Lanuchan

the makers

stumbled upon this awesome site called the makers project from because i'm addicted and i really love it. brooklyn, these days, is home to so many talented artists, chefs, designers and more. there's a real diy culture that has sprung up and so many amazing, artisanal products come from bk. what better way to celebrate the talent than via todd selby-esque photos. i love this insider look at the inspiring spaces and people behind all of these great projects.

carefully wrapping chocolate bars at the the mast brothers

half of the jewels of new york carefully selecting farmer's market goodies for a shoot

bottle collection from kings county distillery

lena corwin working on a new print project

working hard at mcmc fragrances

found via here, images from here

picnic in a box

this is such a cute idea. boxsal makes simple, easy-to-carry, picnic boxes on-the-go. i found them on gilt taste, which just launched today, btw. i don't need another reason to shop but now that gilt has expanded into food and kitchenware, i just might have to take a peek now and then.

anyway, back to the picnic boxes. they're well-designed, with clever names like "today's date" and "office escape" (my favorite--how cute is that suitcase box?) and are even designed sustainably with compostable plates, utensils and more.  this gloomy weather is making me think of the park and picnics. i want one of these to fill with st. andre cheese (my newest obsession, you have not lived until you've tasted this cheese), a fresh baguette, some jams, crackers, sandwiches, pastries and a yummy bottle of wine. at the first sign of sunshine, i'm heading to central park to fulfill this rainy-day fantasy.

via here

the phraseology project

this is pretty cool. you submit a word, phrase, etc. (30 characters or less) and the phraseology project turns it into unique, beautiful typography and graphics. simple, but fun and innovative. who thinks of these interactive projects? i'm not sure, but i can definitely appreciate it. lots of smarty-pants people in this world.

found via swissmiss

recipe infographics

i love love love these clever recipe infographics by katie shelly. cute and useful, they show the whole cooking process, often lost in text-heavy recipes (which are still useful, but simply not quite as fun). katie brings a fun, visual element to cooking that lets you see the whole thing through. so smart! now, onto pesto, sweet potato fries and eggplant parm!

images via here, found here

crumpled city maps

you get a city map, open it up, locate your destination, and then wrestle with it to get it back into the proper folded position. sound familiar? crumpled city maps solve this dilemna brilliantly, by letting you simply crumple up your city map and stuff it into a pouch. i think these are cute, clever and will save people a lot of time and frustration. plus, it's cool to crumple something up, then re-use it. even fun. 6 city maps available now, and hopefully more soon. love.

buy them here

adios la

i saw these billboards and instantly loved them! how clever! when designer jon jackson moved from la to nyc, he wanted to leave the city with a memory, so he created these awesome billboard farewells for his whole (ex) city to see, titled adios la. looks like it was a clean, albeit public, breakup.

me, on the other hand, i'm headed to la in a week and a half for a little girlfriend's getaway (very excited!), but i wish i could leave billboards as cool as these behind once i'm gone. jon jackson, you win!

via design work life

chop chop

the coolest cutting boards in the country might have to be the ones below from aheirloom. i found out about it through thrillist and they make cutting boards shaped like each state in the country, and the best part? you can customize a heart on your favorite part of the board. how cute would these be for a dinner party as an appetizer plate?

i'm partial to new jersey and new york, but had to throw in a little massachusetts love since i'm headed to boston tomorrow for a road trip with some girlfriends. it's a much needed day off and getaway and i can't wait to explore! adios 'til monday!

buy them here

vitamins, easy on the eyes

i've never been a fan of the large vitamin pill. in fact, i've resorted to eating gummy vitamins made for children just because they're cuter and taste better. but, if the below vitamins were actually produced, i would probably have to switch over to these. easy on the eyes and definitely easier to  consume in liquid form, these vitamins wouldn't be an eyesore on my desk or in my bathroom cabinet. in fact, they'd almost be..too pretty to swallow.

via refinery 29

need: west elm owls

i was checking my email this morning, and what popped into my inbox? the cutest ceramic owls i have ever seen. they're from west elm, they're affordable, and i am going to need to order one stat! (or on october 30th when they're released) part of west elm's holiday collection, the owl is so cute and i think it will be a welcome decorative touch on my new bookshelf. october 30th, please come sooner, so i can get my hands on one of these little guys! new obsession, btw: owls.

buy them here

gilded rollerskates

can you think of anything more random, yet awesome? i saw white versions of these  in the lobby  when i visited the hotel palomar in philly earlier this summer (and instantly loved them. after all, i was THAT girl aka asian tourist, snapping pictures of all the lobby decor in sight). then i spied them today on design love fest...swoon. while they're a little out of my price range right now, a girl's always got the right to wish. i mean, everyone needs a pair of gold roller skates to act as a bookend, door stop, or something else entirely, right? RIGHT.

buy it here