Daydreaming of The Alps

People in the tropics have always dreamed of seeing snow. It's practically normal to want to experience something that does not naturally occur in your surroundings. Being part of that demographic, I'm guilty of such travel wet dreams.

With all the cursing I've been hearing from family and friends back home because of the hot summer weather, I hope this second part of a time-lapse film series by Michael Rissi will help them cool down even if it's only in their minds. [spotted]

Harry's Tales

I heart these contemporary designs of Harry Potter book covers made by Michela Monterosso, a graphic design student from Milan, Italy. It's more mature than the ones we have right now and it would make my collection of HP paperbacks cooler than my friends'.

You can check out the more detailed editorial designs here.

Heart Umbrella

I'm loving this Heart Umbrella from Art Lebedev. So perfect for Valentine's.

P.S. It's also available in twelve other colors.

Hindi Masama Ang Mangarap

Don't you just wish these are the only things you have to do in the office every single day? ;P

Adventure: A Coloring Book for Adults

I love coloring books since I was a little tot. Heaven it is for me to smell crayons freshly taken out of the box, to flip through numerous pages seeing images saying, "Kuloran mo na kasi kami," and to see how your colour palette scheming skills are improving. Yes, those were the days alright. Nowadays (no, actually make that this year), I haven't got around buying one to satiate my longing for crayons on paper. I miss my crayons, too. Kahit upod na ang mga 'yon, at kahit bagay lang sila, tinuturing ko silang mga malalapit na kaibigan.

I'm so wishing the local chain of bookstores here can bring this exciting new colouring book over here. Not that they don't have colouring books over here (they do, but I think it's time I grow up from balloons, clouds, and the sun to Greek gods and goddesses, di ba?); it's mainly because I'm afraid of purchasing over the Internet with my credit card. I've heard of horror stories of accounts being hacked that it makes me shiver at the sight of the words Checkout or Add to Cart on websites.


The Adventure coloring book features 42 artists from the Threadless Alumni so you'll be sure that the images are insanely illustrated!

If any of you has a golden heart (you know who you, guys, are), you may do so here. I'll make sure you have the first ever peek at my colouring job if you buy me one.

[spotted]

Whatever Clock

It's expensive for a clock made from cork, but seeing the lovely, witty message printed on its surface of my every waking day makes the $99.99 tag worth it.

Can someone please hurry up with the DIY version of this?

[via]

Work Hard & Be Nice

Work Hard & Be Nice to People by Anthony Burrill.

A nice letterpress poster to kick off my workweek. Woot! Would love to hang this one out in my wall as a friendly reminder to my colleagues.

The Christmas Star

Cried buckets when I saw this Christmas Station ID at TFC. The music done is really catchy with its slow jam, RnB mood but the lyrics was so piercing that it's the only Station ID made me cry yet. Most station IDs I've seen made me feel giddy and proud while others are so ho-hum that my eyes can't stop rolling over and over. This is the first for me.

The ABS-CBN 2009 Christmas Station ID



A little blue bird told me that the song was written by ABS-CBN Creative Communication Management Head, Robert Labayen, and the music was done by Marcus and Amber Davis. Here's the lyrics in case you want to sing along.

STAR NG PASKO

Kung kailan pinakamadilim
Ang mga tala ay mas nagniningning
Gaano man kakapal ang ulap
Sa likod nito ay may liwanag

Ang liwanag na ito
Nasa ‘ting lahat
Mas sinag ang bawat pusong bukas
Sa init ng mga yakap
Maghihilom ang lahat ng sugat

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw
Walang iba kundi ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Tayo ang ilaw sa madilim na daan
Pagkakapit bisig ngayon higpitan
Dumaan man sa malakas na alon
Lahat tayo’s makakaahon

Ang liwanag na ito
Nasa ‘ting lahat
Mas sinag ang bawat pusong bukas
Sa init ng mga yakap
Maghihilom ang lahat ng sugat

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw
Walang iba kundi ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Kikislap ang pag-asa
Kahit kanino man
Dahil ikaw Bro, dahil ikaw Bro
Dahil ikaw Bro
Ang star ng pasko

Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw
Walang iba kundi ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw
Walang iba kundi ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Ang nagsindi nitong ilaw
Walang iba kundi ikaw
Salamat sa liwanag mo
Muling magkakakulay ang pasko

Dahil ikaw Bro, dahil ikaw Bro
Dahil ikaw Bro
Ang star ng pasko!

The Recording Session



Saka, Bro, sana matupad ang kahilingan kong makasama ang buong pamilya ko sa Pilipinas ngayong Pasko.

[spotted here and here ]

A Minimalist Nativity Set

As a Catholic living in a country that restricts public practicing of religions aside from Islam (they do even if they say they don't), this handcrafted modern nativity set by Berlin-based artist Oliver Fabel would probably help me celebrate the upcoming holidays with some discretion.

[spotted]

More Sleep Please

Would proudly wear this tee that encapsulates what office workers declare on their IM statuses almost every single working day.

[spotted]

Books Grow on Trees

It's a childhood dream come true! Shawn Soh's Tree Bookshelf is simply lovely, no?

[spotted]

Crayon Stairs

A little pick-me-upper to lift the stressed spirit of worker bees.

