Cookieboy

Hmm two food-related posts in one day, I think someone is getting hungry! These beautiful handmade cookies are from Tokyo-based artist Cookieboy who designs and creates bespoke biscuits. These pretty little things have been creating a buzz in the blogosphere of late, and I think they're going to be huge! Cool new social bookmarking tool, Fancy, was one of the first places to pick them up. Check out Fancy when you have a minute as it's showcasing some of the coolest stuff around right now. Meanwhile have a look at Cookieboy's, um well, cookies!

Look at the faces on those cat cookies below, so cute, no?

As the cookies are made-to-order they are perfect for special occasions. You could have lots of little easels for a gallery opening, cameras for a photography exhibition, or even just lots of numbers for a birthday. Yummy. Thank you Cookieboy.

{Images: http://cookieboy.jp}

Lego Lunchboxes

How come no one told me about these?

How fantastic! They don't just do pink either, there's more!

They also do mini boxes that fit into these lunchboxes, perfect for nuts, seeds and fruit. A great addition to Lego's original large brick storage boxes me thinks.
 
Some research after my stumbling upon these lunchboxes revealed that Lego now have a vast selection of Lego-based home/kitchen accessories. Take a look at this lot, there's drinks bottles, Lego man storage heads, litter bins and lots of new sizes in their brick boxes.

My favourite are the four-pin boxes which look good as under-bed storage (as in the picture above), neat but so much fun at the same time. Beware of the female storage head though, it's a little bit creepy.

For stockists, try aplaceforeverything.co.uk, firebox.com, and trusty Amazon.

{Images: aplaceforeverything}

Chocolate Creative

Have you heard of Chocolate Creative? I've just discovered this handmade textile and homeware brand and thought I'd give it a shout out. Margarita Lorenzo is the designer behind this London based company. She started out in graphic design and has successfully merged this with her love of textiles. To find out more have a look at her blog, Chocolate Creative. Or take a look at her website where you can buy all these unique products.

The above cushions and prints are from the Decayed Glamour, Messages and Cameos collections, very prettily titled don't you think?

Margarita's silk screen printed designs can be found on cushions, framed prints, mugs, tea towels and tote bags. These prints below are great, and really good value at less than £20.

Something to spruce up your kitchen? Designer tea towel or mug maybe?

Chocolate Creative also do great a great kids collection, though I think it's too good just for kids! These cushions would sit perfectly on my RAR rocker.

What do you think? I think they're lovely, remember to take a look at Margarita's fabulous blog too for some inspirational ideas for your home.

{Images: Chocolate Creative}

A Picture to Brighten Your Day...

Morning!
Just stumbled across a pretty pic while browsing the fantastic Apartment Therapy. Just wanted to share it as I thought it might brighten your Friday morning as much as it has mine!

How very British don't you think? Quirky and original, but at the same time very classy. Spring is in the air!
Enjoy your weekend x

{Image: Apartment Therapy}

Livet Hemma

Translating into English as Life at Home, Ikea's new blog is a breath of fresh air from the Swedish giant. The blog features Ikea furniture but in a brand new light. The photographs of room sets are very 'lived-in' and don't feel as staged as the traditional room sets. There are also some bits and pieces that you can't get in your local Ikea, aiding that 'non-staged' effect. Personally I think the blog is a huge success. There are some really inspiring photographs, some great decorating tips from the staff and a marketplace where you can buy and sell second hand Ikea furniture. Eco friendly too, welldone Ikea!

Livet Hemma also provides tips on customising your Ikea furniture to make it more personal, something which I think has been needed for a while at Ikea. With the products being so accessible to everyone it is important that your furniture still says something about you, and customisation (stencilling, repainting, changing handles etc) is the perfect way to do this. Here are some ideas from Ikea.

In these images Ikea have transformed their PRÄNT storage boxes by painting them in lovely spring colours, then simply fastening them together with bulldog clips. The result is an edgy and fun storage unit.

Below, a selection of Ikea's plain white porcelain has been painted and displayed together to form a feature wall. This one looks lots of fun to do as well!

From this...to this!

This one below is my favourite. It's so simple too. They've started with a plain GÖRAN table, and simply painted on the words 'WORK IN PROGRESS' on the top. So fitting for an office table don't you think? The lovely Livet Hemma provide a step-by-step guide to making this here if you're new to the customisation lark!

These are just a small selection of Livet Hemma's decorating ideas, there's loads more to try if you're a creative type.
Another resource to try if this has inspired you is deign blog Ikea Hackers, a blog which does exactly what is says on the tin. Loads and loads of ideas on here on how to customise your stuff!

{Images: Livet Hemma}

Habitat Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

These gorgeous sun-drenched images are from high street favourite Habitat. Don't they just make you think of afternoon tea parties in the sunshine?

I'm dreaming of long, lazy afternoons in the park, tea, cake, and maybe something fizzy! You can buy most of what you see above in your local Habitat now. My favourite buys for this summer are the PARC folding table in pink (in the first image) and the CONCETTA crockery, pictured with our spiky friend. 

Habitat have also collaborated with designer Ella Doran to create a collection of pretty home and kitchenware. Ella says that her collection, JOANIE, was  'Inspired by my burgeoning collection of tea plates both from family heirlooms and charity shops, I wanted to create a collection that is playful and creative, and one that I hope inspires lots of tea parties and home baking!'. From the look of it, I think it will.

Above: JOANIE dessert plate, £6; mug, £7; melamine tray, £12; Love cushion, £25; napkin, £5; apron, £15; square cushion, £26.

{Images: Habitat}

Etsy Find: Jimbob Art

Another day, another Etsy find! After a lazy morning spent eating Mars bar cake (I'll give you the recipe sometime!) and browsing the internet, I uncovered these little creations from Jimbob Art.

How cute are they?
Jimbob, aka James Ward, is an illustrator who primarily works in pen and ink and creates large-scale artwork as well as these cute ceramic plates. He often uses stereotypes of the animals he depicts but also wants to make them quirky, the end result being, I think anyway, damn right hilarious! Do I want to own a plate with a bear in a bandit mask exclaiming to defend my sandwich? Hell yeah! Though it's too good to eat off so I'll put it on my wall.
Here's just a sneak peek at some of his ceramic collection.

As I mentioned earlier Jimbob also creates original printed artwork, often in limited numbers, so take look and act fast if you like what you see.

Lovely eh? And finally something for mum?

{Images: Jimbob Art}