Partners In Crime / on the move

breakfast necklace

2011-05-18T16:51:00.002-04:00

via http://laboiteacouture.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-post.html

Children make terrible pets

2011-01-07T14:18:00.002-05:00

Lovely illustrations & such a whimsical idea / title... couldnt resist it at Barnes & Noble while in the US.
Loving this - not sure yet if I will keep it ... or give it to a lucky kid. Husband didnt think it was a good gift for little boys but I wholeheartedly disagree! :)

Cute play on how kids often find little creatures (worms, spiders, frogs... ; ) and then want to keep them as pets.

A review : http://100scopenotes.com/2010/11/04/review-children-make-terrible-pets-by-peter-brown/

Nest Rest

2011-01-03T19:07:00.001-05:00

nap read eat chat sip.

O_O amazeballs.

!
!!
!!!

more infos

Art of procrastinating

2010-11-30T13:06:00.001-05:00

Series of 11 episodes feat. monologues about procrastination. Artists, writers and filmmakers tell about concentration, focus and the fine art of wasting their time.

The Procrastinators

by Lernert & Sander on Vimeo

this is the john coltrane of walls

2010-11-30T12:12:00.002-05:00

nifty!

IdeaPaint

The Design Disease

2010-11-30T11:40:00.001-05:00

or as one comment says "a healthy obsession".

Dug up an oldie but a classic. (was reminded of it last night after seeing Helvetica & Objectified)

Enjoy. one of the best blogposts ever.
The Design Disease
http://noisydecentgraphics.typepad.com/design/2006/12/the_disease_of_.html

PARIS VS NYC

2010-11-25T13:38:00.005-05:00

♥♥♥ http://parisvsnyc.blogspot.com/

and more..

done with house # envy

2010-11-25T13:31:00.003-05:00

re old post here

brought back a little treat found at a 'bouquiniste's' stall on the left bank during our last trip to gay paree.

not the real real thing, but close enough.

ouais!

caffeine + SINGER fix = sweat shop?

2010-11-25T11:24:00.006-05:00

Plutôt géniale comme idée. surtout avec le prix du mètre carré à Paris...

pas de place pour les SINGER dans les apparts parisiens...

"Less buying – more trying!

Sweat Shop is a "cafe couture", a new creative concept situated near hotspot canal St Martin in Paris. Imagine 10 work stations equipped with 10 SINGER sewing machines and one central communal table. Join one of the 5 courses that are being offered every week and perfect your knitting and sewing skills or meet one of our guest designers in town for an encounter.

Not unlike a cyber cafe, you come whenever you please, rent a state of the art sewing machine by the hour and start sewing.

Welcome to a world of creativity, a place of discovery, of DIY ethics, a piping hot cup of tea and funky furniture. Enjoy organic delicacies courtesy of our New York neighbors at Bob's Juice Bar.

Enter into a serene atmosphere where work and relaxation go hand in hand.

Bored of buying, wearing, throwing away?

Fix that seam, make a dress out of those trousers or even design and create a brand new silhouette.

Sweat Shop is the place where your dreams and projects come alive. And it's here for those wanting to learn, create, transform, practice or recycle in a stress free and well equipped environment."

http://www.sweatshopparis.com/conceptgb.html

Sweat Shop

13, rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris

M Jaques Bonsergent

"entire ensembles for characters in Wes Anderson movies!"

2010-11-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

"One Berlin-based designer dreams up a poetic (and crafty) way to tell time.

This here's a clock that knits time in 3-D."

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1662601/infographic-of-the-day-clock-knits-time-into-a-scarf

Banksy + Simpsons

2010-10-14T14:23:00.005-04:00

= Genius

watch the new Banksy collaboration intro of the Simpsons:
http://www.fubiz.net/2010/10/11/the-simpsons-x-banksy/

LOVE Banksy.

Raplapla - handmade with love in Montreal

2010-10-14T13:58:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, I stumbled upon a lovely boutique / atelier on a small non-commercial street in MTL featuring locally handmade dolls & creatures and so I decided to take a peek as I was looking for a baby gift for a friend...

After browsing and marvelling at their adorable collection, I decided to pick one.

As I went over to the cash to pay, the cashier then informed me that all creatures have names & small biographies. Turns out the randomly chosen penguin's name was none other than KARIM le pingouin!
(my husband's name is karim!)

WHAT ?!
That is crazy weird! There were at least 2 dozen different dolls / animals / unidentified creatures to choose from and I unknowingly picked THAT ONE ! (names weren't on the dolls, she had to look inside her "catalog" in order to find out who I was adopting.)

The friend won't believe me.

