Kawaii!
When it comes to plushes, we take our cues from little baby Lir and ever since she was born a short 10 months ago our niece has been inseparable from her Jellycat Bunglie Pig. They’ve shared long, one-sided conversations of monosyllabic utterances, afternoon snoozefests and, well, just everything. Through thick and thin, Bunglie Pig has been the soft and silent companion of our pink-cheeked Lirskie.
Although I try to delegate most of my iPadding to productive tinkering like to-do lists (Taksa), concept sketches (Adobe Ideas), blogging (WordPress), proposals (Pages), and keeping up with the times (NPR, BBC News, TIME Magazine, Paris Match…), it’s hard to resist the smattering of impeccably designed gaming apps available on my new favorite gadget. One evening, after a long day of PHP code, I found a surprise that YZ had left in my section of our iPad library: Angry Birds. A couple weeks and a big fat 105 levels later the game was conquered and had earned a quick-access spot on my iPad dock…
Oh Japan, you’ve done it again: perfect concept, perfect design – even the packaging is drool-worthy! Following the age-old tradition of Japanese hanko (判子) stamps (the first of these dates back to 57 AD!!!), Tokyo-based design firm Kawamura Hideo Activity / Rezon has created Otete & Anyo: a service for making custom hanko stamps of your baby’s hand- and footprints…
Guilt-free and incredibly cute, these plushy renditions of roadkill by Roadkill Toys are irresistibly wrong-yet-right. The squashed raccoon, rabbit, and hedgehog come packaged in a hilarious transparent bodybag with oodles of organs ready to spew out of their zippered abdomen. Hell, there’s even an adorable toe tag!!! These guys are truly to die for (sorry — couldn’t help myself)…
Just right for springtime, Alessi’s whimsical line, A di Alessi, is full of impeccable housewares that balance function with fun. Although their website is a royal nuisance to browse, the plethora of goodies, from plant-like toilet brushes (so much less depressing) to the perfect kitty bowl for Goobie the Cat, are sure to brighten up so many of those daily dreary to-dos!
Organizing project folders with custom icons is a great visual way to help you quickly identify what’s what and where on your computer. If you’re anything like me, you want your icons to somewhat reflect the folder they’re labeling… David Lanham’s free icon sets have the perfect mix of adorable monsters & friends as well as slick system icons for all your apps, standard folders and other default components… More sets after the jump!
It’s amazing what a fresh wallpaper on your desktop can do to spruce up a humdrum workday! If you’re not already busy curating your screen I highly suggest diving in to this modern-day personal gallery of sorts. To get you started — actually, whether you’re a novice or uber-geek — David Lanham’s cornucopia of system-skinning graphic packages are a must-have! First up: a round-up of some of our favorite wallpapers from his gallery… More after the jump!
Just a quick snap from another glorious day in the ‘Burg! Goobie the Cat took great advantage of the fat streams of sunshine flooding the front room for an afternoon-spanning nap of mega-kawaii proportions. Here’s the gem of the photoshoot… ♥ Lo (& Goobie the Cat)
A few months ago I discovered the whimsical world of Hello, Brute: a collection of hand-cast polyurethane resin toys brought to life (with a very fashion-forward and bright coat of paint) by Portland designer Jon Knox. Jon describes his creations as “an all-boy crew who are often stuck somewhere between the best and worst moments of their lives.” I totally fell in love with the character Danny, a discombobulated-looking nerd with slightly stoned doe eyes peering out from behind thick black prescription frames and decided to dig deeper… I was honored to have had the opportunity to ask Jon some questions about his design career and the newest addition to his shop: Pepper (seen above) of which 5 signed, limited-edition 9″ figures are up for grabs (for a wee sum of $175) in the Hello, Brute shop!
We’re huge fans of Miami-based think-tank and Kid Robot staple FriendsWithYou. hey did an animated spot for Target that had us in stitches (check out their latest advert for Match.com) and have also designed Mimobot USB drives for Mimoco’s Artist Collection (featured in our Top Ten Flash Drives post) based on their Malfi, Mr. Phantom, and Buddy Chub characters. The all-things-adorable powerhouse has just launched a brand-spanking new site, chock full of their oddball plushes, zippie pulls, tees, Wish Come True blind box toy collection, and art prints…
Who doesn’t like rope!? From worn, dirty-white sailing rope to neon mountain climbing rope to… baker’s twine. Red baker’s twine is pretty common, I actually finagled some out of the Something Sweet Bakery on First Ave…
Just wanted to post a little OTOTO update (check out the intro post here!) – since their latest product, the Tea Sub tea steeper, is LOL genius. Get the kitchen trinket here for approx. €10 or head over to OTOTO to check out the Tel Avivi design house’s full inventory! Don’t know where to buy loose-leaf tea? Check out my good friend Jodi’s amazing online mega-teahouse, Sympathy for the Kettle! Try the Harlequin Blend (Label designed by yours truly »pat pat«) – a smooth black tea with blackberries, elderberries and nettle leaf.
OTOTO Store
Levontin Street #7
Tel Aviv, 65111
Israel
Get it here!
“This edition features a hint of blood splatter on Terror (revealing his forceful nature) and his loyal and somewhat less threatening sidekick Magnus. The Death Metal edition is exclusive to The Loyal Subjects web store and is limited to 199 pieces!”
Eeek! I can’t believe I almost forgot about Prickie – the badge collective that features portfolio after portfolio of artists trying their hand at designing for the 1″ by 1″ surface. The site itself is a blast to navigate (and loose plenty of hours browsing the endless offerings). Each portfolio provides a bit of info about the artist as well as their URL making the site a great jumping point to discover some new design talent. Each pin costs between 3 and 5 bucks with a few incentives along the way: buy 6 & get free shipping, buy 6 more & get 1 free, another 6 & another 1 free, fill your cart & Prickie will double your order! You do, however, find yourself sorting through plenty of failed attempts at conquering the format… So, to help you find the good stuff, here are a few dozen of Lo’s favorites! I think a nicely curated bunch of these on a plain canvas tote would be stellar!
Got some Christmas rascals that won’t stop asking for goodies this holiday? Scare the greed right out of them with this gem of an animated short by Spaniard Rodrigo Blaas. Enlisting the help of some very talented friends (French animator Bolhem Bouchiba, character designers Carlos Grangel and Sergio Pablos, Art Director (and brother) Alfonso Blaas, music composer Mastretta and sound designer Tom Myers), Blaas’ debut film mixes a glorious Parisian art nouveau winter wonderland with a very current and curious main character: Alma. The film has already received a handful of awards and continues to collect accolades as it sweeps the animation festival circuit. Blaas has made the entire film available for viewing for a limited time, so share the wealth!
