L&G Goods In Japan and Soon...US!

So we got some DOUBLE exciting news for L&G and for us!

We currently have some L&G goodies & hand selected vintage items at our friends' shop in Japan called Depot Cycle & Recycle. It's a charming family run bike & lifestyle shop in Ichikawa owned by THE MOST adorable, loving, & happy people we know!!
For the past month, We've been sending some fun things from L&G, R&L goods, and Piano Nobile for their house & lifestyle area of the shop. They just sent me the photo of what it looks like and I'm already in love with all the things, the colors, and just the charming aesthetic of their shop!! I Especially love all these beautifully made ceramic ware.
Here is a photo of the lovely Minato Family. Seiya & Mami & their 3 adorable kids, Aika, Yume and Yuni!! ( I'd like to adopt all of them....yes please...) This is pretty much what they look like ALL the time....always happy and adorable....no joke.
The Minato family visited us in Seattle last summer at our duplex and between Dylan, Chika, Jared and I, we had such a blast with them hanging out around Seattle, Ballard and Guemes Island to show them the great NW.
It was especially fun experiencing everything through their eyes since pretty much wherever they go...birds would sing, people would smile, flowers would bloom, babies would laugh, and even total strangers would go up and talk to them and be compelled to be their BFFs...
It sounds like I'm making it up...but I am not exaggerating.

So in about a week, Dylan & I are actually going to Japan to visit them!!
We'll actually get to really see and experience what its really like to live like one of the happy Minatos!

We're especially excited to see Seiya & Mami's shop in person and see the L & G piggy banks, servers, and doily rugs!
I made a couple of Mini-Mega Doilies (One 2.5 ft diameter and the other is 2ft diameter) for them since their space is limited, but I also think they might actually do well at that size in Japan since they can also be used as seating pads for the floor or on a chair....I hope they do well!
At that size... it's actually pretty cute if I may say so myself! :)

I also made a little sewn look book for them of our work.
There's something so satisfying about the combination of thread & paper...

Here's what the inside looks like...I can't explain how excited to see them & also visit Japan!! I'm getting butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it!
It's been a LONG time (7 years!) for me since I was last in Japan studying abroad there, and Dylan on the other hand has never been!
We've been talking about it for couple of years now, and it's also been a long time since the two of us have taken a long personal vacation that's not family or work related!
So it's about time!

....now on with planning the trip......Oh boy!! Where do we even begin or stop!?!

Fantasitc Knits

I've been MORE than obsessed with Annie Larson's knit brand, All Knitwear, for a long time now...and it's seriously amazing how she knits everything with a knitting machine. I totally get lost in time between looking at her blog with great photos of her space & process & her shop with all the fantastic wearables. Her sense of color & pattern and the way she puts it all together is simply beyond fantastic!
....and with Seattle's weather being so stupid cold & wet...I'm seriously considering getting these knitted sweater leggings! Just look how happy Annie is wearing that! I just love that photo. And of course THESE!: One of these adorable colorful hats wouldn't be too bad either....
It's all too good...

Some Pinterest in L&G goods!

I recently saw that someone added our servers to their Pinterest board and out of curiosity clicking a link on the side "Also from ladiesandgentlemenstudio" and then ended up seeing this page......
then kept scrolling....
whoa.....did NOT expect this...
All I gots to say is...I love Pinterest, not just for this reason!

Drooling Over These Wooden Bowls by Mute

Drooling over this whole line of wooden bowls & containers by Mute from Japan....
God! I wish people in Japan would start making some ugly lame stuff one of these days... If only god would grant me a wish...that's totally what I'd wish for....
For once I like to see things aren't as beautiful and lovely as these...
I just love the simple form and how they celebrate the wood material so well and with a little playful touch with the bold red color makes it that much more special!via Roger Allen

No Rest for the Wary

I know some of these images and Wary Meyer's work has already made it's way around the blogosphere, but I just have to do a bit of reiterating here.

