polaboy

this idea is genius. a giant, lit-from-within polaroid picture against my wall - yes please.
via @fionamandos

foreign inspiration

last week i visited modefabriek in amsterdam and who's next in paris. they are not my favorite fashion trade shows, but they're still pretty interesting. besides, it's always fun to travel to another city, especially paris holds a special place in my heart.

instragram photos: coffee at the modefabriek press lounge with beautiful black balloons, an inspiring quote at who's next, flying bikes at merci, my favorite tea brand kusmi and the eiffel tower (far, far away in the mist)

of mice and men

currently serving as a perfect literary alternative for whenever i don't feel like steve jobs' biography: this gifted american lit classic (thanks @hannonpablo), which i have yet to read for the first time. how beautiful is that cover, by the way?

video killed the radio

i ended up on disco naïveté by accident, and i really didn't think i'd like it there. i love myself a bit of indie music from time to time, but i'm hardly one of those hardcore music buffs who know every obscure little band there is to know. somehow though, this blog presents exactly those bands, in a way that i find strangely appealing. it's all genres, all the time, for starters - which means there's some pretty accessible songs in there too. but more importantly - the blog's chockfull of music videos, and i simply can't resist those. ever since i can remember, i've been fascinated by them. my boyfriend jokes that whenever he wants me to keep calm or quiet, he simply puts on mtv. basically i'm a five-year-old. anyhow. i really liked the videos above during my first browsing session, but i'm sure there are more to come.
via disco naïveté

you + me

I just really love this print by 00one i found over at cargoh.

rad and gripping

my favorite office supply geeks from rad and hungry send out the coolest newsletters. today they e-mailed me a diy i am itching to try. now if i could only find some of those sweet neon rubber bands.
images by rad and hungry

blog discovery

my latest foodie discovery: roost. unsurprisingly, it's a blog run by a food stylist and photographer - you guys know i'm a sucker for aesthetically pleasing blogs. but what's more is that coco only features recipes that fit the gluten-, grain-, lactose-, sugar- and starchfree diet she is following with her husband. interesting to learn about alternatives to some of the basic - but not always beneficial - ingredients in your average kitchen.
images by roost

refined inspiration

my favorite section on refinery29 is my style, which basically does the same as the coveteur, the selby and such. but the fun part is the division per city, as it really shows the difference between l.a. and chicago style, for example. i think my ideal home would be a mix and match of those defining characteristics, but it would definitely include a bright living room space and a quirky library.

images via refinery29

helsinki

i am really eager to visit helsinki this year, while it's celebrating its status as world design capital. from the looks of their annual season of light activities - this city doesn't kid around when it comes to art and design. also, i just found out helsinki airport is about the coolest airport in europe, offering everything any traveler could wish for, from wireless battery charging to free wifi, and some of the nicest lounges i've ever heard of.
images via season of light

infrared

slightly kitsch, i'll admit, but at the same time hauntingly beautiful, in my opinion. these infrared pictures of hong kong were taken by yiu yu hoi for 16hours magazine.
via honestlywtf

back to back

this book challenge is proving to be a bit more daunting than silly me foresaw. i guess if i really want to read 52 books in one year, i'd have to pick slimmer or easier titles. so that's not gonna happen. we'll see how far i get. in any case - i finished 'everything is illuminated' by jonathan safran foer and i absolutely loved it. it's very different from 'incredibly loud and extremely close', though the experimental story techniques and touching, unsentimental prose did remind me why i enjoy reading foer's work so much. next up: steve jobs' biography. i figured i couldn't stay behind on that one - but i'm hoping it's actually good. anyone read it yet?

arty farty

finally got round to framing the lovely art work our friends brought us on their visit to geneva last year. i'm tempted to just let them hang out on the floor in the hallway. partly because i love presenting art as unpretentiously as possible, and yes, partly because i'm too lazy to bother with nails and a hammer.

about last weekend

as my latest instagrams may have pointed out, last weekend kickstarted skiing season for me with an absolute perfect trip to verbier. the weather was incredible, the snow was impeccable, and everyone knows a cappuccino tastes best while sitting on a sunny terrace in the cold.

hello tokyo

seems like i should be planning trips to tokyo, not california. these architectural projects convince me i would like it there. the first is the garden & house of japanese architect ryue nishizawa, second is the bloomberg pavilion project created by akihisa hirata at the tokyo museum of contemporary art, and third is the vista house created for a private couple by apollo architects & associates. don't you just love the geometric shapes and clean lines?
1 and 2 via todayandtomorrow, 3 via designmilk

airport love

as a self-proclaimed travel geek, ideas like this one freak me out. in a good way. in a how-do-i-order-these-as-fast-as-possible-way. but perhaps i'll wait till jerome daksiewicz adds another few airports.
bru, gva and jfk, for example?
via thisiscolossal

zim&zou

i love embroidery and paper art, so naturally i fell head over heels for the work of french design studio zim&zou. both examples above make me want to run to an art supply shop and get my creative on. how nostalgic do the spirographs make you feel?

a real book

i love this video, and it's quite the reminder of why i love to read real books instead of tablet versions. there's just something about holding that heavy-weight, brightly colored hardcover in your lap.

via designmom and de standaard

in caffeine we trust

coming down from my first caffeine kick of the year, this seems like a fitting moment to order one of these. i love when creative companies come up with new year's gifts like this. and i love infographics.
via the wonderful auxpaysdemerveilles

instafriends

one of my favorite bloggers finally joined 

instagram. i'm already addicted to her feed.

all images by bri emery

2012 challenge

as far as new year's resolutions go, i have plenty for 2012. live healthier, balance life and work, enjoy life more consciously... you know: the usual. but this year i'd like to add a real challenge to that. a bit overconfidently, i proclaimed to read a book for every week of the year. admittedly, 52 books is a bit of a jump from the mere 15 or 20 i usually read in a year, so i'm not sure it's feasable. but i'd really like to try. i started off with jonathan safran foer's everything is illuminated... who's with me? #startinganonlinebookclub

an american in paris

i was so bummed to miss tim burton's exposition at the moma in new york in 2010, and then again at the lacma in los angeles last year - as my travel dates to both cities missed the exposition dates by a couple of days or weeks. i've had the poster and the book ever since the exposition premiered, but now i'm looking forward to finally seeing it for myself in paris this year. can't. wait.