60 is 75

This year Artek celebrates Alvar Aalto's 110th birthday and the 75th anniversary of Stool 60. To celebrate Stool 60, Artek is launching a new collection of the stool with laminate seats in primary colours: red, yellow and blue.

"I beg you, don't forget playfulness!"

- Alvar Aalto

DON'T FORGET TO PLAY! -exhibition 6-17 February, The Swedish Museum of Architecture, Stockholm.

Back With The Bags

So, here I am with the tote bags again. Don't you just love how convenient they are. Totes are very easy to make, but nothing stops you from buying the bag you like! Here are few of my favorite ones...

Girl - canvas tote bag by Shinzi Katoh.

Bambi - canvas tote bag by Shinzi Katoh.

Shinzi Katoh is one of the most famous Japanese artist. His unique and modern works are valuated highly. Read more about Shinzi Katoh from here.

Redig Small Hand Tote by Lotta Jansdotter.

Chick Wool Hand Tote by Lotta Jansdotter.

Lotta Jansdotter is a Scandinavian born designer living in New York. You can read more about her and her work from here.

Bags, Bags, Bags

I have a confession to make. It seems that somehow I have managed to create an obsession to tote bags. I know it sounds silly, but trust me there's nothing to laught about! I always carry at least one canvas tote in my handbag, usually two, because you never know when you gonna need an extra bag. I even made a tote bag to my sisters wedding last year. Hey, don't laugh! A bridesmaid can not carry all those things necessary in a plastic bag. I even made it go with the theme!

Yesterdays visit to Forma Fair didn't help my situation at all. I met there Ann Bäck, a very lovely women with own company called galleriAnn. Ann use to work as a sculpturer before founding GalleriAnn ten years ago. Ever since Ann has been working with patterns, creating pictures, cards, nice little things for home and BAGS! Fun and simple bags.

Mami, small bag, is GalleriAnn's biggest seller.

The story behind Mami print is that Ann's daughter Nea drew it when she was 4. It is a potrait of her mother. The picture has become like a symbol for galleriAnn and it is one of their most popular patterns.

These bags are from the Forma fair. I really like the bag with words "maito, ruisleipä, kahvi, juusto" same in English "milk, bread, coffee, cheese". What an excellent grocery bag!

Have a look what other cool stuff she has made. Click here!

I'll be back soon with more bags. Very soon!

B is for Baby

This post I've been planning for a while, because my sister and her husband are expecting their first baby in March! We are all excited and happy for them. This happy event means that I'm about to become an aunt, for the first time! So from now on, every now and then, I will post something fun and adorable for babies and kids.

Meet Stanley and Uncle, the Dreamlets from Velocity Art and Design.

Stanley is a bright yellow boy with dark brown eyes. He's 16 cm tall and 17 cm wide. Lovable plush character intended to remind how brilliant life is.

Uncle is a big boy. He's 30,5 cm tall and 17,5 cm wide. Uncle approaches each moment as a fresh opportunity to see beauty and be astounded.

A Little Bit Of Luxury!

While I was searching for new USB memory stick, I came across these beauties. Wow, talk about luxury!

Keep your most important files close to your heart! Heart Beat USB Memory Key by Philips and Swarovski. Its name, Active Crystals! Polished stainless steel heart combined with Silver Shade crystals set in Ceralun (TM). For 1 GB of data with password protection, high speed USB 2.0 interface.

Your secrets are safe in Lock Out USB Memory Key, with slide-out and hooking mechanisms.

Award!

I've been awarded! Sitruuna from sisustusta ja sitruunoita and Anna from Chocolate & Capri blue passed on the award 'You Make My Day' to me. Thanks girls, you really made and make my day ;)



The rules say, that I should give this award to 10 people whose blogs bring me happiness, inspiration and make me feel happy about blogland. There are so many blogs that I enjoy reading, so therefore I want to give this award to all of you bloggers! Keep up the good work ;)

Let's Celebrate!

