The Modern SO-RO Cradle With A Forward Rocking Motion For Your Baby - Or Two.

The contemporary so-ro cradle (the name so-ro comes from Norwegian lullabies) was designed by occupational therapist Ane Lillian Tveit and features a forward rocking motion, unlike most of today's side-to-side rocking cradles.



According to research into the brain's perception of sensory input, forward movement is the most comfortable and soothing type of motion for a baby. Think of rocking on a swing. The brain perceives this rhythmic forward swinging as a linear, soothing motion.



This multiple-awarded winning cradle has even garnered a celebrity following from famous parents like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and NASCAR driver Burney Lamar.



The so-ro cradle is available as a single cradle or a twin cradle with a core of the made of plywood Baltic birch with American walnut or laminated white. The value of the so-ro is increased by virtue of it being easy to assemble, disassemble and store.

The So-Ro Cradle in Walnut or White Laminate:

•Made of American walnut real wood veneer on plywood Baltic birch
•43 " long and 25 " tall and weights 40 lbs
•The included mattress is 17 " wide x 31 " long and 1 " thick
•Included mattress cover is made of 100% cotton
•Shipping and handling included in price ($800 USD)

The So-Ro Twin Cradle in Walnut or White Laminate:

With dividing wall:

Without dividing wall:

In white laminate:


•Made with American walnut real wood veneer on plywood Baltic birch
•The so-ro cradle is 43 " long and 25 " tall and weights 40 lbs
•The two included mattresses are 15,5 " wide x 31 " long and 1 " thick
•Included mattress cover are made of 100% cotton
•There is a dividing wall to separate the children when needed
•Shipping and handling included in price ($1200 USD)

Video:

music in the above video is the traditional Norwegian folktune named "so-ro," hence the name of the company. The pianist is Bugge Wesseltoft.

Importance of oxygen
With three grades of elevation at the head, the so-ro crib helps to maintain a clear, unobstructed environment around the infant’s head. This promotes healthy breathing, and is especially helpful for infants with colds or stuffy noses.

The so-ro crib's mattress is 1 inch (2.5 cm), the American ASTM standard for infant mattress sizes. This eliminates the indentation on the mattress usually caused by the weight of the infant's head. It is recommended that the infant sleeps without a pillow.

Safety
The so-ro cradle’s design makes it suitable for the bedroom at night and for the living room during the day. As for all cradles, it is suitable for use from birth until the infant is crawling (usually from 0 to 6 months).

The so-ro cradle rocks in a gentle and stable manner, with very little effort. The cradle can be turned over only when one end is lifted up. An adult can stand in the cradle without tipping the cradle over.

Produced by FPI Baltic in Lithuania

Shop so-ro cradles here

Consider Your Mind Blown. The Phenomenally Realistic Graphite Drawings of Kelvin Okafor.

above: graphite drawing in progress by Kelvin Okafor

Kelvin Okafor describes himself as a "Passionate penciled artist. Highly interested in detail and precision." I'd say that's an understatement once you see the phenomenally realistic graphite drawings created by this UK Illustrator. As astounding as the finished pieces are (it's truly difficult to discern whether or not they are photographs until you look extremely closely), the evolution of the drawings shown on his blog, and as videos on his YouTube channel, will blow your mind.


above, clockwise from top left: Timeless, Undeviating and Mana drawings by Kelvin Okafor

I'm sharing my five favorite finished works of his along with some images of his work in progress for you to see what I'm talking about. He almost always begins with the eyes and finishes with the clothing. His ability to render hair is beyond compare. My mind is blown and after viewing these yours will be, too.

Mana
His second drawing of model Mana.
Medium: Graphite pencils/Charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 17 x 24 inches


In progress:


Final drawing of Mana on board:


"Undeviating" (Emmanuel)
A drawing of model Emmanuel, entitled "Undeviating"
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 18 x 22 inches


In progress:


Final drawing of Undeviating (Emmanuel) on board:


Aisha II
His second drawing of Aisha.
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 17 x 24 inches


In progress:



Final drawing of Aisha II on board:


"Timeless" (Jamal)
A drawing of model Jamal, entitled "Timeless."
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 17 x 24 inches

In progress:



Final drawing of Timeless (Jamal) on board:


Adam II
His second drawing of Adam.
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 15 x 24 inches


In progress:



Final drawing of Adam II on board:


Kelvin is a graduate from Middlesex University with a B.A. (Hon)s in Fine Art. On his flickr profile he claims that "He aspires to create art as vivid as eyes could see."

