Warm & Welcoming

Props to this designer for eschewing the typical tiny house number and going big and graphic with a five in lime green. It reminds me of Sesame Street in a good way and I'm sure the local mail carrier would appreciate it too!

Now if only that french bully were a pug, I would be in heaven :)

Image by Lucas Allen via Real Simple

Coffee & Whisky

Feeling a little lukewarm about your beverages lately? Shake things up with two new products that you can drop into your drink for a perfectly pleasing temperature.

But it's important to know which way on the thermometer you want to go, as this pair of smart design innovations can keep your thirst quenched from morning to night.

Coffee Joulies

Design engineers Dave and Dave cleverly named these oversized metallic coffee beans after a unit of work or energy, a Joule, a concept at the heart of Joulies' design.

Joulies serve a dual purpose by first absorbing the heat from your cup of joe to cool it down to drinking temperature three times faster than usual. Jourlies then release the heat slowly back into your beverage to keep your coffee or tea comfortably warm for a few hours.

Constructed from the highest grade stainless steel on the outside and a proprietary food safe substance on the inside, Joulies seem to work best in a travel mug and can be popped into the dishwasher or simply rinsed off after use.

If the overwhelming response on fundraising site Kickstarter is any indication (they raised over $305,00 for their $9,500 goal) Joulies could be the next big thing to hit the coffee market.

Scandinavian Studio

Stunning images of Anna-Malin Lindgren's newly redecorated workspace. The absence of colour is clean and fresh, while her approach to tone and focus on simple materials and finishes in this grayscale scheme is simply genius. (Not to mention how the understated black and wood chair looks surprisingly rich in contrast.)

I'm also swooning over her mini paper storage area, which consists of a wire on the wall and a zinc basket on the floor. It looks like the carefully clipped scrolls fall just outside of the desk space adding an interchangeable pop of colour without interrupting the calmness of the overall look.

Anna-Malin is a Swedish blogger and teacher who also writes a monthly column called 'handmade home' for one of my favourite interior design blogs, decor8. Pop on over to see a couple more detailed shots of her spring office makeover :)

After falling in love with this workspace, I highly recommend adding Anna-Mailin's blog, Helt Enkelt, to your daily reads! But make sure you hit the 'translator' button on the right hand column as it'll make things a lot easier if you're like me and don't read Swedish ;)

xo.

Images: Anna-Malin Lindgren

Geisha Girl

Happy Tuesday! Just wanted to stop in to share this gorgeous geisha girl print from Argentinian illustrator Ana Laura Perez. The perfectly patterned botanicals really pop in a green tea wash and the way her hair leads your eye from her stoic expression to her sumptuous clothes creates an intriguing contrast.

Done in pencil, acrylics, and watercolour on paper, signed prints include free shipping worldwide and can be purchased from Ana's site!

Image by Ana Laura Perez

TV Addict

As we transition into the summer TV season (Hiccups and Dan for Mayor anyone?) TV networks have made their cuts and new draft picks from hundreds of pilots for the upcoming fall season. Here are the shows I'll be sad to see go and some new shows I can't wait to meet.

Goodbye:

Mr. Sunshine

I'm sorry Matthew Perry! This show was light, cute and entertaining. And after so many seasons of Friends, I really felt like it was my karmic duty to tune in to support Chandler's (uh...I mean Matt's) newest venture. Sadly, I could never quite remember when it was on and I wasn't too motivated to find out.

Backless Beauty

I'm absolutely in love with these dreamy dresses from fashion designer Alexandra Grecco; I'm especially enamoured with the sheer patterned panel on the dark dress, so nonchalant!

The true piece de resistance for me though is the stunning new shimmer slip dress:

With its low swooping back and soft stretch matte silk, this statement piece must look and feel like heaven!

In case you missed it earlier this month, I gushed over some of Alexandra's other designs in a guest post for The Hip & Urban Girl's Guide featuring all of my favourite Etsy finds for spring. Hop on over and check it out!

Images via Alexandra Grecco

Geometric Perfection

My heart skipped a beat when I saw these unique faceted origami candlesticks featured on Kersey's blog, ardor. Constructed from a sheet of maple wood veneer or mother of pearl cardstock, the polyhedron is precision cut and carefully assembled around a solid structure for extra sturdiness.

Would these minimalistic beauties make it onto your dining room table?

♥

Image: Revisions via ardor.

Hetterson shop is now re-open!

...which is wonderful news if you are coveting this oh-so-cozy sweater with creamy stripes and adorable suede elbow patches like I am! I especially love the rounded hem and the way it looks like it goes with everything.

Lucky for us, it's also handmade with organic NZ merino wool, which means it's wearable all year round and that none of these guys were harmed in the process:

Hip hip hooray, it's almost Friday!

♥

Image 1: Hetterson 
Image 2: Wikipedia.

Toy Stories

I'm utterly charmed by the sweet little owls adorning this home in the premiere issue of Trad Home magazine!

Designed by Suysel dePedro Cunningham and Anne Maxwell Foster for their joint design venture, Tilton Fenwick, the look is 'Country Cosmopolitan' and nearly pitch perfect.

The only thing I'd be tempted to do is swap out the owls for cuter and even chubbier Totoro plushies (!)

What do you think? Are you more of an owl or a Totoro fan? :)

Image 1: Tilton Fenwick for Trad Home. Photography by Patrick Cline.

Image 2: Screenshot of Hayo Miyazaki's 'My Neighbour Totoro' via Inhabitots.

Bright Kitchen Idea

In my never-ending quest to renovate my living space, I came across this cute idea from Better Homes & Gardens on how to incorporate typography into your kitchen.

Isn't it lovely how the print rolls organically with the roman blind? As my bestie pointed out, my family doesn't really need a reminder to eat (we're very good at it!) so I think I would try this organic tea towel from Hunting for George* instead:

Plus, which home wouldn't like a nice reminder to share the chores?  ;)

Image 1: Better Homes & Gardens via CreateGirl via .tif smith on Pinterest

Image 2: Hunting for George*

Neapolitan Delight

Today marks day seven of my recovery from a wisdom tooth extraction, and I am seriously craving some good ol' fashioned Neapolitan ice cream!

The simple yet satisfying combination of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry hits the spot in a nostalgic way, before things got all complicated with 'mixed to the max' formulas crammed with extra sugar and fat.

Maybe that's why modern confectioners are also taking a cue from this childhood favourite with their own interpretations of Neapolitan delight.

Over at Chocolate Editions, Mary & Matt make a luscious 3 oz. Neapolitan chocolate bar comprised of 72% dark chocolate, 36% white chocolate, and natural strawberry ingredients.

Don't you love the sleek and modern look of this bar? I'm especially fond of the way the smooth tablets of dark and white chocolate contrast with the grainy (i.e. extra tasty) deliciousness of the strawberry tablet.

Not to be outdone, Fusion Sweets also offers up their own take on the Neapolitan trend with fluffy handmade marshmallows!

Claiming it really is like "three marshmallows in one", this jumbo (and gluten free!) treat builds its tower of flavour with Papua New Guinea vanilla beans, fresh strawberry preserves and strawberry juice, and a decadent chocolate marshmallow base swirled with dark chocolate.

If your mouth isn't watering yet, consider the possibilities of adding this triple knockout of flavour to your favourite s'more or hot chocolate recipe for a little Neapolitan alchemy of your own :)

♥

Image 1: Chocolate Editions 
Image 2: Fusion Sweets