My latest decor project

Settling into my new home, I dug up some art prints that I've been intending to display for a long time:

Yoshitomo Nara meets IKEA = awesomeness.
Ingredients:
Yoshitomo Nara's Oh My God! I Miss You postcard set
IKEA's white RAM 4x6" wood frames
Saw tooth photo frame hangers
Duct tape

That will pair well with my Harajuku Girls photo portrait I just framed with IKEA's RIBBA frame. Rolling on!

Stay Calm Poster reinterpreted

The Poster List must have been inspired by the Rock Gods to produce their interpretation of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster that caught on fire in 2007-2008. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you: "Keep Calm and Rock On." What do you think? Perhaps, if you are a rocker daddy/mama, you'd like to hang this in the nursery? Otherwise, I personally like the Queen's message in the original (the WWII story behind the propaganda poster is pretty inspiring).  

Spiffy Bargain Finds

First: Can I give some love to Daiso? I discovered this store in downtown Seattle and raided it for some very cute housewares and random goodies to outfit my new apartment. Daiso is a Japanese bargain department store where everything inside -- think Target meets Container Store meets 7/11 -- is mostly $1.50 and tops out below $10. This is a snapshot of the storefront:

I found the cute bear cup in its kitchenware section -- right now, he's on my dining table to hold my sugar-packets. For a $1.50, I thought he was a steal.  Sweeeeet.

Then, I also found these metal trays designed for holding food. This metal tray was designed as a mini meal tray and cost $1.50. I keep it in my bathroom to hold toiletries.

Lastly, I was tempted to buy a whole rack of these milk bottles to improvise as vases and/or mini-carafes. Again, its a $1.50.  Pretty cute eh?
DAISO also had some random hilarious stuff like hamster-themed mini tissues and also this Halloween section where I could have dressed as a Japanese school girl.

Be Frugal, Green and Stylish: I am not a paper cup

Do you find it hard trying to save cash by kicking that coffee habit? Can't stand your supermarket's selection on portable coffee cups? Want to reduce your carbon footprint with sustainable, trendy drinking habits? Product designer, James Burgess, has an eco-friendly solution for you: "I am not a paper cup" is a re-usable ceramic solution to the waste generated by those store bought coffee cups. The cup's clean, minimal design does the job with no fuss. Made of two layers of porcelain, it'll keep your bev hot without scalding you. Plus, unlike plastic cups, it won't retain odd odors. This is a perfect solution for me (I suffered from a bad Starbucks/McD's coffee habit). Brewing coffee from home, I can redeem the cost of this cup within a few weeks.
Art world recognition: "I am not a paper cup" has been featured in the gift shop of the New York MoMa store.

I am not a paper cup, $20 at A+R

If you could do anything tomorrow, what would it be?

Working under those conditions, what would you do with yourself? Artist Rob Ryan contributes to that artistic meme with his piece, No Minute Gone. What a motivational statement. It's perfect to hang in your office to motivate yourself to get what you want done in your daily life. 


If You Could: Print Series, August, $80 

Fly Like Paper

Real or fake? This is guerrilla-style origami fun in action. London-based artist, Martin Postler, created this subversively dark DIY art project, the Paper AK47 kit. Putting the pieces together, the DIYer can appreciate the beauty of the design separate from its function.
According to the product description: "Part of Postlerferguson’s Death Machine series, the Paper AK-47 was glittered, graffiti’d and garnished by respected street artists for the well-received Paper Wars exhibit in London this summer." 
Hmm. I did some digging and found snapshots of the Paper Wars exhibit. The other paper byproducts are breathtaking for their meticulous reconstruction in paper. See the AK-47 below:

Paper AK-47 Kit, $42, at A+R Store

Settling into a new city

 We bring you back to your regular programming -- just a change in surroundings for myself. I made the epic drive to reach my new home: thirty-five hundred miles, four days, three nights, and one BF and apartment to settle into. Loads of decorating and sightseeing commenced. Just wanted to drop a note that I'm around. Expect to see posts shortly.