everywhere but I had almost forgotten that this 'custom' July cover was coming to me.

Last January, Wired allowed the first 500 subscribers to upload a photo of themselves and if approved, would be put on their own cover. At that time, Abbey was still alive, but sick with cancer so I thought this would be a fun way to memorialize her.

I was right. The cover is thick stock and seamless, you'd never know it was only one of a kind.

I hope some of my readers were fortunate enough to be one of the 500!

This is the closest I'll ever be to being a Covergirl!

Great artist + Great Subject = Karin Jurick's Show Opening Today

Jurick's Patrons of the Avant-Garde (sold)


One of my absolute favorite artists, Karin Jurick, has a show of one of my most favorite subjects; Dogs, opening today in Asheville, NC. In addition to her increasingly popular 'museum watchers' paintings, her paintings of dogs are getting scooped up before you can say "woof".

Believe it or not, only ONE of the paintings from her Dogs Rule series is still available (see below) and the show hasn't even opened!


Above: 6" x 6" oil on masonite and framed in a black floater frame, A dog karin spotted in Decatur, Georgia.

The rest are already sold (all are oil on masonite measuring 6"x 6" and framed in a black float frame). But, if you aren't one of the lucky purchasers, nor are you able to attend her show in North Carolina, enjoy them here:


"Chip"


2 dogs she spotted at the Decatur Arts festival


A pair of basset hounds in Manhattan


The late and great Dewey, her friend's dog


A red Hound found in Piedmont Park, Atlanta


A Yorkie on Michigan Avenue, Chicago


Karin's own adorable Petey


...and her happy dog, Jack


Above: 16 Patton Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina

where: 16 Patton Gallery
what: “The People I See”
When: July 5th - August 1st.

Opening Reception will be Saturday, July 7th from 6-8 pm.

In addition to being a talented painter, Karin is obviously a dog-lover. When I asked her if I could do a post on her Dogs Rule series and show, she replied humbly and added "i think i could paint dogs every single day and be happy."

See her own 2 adorable pooches below:

Above: Karin's dogs; Petey and Jack

For those of you who don't read this blog regularly I was the fortunate recipient of one of Karin's dog paintings in honor of my late companion, Abbey (see below).


above: Karin's tribute painting of my late doggy, Abbey

I have been collecting Karin's work for years now and have a fondness for her heart as well as her art.

The show does not only have her dog paintings but also includes several other wonderful pieces. Go see it if you're anywhere near North Carolina this month. You won't be sorry.

Get a sneak peek of her upcoming show by clicking here.

Happy Fourth of July!

How about some Fireworks for your tongue?

Now that it's the 4th of July, time for fireworks and BBQs, I'd like to introduce you to d'Oni products; gourmet condiments that inspire great meals, great health, great conversation and laughter according to founder and owner, Janis Dalessandro.

Having received lots of great press, favorable reviews and is stocked by the most chic of specialty stores, now's the time to try them out..especially since this post includes a 20% off code!

Hungrygirl.com's newsletter featured d'oni sauces today (see below):

Grill Talk...

BBQ time is here! And we wanna help...



Get Saucy! OK -- get this. These special gourmet sauces (great for grilling) from d'Oni are good for you, all-natural, preservative-free, and taste FANTASTIC! All of them ROCK, but our fave is the Bold as Love Honey-Habanero-Mustard. And their Moondance Marinade is worth a mention too. Hmmm, so is their What's Goin' On Soy-Pear-Ginger Korean Teriyaki. Guess we like them all.

Here's the best part -- they each have less than 10 calories per teaspoon and are fat-free! And Janis (the very nice and generous gal behind 'em) is offering 20% off if you use discount code hungrygirl at checkout on her site.

Find these at select specialty stores or order online by clicking here.

Now, fire up those grills....

I'm The First "User Of The Week" on This Next!

I'm super flattered that the increasingly popular shopcasting site, This Next has named me as their first "User of The Week".

A new weekly component to their blog, I'm the first to get the honor.



If you don't know about This Next (www.thisnext.com) by now, you should.



As explained on their own site:-------------------------------------------------

ThisNext is a shopcasting network where people can discover, recommend and share products and services they love.

In the real world, we rely on the people around us to sort out what we should buy. Brand marketing hype is too loud, too confusing. Tech specs are too complicated, confounding and time consuming to sort through. Our site is a way to answer online a question we ask those around us every day, “What do you use?”

Buying things that are better suited to our individual lifestyles makes life better. We want to help people live the good life, whatever that means to them.

The ThisNext Blog is a place where we identify bloggers and trends whose work aligns with our goal of helping communities unite, express who they are and find products that will help them live more happily and easily.

Our blog will also cover shopcasting on ThisNext. Curious about what’s being picked, who’s picking it and why? Want to know why we’re doing something (or why we aren’t doing something)?
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I actually found out about thisnext.com before it was up and running from a friend of mine who was in contact with one of the founders, Craig Ogg. I have since Craig as well as CEO Gordon Gould, the other founder. Terrific, personable visionaries. I have also had the great fortune to meet some other members of their team, including their fabu PR Diva, Nicole.

Their bloggers and staff are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.


Above: the hardworking team of This Next

They have received impressive press you can view by clicking here.

The name for my blog actually stemmed from my first list of products for This Next.
"If It's Hip, It's Here" was the first thing that came to mind once I started posting objects, art and services that I felt were worth sharing.

Since then, I have created many 'lists' of cool and hip products on This Next.
16 lists, to be exact.