The lovely shop is on rue Villeneuve in Le Plateau, in Montreal. Worth checking out.
This is their equally cute website http://www.raplapla.com/

Herman Miller Rocker

2010-10-14T13:31:00.001-04:00

coveting this rocker customized by Mark Giglio... perfect color, print and pattern combo.

contest to win one here

Delightful combo - Hendricks & Cucumbers

2010-09-24T15:01:00.002-04:00

Lovely vintage ads from the makers of the most delicious gin.

Ipad case envy.

2010-09-24T14:49:00.006-04:00

as seen on design*sponge.

SWOON.

Clever design.

I do not own an Ipad. But, now I want one.

http://www.nedrelow.com/index.html

artfully executed lego setups

2009-11-10T09:47:00.004-05:00

the genius of balakov on flickr.

Amazing series of reinterpreted classics from the greats, such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa and the likes entitled classics in lego (follow link)

my fave for its playfulness...

Rue Mouffetard, Paris

"A Lego recreation of Henri Cartier-Bresson's 1954 photograph taken on the Rue Mouffetard in Paris of a boy proudly carrying two bottles of wine."
check out HCB's original here : http://www.soulcatcherstudio.com/exhibitions/favorites/hcb_rue.html

Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare

wow.

the original can be seen here : http://www.afterimagegallery.com/bressonbehind.htm

there are many other superb ones WELL worth checking out.

peace out.

lampslampslamps

2009-11-06T13:46:00.005-05:00

ABC love in 3D

2009-11-02T15:34:00.001-05:00

house # envy

2009-11-02T14:27:00.006-05:00

a very generous friend shared her contact details (ELTE, in To) for this house number collection.
superb art deco numbers.
all round & lovely mixed in with the metal's sleekness.
saw it on said friend's house. great taste, they have in heaps.

I havent enquired about price just yet (from my personal experience when price isnt given firsthand on a website, and a phone call is encouraged to discover what the damages will be, well thats often a given that you need to brace yourself for bad news on the other side of the receiver... with prices ranging on the (way up) high side... we'll see.

also, perhaps not a priority right about now. lights illuminating said #s on the other hand...ASAP

together.

2009-10-19T11:44:00.007-04:00

missing you. you take good care.

perfect

2009-10-15T15:09:00.006-04:00

perfect
Originally uploaded by dominiqueb

hmm.
tiny café's color scheme needs to move into my kitchen. oh oui.

plateau. montréal.

Naked & Angry

2009-10-15T13:19:00.006-04:00

super site where people send in their prints, then there is a vote & things (wallpaper, accessories, art prints, whatevs) are made out of them.
by the looks of it, quality seems nice.

example of one with sweet print. not to mention the kick ass name.
for the people by the people.

"From the same folks that brought us Threadless, the democratization of t-shirt design and manufacturing, comes Naked and Angry’s user-designed wallpaper collection. Anyone can submit a pattern which is then voted on and scored by other Naked & Angry users. The highest scoring wallpaper designs are hand screened in a limited-edition run at their shop in Chicago. Winners also receive $500 and 5 free Naked & Angry products. "

unmatchymatchy hunt begins

2009-10-08T11:58:00.004-04:00

Quoting Brüno, the wise queen :
"nothing too matchy matchy!"

this winter the search is on.

next summer : backyard parties. oh hai (watch out) neighbors.
(yes i know, already thinking way ahead *sigh* some form of escape will be mandatory this fast approaching winter. even if only for a wee bit).

this is a patio un-set. (seen in a nyt real estate feature on brooklyn's brownstones.)

exactly what i need. how did they know?
noice.

stack 'em up - mini wc wallpaper - take II

2009-10-07T13:18:00.008-04:00

magazine stack - vinyl wallpaper.
from one of my fave tiny shops just around the corner where we used to live in gay paree.
also, where i got these sticky words.

www.thecollection.fr

33 rue Poitou, paris, 3e.

mini water closet?

2009-10-07T09:23:00.012-04:00

really like this print. smthg about its japanese rice paper style that has a hand-drawn feel - by julia rothman.

thinking tiny pipi room? only issue is those ugly *ss plain, but beige, ceramic tiles covering the lower parts of the walls.

as seen on design*sponge

all hail the short deadlines

2009-10-06T18:04:00.003-04:00

Christoph Niemann: Short Deadlines Make You Think Straight

..and all hail the creative genius of this illustrator.

Abstract city blog rocks time and time again.

1963 revisited

2009-10-05T15:38:00.003-04:00

1963 Originally uploaded by dominiqueb

found a treasure box of old slides dad had taken while on what seems to be an architectural tour of the east coast (usa).
score!

retro reno

2009-10-04T17:00:00.003-04:00

http://retrorenovation.com/

50's mondrian kitchen

'56 wood kitchen - armstrong ad

- illustrated sleeping patterns -

2009-09-29T15:04:00.004-04:00

warm bed for his lady.