German artist Horst Glasker made this work on the Holsteiner Stairs, called Scala in the town of Wuppertal.

On each of the 112 couloured stairs, there is a stencilled word describing the relationships between human beings, like terror + love, prosecution + trust, despair + hope, revenge + kiss.

It's nice if there are more art installations like this in public places, no?

In the famous words of Tina Fey's character in 30 Rock I say: I want to go to there!

[spotted at Elle Decoration South Africa]

Make Reading More Comfortable

The Thumbthing and Bookmark II are two cleverly designed book accessories for bookworms at heart.

Personally, I think having these items will help me expedite my goal of reducing my reading list. I still have many books to go through, and I just have to kick my habit of buying books whenever I'm in a bookstore and to read super faster (I kinda am a slow reader because I want to make namnam of the pages) if I ever want to reach that goal.

Thumbthing allows book lovers to do one-hand reading. (Imagine the possibilities!) It's basically a thumb ring with two wings on both sides that hold the pages open when placed on the spine of the book. It comes in different sizes (and colors too) so I'm sure I'm going to get a fit for my overly large thumb.

What I like the most about this invention is that it reduces the pain on the wrist and most especially the thumb when reading in one-hand aside from preventing the spine of the book from being broken.

Did I mention that Thumbthing also serves as a bookmark? You can just place it on the topside of the spine for easy bookmarking reference.

Speaking of bookmarks, Bookmark II is a colorful rubber band (love the color orange!) from the folks of Propaganda, who brought kawaii products like Mr. P and the previously mentioned StapMan, the Pac Man-like stapler.

It has this stubby indicator arrow that points you to the last line you were reading and a "bookmark" tab to open that helps you open the part of the book you last visited. I'm not sure though if the pages might tear up whenever you "suit" this rubber band on and off the book, but I hope it doesn't.

[spotted]
[spotted]

Lusting Over A $1995 Bag

My mom and I are the bag hags in our family. Shopping for bags is an addiction we both share, much like a bonding-slash-exercise activity for us inside malls.

There are instances we bought bags behind each other's backs and went ga-ga over the incidents. We interrogate one another of the purchase and never fails to mention the date we have bought the latest bag in our collection.Well, mostly my mom interrogates me with my new bag, making me worried sick to the point that I experience buyer's remorse. But, whenever I return the favor, she always puts on the puppy dog eyes and narrates the perpetual story that she never buys anything lucrative for herself except for bags. I'd like to put on a brave face in order to smack her with a rebuttal but then it's too late for me for smoke gets in her eyes. Damn! My mom's good, no? LOL

I have never lusted over a bag before (swear!) but this Proenza Schouler bag was absobloodylutely an exception.

I love the color (but I'm also lusting the black one), plus it's semi-utilitarian-but-still-stylish in the looks department. I also like the fact that even if it's a bitch bag, it still looks sexy enough for a guy.

The bag retails at around $1,995 at Barneys. A little pricey for me that's why it's my goal from hereon to find a good alternative before I'm tired of stopping myself to go broke for this bag.

[image via]

Retro MP3 Player for Cassette Tape Junkies

There was the Cassette Tape USB Hub, and now there's the USB Casette MP3 Player.

What's more interesting is that you can push it into your car setero to play all your favorite MP3 tunes, right from your SD card. Cool, right? And because you can connect to the PC using it's mini USB cable (which also charges the unit), it even doubles up as a card reader.

Yay for retro!

[via]

Retro USB Hub for Cassette Tape Junkies

I'm in dire need of a USB Hub. My netbook only has two USB ports and, with all the gadgets that I'm using for my freelance work, I have to get one asap.

Of course, I don't want something too generic or blah. Then I found this here.

It's so old school, no?

I'm so adding this to my wishlist!

Pac Man Stapler

This Stap Man stapler (closely resembling a Pac Man, the game and not the Pinoy boxer) is cute and I should have one for my desk.

But would it be cuter in yellow?

Gawd, I really miss going to a school supplies store. I need my fix--quick!

[via NerdApproved]

Palm Pre = Awesomeness

I've been secretly lusting to get my hands on a GSM version of the Pre, the newest smartphone from Palm.

It uses the new WebOS, built by Palm from the ground up. It's totally amazing from all the videos I have seen all over the net discussing the new OS.

What really interested me is the app which mimics the legacy OS of the Palm. I've been itching myself to buy a new smartphone (I'm ditching my iPhone 3GS envy) and this app would definitely be the first one I should get so my files from Akazukin Cha-Cha (my crimson Treo 680) can be transported to the Pre.



A mind-blowing advert for the Facebook app for the Pre. Love it!

Daria DVD: Is it 2010 yet?

Daria, the darling animation show brain everyone loved from MTV in the 90s, will go to DVD next year. It's long been overdue and, according to the TV Shows on DVD site, Daria said "I find the situation unbelievable myself." She's so hysterically funny! lol

Although I have torrented all of its videos and watched it in the comfort of my private room here in the office during my lunch hour, I think I'll have no problem spending on this chick since I can totally relate to her.

Sometimes, I think she's like the little sarcastic voice inside of me. I bet there's a little Daria inside all of us.

So pretty please, 2010, arrive earlier than expected?