I think he's done it.

See all of his work over here on his flickr account. 

A big thanks to Vicki Mayer for bringing Kelvin's work to my attention.

Precious Vodka Has A Real Gem In Every Diamond Shaped Bottle.

above: the bottle of Precious Vodka shown has a genuine ruby gemstone you can see at the very top of the bottle

Jewel Lines® has produced a unique combination of Ultra-Premium Vodka with the most valuable natural precious stones in the world. The award-winning vodka (recipient of the Silver Medal San Francisco Awards in 2011) is bottled in a luxury diamond shaped container complete with a single real gemstone.




Precious Vodka is produced from distiller grown and harvested winter wheat and nourished with post glacial subterranean spring water. The wheat used in Precious Vodka is carefully selected with only the top 10% of the annual harvest making it to the distillation process. From there their master distiller distills 6 times then dilutes with locally sourced natural spring water. The water is high in mineral content and adds a very strong, yet natural citric aromatic nose and flavour that is Precious Vodka.



Precious Vodka is bottled in a unique diamond shaped bottle. Every bottle of Precious Vodka contains a beautiful natural gemstone from their collection of fully certifiable precious stones which include sapphire, emerald, ruby, topaz, and peridot. Their gemstones are specially crafted so that their customers receive only the finest genuine jewel stones. The gemstones add a unique quality to the overall experience that is only available when you purchase a bottle of Precious Vodka.

The bottle below contains a sapphire you can see just below the tip. The bottle also has a sticker that identifies the jewel within:





Precious Vodka is unique. Extreme detail was used when creating the diamond shaped bottle and its beauty alone makes it stand out and turn heads. Great pride and care is taken to achieve the highest level of luxury in every bottle of Precious Vodka, produced in distilleries utilizing the most innovative German technology.

Jewel Lines

Precious Vodka is available globally and shipped from Europe. For information or orders please contact email: info@jewellines.com
EU: +359 601 69 663

Voltage - Shockingly Cool Couture By Iris van Herpen With Electrifying Kicks for United Nude.

The edgy fashion designer from the Netherlands does it again with her latest shoe design for United Nude, part of her latest Haute Couture Collection named Voltage, all of which is shown after the shoes.

The Voltage Shoes by Iris van Herpen for United Nude:
Continuing the collaboration for the seventh season, United Nude and Iris Van Herpen joined forces to create another shoe for her Haute Couture show in Paris. These handcrafted leather ankle booties were made for Van Herpen’s Voltage collection and their availability will be very limited.



United Nude

Iris van Herpen SS 2013 Haute Couture Voltage Collection:


For her fourth collection presented in Paris as a guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, Iris van Herpen explores the idea of electricity and the light it creates. Experimenting with its use in the field of creation, this collection seeks to render its tangible movement and power.




This light and electricity’s ability to change states and bodies is being reproduced using the most innovative technologies. Described as an alchemist fashion approach, Van Herpen’s designs perpetually initiate new collaborations with artists, architects and researchers.




As part of the show there was a performance arranged by New Zealand artist Carlos Van Camp, echoing his notion of controlling high voltage electricity and its interaction with the human body. Van Camp became known for founding “The Lords of Lightning,” an innovative show that depicts two fighters exchanging real lightning with three million volts running through their bodies.



Van Herpen shares Canadian architect Philip Beesley’s fascination with materials and structures. They focus specifically on how the reaction of chemistry and electricity causes structures to respond to their environment and react as living beings.

Iris van Herpen is also know for being todays leading fashion designer in the use of 3D printing. Drawing on the idea of movement, this technical revolution is the result of collaborations with Neri Oxman Keren Oxman of the MIT Media Lab, architect Julia Koerner, and Materialise.

United Nude
Iris van Herpen