friday playlist

the sun is shining outside, i've got a wedding to look forward to this weekend and i'm picking up the boyfriend from the airport in a few hours. none of the songs above are new or terribly surprising, but they are part of my ideal friday playlist.

2012 coming up

it's that time of year again... i already went all out in the moleskine department for various agendas, but i'm still in the market for a wall calendar, and kinda have my eyes set on this one.

the new black

i think i just did a little inner dance while i discovered the new black tumblr: the inspiration wall of graphic designer jordan gough, who also blogs about visuals and concepts at goffgough. that's where i stumbled across that incredibly inspiring video about type. needless to say, both sites are going on my blogroll.

move learn eat

i am shamelessly copying this post from the lovely joanna goddard of cupofjo, because i'm so smitten with these films and the idea behind it (okay, and perhaps a little with the guy who's in them), i couldn't not share. apparently the director rick mereki and his friend traveled to 18 countries in 44 days - sounds like a dream to me.

rad and hungry

office supply geeks like myself, take note (preferably with that pencil you scored at ace hotel, on that blocnote you bought in copenhagen). rad and hungry is the raddest company i've discovered in a while: subscribe and they will send you a monthly office kit, with four items from a different country each month. if you've ever coveted a sticker sheet or notebook like i have, i know you'll be clicking here.

geneva fragments

i'm thoroughly enjoying showing off geneva and its surrounding villages to those who come visit us - and the best part is we get to discover new things along the way. these pics were taken on a recent tour of nyon, where we visited the swiss national museum at prangins castle, and geneva, where i met my true love mr. warson and discovered a super cool flower shop that inspired me to greenify our apartment here.

yvette de marseille

geneva's eaux-vives neighborhood is by far my favorite to discover new places to eat, drink and hang. yvette de marseille charmed me with its colorfully lit terrace and large glass garage door opening onto it. am curious though whether it'll still be as nice in winter, because it sure feels like a summer spot. love the cocktails and tapas here, and - branding freak that i am - of course the logo painted on the wall.

excelsior milano

ever since moving to geneva, we've been planning trips to nearby countries and cities. milan is high on our wish list, since we haven't been there before - and i think the opening of excelsior just added a sense of urgency to that wish. a concept store built to the image of barney's in nyc, it sure seems like a place where i'd like to while away a couple of hours. and as always, it's the combination of fashion and design with great food that does it for me. think: architecture by jean nouvel, your favorite american brands (rag&bone, theory, vince), home design by skitsch, a laduree boutique and upscale foodie mecca eat's.

top and bottom images via coolhunting
middle image via superfuture

let's talk about dree

because being the great-granddaughter to one of the world's greatest literary legends isn't quite enough, girl is also gorgeous and has impeccable style. kudos for german brand marc o'polo to scoop her up for their ad campaign - much more interesting than similar midrange brand esprit's move with gisèle, don't you think?

smile

this put a smile to my face today: native mongolians seeing themselves in a picture for the first time in their lives.

via wiissa

travel geek

hi, my name is stephanie and i'm a travel geek. i admit to obsessive-compulsively making lists of cool places i want to discover before i go on any sort of trip. my relationship with many interesting travel websites and guides can only be categorized as utterly and completely dependent. but instead of helping me battle this costly addiction to traveling and the accompanying literature, my friends encourage my behavior by asking me for tips whenever they go anywhere i've been before. so instead of embarking on some kind of twelve-step program, here i am, recommending my favorite travel companions to you guys. don't say i didn't warn you.

currently planning trips to barcelona and california with (top to bottom) petitepassport.com, crumpled city maps and the eat.shop guides + app.

