Italian Pizza

February 21, 2012

I miss the pizza in Italy. After my trip to Italy last summer, I don’t think the pizza we have here can compare with the authentic Italian pizza. I love that their pizza can taste so good with just a few simple, non-fancy ingredients. And normally you can find a pretty good pizza in a random, low-profile pizzeria.

This pizzeria is located close to the beach in Lido di Ostia near Rome (I even found it on Google Street View). It seemed to be a popular neighbourhood pizzeria. We had to take a number first and wait until the number was called before we could order. We were all sitting outside in the warm breeze, nibbling on our pizza. Unpretentious, just pure and simple.

I miss Italian pizza.

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ChocoLate Orgániko

February 17, 2012

I love chocolate packaging (and chocolates). Sometimes when I buy a chocolate bar, I’m not sure if I want it because of the packaging or the chocolate itself…

When I found the chocolate bars from Chocolate Orgániko in DeLaurenti – a local gourmet store in Seattle – I was instantly attracted by those vivid colours popping up from the shelves. I couldn’t decide which one I wanted because there are so many colours and flavours! I wished I could get all of them! Some of the flavours are very unique, such as olive oil (really?), green anise, and lemon/pepper. The colours actually correspond to names of the flavours. Isn’t that interesting to interpret tastes in colours?

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The Week in Boisbuchet II

February 13, 2012

This is a closeup of our macrolettering project in Boisbuchet. See that big balloon? That’s what we used to fly the GoPro camera up and film the work from above.

In the evening after we completed the project, we lighted a candle on top of every stick. We were hoping to capture that from above, too, but the result wasn’t ideal. But it looked amazing anyways. Such a beautiful ending.

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Gifts for Your Valentine

February 11, 2012

When it comes to selecting gifts for guys, it’s always the hardest. Let’s just face it, most of us don’t have the money to buy the luxury car or the expensive camera that he’s been dreaming of. My guy likes cameras and related nerdy gears, but I don’t even know their names. How about just simple stuff like these?


where to get: 1. print / 2. laptop sleeve / 3. Swiss army knife / 4. book / 5. shaving set / 6. coffee mill / 7. chocolate membership

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Swag Bag from Blogshop

February 8, 2012

I spent my birthday weekend in Seattle, attending a workshop – Blogshop – that Poan gifted me :) The workshop took place at FRED Wildlife Refuge, a super cool art studio. I’m not sure if I was really there to learn Photoshop (since I’ve known 90% of what was taught…) but it was still a nice experience to see how the workshop was run and get inspired by other people.

And of course, gotta show off the swag bag:

  1. Paper project by Field Guide Design
  2. Card by Our Paper Shop
  3. Cookie by be coolinary
  4. Gift Tags by Julia Kostreva
  5. Bracelet by Ravenna Girls
  6. Earrings from Balue/Co.
  7. Handmade soap by Limegreen
  8. Martha Stewart Glittering glue
  9. Zine by Hoarse
  10. Tote bag by Au Retour
  11. Daily Planner by Julia Kostreva

Love them all!

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Hidden Textures – Barcelona

February 3, 2012

Aren’t these hidden gems? Sometimes they’re just around the corner, or underneath you. You just gotta look carefully.

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Hooked

January 28, 2012


Here’s a small project I did for a wall in my bedroom last week. If you’ve been to Anthropologie, you can probably recognize what these “hooks” are. Yes, they’re actually knobs for cabinets! Don’t you just love all the door knobs they have?

I didn’t intend to replace any handles at my place, so I thought, why don’t I use them as hooks? I have this thing for hooks – hooks for keys, for accessories, and bags – my landlord will hate me for drilling those holes on the wall.

I wish someday I can buy enough knobs to cover my entire wall. Something like Douglas Coupland’s home.

* See more knobs here.

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Minakani Wallpaper

January 28, 2012




I absolutely adore the wallpapers from Minakani. These three are my most favourite ones. I love the colours, the shapes…and wow, I’ve never seen anything quite like the Peacocks wallpaper! Those peacocks seem to be painted directly on the wall!

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The Week in Boisbuchet

January 25, 2012



Domain de Boisbuchet is where I went for a design boot camp last summer. Continue reading →

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Shoeland

January 21, 2012



How wonderful, colourful these shoes are! They’re from a shoe shop we found in the Gotic area in Barcelona. I had a really hard time picking my favourite pair, so I came home with none of them :(

Now I regret it!

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The colours of Montmartre

January 17, 2012

Surprises of the day: an antique fair and a construction site hung with artwork.

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New pillows

January 16, 2012



New pillow designs in my Envelop shop!
More to come!

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Nail Polish on Paper

January 13, 2012

I was experimenting different material for my pattern creation, and I was trying to think of any possible, “untraditional” material. My first idea was nail polish. I’m always attracted by the bountiful range of colors in nail polish, so I thought, what if I apply it on watercolor paper?

I love the result, but I don’t like the process. The process is more tedious than you think it would be. First, the nail polish dries pretty fast, so the brush gets sticky easily. I had to clean the brush after a few applications before I can continue. It took me nearly 3 hours painting the pattern in a postcard size. Second, nail polish stinks. I had to wear a mask while I was painting.

Oh well, but I guess it’s still a more accessible way to achieve the metallic effect without going to a printer, of course though, when you only need a small quantity.

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Let’s Fall in Love…with Jellyfish!

January 11, 2012

I really wanted to make a Valentine’s Day card again this year, and the song “Let’s Do it, Let’s Fall in Love” gave me some ideas about the design. “Even lazy jellyfish do it” comes from the lyrics of the song. Some lines like “birds do it; bees do it” and “even educated fleas do it” are so lovely that I’m thinking about making other versions of the card!

* Cards available on my etsy shop!

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Watercolor Patterns by Leanne Shapton

January 9, 2012


I’m so inspired by the patterns created by NY-based Leanne Shapton. Not long ago, I also created some patterns with watercolors, but the way she uses watercolors in her patterns definitely opens my eyes and makes me think of how I can create such interesting patterns. More details are on The New York Times website.

 

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