(guys, are you paying attention? ;)

depiction of how it begins & all it all (inevitably) ends.

hmm, oh no, that wouldnt work.

(unborn kids, are you paying attention?)

"a visitor from the kids’ room. They start all sweet and cuddly, but their little bodies become more brazen by the minute." haha.

yet another great example of niemann's blog - the rest of the sleeping series : Good night and Tough luck

guangzhou, xie xie.

2009-09-28T13:49:00.007-04:00

charles & ray eames mini-chair replica & a mini-pug

replica of a "charles & ray eames" lounger+ottoman & a crazy JRT

(rare moment of "domestic pet placement"

hopefully i am not creating a monster.

one time deal for photo op purposes)

"On the flickering black-and-white screen, the lights dimmed to a grainy gray, and the camera focused unsteadily on a small stage. The curtain rose. There, revealed to the nation for the first time, stood … a lounge chair.

It's impossible to say what the viewers of NBC's "Home" show thought on that morning in March, 1956, when host Arlene Francis unveiled the rosewood-and-leather lounger and matching ottoman, but if any piece of furniture has proved worthy of a network debut, it was the Eames lounge chair.

Created by the husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames, the chair has achieved classic status as a landmark of Midcentury Modern design in the 50 years since it was introduced, an accomplishment that is being celebrated with an exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design here.

A combination of elegance and function, the Eames chair has found its way into executive offices and family rooms for 50 years, living beyond its midcentury label. A comfortable chair with a timeless sensibility, it is one of those icons of design that seems like it's always been with us.

As Ray said in a 1955 letter to Charles while the design was being perfected, the chair looks "trim, neat, un-designy, but cared for, rather than hunks or straps."

In other words, it may be an icon, but it's as cozy as an old chair...

Demetrios Eames recalls that when his grandmother, who died in 1988, talked about the evolution of the chair, she would cup her hands together.

"One hand fits in the other, the way the leather fits in the wood, and the way you fit in the chair," said Demetrios, 44, a filmmaker and writer. "They were very focused on the relationship between a host and guest. They felt this relationship existed in every culture, and they felt that the role of the designer is to be a good host. So right now, sitting in their lounge chair, you are Charles' and Ray's guest."
: )

article ct'd here : http://www.mcall.com/features/custom/all-hg-h-f-eames-061606,0,3604535.story

Bash A Burglar

2009-09-24T15:37:00.007-04:00

Bash a Burglar
marbles

cool find : a store in SF & a courtesy of flipblack (credits).
oh hai jiesan (again)

marbles: http://www.paxtongate.com/detail.aspx?ID=590

... strangely, it all started with this taxidermy baby (dont ask) :http://www.paxtongate.com/detail.aspx?ID=633

archi happy

2009-09-23T12:00:00.019-04:00

Great book once lent to me by a lovely friend & fellow teak lover. (oh hai jié-sann!)

Although the title is slightly misleading, in the sense that this is a book on architecture (not on the road/process to finding happiness ;) - it's a very interesting read (with great accompanying drawings & images ) giving the reader a good sense of architecture throughout history as well as showing how (feng shui anyone?) your environment, & "beauty" as a whole, basically affects your life in one way or another on a daily basis. All the while analyzing 'why' we choose (and sometimes can't choose) the spaces we live in.

Need to get my own copy... as friend in question moved before i could finish. Will also pick up some of Alain De Botton's other titles, like 'The Art of Travel' - hellz yes - and 'How Proust can change your life' (!) - intriguing title.

http://www.alaindebotton.com/

latest find : www.colourlovers.com

2009-09-22T11:13:00.013-04:00

great site for erm. well. colo(u)r lovers.

inspiring palettes. "wagashi" in my kitchen. oh yes.

http://www.colourlovers.com/color

"help me i love you" (tad dark, perhaps im influenced by its title but lovely row - click image for large swatch)

"the sarcasm of death" (hey why not? again,
title. Love THIS color combo. Rothko-esque even?
http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/01/28/the-art-of-color-rothko-meets-web20/)

"Wagashi" - (hmm buttery and alive)

"b-a-c-k-l-i-g-h-t"

color VS colour.
being a lover of words, letters, fonts, type... these differences in the English language have always kind of 'bothered' me. Both are accepted, both are correct but i am kinda drawn to the simpler american way - perhaps because (?) i have learned it this way but, visually, i find it (much) more appealing (imho) - with its "économie de lettres" pour ne pas dire "économie de couleurs".
oh.