P.S. the lovely pauline of petitepassport is only further fueling my thirst for new adventures and discoveries by occasionally sharing one of my travel reports on her fantastic blog. check it out.

foodie goodies

we went a little crazy at the globus food department this weekend... can't wait to start experimenting with these goodies!

holidays are coming

yes. that is how far i'm thinking ahead. those who've been around this blog for a while know i'm a sucker for prep. and christmas. so combine the two, and you pretty much have an idea of what my holiday wardrobe (and interior decoration) looks like. also: i. can't. wait.

preppy dress and campaign by tommy hilfiger

breakfast heroes

have you heard about breakfast? these guys are my new heroes. they are more inventors than marketeers, though their inventiveness probably makes them about the best marketeers around these days. i love them for coming up with instaprint (it's officially the coolest thing since sliced bread), and admire them for stuff like their b-line pitch to potential clients (so clever). check out their website, they are beyond awesome, i kid you not.
pictures via breakfast

adrift

i keep being drawn in by american companies - i can't help it. forgive me my umpteenth gush session over all-that-is-americana, but you'll understand i couldn't well leave alone these. i know there are many eyewear companies out there, and i love a lot of them, but i have this thing for wood + glasses, you see?

drift eyewear via fast company

impossible project x ace hotel new york

this news just landed in my mailbox, and makes me wish it happened about six months ago. i SO would have bought this from the minibar back then. and i almost never use capitals around here, so you know i'm for real.
you guys. 

seriously.

food pairings

so often, i find that a combination of little details makes me decide whether i'm enjoying a place or not. it's almost never just about the food, the environment or the service - it's about the feeling they create together. this summer i've enjoyed hanging out at chipps in berlin; caffe internazionale and chez fred in antwerp and - even though it was very briefly, seeking shelter from a rain shower - piazza in knokke, among other places.

spring in new york

i'm very happy to see my favorite trends continue into next summer, at least according to new york.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

photos via style.com

a man's world

it's a man's world out there: so many great webshops, so much good stuff. it has definitely been an influence on my own style, which hasn't been less girly than it is right now in years. these are some of the men's essentials i'm loving right now, from the shops i scour for ideas and style advice for the boyfriend (and secretly for myself as well).

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

brandversations

which came to mind first: coca-cola or pepsi? interesting excercise by stefan asafti about the interplay of brand names and their logos. i thought of pepsi first, by the way.

via logodesignlove

typeventures

americana x typography x photography = the perfect mix that has me hooked on emily schwarting's typeventures and dreaming of undertaking a similar project.

via scott spooner

california dreaming

who needs travel guides when you have the internet? personally, i think bloggers are the main reason why i've been wanting to go to california, so badly. if you've been following bri of designlovefest, bonnie of bforbonnie or joy of ohjoy - you know what i'm talking about. these girls seem to be living such creative lives, share such warm friendship and are so incredibly amazing in communicating their experiences - whether through graphic design or photography. i think i've made a wishlist of things to see and do (and eat! my god, the food on these blogs!) based on their three blogs alone. somehow, i feel pulled in by the west coast more than the east right now. i will always love new york, but i think i was always more of a brooklyn gal anyway, and much of what is happening in california these days aligns perfectly with that brooklyn vibe, though perhaps less in a hipster way. i don't know - but i'm eager to find out.

all photos by bonnie tsang

tag it

during its last trip from geneva to brussels, my suitcase lost its luggage tag. i wasn't terribly disappointed, as it didn't have a particularly nice one, but now i'm on the look-out for a cooler replacement. these custom tags are available through this hong kong etsy shop, not terribly expensive, and so damn cute. now i just have to make sure the tag doesn't get lost again - so maybe i'll go for the 'this is not yours' one.

via hip hip gin gin - my new current blog obsession

bien composé, the sequel

i've talked about les composantes before here, and i think it's safe to say my initial coup de foudre has evolved into a deeper love. that's probably thanks to the impeccable and consistent branding: it's pretty much a one-woman brand, highly personable and very authentic. i had to wait a couple of months before i could finally snatch my perfect bag (of course that always helps make a product even more covetable) but now i finally did. i can't wait to welcome my own little nolita, a limited edition of which is available at the e-shop as of today. be sure to hop on over to the blog as well, to find out a little bit more about morgane, the adorable parisienne behind it all.

i've seen the future

 

i've seen the future and the oceans are silver.

design in september

are you going to design september in brussels this year? i might go check out the next cabane expo - where this moveable room 'soft fold cabane' designed by margaux keller will be looking awefully appealing. don't those blankets look just right for a little nap? seriously though, i love the idea of having a foldable structure that you can put up anywhere to create a cosy space. kind of like a tent, but stylish.
photo by gustavo millon via marie dessuant

n.y. to the l.a.

can we just agree these side tables are the raddest thing you've ever seen? right then.
via the glamourai