Yellow Things

What do you give someone that explicitly says she wants NO gifts for her birthday? Well, in the case of my studiomate Maria, force behind Brain Pickings, I set up a Tumblr blog called Yellow Things For Maria. Why? Well, Maria has quite an obsession with the color yellow, and I simply can not email her every time I see something that makes me think “Oh-Look-It’s-Yellow-I-Neeed-To-Send-This-To-Maria”. So, now I am secretly collecting yellow stuff. Quite fun, I must say.

(Let me know if you have any yellow things I should add, in a comment below.)

And, now all together: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA!

The Happy Film

The Happy Film Titles from {group theory} on Vimeo.

The Happy Film is a feature-length documentary (in production) in which graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister undergoes a series of self-experiments outlined by popular psychology to test once and for all if it’s possible for a person to have a meaningful impact on their own happiness.

Stefan and Hillman Curtis are hosting a Happy Film Fundraiser on August 4th at the SVA theater in NYC. They’ll be showing a portion of their feature film and Stefan will give his Happy lecture after.

Buy Tickets here.
More about The Happy Film.

A Rainbow Of Fieldnotes

You can currently buy Rainbow colorful Fieldnotes on Fab.com! YES!

Update: Boo, I got a little too excited here and after reading the description it says you’ll get four 3-packs each in a different style and/or color. So, no rainbow. My apologies. That photo is very misleading.

Cloud Paper Balloon

There is something magical about this Cloud Paper Balloon. I’d like about 3 of them, please!

Craft Project: Fun Glasses

Now that my daughter (5) has fully embraced her inner craft-goddess, I am always on the lookout for craft projects. This Paper Glasses Project will most definitely make us smile.

Great Balls of Wire

The wire ball can hide up to 5 feet of cable, cutting down on all that extraneous cordage that most of us have behind/around our desks and media centers. Hat tip to the designer Søren Refsgaard!

Echo Toddler Bed

I just gasped for air. The Echo Toddler Bed is a beauty. (and yes, pricy)

Yellow Recycled Cardboard Basket

This oddly shaped yellow recycled cardboard basket would look good in a kid’s room, or my yellow-obsessed-studiomates’ apartment.

Compostable Party Kit

I wish Jimmi’s, our lunch take-out-place in DUMBO, would use containers made out of the same material like this compostable party kit.

Combined Effort

Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone I’ve ever known.
— Chuck Palahniuk

(via Quotes.Regu.La)

New Tattly Designs

The last two weeks have been quite a ride. I can’t say I was prepared for the warm welcome I received for our Designy Temporary Tattoo idea. The blogsphere has been very generous with Team Tattly! Thank you all for your tweets and posts! Check out our latest additions, which we just launched: Bezier Girl, by Jessica Hische, Rainbow, by Jessi Arrington, Kitchen Utensils, by Julia Rothman and What to Focus On, by Marc Johns.

If you want to be part of the Cool Kids Club, you should buy our new multipack.

www.tatt.ly

Beautiful Swear Words

I admit, BeautifulSwearWords.com by Theo Olsen made me smile.

Katie Lewis

Katie Lewis collects data through daily documentation processes, and then generates numerous systems to allow the information to exist in a material form. She abstracts and quantifies the data and creates mesmerizing pieces of art.

(via this is colossal)

♥ / Ruempelstilzchen

A big thank you to German Ruempelstilzchen for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed.

Looking for that special item? Something useful, designy or a vintage gem?

Take a look at Ruempelstilzchen, a physical store in Bielefeld, Germany, and online destination for people loving to hunt for a vintage treasure. You might find an unusual desks, LEGO Storage Bricks or a bright red mushroom lamp.

Ruempelstilzchen offers you a wide range from antique to modern, vintage but also young European design, useful and useless, furniture, lamps, advertisement objects and much more. You will discover things, you never knew you would need.

(Interested in sponsoring a week of my RSS feed, learn more here.)

Simon Sinek: If You Don’t Understand People, You Don’t Understand Business

The folks at the99percent.com just uploaded Simon Sinek’s recent talk in which he discusses the importance of trust, authenticity, and meaning. Sinek argues that as individuals and companies, everything that we say and do is a symbol of who we are. And it is only when we communicate our beliefs authentically that we can attract others to our cause, and form the bonds that will empower us to achieve truly great things.

(Wow, I just noticed that the 2012 99% conference is already sold out!)

The Hand.Written.Letter.Project

I agree with Craig Oldham in that there’s always something nice about receiving a letter.

The Hand.Written.Letter.Project extendeds an invitation to the world’s leading designers, design studios and creative thinkers alike to simply write and share their thoughts in handwritten form and on their own letterhead. The full collection now includes over 100 letters.

“The project offers much more than a voyeristic insight into the creative minds of those we revere, it represents a visual narrative on the cultural transition in which we find ourselves.”

Lovely idea.

Matchstick Bottles



Designed by Jen Pearson, the Reclaimed Apothecary Matchstick Bottles have been recycled and re-purposed as functional match “boxes”. Pearson etched the bottom of each jar to create a strike-able surface. Beautiful!

Paper Eyelashes

These paper eyelashes were inspired by the art of Chinese paper cutting and are quite something!

Forest Stool

I have my filters set out to find a good-looking stool and this one, by Arik Levy, caught my eye.

MUJI Hard Carry Travel Suitcase

I like luggage and MUJI. Combine the two and I might very well get very excited. MUJI just introduced a new Hard Carry Travel Suitcase collection which is durable and lightweight polycarbonate with adjustable carry bar. Available in Black, Gray and Khaki. Yet another MUJI product that strikes with a simple and beautiful design.

How algorithms shape our world

How algorithms shape our world – Kevin Slavin’s wildly thought-provoking talk at last week’s TEDGlobal.

(via curiositycounts)

Don’t Fear The Internet

Jessica Hische and Russ Maschmeyer are the masterminds behind Don’t Fear The Internet, a site that aims to teach basic HTML and CSS for non-web designers.

Through short tutorial videos, you’ll learn how to take a basic wordpress blog and manipulate the CSS, HTML (and even some PHP!) to match your aesthetic. You’ll feel empowered rather than crippled by the internet, and worst case scenario, you’ll at least end up having a better idea of how professional web designers turn your design dreams into a reality on screen.

dontfeartheinternet.com

Take A Letter

Love this Take A Letter toy that let’s you teach letters in 3D!

Fill In The Blank Card Set

Here’s another lovely idea by TheseAreThings: Fill in the blank notecards.