clouds

2009-09-22T08:55:00.003-04:00

http://www.kvadratclouds.com/

clouds wall art

"... In 2000, Issey Miyake asked them to design a space for his new collection of A-Poc clothes in Paris." (an AMAZING space in the marais)

"Then came the decisive meeting with Rolf Fehlbaum, chairman of Vitra, which resulted in their conception of a new kind of office system, Joyn, in 2002. ... Since 2004, the Bouroullecs have also been working with Magis, for whom they have designed two complete furniture collections, Striped and Steelwood. Finally, they have worked on several types of textile wall systems, such as the North Tiles, in close collaboration with the Kvadrat brand, for whom they designed a new Stockholm showroom in 2006.

Today, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec design for numerous manufacturers, notably Vitra, Kvadrat, Magis, Kartell, Ligne Roset, Issey Miyake and Cappellini. At the same time, they maintain an experimental activity which is essential to the development of their work at Galerie Kreo, Paris, where four exhibitions of their designs have been held between 2001 and 2008. They also undertake the occasional architectural project, such as the Maison flottante (Floating House) in 2006..."

(oh and, hello lovely chair. hmm.)

ikea inspired by...ikea?

2009-09-21T11:47:00.009-04:00

(slight) before & after.
nothing to shout home about but... nice to have smthg refreshed.

saw that ikea had a new model out of these stools (we had from paris apt).
only they had newer version with a white finish (on top sides). decided to try it out yesterday with (old owners') leftover paint.
results, nothing dramatic but i think like it:

before (unfinished basement)

After :

Shut her up.

2009-09-21T08:54:00.001-04:00

UH-oh

Is that what they're thinking?
:s

Frank Lloyd Wright?

2009-09-17T14:01:00.004-04:00

Kids dollhouse.

ok i want to be 7 years old again (!)

(and, no i am not shopping for myself)

everyone around me is either expecting, due any day now, or has recently had a little baby. hence, i randomly found this today while looking at bébé stuff (for friends).

how cute.
no idea what the attached pricetag is (site acting up) but am pretty sure its up there. the site that links to it : www.modernseed.com

Q-bert platz!

2009-09-17T13:58:00.004-04:00

floor pattern of some German platz.

1984 nostalgic attack?
play Qbert online (!) : http://www.tripletsandus.com/80s/80s_games/qbert.htm

mixing it up

2009-09-11T15:04:00.013-04:00

Desktop wallpaper makeover time. love these color tones / textures (& that hint of orange..!), the languorous pose, etc... (click image for larger size)

The 1st time I came accross one of these porcelain pieces from chinese artist Liu Jianhuan, was during one of my first visits to the 798 art district in Beijing (circa 2007), having randomly entered some art gallery (initially thought it was a shop... : hurray for understanding your surroundings- *always blame the lost in translation concept* thank you sofia coppola).
I didnt realize at the time that they were pieces of art. The piece that caught my eye was a large traditional porcelain serving dish with a headless/armless female body dressed in a 'qipao' & languorously lying there, smack in the middle of the large dish. I remember (stupidly) I thought 'hmm cool, I really want to buy this dish'.

of course, i could have, except at a hefty hefty price. it wasn't 'a serving dish' dumbass.
I've since seen other versions of his work in numerous places.

Anyhow (!) i stumbled accross his work today ( & the porcelain series (which are i think from 2000-2001) through a contact's posting on flickr. nice!

maybe i should have invested that day.

loves.

"Liu Jianhua creates small-scale sculptures from fibreglass and porcelain. Trained as a ceramicist from the age of fifteen, he is well-known for several series of works of headless and armless female figures dressed in cheongsams and high heels and lying in erotic poses. His works comment on attitudes to women as well as the place of China on the contemporary art scene and political world stage."

Article on Li Jianhuan's art:

http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?1487#

*** oh, google just told me that *** :
it looks like he is at the vancouver biennale (vancouver has a biennale?! cool!) - those pillows aka seats are GREAT !

http://blog.vancouverbiennale.com/?p=569

sushi & other wonders

2009-09-08T08:40:00.003-04:00

aah the simplicity of your kids lego + a dash of imagination.

brilliant.

I Lego New York - grreat blog:
http://niemann.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/i-lego-ny/

live the life & drink up

2009-09-07T10:32:00.006-04:00

***

Discovering Mtl bands via font admiration?

