Summer has officially begun

Nothing feels like the start of summer like a hot afternoon on a sandy beach, the chilly water lapping ankles, hot dogs from a cart, and the coconuty smell of sunscreen.  Happy Memorial Day! - l.o.d.

Paris in the Springtime

This video pretty much sums up the effervescent feeling that I get when I think about Paris. The attention to beauty in life and language. The lightness of being, so to speak. Very well done, enjoy! - l.o.d.

EF - Live The Language - Paris from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.

Marketing

This weekend I enjoyed one of my favorite springtime activities; going to the Eastern Market in downtown Detroit. With blissfully perfect sunny and warm weather, the flowers showed proudly and shoppers were eagerly snatching up flats and pots of these beauties for yards all over metro Detroit. Bundles of Michigan-grown asparagus proved to be the best of its kind. Loaves of still-warm rosemary sourdough bread and jars of hearty garlic dill pickles. It was everything I love about the start of spring; people with smiles on their faces, full of optimism, abundant colors, sights and smells. - l.o.d.

Poetry in Motion

Here's a fun Friday site for your afternoon amusement - Wordle. This site takes your words, blogs or websites and turns them via Javascript into beautiful word clouds.  I never knew that my blog's words looked so good!  Hint: take a screenshot of your creation and save as a jpg to avoid the "public" posting.  Have fun! - l.o.d.

Paper Cuts

Nothing says creativity and inspiration like a good design on a piece of paper.  Even in today's digital world where our photos are made of pixels and conversations happen in 140 characters or less, the art of paper is prepped for resurgence. When was the last time you received a note in the mail?  A wedding invitation perhaps, a thank you card.  The good feeling lasted longer than an email.  So, enjoy some sights from the National Stationery Show courtesy of Design*Sponge and revel in the pulpy goodness. - l.o.d.

Twirl

Last week, Dwell magazine posted a nice blog with pictures of an instillation piece by famed Zaha Hadid Architects in Milan.  This piece titled "Twirl" contrasts amazingly with the 18th century courtyard of the academic facade of the State University of Milan.  I love how the twilight colors bring warmth and an invitation to walk inside the piece, which it is possible to do.  Click here to read the post.

I've heard a lot about Zaha Hadid in architectural news over the past few years.  She seems like an inspiring, amazing visionary who brings new organic life to her work.  A couple of my favorites are posted below. - l.o.d.

Bergisel Ski Jump, Austria - photo by Helene Binet

Chanel Mobile Art Pavillion - photo by John Linden

Spying through the trees on a spring day

In a White Room

I admire the clean, crisp lines and bold turn from practicality of a stark white room such as these featured on Elle Decor.  The interesting part of the decor is in the textures of the rug, the light, and the glossy materials.  Usually these elements are somewhat camouflaged by color, but in all white, their essence really shows. Alas, I could never have a room like this with my two black cats, a penchant for red wine, and muddy Michigan weather.  Oh well, at least I don't have to vacuum as often! - l.o.d.

Curating Etsy

Etsy is one of my favorite websites to spend loads of surf-time to see all the clever handiwork and beautiful contemporary designs. One of my biggest frustrations though is funneling my browsing down to something meaningful to search on. Sometimes I want to be hand-held down the shopping aisle, you know? I am one of those people who will buy the outfit on the mannequin in a store to save time and creative energy. This is why I love this article from Elle Decor on a curated list of the Best of Etsy.  Not only does it help narrow the steps between you and great finds, but it also features one of my favorite graphic artists Blanca Gomez (see the related l.o.d. post here) whose print is hung proudly in my new bathroom.  Happy surfing! - l.o.d.

Spring is Near

A sign that spring is almost here; the promise of blooms and beauty, the right of passage starting to unfold. Magnolia trees are my favorite sign of spring because of their optimism and their brevity. This tree is exactly what I needed to see. - l.o.d.