Hype Japanese Restaurants

I'm completely crazy about Japanese food... and getting together good food and astonishingly beautiful architecture creates a worthy after-work diversion. Here in São Paulo, Brazil, there is a restaurant that gathers all these qualities: Shimo. The architectural solutions proposed by architect Marcelo Rosenbaum create a completely unique space, filled with references to Japanese suburbans and its bohemian lifestyle. Cute red flags on the ceiling have acoustical function and the whole building is made of metallic structure and dry wall. If you are around town, be sure to have dinner there sometime. Sushis and sashimis have just the right taste!

Photos from Projeto Magazine.

Not really my cup of tea...

I love design*sponge blog, as you might have already noticed... there I found the works of Kiki Ceramics, small company focused on "functional and semi-functional" pieces, such as the ones featured above. The colours range from neutral shades to vivid ones, creating peaceful spaces in the home.

Beautiful stuff, although my love for tea makes me boldly say these cups can't possibly be my cup of tea!

Ceramic Findings

Great findings! Another Australian ceramic artist, Mel Robson, born in Papua New Guinea and crazy about making what she names "functional and non-functional objects out of porcelain". Her main themes are road maps, recipes, sewing patterns and handwriting. She keeps a blog, Feffakookan, and I posted here some of her work. Hope you enjoy!

Multi-use Architecture

Lovely multi-use stool / table / magazine storage from Zaishu Shop, featuring architectural Brussel prints and graphic designs. Made from certificated native Australian Hoop Pine and easy to assemble, these pieces are a limited edition among with other motifs on the site.

Recent Thoughts

I'm crazy about books and reading, so this time I'll share with you some of my latest readings... I'm usually curious about knowing how stuff works and so on, and one of these days I was strolling with my boyfriend and we bumped into a really interesting book: The Pinball Effect, by James Burke, host of Connections 2.

It's quite interesting to get to know how every single action is related to discoveries in science, new products, mass media, industry development or stock market. Written quite some time ago (1996), when Internet wasn't so broad, It has clever thoughts on how information is linked, proposing another approach to book reading and science development. Worth checking out.

Chat Noir

I am so crazy about this lithographic poster from Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen with illustrations by Toulouse-Lautrec picturing Tournée du Chat Noir, 1896. The famous cabaret in Paris was a gathering spot of avant-garde artists and writers in the 19th-century.

Ceramic finds

At Egg Mercantile I have seen these cute ceramic works with floral motifs which caught my eye. So far, I have noticed that these floral illustrations are becoming present almost everywhere, specially in interior design.
Besides those, this espresso set for two with delicate silver spoons is just so cute!

Fashionable!

I guess this is really the best description for this cute onesie from Lemon and Lollis: "When you are modern and stylish and under the age of 2 - this collection is for you! ... and since babies need to look fashionable coming and going there is our new take on the traditional ruffled bottoms." Sooo cute!

Moooo...se!

Cute letterpress works from Linda & Harriett! Nice moose, cows and other themes to have fun with...

Take a look at beautifully finished pieces and nice illustration from NY based Liz Coulson Libre, site owner. She also offers wedding cards and gift tags.

Brand New Stuff

Get to see brand new ideas from newly graduated british designers! Real cool stuff from over 4.000 designers featured on New Designers, such as this ring from Freya Handwerk inspired on marine creatures or Ruth Carlile's vintage wallpapers.

Crystal Ball

Predicting what is going to be the next media hit can be hard without the right tools. Media Predict can give you a little help on that. Users rate to-be blockbusters, books, music and much more by buying virtual stock with virtual dollars. If the product gets to take off, you get paid virtual money as well...

Sharpen up your abilities on stocks, this is really worth checking out!

The world at your fingers...

Microsoft Surface, the new release to be launched by the end of this year is already becoming a great hit. With its acrylic tabletop and powder-coated steel frame, Surface has a multi-touch display allowing multiple users to interact with the screen and even recognizing objects placed on them such as credit cards or cell phones, allowing, for example, transference of digital data.

It doesn't have a mouse or keyboard and can be used to organize photos and music, plan a sightseeing tour, compare different products on screen or to order your food with just a finger tap. The initial price is set between US$ 5.000.00 and 10.000.00, and their first clients are hotels and restaurants. This is the future, folks!

Check out the amazing video.

Easily place pictures and change their size with finger movement.

Order food or drinks with a tap.

Compare different products and prices.

Matchbox!

Nice thing to have in your pocket: this machbox-sized notepad with 50 sheets could only be better if the paper was recycled... The size is so interesting that it can even fit your pocket, so you don't have to worry not having paper the next time a great idea comes up. Now, to Young & WithIt, the bright designers from Texas who created this piece, please find out a way to carry a pen or pencil with it!

Brooches...

Nice brooches from Allira, communication designer from Australia.

I fancied both her organic ones made of wood picturing cute kinder scenes and also the really cool, trendy and hype acrylic ones which look much more like coming from cartoons. Nice work!

Miss Meshell

Today I found the works of Miss Meshell! Really cute, somewhat retro or vintage, if you like, all handmade and really intense, very girly. Also a blogger, she is only 21 years old and works as a librarian at her hometown Perth, Australia. I'm posting some of her pin cushions and a lovely pic she had on her blog, what she names "crochet test tube cozies". Really inspiring!

Felt Creatures

Today I was browsing through ModiShoppe and I ran into the australian works of Kwoozy. I found beautiful felt Owls and some key chain birdies to share with you... aren't they just cute?