2009-09-07T10:25:00.001-04:00

Turns out this beautiful font refers to the title (KIDS DoNT KNoW SHIT) of a song by a Montreal band called ISLANDS.

i had never heard of them. its a pretty decent song.

loving the choice of colors & the grain on this, as well as the line obviously.
font created by skinny ships (big talent) on flickr.

baby blues

2009-09-04T12:55:00.002-04:00

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The chair: check. (guangzhou - wo ai ni!!! ('love ya'))

Baby blue fireplace and white everything : mmm. this is giving me ideas.

YUM.

i want to learn more chinese characters. tad late you say?

2009-09-04T12:43:00.004-04:00

Illustrations from "The Pet Dragon"

A cleverly illustrated children's storybook (that also teaches some basic chinese characters).

Pretty GREAT.

From funny & clever NYtimes blogger and illustrator Christoph Niemann, his blog is really something. Especially the 'New York City 'illustrated' with LEGo' bits. (More on that later.)

love A to Z

2009-09-03T19:06:00.004-04:00

Fantastic submissions here:
we love typography

like buttah. just like it.

2009-09-01T16:22:00.011-04:00

its inaffordable. of course. i mean look directly at it. its made out of BUTTER.

mmm.
buttah.

*** a girl CAN dream ***

looking is free.
I can almost smell & feel the suppleness of the leather as i imagine how noice it will become with age ...

sears home (!)

2009-08-31T10:32:00.014-04:00

We were told by previous owners that our house was initially a sears model home ... !

K digged a bit and found it to be a personalised version (mix of both) of 'The Ridgeland' and 'The Dover', both pictured here, except our's exterior is finished in stucco (not wooden exterior)...
hilarious.

funny, we also keep hearing a few stories about the house and its previous owners (from neighbors that have been here a while & love a good
gossip ; )

another interesting thing is that the registry shows a mr. wright as one of its first owners (or the first?). Descendant of Philemon Wright ??
- the 1st settlement in the region was called Wrightville (then renamed Hull) in the 1800s (before ottawa -1855- which was then called bytown - named after colonel By)
"Philemon Wright (September 3, 1760 – June 3, 1839) was a farmer and entrepreneur who founded Wrightville, the first settlement in the National Capital Region of Canada. Wrightville later became Hull, Quebec."

- this is the sears archives-homes site (showing the Ridgeland, above) : http://www.searsarchives.com/homes/1933-1940.htm

- antique homes website (showing the Dover, on left) - if you have an older home / perhaps you can find yours archived as well: http://www.antiquehome.org/House-Plans/1935-Sears/Dover.htm

vine or not to vine

2009-08-28T12:29:00.003-04:00

this morning i noticed how beautiful the light was in the bedroom. albeit almost non-existant.

i cant decide whether to chop the hell out of these vines or to let them be.
they make quite a mess on the windowsills... attracting bugs (i think) and block most of the natural light.

on the other hand, they are pretty, and we mostly sleep in there so light isnt that important?
there is no artificial lighting right now - perhaps resolve that first and then see... before doing anything drastic. though they will likely grow back with a vengeance!

this is why i deleted my facebok.

2009-08-27T22:26:00.010-04:00

since a few are asking... it just wasnt as fun anymore for me. thats all. call me blasé.

which is why this is fitting, guess you could say i was:
"underwhelmed" (by Brock Davis)
This is one of many cool things in this guy's seriously amazing portfolio. love the shattered pieces series, especially the banana and the rubber duck and well really all of them, the cap ! yes.
I am in awe. brilliantly well executed ideas : "make something cool every day" is what he calls it. nice. ah imagination.

Make-Something-Cool-Every-Day

donne la santé!

2009-08-27T13:03:00.003-04:00

Herbal Tea ad that claims to "give health! while purifying blood."

great typography

2009-08-24T11:56:00.004-04:00

loving this font & its spanish 'translation'

CLICK THE IMAGE

MUST be viewed LARGE.

i'm down - with mishna wolf (& marc maron)

2009-08-24T09:41:00.008-04:00

-- off topic --

Yesterday, I finished reading this book my sister gave me called "I'm down", as in "I'm down with that", meaning "i'm down with the hood" or "I am in agreeance with the current topic of discussion." ; )

The book is the story /or memoir of the author's (Mishna Wolf) upbringing/childhood, that is of being a white girl in a poor black neighborhood and having a dad who 'thinks/lives/acts' like he's black and thinks his daughter isnt "down" enough - its pretty hilarious, as well as having it's touching moments - but mostly it's laugh out loud funny.
i hadn't heard of her but she's also a stand-up comedian (and being a former model - she is also stunning when not sporting an afro).
now, i guess, i have a 'girl crush' on her.
So one thing leading to another, I looked her up yesterday and it turns out her husband is also a comedian and i really wonder how come we've never heard of him - that guy is really very funny.