Lists that range from things like "Shop or I'll Shoot: Gun Shaped Stuff" to "Put That Down, That's My Grandma; Modern Cremation Urns" and lists that are really useful like my "Fancy Friggen Flooring and Radical Rugs" list and my The Dish on Dishes list

Some of which have received press from other hot sites (like www.notcot.org) and many of which I've covered in my own blog.

above: My Gun Shaped stuff as seen on NOTCOT.org

I add to the lists almost daily, so if you need to know the latest and greatest things with skulls or aquariums that rock, links to all the lists can be found at the right in my side bar.

As of today, here are my personal stats on this next:


So, perhaps the above is actual 'proof' that I am a trendsetter, no? Okay, well then at least I'm someone who spends waaaay too much time on the web. At least I've done all the "searching for what's hip" legwork for you.....

Product Pick Of The Week: The Miles Rug

The perfect compliment to yesterday's post about the artful appeal of freeways, would be this fun and fabulous wool hand tufted rug by the creative minds at Big Game.

Called "Miles', this rug of infinite freeway interchanges was inspired by children's games which is the reason it comes complete with three wooden cars!



A little bit about Big Game:


Plus is More by Big-game

For their 2007 exhibition at the Milan Swiss cultural centre, the three designers from Big-game, Grégoire Jeanmonod (CH), Elric Petit (B) and Augustin Scott de Martinville (F), create the “plus is more” collection. Taking basic elements as starting points, such as a material, a principle or an archetype, Big-game transforms them in a simple way to design functional objects.

The stake of this transformation is to bring a “plus”, while keeping the integrity of the original element. The praise of less is therefore diverted. “Less is more” is still a fundamental principle, but with a slight and unexpected contribution. In a sense, Big-game plays with the cliché attached to Swiss design, and its profoundly functionalist image.

Freeways & Overpasses: An Artists' Muse.

Having grown up in California, the car culture capital of the world, and having done a lot of driving in my time (including two cross-country trips), I've grown accustomed to the sight of freeways and overpasses. I never found them 'ugly' as so many people claim. And I was happy to find that I am not alone in my opinion.

Despite the fact that many people find these a blight of urban sprawl, several artists consider them a subject worth painting.

I have come across many beautiful paintings of these concrete and asphalt 'monstrosities' over the years and wanted to share just a few of them with you.

I can't think of a better place to start than Wayne Thiebaud's Freeway paintings done in the late 1970s.


Above: Wayne Thiebaud's "Freeways", 1978


Above: Wayne Thiebaud's "Freeway 289", painted in 1977
http://www.artnet.com/Artists/ArtistHomepage.aspx?artist_id=16543&page_tab=Past_auction_results

Clearly Derek Bruckner was inspired by Thiebaud:

Above: Derek Bruckner's "Freeway 2"
http://www.georgebillis.com/galleryLA.html

...and quite possibly was Bruce Bomberger and Chris Chappell:

Above: Bruce Bomberger's "Freeways"
http://www.artnet.com/artist/667055/bruce-bomberger.html


Above: Chris Chappell's "Highway Overpass"
www.chrischappellart.com

Lest you think only the organic intertwining of curving roads held appeal as a subject, take a look at the numerous painting of overpasses, from above and below.


"Underpass" by Daniel Dolberg
http://net.lib.byu.edu/art/l1.html



"Passing Through Again" and "Departure" by John Margaris
www.margarisfineart.com



Jamee Linton's "Shift of Desire" followed by his "Displacement"
http://jameelinton.com/urbanscapes.htm


"Overpass" by Peter Harris and below, his "Urban Icon":

http://www.martenarts.com/Exhibitions/details.aspx?exhibitID=85
www.oxfordgallery.com


Derek Bruckner's "Overpass"
http://www.georgebillis.com/galleryLA.html


"210" by William Wray
http://williamwray.com/urban.html


Above: Reuben Colley's "Freeway"
http://www.collect-art.com/artist/reuben_colley/index.html


Damon Denys' "Overpass I-80"
http://www.denysart.com/landscape/overpass.jpg
http://blog.myspace.com/129602995


"Under The Overpass" by Ned Stern
http://www.nedstern.com/cityscapes.html



"Under The Over" by SF painter Carolyn Meyer. Below that, her "Driving Into SF"
http://www.williamlestergallery.com/artists/artists_pages/meyer.html
www.hangart.com



Michelle Muldrow's "Habitat SF" and her "South Van Ness"
http://www.mmuldrow.com


"Transport" by Andrew Denman
http://www.natureartists.com/andrew_denman.asp


"Overpass 25" by Christy Patrick
http://www.umass.edu/art/alumni/artist_pages/patrick/index.html


"The Overpass", watercolor by Richard Van Wagoner
http://sma.nebo.edu/vanwagoner.html


Above: British painter Ben McLaughlin's "Overpass"
http://www.wilsonstephens.com/artist.html?id=3


Gerald Schwartz' "Overpass"
http://www.dailypainters.com/artist_gallery/1038/Gerald-Schwartz


"Under the 110 Freeway" by Jennifer McChristian
www.dailypaintersgallery.com


Overpass" by Ann West
http://www.hangart.com/art/artist_directory/artist.cfm?st=1&ArtistId=178


above: Jylian Gustlin's Overpass
http://www.hangart.com/art/artist_directory/artist.cfm?ArtistId=105&st=1


Jylian Gustlin's "90 M.P.H. 20"
http://www.hangart.com/art/artist_directory/artist.cfm?ArtistId=105&st=1


Kirah Van Sickle's "Overpass" in acrylics
http://www.nelsonfineartsgallery.com/nfag_028.htm



Above: Fielden Harper's "OffRamp" and below that; Fielden Harper's "Freeway" series
www.fieldenharper.com

I considered including photography and drawings of overpassess and freeways, but there were simply too many.

Below each image is the website on which you can find the above paintings. Many are still available for purchase. Enjoy!

NOW SEE PART TWO OF THIS POST HERE!