TAPE NECKLACE

As you all know, I am pretty much obsessed with colorful tape and its many applications (see here). It is not surprising then that I would be positively in love with the tape and paper clip jewelry on offer at Creatures of Comfort and designed by Manu. I love the bright and sassy color combinations and the lovely draping. Gorgeous! I can just picture these paired with a crisp white shirt and dark suit . . .

Check these (and many more beautiful things) here.

CHRISTMAS RECAP

I had such a lovely holiday, I thought I would share some of the gift-related highlights with you. Here are three of my favorite presents given and received, just in case you are already planning for the next present-worthy holiday . . .

1. Cuispro Food Mill, $105, Amazon.com (for making my family's patented cranberry applesauce)
2. Martha Stewart's Cooking School, $29.70, Amazon.com (to finally learn what 'stiff egg-white peaks' look like)
3. Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin, $20, MoMA Store (to get the perfect dough thickness every time)
4. Velodrome Print by James Deavin, $20, 20x200 (for my dad, the manic cyclist)
5. Bubble Necklace, $115, MoMA Store (for my mom, a stylish lady with great jewelry)
6. Nesting Kitchen Set, $60, MoMA Store (for a friend to celebrate her first apartment)

Hope you like them as much as I do! Thank you to all my givers and receivers! (Can you tell that I like the MoMA Store, haha?)

FELT WREATH

I know that the holidays are technically over, however, I simply had to share this GORGEOUS wreath made of countless multi-colored felt balls. Featured on 'Pickles' (a super-awesome Norwegian craft blog I have recently discovered), I love the styling of the wreath next to the moose head and mini garland (we all know how much I love garlands). I can just picture it on a brightly painted front door of a lovely old home. Who says wreaths are confined to the month of December?

Get English how-to instructions at Pickles here.

(Thanks to Black*Eiffel for the tip!)

PAPER PACK

Today I came across this lovely set of paper at Kate's Paperie. It comes in small gift enclosure sizes and a standard A4 size. I love the fact that it offers you a rainbow of colors to suit your mood or recipient. And wouldn't they look pretty on your desk?

Pick up your own set of these beauties for $30 here.

HAPPY HOLIDAY

I am headed home today to begin Christmas celebrations with my family, but I thought I would leave you with something fun to look at over the next week. It reminds me of this video, which I posted about this time last year and makes me smile just as much. Enjoy!

This installation was done by James Theophane Jr who explains:

Work asked me to do something for their Christmas card. I work for an Interactive Agency.
To cut a long story short, after a company-wide upgrade the agency had a lot of old mobiles gathering dust. We took these, built and hoisted a gigantic interactive chandelier/mobile that plays Christmas jingles in our reception.
Mobile Mobile has been made as a semi-permanent hanging (exhibition) space. In January the mobiles will be replaced with another hanging media, then updated month in, month out.

(Found via swiss-miss)

LET IT BEGIN

I handed in my last two papers today. I can't tell you how quickly relief turns to holiday spirit! All of the sudden I am in the holiday mood and can't wait for Christmas on Friday! All afternoon I will be watching holiday movies and writing cards. And I can't wait for tomorrow when I will be picking up a few last minute things, doing some baking, and wrapping lots of presents. Yup, it's almost here!

What do you all do to get in the holiday spirit? Drop me a line and let me know!

I will try to post once more this week and then I will see you in the New Year!

(In case you were wondering, the above photos are of my Christmas tree which, according to my boyfriend, is "perfect" and according to me smells divine.)

I HAVE BEEN BAD . . .

I have been bad. Well, really, I have been busy. I am in the throws of exam time and am sad to say that I will continue to be posting very sporadically until the New Year. I hate to be away from you all that long, but I have to make it through the sea of papers!

In the meantime, feel free to browse through the archives and my flickr site (links at the right).

(Photo from CuteOverload.)

