Oink Oink

While I'm still on my piggy bank kick here is another great one. Designed by Morphorm of Berlin and Lee Kmji of Busan, Theosaurus (from the Latin term thesaurus meaning treasure) is a delightful porcelain piggy bank. And here's a little fun fact about them "The shoes of the standing Theo are made from actual cork, a premium natural product, and are produced by the oldest cork specialist in Germany"

They have a variety of styles which you can see here and go here to order. Can I please have one now?

Favorite Boot

I think today was the first day it really felt like fall in Phoenix. It was chilly enough to wear tall boots and a light jacket. I wanted to share with you about my growing love for a pair of patent leather boots I bought last season. Every time I wear them I grow more fond of them, they go with everything, and are comfortable enough to wear when you are on your feet a lot. Made by BCBGirls and the style is called Petler. Now there are a few colors and styles, but you can find my pair here. Happy fall!

Penguin Blog

Ever wanting to know of a cool blog to follow to pass your time? You should check out The Penguin Blog. They post about new covers, book series, shops, just a wide variety of great things.

Something I just found is this new book being released of 100 postcards from past book covers. I love it! Happy reading.

This little piggy

I think the construction of this is fabulous and so so clever. Designed by Looksur, a collection of South American designers, this piggy bank is made from 100% recycled leather. It comes in a variety of vibrant colors and it empties in the most unusual way--"When your Piggy is full you can empty him through the back by pressing the rear flap inwards and then down until the leather hook unlatches below the tail. He will then be ready to fill up once again." I think pricing is available upon request but does anyone know where I can get one in the states?

House Industries

For all of you graphic designers out there I am sure you have heard of House Industries, a type foundry based out of Delaware. If you haven't you should, they do great work (they are responsible for Neutaface...a personal favorite of mine)

They have a small staff that spends anywhere from 18 to 24 months developed a font. Sounds fun and tedious at the same time. Can you imagine spending that long long developing type? I don't think I could do it. They also develop some awesome prints, shirts, accessories and books.

Don't you just love these baby blocks? I am keeping my eye on them for when I have a little one that needs them. Or maybe I'll just get them for myself.

And I want this iron ampersand. I have no idea what I would do with it, but it's fabulous. Make sure you check out the rest of their products as there are a lot of fun things.

Anthropologie-esque Jewelry

How wonderful is Raquel Castillo's Etsy Shop! Her pieces are truly beautiful. She has a great combination of simple and ornate, sparkle and color, vintage and new. I am loving it.

Everything is constructed of vintage bits and pieces. It is amazing how someone take a bunch of things apart and create something that is theirs and one-of-a-kind.

I am coveting this necklace called "My First Tricycle II", I hope I can have it someday.

DIY Ideas

Some of the newest DIY ideas that appeared on Design*sponge are wonderful and I cannot wait to do them for our new house!

First of all check out this pure genius. Recycling old jars, vases, and tins and redoing to make them look like milk glass. All you need is puffy paint and spray paint. Who doesn't love a project with puffy paint?

Next up a curtain/fabric screen made up of felt circles. I have always wanted to make an adorable curtain but somehow everytime I try they just end of looking like a sheet on a wall. I hope this one turns out better for me!

And lastly do you have a bunch of books lying around that you cannot part with. Check out this great idea for upcycling them into a side table. All of the books create such a great pattern and intersting visual. Happy diy-ing!

Art that kills

Check out the work of Judith Seng seen on MoCo Design. I love the glossy, smooth surface on top in combination with the raw wood texture. And such great colors!

More great piggy banks

Or elephant bank. Have you seen this Jonathan Adler ceramic animal piggy bank. To die for! Beautiful lines, bold geometric patterns, and clean colors. If you do not know about Jonathan Adler..."Jonathan Adler pottery begins its life in our Soho studio, where Jonathan and his team design and sculpt every prototype. The product you are viewing is produced by skilled artisans at our main workshop in Peru. They make molds from our prototypes and then hand craft each piece from high-fired stoneware or porcelain. Our Peruvian workshop was found through Aid to Artisans, a non-profit organization that connects designers in America with artisans in developing countries to promote fair trade." You should check out some of his other pieces too. He has a very distinct style that is one of a kind.

Artecnica again

Artecnica has some beautiful products. They are all about taking the everyday and transforming its design into something that is uniquely art and leaves you wondering how did they do that? They have a program called Design w/ Conscience, founded in 2002, "to manufacture and produce products in accordance with humanitarian and environmentally friendly principles"

One of the products coming out of this program is tranSglass. This recycled line definately gives a sleek, modern and truly beautiful to recycled pieces. Each piece is a unique, one-of-a-kind. I cannot wait to order my own someday.