Here is a short 1 min. skit that proves it :

Marc Maron on why all men need a woman to keep them down.

the right white & mr. perfect

2009-08-17T18:11:00.004-04:00

Design Dilemmas - Painting
Choosing the right white.

"Mr. Perfect Pitt" discusses atheism, legalization & gay rights on Bill Maher show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSmox4zFo3M

oh baby.

2009-08-17T12:25:00.017-04:00

film is not dead.
THIS is camera porn.

they explain it way better than i ever would :

"It’s something about that plastic body. Something about peering down through that waist-level finder. Sizing up your subject with the top lens and capturing it through crispy glass lens with the bottom. It’s simply irresistible to people who love and adore life. People who are open-minded, enthusiastic, free with their ideas, philanthropic, endlessly curious, always travelling, constantly documenting,

and completely awestruck by the enduring power of analog photographs. In other words – people like you!

Shooting with the Lubitel+ is different than anything you have shot before. The combination of its glass lenses, the flexible 120 or 35mm format, fully manual everything, fully automatic nothing, peering into a waist-level finder, slowing things down with focusing and dialing in the correct exposure settings, and a myriad of other analog factors make it a full-bodied experience that activates all of your senses and brings you into a special and very intimate place.

Lubitel+ pictures have their very own look and special analog character. They’re more “professional” than any 35mm camera, but less professional than a Hasselblad. Of course they are sharp, crispy, artistic, painted with light, and grand. But they’re also occasionally random, sometimes too vibrant, often vignetted at the edges, and totally flexible to your wishes and innovative tinkering. Rather than reflecting the objective reality in front of you, they reflect the subjective reality of the Lomographer behind the camera. They will make you look twice.

Grab a seat, take our hand, and let us introduce you to this passionate twin-lens lothario."

need i say more??? *biting knuckles*

now, i should probably take out my lomo fisheye 'for a ride' more often, considering i bought it more than a year ago and have only had 2 rolls developped since... and they didnt turn out great. (not great right away=shelf! :s ) there is a learning curve for sure. i pledge to take it out more often.
click here to see it in all it's glory. its a really sweet toy camera & at 50$ (or around 400 RMB) it was a bargain and seen as a toy - so i dont feel too too guilty.

www.lomography.com = is an all time top 5 fave. i've been receiving their weekly newsletter for quite a while for entertainment purposes and to see amazing photos - THIS is the 1st time i am really really sold on a product...they do have mad marketing skills. damn them.

i see what the lubitel does on flickr once in a while and it does produce magical images that have a wonderfully dreamy (japanese?) feel. this one would be more of an investment thats for sure...

Had been coveting this...

2009-08-16T17:27:00.003-04:00

perhaps for my upcoming bday...

it's now sold out.

!

godverdomme.

renovation hardware is the sh*t.

i've just discovered it recently, because well im retarded and because i am currently home obssessed (ok i have been for the past year or so...). a sweet soul has lent me catalogs (very bad idea, as its quite expensive but they have the most amazing fixtures, industrial style reproductions, etc.. so am just browsing ;)

more starburst beauties (current 'ocd')

2009-08-16T16:28:00.012-04:00

that fireplace is beautiful - the mirror is perfect
and that black 'fire/ashes guard' (no clue what these are called in English - or in French, actually?) in wrought iron / with modern shapes is really dreamy. hmm. the wall color is quite nice & warm as well.

west elm sells this baby online (click here for the link) ... and not too pricey... hmm. perhaps it needs to find a home on top of our fireplace.

sleep on it. yes.

another smaller one below - cute but we cant see the detailing and its a little on the small side. not sure this is fisheye glass. fisheye is mandatory.

'starburst fisheye' magnificence (Take II)

2009-08-16T11:21:00.010-04:00

click image to view larger.
© dominiqueb

The Gaige house (living area) - Glen Ellen, Sonoma Valley - California
(we stayed here on our minimoon, that place deserves it's own posting... get back to that later :) - the gaige house is a Thompson hotel = LES in nyc is another great one, and as the name suggests, is located right in the core of the Lower East Side. perfect & they offer hot deals, we stayed there for little $$)

It deserved another shot - this is a previously posted gem i cant seem t o get enough of... as seen here in close up...

2009-08-14T10:39:00.005-04:00

Latest discovery -

Have fallen head over heels in love with this website called social designer

* contest
* design
* social ?

ding ding ding. bells are a ringin'.
Prettteeee brilliant.

i think i'll try my hand at this 1 contest... just for fun. especially that i am home alone for a long w-e . perfect. ; )

i'm loving these crayons (pencils!?..whatever they're called) :
500 Colored Pencils banner/poster competition

Submit to win

The 500 Colored Pencils program supports UNESCO DREAM Centers – 1 set out of every 100 sold is donated to UNESCO to support arts education for underprivileged children around the world.

