album cover

Not sure about the music but I like the cover art.

apple corer

Cool form by Eva Solo. It looks like it would be difficult to hold though, doesn't it?

simple human

Interesting combination of materials and I think that hte gray is working well too. Here is what they say about it "Great for small kitchens, this compact dishrack can fit perfectly in the sink or on the counter. Park it right in the sink to save space or set it on the counter and let the pivoting spout drain the water directly into the sink. The easy-to-clean plastic walls help hide the clutter of drying dishes."

Decanter

Interesting form from Oswald Haerdtl. I believe this is what was called Mousseline glass. I am not sure that the flute goes with the decanter.

Porky

Whether you like it or not Porky feels that it is his right to ride on your lap when driving the car...especially in the morning on the way to work.

Dallas Stadium

I happened to be in Dallas and had a chance to see the Cowboys home-opener on Sunday. I thought it would be fun to see but being a Bills fan I don't like either team and sort of wished their was a way they could both lose. The Stadium and all of the facilities are very impressive although not quite as over-the-top or ostentatious as you might have been led to believe.

There are certain areas that are very different from The Ralph (like the free concert going on outside the stadium, the cheerleaders dancing on platforms, the gift shop that is almost as big as a Walmart and of course the enormous screen.) But once inside the place still feels like a standard stadium and not an especially great one...although the sheer size is impressive and it is new so everything is clean. It still takes forever to get a beer or use the bathroom and it also still takes an eternity to exit. Especially after a loss when everyone is shuffling/dragging feet.

There are really nice flat screens playing the game(s) in more locations than at the Ralph. I am thankful for that feature as I was able to watch the end of the Bills game standing in the hall.

The main difference is that the crowd just is not as loud. Even though it was much larger and the stadium seemed better configured for acoustics, the crowd just was not as loud as at the Bills games I have been to. Even with the defense on the field trying to hold the lead in the final minutes of the game it was not very close. It seemed strange but when I looked around a lot of people were sitting and attentively but quietly watching the game. Interesting. Another difference that surprised me, they do not have any song they play after their team scores. Nothing but silence, even after a TD. As a Bills fan that is hard to imagine isn't it?

sustainable packaging

Really interesting and compelling concept but I wonder if as many people will save and reuse this as would save/reuse a shoe box.

Better than Turtwig

Ok. I agree. After looking at it Turtwig is not the best sculpted figure in the series...maybe I am just partial to him because that is the character that I play the most.I just got to level 44. Of course, the boys are in the 80's.

Amy Butler

I am not sure how it is possible but Amy seems to have gotten even better with her new handmade rug collection. www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/rugs_detail.php The colors, patterns and composition are extraordinary. Nice find Taylor.

kettle

The finish on the kettle is excellent however your hand is directly in the center of the steam when pouring and the angle of the handle is a bit awkward.

lobby chair

Perhaps this will be the new chair for the entryway?

turtwig

Also a big part of Nintendo's success. I believe this figure is done by Tomy.

DS

Nintendo is trading at $33.66, still down from the big drop at the beginning of the year and one of the few cash-rich asian tech companies to who have yet to rebound significantly. This is a great time to buy in because they are going to have a great 4th quarter and I predict that their Wii console prices will drop shortly after Thanksgiving. Also, there are three new pokemon titles due out early next year so I expect a 1 quarter buy-back.

denhaus

www.denhaus.com They have a really interesting premise even if the execution and materials are a little off. The metal is not bad (shown) but the polished fiberglass seems to fight their ambition of being at home in the home. I think there are a lot of people that would like a dog crate that looked like it belonged in the house instead of in the garage. Good find Heather!

Preserve Tableware

The new Preserve tableware. It is soon to be available at Target!

Quicksilver

Interesting to see this color coming back for both men and women, especially at times in such simple silhouttes. Quicksilver is doing a lot of interesting things but I think they are over-expanded.

pod coffee

This was strikingly different when it first came on the market and I think that it has held up well. They really made a statement with the design and did a good job of separating the form in a way to let people know it was different from other coffee makers. It seems like an easy choice now that the product is so successful but I bet there was pressure to make it conform more to the category standards.

dog house

I'd like to get Porkchop a doghouse for the time he spends outside at Evo but I think $1000 is a bit much. If anyone out there sees a nice looking one for under $500 please let me know. Porky weighs 12 lbs and current spends most of the day under the company picnic table when it is sunny or in the grass when it is chilly.

helping pick tomatoes

Ian helped pick from our giant grape tomato plant. We get about 12 a day from it normally but today we got about 50.

sowl entertainment system

This looks really familiar. Of course, a lot of stuff in this category looks alike. It is definitely the kind of form that doesn't look great in a sketch but really comes to life when it is rendered.

cool hamster logo

Iceland architecture

This photo shows some of the subtle proportion and material differences I saw in the architecture around Iceland that I mentioned earlier.

Cuisipro

Refined and sophisticated design for such weak name, Cuisipro. I hope that they did not pay too much money for coming up with that name. They clearly have a good design resource though. This is cuisipro’s smooth edge can opener, its one of those ones that leaves a smooth clean edge.

Krups

This is the XP5080 programmable espresso machine designed by Constantin Grcic, I think. i am not sure that the Tandy Corp-esque form and material breaks are working but it is courageous of them to give it a go. It looks like the first Atari console I owned.

coffee press

Cool mechanical coffee press