NEUTRAFACE

I have started coveting fonts again (despite the fact that I had to erase 70% of mine from my computer when Microsoft Word starting having convulsions). And my latest point of interest? Neutraface! I love the fact that it offers both a text, caps and small caps series in the font family. Also great? Is the fact that they offer three different capital "Q"s and two styles for each numeral. I love having options. Truly lovely. Now, about the cost . . .

Check out Neutraface here and other awesome fonts here.

DARLINGSIDE

It's about time I featured some music around here. And it's even more about time (its my blog, I can be as grammatically incorrect as I like) that I featured the awesome boys behind Darlingside.

I have known all five of these burly men for over six years now and I can attest to the fact that they are as talented as they are handsome. The moniker of "string-rock quartet" is quite apt as Darlingside incorporates, in any given song, the guitar, the bass, the cello, the violin, the mandolin, and lots of string instruments I can't even name. Combine that with swoon-worthy piano stylings and vocals and you got some fabulous sound. Seriously, these boys rock.

Still need convincing? Check out this video by "Ralph Tenderbottom" (aka Don from the group) as his runs a story for the "local news" on the "adorable" boys of Darlingside. And check out their awesome website (complete with free download of their latest single) here. They have a bunch of shows scheduled for all over New England in the new year--you won't want to miss it!

Suitably impressed? You can also download their first album on iTunes. Just search "Darlingside" and click on the 'January EP'.

THE HARBINGER CO

In case you are still in the hunt for holiday presents (or a no-reason-needed treat for yourself) I highly suggest checking out the lovely, handmade jewelry goodness over at The Harbinger Co on Etsy. Yvonne, a city planner and designer, makes some exquisite wearable creations out of bamboo and the like. Needless to say, I am particularly taken with the honeycomb-cum-cube pattern of the middle two examples.

Check out the shop here.

ALWAYS HUNGRY IN GERMANY

I know this is totally random, but I thought I would share what I think is a brilliantly hilarious commercial.

(Perhaps this is aided by the fact that I am currently up to my knees in german homework.)

Check out more Snickers commercials here.

(I had forgotten how funny some of them are!)

BEDDING BY ORLA

Oh my goodness YES. It seems that Orla Kiely is expanding her line of home goods to include bedding! Thus her adorable "stem print" pattern is now available for duvet covers and pillow cases. While a little pricey, the lovely lady at decor8 has made a deal with Dotmaison to offer a 15% discount from now until December 15. Just type in the coupon code "decor8" at check out.

There are a ton of other prints and products to check out, including bath mats and towels and Orla's fabulous "car" design. A guaranteed way to brighter any home (or any Christmas present, hint hint!).

Check out the selection here and decor8's original "sale" post here.

(Still need more Orla? Check out her website--with clothes, bags, accessories etc.--here.)

ROB IS LOST

The latest Improv Everywhere mission actually makes me want to go to a Knicks game (despite my allegiance to the Celtics). Agent Latham, aka "Rob", got up during half time to get some refreshments and then pretended to get lost on the way back. Despite various yelling and hand-waving he could not manage to spot his friends and return to his seats. Cut to the next quarter and Rob's entire section--including scores of complete strangers--are chanting his name to help him find his way back. When he finally returned to his seat countless people come up to take a photo with him and tell him how worried they were.

Really, if you were in doubt, Improv Everywhere constantly proves that people can be pretty awesome (and funny! I love their cheers!). Check out more Improv Everywhere shenanigans at their website here.

NATURAL STRIPES

Sorry for not posting yesterday. I am in the thick of exam period right now and will do my best to post as much as possible in the coming weeks (but probably not every day). Bear with me, I promise the stuff I do post will be super cool.

Like this. Mother Nature does some pretty crazy things sometimes. I wanted to share this particularly beautiful crazy thing, striations in polar ice caps caused by trapped sediment and rapid freezing, in the spirit of winter. Aren't they just stupendous?

See more photos here and here.

(Thanks to Black*Eiffel for the heads up.)