OVERVIEW
Felissimo is launching an inspirational new product called the 500 Colored Pencils, a subscription of 500 different colored pencils. Every month a set of 25 pencils is delivered to the purchaser; like a gift that reveals itself slowly over the time, the full set of pencils is acquired over a period of 20 months. Each pencil has its own hue and its own unique name – together they suggest infinite possibilities.

DESIGN BRIEF

This competition calls for the design of either a set of online banners or a print poster that promotes this unique and creative product. These pieces may be used in promotional campaigns for the 500 Pencils.

this is salty blue :)

excuse me while i wipe this drool off my chin

2009-07-30T12:54:00.012-04:00

i've seen some of these around, for sale - 2-3 odd colors sold individually, but a whole collection ???

hmm.... yes.

dreams come in the form of color-ful tasting coffee!

PANToNE color swatches - mug collection

just discovered this chicago store while looking for green thumb tips / terrariums... (added to the to do list for my plans to visit the windy city :) - they have some pretty cool stuff - esp. love this planter (too expensive though!) and the lily pad chair (!) - very pretty:

'Bertoia' - looking lily pad

Sprout - chicago store

Kaya, no!

2009-07-28T02:08:00.009-04:00

is what it should read.

everything is perfect about this illustration - the colors, simple icons & text.
(especially funny i guess if you happen to live with a silly JackRussellTerrier)

Its an instant classic favorite. I adore it.

(just like the (2$!) classic etch-a-sketch i scored the other day at a toronto flea market.
* joie!*)

it is a children's book. (but i just may go out and buy it for the love of the graphics.)

as seen on flickr.

click image to see larger size.

STARBURST mirrors.

2009-07-28T01:02:00.012-04:00

ok. moving on to the major obssession 'actuelle' :
(in parallel to the chair obssession)

* Starburst-shaped mirror frames* with obligatory fisheye glass effect :: of course. because anything that is fisheye is fantastic. end of story.

LoVING these MADLY

Here is the best in show (not saving best for last, thats silly) :
This is THE most gorgeous most precious one i've EVER seen. old and precious and one-of-a-kind. Good design. unsurprisingly there are quite a few cheap wannabes out there that cant measure up.

**swoon**

(not for sale :( as seen inside the wonderful 'Gaige House' (Thomson hotel), in Sonoma Valley - self portrait added bonus:P)

click photo for larger view.

many more on file... will post soon : as the search for one is full on.

photo : © dominiqueb

i heart maps

2009-07-28T00:46:00.010-04:00

ha. i dont think im special for liking maps. in fact, i think most people like/love maps. except, sadly, they dont consult them as much as in the olden days, and are certainly not surrounded by them daily inside their coccoons.

what can i say...
maps shouldnt be reserved for children's spaces (ie for learning purposes - really can they even appreciate them?) as they often are.
FREE THE WoRLD MAPS! (apologies, for the inconsistent letters i HAVE to get my letter o fixed. &@$%!)

all this to say i kinda really feel like wallpapering an entire wall in my grown up (*chuckles*:D) office or guest bedroom - IF i can find a reaally nice one with a bygone era flair &/or fonts.

last one - oooh .. aah... soothing cool blues & greens:

turn globe into side/coffee table (?)

2009-07-27T19:03:00.011-04:00

another globe --- amazing coffee table? or not enough space for remotes?
(its actually not a table - just a globe - looks larger than is because of angle & perspective)

Travel note for future : i need to head out to Montauk, New York, at some point & check out this place called The SURF Lodge (click their gallery)
In the lap of 'surfdesign' luxury?
ni-hice.

which way was it ?

2009-07-27T16:41:00.010-04:00

*looks down*

right.

robe carte du monde en papier --- trop craquante.

'origami map' for my sense-of-direction-challenged self.

new town. new life. re-design.

2009-07-27T15:44:00.020-04:00

Inspired by quite a few amazing blogs out there as of late.. So, i've decided to breathe new life into this (quite frankly, quite sad) lil' blog o' mine.

It will now be a freer space for documenting various inspirations (mostly design-related) that I keep piling on day in / day out into a desktop folder called "STUFF".

call it a personal scrapbook of mish-mashed inspirations with a to z design-related posts, ie fonts, chairs, architecture, graphics, decor, flea market finds, and so on...
as we build a new life for ourselves here in canada & i re-integrate this new life chapter / new house (!) / repatriation (after having spent 5 years gallivanting around europe and asia).

