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.