Escif is creating some of the most interesting and awesome street art I’ve seen in years.  Based in Valencia, Spain, his work is incredibly fun, playful, and full of mischief. Check out many more beauties on his Flickr page.

via unurth

If Rosemary Woodhouse only dressed in black and blue, I’d imagine it would look a little something like these pieces by Orla Kiely.  If it’s good enough for the devil, it’s good enough for me.  Perfection!

via abeautifulmess

As the sister to a real-life chocohalic, I always have my eyes peeled for a pretty bar of chocolate, or in this case, nice packaging for a cup of the hot stuff.  Designed by Kyle Tezak for Mindy’s Hot Chocolate in Chicago, the labels can be peeled back for a fun little peep show.. plus, I’ve heard their hot chocolate is killer.

Well, isn’t this just the prettiest music box you ever did see?  Designed by José Ferrufino,  the movement of the musical mechanism (it plays Son of a Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield!) causes sticks of barley to gently sway.  Lovely.

via dezeen

These paper sculptures by Richard Sweeney really blew me away.  Cut, folded, and constructed from paper, I can’t begin to imagine the precision and thought that goes into each one of these.

From the artist: “Any form imaginable can be rendered through drawing, but when modelling in paper, an object has to be physically shaped. When faced with a flat sheet of material, there is no obvious indication of how it can be manipulated into a three dimensional object. The limitations of paper as a form making material offer a challenge, which through playful investigation results in tangible models.”

via kingdomofstyle

Silversmith, Victoria Delany, designed these set of candlesticks in silver and lacquered wood. The central wooden parts are interchangeable making an endless number of interesting and colourful combinations as well as allowing you to make them as tall or short as you would like.

via daily icon

Well, it’s official!!  These two love birds are finally married!  We had an absolutely incredible two weeks on Saint Simons Island, GA preparing for our little DIY affair and with lots of help from friends and family, we were able to pull off our perfect wedding.

The days before were incredibly hot & sweaty, filled with more than a few Jurassic Park bugs, and we ran into some major bumps in the road, but when it came down to it, I don’t think we would have had it any other way.  The love we felt that day for each other, our close family, and amazing friends was irreplaceable and will be remembered for a lifetime.  We are blessed!

We’re planning a big post of details coming up in the near future, but we need to first edit through a major amount of photos.  Our incredibly beautiful and talented friends, Jason & Rebecca Walker photographed the wonderful day of, and we are just dying to see the magic they worked.  Until then, thank you for the warm wishes now back to your regular scheduled programing!

photo courtesy of Carla Cox

I first thought this house was Photoshopped on this cliff..  what an amazing location!!  Located close to Slaughterhouse Beach in Maui, it was designed by Olson Kundig Architects with the concept of a surfing hut combined with traditional features.

“The structure’s walls are constructed from rammed earth. In this process, different local earth-based mixtures are packed together, and the resulting striated layers are visible both inside and outside the building. The walls blend in with the surroundings, are low maintenance, virtually fireproof, and a strong barrier to sound.”  Amazing!

via freshome

Ok, now I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel that is summer, with little bits of Fall fashion popping up in stores and football season right around the corner.  I’m also looking forward to doing lots of traveling for 3 weddings, 2 holidays, and one mini getaway of our own!

Which means I’m on the lookout for a good ol’ travel bag that can actually fit into an overhead bin, now that no one seems to want to check in their bags.  These bags by Gräf & Lantz seem like the perfect unisex bag, made of 100% merino wool and hand turned leather.

I truly need this desk designed by Lukas Peet! The last couple of years I’ve run into all sorts of problems with my hand/wrist, which led to endless doctors visits and later on a brace and physical therapy.  This surface tension desk helps eliminate those problems with its strong but forgiving surface of wood, steel and recycled leather.

via 3rings

Here Design recently collaborated with cabinetmakers to create the beautiful packaging for The Balvenie Forty.  150 bottles recieved the VIP treatment with hand-carved oak boxes and personalized calligraphy.

FYI, I just happen to be a scotch girl myself and I also just happen to have a wedding coming up.. just sayin’.

via dieline

I thought this was a pencil drawing at first glace, but it’s actually a wire sculpture created by Shi Jindian of a Changjiang 750 (which is a knockoff of the Russian military M72-M).   Apparently he painstakingly wraps wire mesh around a 3D object then carefully removes/destroys the object, leaving the exoskeleton.

via neatorama

I just love these beautiful hand made webs from textile artist, Shane Walterner.  Kind of wish that if I stopped cleaning my studio, these were the kind of webs that appeared instead of the haunted-house kind I normally get.

images via shane waltener

I was cruising around Etsy yesterday and came across these adorable mini cutting boards by AHeirloom. Handcrafted from bamboo, you can even request that your city be marked by way of a little cut-out star or heart.  Pretty cute, huh?

I don’t know where I’ve been or how I’ve missed this, but I just found out that the world is running out of helium..?!  It’s so endangered that it could run out in as little as 8 years.

In the case of a helium balloon crisis, there is now a solution for you, created by Clementine Henrion.  These Helium Eternal ‘balloons’ are in in fact made of fabric, stuffed, and hung from the ceiling; but they still have the same great effect.  Not sure about the rest, but you can purchase the rainbow HERE.

pics via designfiles