I already have flickr for my adventures in amateur photography anyway (granted, i need to EDIT it & then edit it some more..) but basically this will be a freer blog attempt, uploading on a whim about quirky design.

*** oh and, my obligatory mascot (blogs need mascots right?) is a female jack russell terrier.
meet kaya, fresh off the boat from china (no, sorry, my bad i mean from paris, france... no wait - she is dutch! godverdomme!) A well travelled little terrier.

---

over the past year / months, i've been amassing a ton of design and DIY inspirations found here & there as we've been leading up to buy a 1st home.

Well now, after months of sweat & stress : we are finally moving into our 'smurf' house next week! i.finally.step.out.of.this.no.mans.land.and.get.my.life.back. Hurrah!
2 months in a suitcase in a crap hotel with a dog (wall to wall carpets anyone?) has taken its toll.

Now, as 2 very wise men have brilliantly sung before, its BUSINESS TIME.
(ok different context but I just HAD to use somewhere this cute gem that sneaked its way into my 'STUFF' folder).

(now, if you find yourself clueless about this business time business, simply google :
"business time flight of the conchords skit".
As the chinese would write on a pack of mixed nuts: its deliciousness.)

peace out. xo

Taxi Jam

2008-11-12T20:24:00.000-05:00

BANGKOK

2008-11-12T20:08:00.001-05:00

Monks living quarters, Phnom Penh

Friendly encounter

2008-11-12T19:48:00.001-05:00

Young buddhist scholar who took us to his pagoda, as well as for a tour of neighborhood where monks live and study.
Phnom Penh

2008-11-12T19:40:00.001-05:00

Cinquecento - italian gem

2008-09-18T02:50:00.001-04:00

cali

2008-07-29T02:33:00.001-04:00

san francisco

2008-07-29T02:11:00.000-04:00

july 2008

Sing

2008-07-29T01:55:00.001-04:00

D-22 bar, 2007

wall blues

2008-07-29T01:44:00.004-04:00

Great Wall of China, April 2007

old part of the wall

2008-07-29T01:38:00.001-04:00

Great Wall of China, april 2007

back on track

2008-07-27T12:40:00.006-04:00

After a momentary lapse of unreasonable "great firewall" drama, resulting in a no access of all blogpost surfing & posting... i'm back, for better or worse.
with only 3 weeks of actual posting under my belt, fast forward to 3 months later, having abandoned the idea all together for fear of being disappointed yet again, i was prompted to hit that button again tonight & give it one more shot. The page magically unveiled itself and fully loaded ::: the server has decided to respond. Hallelujah.

The clumsy and frantic pointing & shooting, on the other hand, never stopped.

(and i still love china of course, even when she makes it tough to share the love)

wo ai zhongguo.

xo De Ming Li

man's world

2008-04-29T02:25:00.000-04:00

but it would be nothin without a woman or a girl.

nonmingong at work

2008-04-29T02:21:00.003-04:00

migrant workers, beijing 07

grace

2008-04-29T00:30:00.001-04:00

HANOI, VIETNAM

Halong Bay

2008-04-29T00:23:00.002-04:00

on top

2008-04-28T03:00:00.002-04:00

WATERCUBE, national olympic swimming pool, Beijing, China

2008-04-28T02:56:00.001-04:00

place des vosges, marais, paris 75003

youth

2008-04-16T22:42:00.003-04:00

construction workers
july 07
olympic green

craft

2008-04-16T22:37:00.003-04:00

Jewellery from chinese minority in Guizhou province,
Panjiayuan market or "the dirt market",
Beijing, China

la piazza

2008-04-16T22:33:00.002-04:00

Piazza San Marco,
Venezia, Italia
(scan of photo)

bursts of color

2008-04-16T22:30:00.001-04:00

Expo, Centre Georges Pompidou,
Paris, France

graveyard

2008-04-16T22:26:00.002-04:00

beijing

2008-04-16T22:24:00.001-04:00

shanghai

beautify

2008-04-16T04:13:00.002-04:00

beijing traditionnal hutongs undergoing makeovers,
dongcheng district, beijing

click on image to view large

2008-04-07T23:14:00.001-04:00

2008-04-07T23:06:00.002-04:00

south VIETNAM

click on image to view large

BBQ

2008-04-07T22:29:00.006-04:00

NHA TRANG, VIETNAM

click photo for large view

neighborhood

2008-04-07T22:21:00.002-04:00

curious young lady,
hutong
chaoyang, beijing

click on photo for large view

2008-04-05T04:12:00.001-04:00

shanghai, china

making of

2008-04-05T03:58:00.001-04:00

men at work,
Bird's nest, Olympic green
Beijing, China

click photo to view large

lunch

2008-04-05T02:52:00.001-04:00