free for creatives

This is amazing. In an effort to promote tourism to the local area and give back to creatives travelers, Swedish clothing brand Elvine created Creators Inn. It's absolutely FREE for creative people for short-term accommodations. Free. The evolving project, which was founded in 2008, now has three locations. Only in Sweden. Brilliant. Care to join me?

new york via paris

I love seeing New York (and Brooklyn) through the eyes of a Parisian. I found these gorgeous photos on Le Blog de la Mechante by a fab Parisian designer, Elodie.

View all her New York photos here.

a city under water

Tropical storm Ketsana (locally named 'Ondoy') dropped a months worth of rain fell on Manila in a matter of six hours on Saturday. According to CNN, there are at least 140 people dead, many still missing, 300,000 displaced and I suspect many more will be victims of the aftermath. My parents moved back to Manila in the mid-90s – they are (thankfully) safe. My father told me the water in some areas rose to five meters in a matter of an hour. People did not even have time to move. They didn't stand a chance.

Why do the poorest places in the world always the ones to get hit with the worst natural disasters?

For those who may not know, I am ethnically Filipino. I was born in Manila and still know how to speak the language. We moved to California when I was 11 going on 12 years old. I still remember what typhoon season can be like. But this is worse than anything I could ever imagine, maybe the worst yet. It's a country where 80% of the population already live below the poverty line – many in flimsy shanty towns which are somehow 'invisible' to the rich. On Sunday, 80% of the city was under water. Seeing these images really breaks my heart. I wish I could do more to help. It makes me realize how fortunate I am, that I complain about things I don't have any right to complain about.

Please make a donation, if you can, to help the victims of the Ondoy Flood in Manila.

Images from Reuters & various sources

a second life for books

I found this collection of art and design made from old books via Design Observer on Twitter. I love how these artists and designers transformed old books. Beautiful reincarnation.

Recycled Book lamps by Dutch design studio Bom Design

Artist/photographer Cara Barer

Artist Jacqueline Rush Lee

(via darkroastedblend.com)

inspired performance : in-i

Seeing Juliet Binoche and Akram Kahn perform In-I last night at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) felt as though I had experienced the entire span of a romantic relationship. It was that intense. Both delivered powerful, emotional performances. I've not seen dance combined so seamlessly with theater in quite the same way. As an actor, it must have been quite a challenge for Juliet Binoche to learn dance – and to execute it with so much emotion and precision. She is, after all, France's beloved "La Binoche". It looked incredibly demanding from a physical and emotional standpoint. There was an intimacy and chemistry between the two performers that was very palpable. It was amazing to witness. Not surprisingly, they both co-directed and co-created the show.

Another great reason to see performances at BAM (apart from its proximity to my apartment) is their ticket prices are very reasonable. They seem to be much better than theater ticket prices in the city.

I highly recommend seeing it.

image source

guest blogging at little brown pen

I'm guest blogging (with a hand-picked fall outfit) at Little Brown Pen today! My friend Nichole is behind the great Little Brown Pen blog. She's a great writer, photographer and Paris lover. Go check it out :)

inspired prints : elise ferguson

I came across Elise Ferguson's work at a recent Forth Estate art opening. Her prints are three color screenprint with hotstamp foil transfer on Somerset Satin bright white paper. They are quite stunning to look at in person, the workmanship is impeccable.

The Foil Red print is available here.

philip johnson's glass house

My interest in architecture began long before design school. It was only appropriate that I end up being taught Design History by an architect. It was back then that learned about Philip Johnson's Glass House – one of the most well known examples of modernist architecture.

I was thrilled to get an (unexpected) chance to see it this weekend in New Canaan, CT. The tours are so popular that appointments sell out very quickly each season. But I was lucky enough to acquire tickets from my cousin who wasn't able to go herself. She had tickets booked for a whole year!

It was an interesting and very informative 90 minute tour of the house and the other buildings on the property. The house was completed in 1949 and was Philip Johnson's private residence (and where he later died). Below are my photos (and annotations) from the tour. I highly recommend taking the trip up if you live/visit the NY area. It was beautiful.

The window at the visitor's center

The front gate to the property was designed by Johnson (225 sailing cables are utilized to raise and lower the large bar).

Da Monsta was originally intended to be the visitor's center. Now not being used.

window from inside Da Monsta

Eames Bertoia chairs inside the presentation room inside Da Monsta

The Glass House

A view from the exterior back

Mies van de Rohe Barcelona chairs in the living room

A view from the kitchen area

A view from the dining area

The small bed in the very open bedroom

The bathroom on the other side of the fireplace

The view of the pool from the bedroom area

I loved the cone shaped (bottom/inside) swimming pool.

A view of the Lake Pavilion from the back of the house

The entrance to the Painting Gallery

The Painting Gallery had a combined bathroom/winebar area

The rotating walls in the painting gallery allowed for changing views as needed

Frank Stella painting

Julian Schnabel painting

A fabulous silk-screen portrait of Johnson by Andy Warhol

The entrance of the Sculpture Gallery

Gorgeous light and space in the Sculpture Gallery