KARTIO GLASS SERIE

Happy Birthday Kartio! Iittala's Kartio glass serie was designed by Kaj Franck in 1958 for everyday use. An essential part of his original idea was that the colors should be mixed. The form of the glass is simple and pure and is therefore easy to combine with any dinner set. Kartio is celebrating its 50th birthday. Can you believe it?

Kartio glass, new color: turquoiseblue.

BLACK IS BACK WITH FRIENDS

Have you been missing Black Teema tableware? Well, now you can dry your tears, because Iittala brings Black Teema back in production. Four pieces will find their way to stores in black and they are plate 21 cm, big and small bowls and a mug.

Black Teema bowl.

And the black friends are:

Origo

Aalto vase

Mariskooli

The Enlightenment

While netsurfing last week, I came across this lamp in the form of a book. If you are a book lover I think this could be THE thing in your bookshelf.

Not a heavy book, a light book! 'Inspired by bestseller such as the Bible, Koran and Thora, we designed an object for lighting and enlightment. A book as a light. A light as a book: The Enlightenment' says Studiomeiboom. Studiomeiboom has launched the 'Light up your world' project which plans to throw a new light on a world famous designs.

The Enlightenment is made of white plexiglas, 24 cm high, 17 cm wide and 8 cm deep and is supplied with a 9 watt energy-saving lamp. It costs 89 € with 10 % of the sales going to charity. Every purchase brings a bit more light!

Panic!

My brother decided to take a little break from the renovation and went for a little holiday to London, He'll be back on sunday. He was kind enough to ask me if I want him to bring me something. Hmm... what would it be? Something small and cheap! Oh my, I think I'm running out of time. He'll be back home before I know what I want...

Well, I did ask him to bring me Tord Boontje's black Garland light from Habitat because it's so cheap, only £ 14,40. I already have the silver one in my bedroom so I actually don't know where to put this one, but girl's got to have it!



But what else...

Can You See?

When was the last time you had your eyesight checked? Can you read the last line? Take a closer look!

Innervision mirror by Gavin Coultrip for Thorsten van Elten. On close inspection, the letters spell well-known phrase by Oscar Wilde "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances". There is also another one available with a phrase "To love oneself is the beginning of a life long romance".

Kitchen Disaster!

Imagine getting a brand new kitchen. A beautiful and expensive kitchen (at least for your budjet). Those doors, cabinets and kitchen appliances you'll be looking many years after... Then the disaster happens, when the kitchen arrives and the work begins, just about everything goes wrong...

This is what has happened with my brothers new kitchen. Here are only few examples.

My brother ordered a cooking hood cupboard with a door because he didn't want the hood to stand out from the kitchen. (The kitchen opens to livingroom and the whole livingroom/kitchen space is small).

This is what he ordered, this is how the cupboard with cooking hood should look when you open the door...

This is how the cupboard looks now in my brothers kitchen... Can you see the similarity because we can't... There are bits and pieces missing and there is a huge hole on top of it that shouldn't even exist.

And what about the kitchen sink then? Well... the sink is wrong, of course, and it takes more than five weeks to get a new one. My brother ordered a sink with a faucet hole in it but now there's a sink with a hole on the counter, 1+1=wrong sink. How on earth my brother can get water out of this tap when there is now way to open it. Well, I think the photo will speak to itself.

Make a wild guess what are my brothers feelings and thoughts right now!!! I think my feelings and thoughts are quite alike...

Sorry, about the bad quality of the photos ;)

New Year...

Happy New Year 2008 to everyone! I've been a bit busy these last few days and haven't got the time to update my blog, but here I am again.

I have a very good news to tell you if you are into finnish design. Chad from Finnstyle send me email and told that they have a huge after christmas clearence sale going on. Finnstyle sells many finnish brands like Aarikka, Artek, Iittala, Marimekko, Tonfisk Design and many more... Have a look at Finnstyle.com and hurry, sale ends soon!

Marimekko Fandango Holiday Serving Plate. List Price $20, Sale $12

Aalto Finlandia Blueberry Vase -10". List Price $135, Sale $85