Bed-book

To resolve the issues of lack of space faced by a lot of urban-dwelling Japanese families, photographer and innovater, Yusuke Suzuki, created a 'fold-up' bed in the shape of a book. When the book is opened at night, it's pages serve as a duvet and pillows and it comes with large cut out shapes and illustrations. During the day it can be folded up and used as a playmat.

So very creative!

!nkspiration: Olimpia Zagnoli

One of my favourite illustrators Olimpia Zagnoli has art directed Timbuktu, the first children's magazine designed especially for the iPad. I've always loved the clean, crisp yet whimsically joyful feeling of her illustrations and so I am absolutely loving Timbuktu's modern design.

 (first three images via Olimpia Zagnoli)

(Timbuktu first spotted on SwissMiss)

Map of the World

I grew up with a world map in our hallway and a globe on my desk. Our favourite childhood in-car game was 'countries, cities, places'. Coincidentally, one of the first few gifts I gave A while we were dating was a vintage world map. Needless to say, I love maps and having one around definitely improved my knowledge of places.

For the last few months I've been on a the lookout for a world map for Z. I'd love an illustrated map like this one by Julie Mercier or an interactive map such as this absolutely fabulous felt world globe hand-made by Jen Talbot. I'm inspired to make one for Z myself. 
 

via Design Mom

!nkspiration: Jillian Tamaki

While looking for inspiration for a project I'm working on, I came across these exquisitely beautiful images on pinterest. I covet Penguin Classics' covers and these are just perfect; I love the details, the colours and the choice of titles (Emma and Black Beauty are on my list of favourites). They were hand-embroidered for Penguin Books by the talented Jillian Tamaki, an award-winning illustrator and comics artist. The covers took her almost two months to complete; below are a few pictures of her work-in-progress.

Jillian is a woman of many talents; she illustrates for magazines, newspapers and books and also teaches at the School of Visual Arts in NY. 

I have been in search of a vintage over-sized Penguin Classics cover to frame in Z's room, however wouldn't these embroidered covers look beautiful too?

photos: Jillian Tamaki (with permission)

How to be an Explorer of the World...

Z started attending Montessori five full days each week, when I started work last April; it was a transition of sorts, emotional and physical. Her constant bout of illness eventually led to my resignation and I'm back to being a stay-at-home mom/freelancer (and loving it!). This April, she will only spend three days at school and two days at home. I'd like her to stay in school because Z is an introvert and the constant exposure to and interaction with children her age has allowed her to develop her social skills tremendously and she loves her time at school. But at the same time, I think we're both super excited about the days we get to spend together.

It's always been an effort to find activities that stimulate Z; she's super-curious, gets bored easily and tends to drift towards art-related activities. On our recent travels to Austin, and in my constant search of new resources; I came across a beautiful book, written and illustrated by the talented Keri Smith. "How to be an Explorer of the World - Portable Art Life Museum" is a guide to exploring your own environment with new eyes. What I particularly like about it is that it encourages activities that allow you to stretch your imagination and explore something familiar in a new way. It's certainly not a traditional parenting book and nor was it meant to be, but it is certainly perfect and exactly what I had in mind to inspire both Z and I on our days together.

What resources do you use to inspire your parent-ego?

So, you need a new typeface...

While looking for inspiration for a project I'm currently working on, I came across this ubercool infographic by Julian Hansen, originally created for a class at the Danish School of Media and Journalism at Copenhagen.

I particularly like the path from "Are you alone?" to 'Comic Sans'.

(via on Swiss Miss)

Training in Type

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajjg3faIQ5A

!nkpression #5: Confessions of a Chocoholic-Designer...

 Created by extremely talented Tithi Kutchamuch. 

 

For the Choco-type...

Can be purchased  here.

Chocolate-pencils: Nendo's collaboration with patissier Tsujiguchi Hironobu.

'Scrabulous', don't you think?

To purchase, click here.

Beautifully 'crafted' chocolate tools.

To purchase, click here

!nkspiration #4: Type Chest of Drawers

My heart flipped a million times over when I saw these set of drawers! Aren't they just awesome? They are a perfect gift for a type-a-holic and can be purchased here. I so WANT one...

via (Jammie's Type Whimsy)

!nkspiration #3: Matteo Pericoli

In his book of drawings "The City Out My WIndow: 63 Views on New York", Matteo Pericoli asks well-known New Yorkers to describe what they see from their windows. I just LOVE the black and white sketches!

via (The New York Times)

Are you the "chocolate-type"?

Both A and I are chocoholics! If you were to drop by at any time, we'd be able to serve you at least 3 different varieties of chocolate. We run out of groceries, yes, but not chocolate!

However, the chocolate by Meiji is so pretty that I think I would just look at it all day and not even think to eat it!

Date Night 1: Cirque du Soleil

One of the resolutions A and I made this Eid was to take out time for each other. We thought about how we could make it happen sans Z, sans work, sans work, sans blackberries/iphone and it translated into 'date night' one evening each week. Our first was last night and it was totally planned by A as a surprise for me. And it BLEW me away. I've been wanting to watch Cirque du Soleil forever now. We missed the show this summer and I was really disappointed.

So imagine my surprise, excitement, anxiety (I could hear my heart beat) when we drove into the parking lot that said Reserved Parking for Cirque du Soleil. We watched OVO, a story about the vibrancy of life in the ecosystem. The performance was mind-blowing. The choreography was brilliant. I loved the sets, the music, the acts. It defied gravity. 

I highly highly recommend you get your hands on some tickets (it was sold out in TO the last time we checked) and go watch it! What a perfect start to our date night tradition. Thanks A!

ps: we weren't allowed to take cameras inside the big top so A banned, yes banned me from taking my camera! It's big he said. sigh and i had to follow instructions since he was the master planner of the evening. All pictures are from the website.

pps: yesterday was the first night Z spent away from me, at my mom's. I was anxious to say the least but she had a blast! YAY for grandma's.

Tree Bookshelf

I remember

That I folded narrow and long paper

And stuck it between the branches of a tree

That memory

Led me to embrace a tree
The tree with books forever chatters
Before I knew it, the books became the tree
In full blossom, with sprouting leaves

A tree becomes a book and a book becomes a tree

~ Shawn Soh

I would love to have a tree like that for Z's room.
It can be bought here

!nkspiration: One

PAPER

A week before Eid, I go in search of paper (even though I have a stock at home), I always buy some new paper on Eid. It's a traditional to give Eidhi (money, instead of a gift) to family and children and each year, I get all excited about creating a new way to present the Eidhi. It has to be pretty ofcourse and childproof.

Here's the paper I purchased for this Eid. I didn't have a chance to get a pic of the envelopes but they did look oh so pretty!