I love the way their spaces feel like the interiors of all the great '70s interior design books - an inspiration of theirs - the warmth, the patterns and textures, the mix-match of styles, old with new, etc. Just when we're starting to reach for the white paint threatening to turn our living room into a clean austere shrine of scandavian influence...Wary's got me thinkin' what if we did a 360 and busted out some wallpaper and pop art prints and went all Rhoda Morgenstein up in the joint?

I'm not really sure if we have the interior decor cojones to do either full-on, but it sure is reassuring that we can be inspired by either. We'll meet somewhere in the middle...as soon as we can figure out how to not make the living room our shipping room.

Check out Wary's blog too to see a sampling of the stuff they find inspiring (they're also one hell of a thrifty duo).

A Little Lullatone to Start the day

It's been awhile since I've shared any new music or videos. This was a recent found when I was checking out eettcc's blog.

I like this band, Lullatone from Japan...adorable group, adorable music, adorable video....


The sound totally reminds me of Kamie Kharie (one of my favorite Japanese musician).
The way they sing in such light breathy voice over the catchy Bossa Nova tunes....it's as if they're bunch of cute little kittens or puppies playing on the white sandy beach while wearing sun glasses.....it doesn't matter what they say or do.....they're just so captivating in every way....and yes....ridiculously cute and they simply make you happy. Smiley face.

Few Recent L&G Blog Mentions

Both our servers & piggy bank got on Azure!! We were SUPER stoked to see that!

on SVPPLY....that site is absolutely dangerous since I get totally sucked into it too easily.
Servers on Poppytalk. Thanks Jan!

Servers in the editor's pick on House Beautiful
Paper Tastebuds

Re-Nest

A random mix of things...our piggy partying it up with some sexy lingerie and leopard printed wellies on Josie Natori.

I really hope the piggies don't turn all B.Spear or P.Hilton on me....

JOIN at NYIGF 2011 Report: Part II

We were excited to see the friendly folks at the American Design Club (AmDC) and check out what new exciting works was at their booth.
Started by Kiel Mead around the same time as when Jamie started JOIN, AmDC is like the East coast version of JOIN; A grass root design collective with a common goal to promote and showcase emerging US design studios and designers. A wonderful collection of silver cast jewelery & accessories by Kiel Mead. I love his new "Pennant Flag" necklace where each flag is movable!
Simple & clever wooden tongs by Patrick Kim / Charming wooden "Merit Badge" necklaces by Fort Standard. Elegantly modern "Tool" pendant & rings by Silvia Bradhsaw / Faceted "Octagon Face" hanging lamp by Brendan Ravenhill.
Beautifully grotesque "Swell Vase" made with insulation foam & produce mesh by Chen Chen / Playful faceted wooden "Balancing Blocks" by Fort Standard / Flocked "Coatknob" by Brian Persico / "Tendril" lamps by Chen Chen. It's always so fun to connect with the delightful folks from AmDC and learning about them, what they do, and all that fun stuff. It made me realize that we actually have more in common than most people's perception about the east & the west coast...
As emerging designers, we have a lot in common in our situations, goals, values, and interest....and can totally geek out over tools, machines, materials, and other random topics like how the sound of falling wood blocks is oh so satisfying....

So really..we're not that different at all...we're all just people trying to make the best out of ourselves, pursue our creative dreams and live a fulfilling life...we're like a bunch of little fishies in the big ocean!...or in this particular case...in the big Javits convention center with way over-priced mediocre food & coffee...so at the least, we can all bond over that....
Then on one of the days, we got to celebrate Chelsea from Grain's Birthday! ..or should I say...Happy Boozeday!
Hey...we all needed a little break for having to be at the Javits for 5 days straight!! This shall be a good bi-annual tradition from now on. :)
After a long day at the Javits...there's nothing like shoving good ol' greasy comfort food in our faces at the crazy Hill Country BBQ (This is as far to Texas as I'm willing to go....) along with the folks from AmDC.
and this was how it all went down.... greasy bbq ribs, cornbread, collard greens, and couple of sweet vodka with ginger ale...
....aaaaand I'm out.