take your room...

...with you

What are the most important things in a teenager's room? The TV, the DVD player, the audio system, the computer and a place to store all those CDs and DVDs.

Hmmm...could all these be incorporated in a really comfortable sofa, with a great design? Could they? Yes, if we're talking about the Wave Chaise, created by Brazilian designer Roberta Ramme. Her concept involves an over-sized chaise with all these great facilities that make it technology-forward and super-appealing at the same time.

The designer says: "(...) Like in fashion, the point is to unify beauty, comfort and functionality".

It's the perfect acquisition for a cool teenager who wants the coolest stuff around.

via frostfirepulse and shurebit.

today I'm in love...

...with this beautiful journal

This is such a great day (I don't exactly know why, but I have a feeling great things will happen :))! I thought we'd celebrate by praising the adorable and over-cute Li'l Mushrooms Journal from pixelgirlshop.

Agreed?

put your foot...

...in the door

I know this move isn't usually perceived as being very elegant, but I can tell you one thing - it just got very stylish! Forget the classic door stopper and buy yourself a really ladylike one!

For a price of 8.99$, you can get the rubber pump in red or in black - packed in a clear,

draw-string bag.

from perpetual kid.

when pigs...

...fly?

Yes, the seemingly impossible thing has come true! Pigs CAN fly - and they're also very funny to watch.

In order to satisfy the needs of kids (and young-at-heard adults, too), the Flying Pig company created the Paper Animation Kits. They're extremely easy to make: pre-cut and pre-creased, you just take out the pieces and glue them together to create paper models that move.

Isn't this major fun?

appetites up...

...it's sweet-time!

"Donot eat donuts!", your momma always said. Yeah, but they're delicious...

And they don't even make you fat - that is, only if you use them to hold your keys.

The donut key-chains from Lazy Oaf are super-yummy and they have a multitude of expressions, to make you smile all day long!

4£ for a lovely face.

this smells like...

...contemporary love

Today I was surfing the net, while listening to the rain pouring outside in dull rhythmicity, one drop at a time. I thought the only thing that would make me smile today were the funky rubber boots I just bought --but, no!

I stumbled upon the beautiful artwork of Jason Sho Green, who describes himself as a "a late bloomer", getting a college degree in Electrical Engineering (!!!!), but then realizing his life wouldn't be spent behind a desk.

[We totally love this kind of attitude, here, at dotting, and we're always encouraging people to do their own thang and not listen to "society", "rules", and "musts" - or other tongue-tanglers like these.]

So Jason started drawing - and he's doing a great job, in our opinion. Check out his work here and fill up your house with great stuff from his online store! We're especially hot over the:

- "Nobody m/loves nobody gets hurt" tee (guys, take note: THIS is fun wordplay!);

- "Mauled by bears" tee (cutest love declaration around);

- and the "Hotter on the internet" card (uuuuh...sexy pandas! :)) .

What's your favourite?

today I'm feeling...

...on cloud 9

It might be the weekend approaching or the fact that next week I'm gonna have a lot of time to do fun stuff (yeah, baby, it's vacation-time!!!!), or the nice weather outside or...whatever! Thing is...this is a great day - and what's better than the Cloud Pen from Poketo when you're feeling so good?

fancy some...

...girlish graffiti?

If spraying is mostly done by guys, well, girls, now you have your own method - cross stitching.

Just take a look at the work of artist Ulrika Erdes and get inspired! Her public embroidery is so cute and it can be done almost everywhere! You just need a thread, a needle and a few moments to create your signature-mark. Some ideas:

- getting bored at your dentist's?

- waiting for the bus?

- making a long trip by train?

- your boyfriend's car looks so completely dull?*

* OK, do not try this one, unless you've got a really sweet bf, with an eye for alternative art...

via zen blog.

love somebody?

...fill up their socks!

Who needs Christmas to get a sock full of presents when we have BIRTHDAYS? Yes, birthdays! New industries - a company that focuses on "developing and marketing new products that encourage people of all ages to have more fun" - came up with the birthday sock, a new way of receiving gifts.

You just take the sock, hang it up and wait :) Somebody will surely put something in it. And then something else...and something else...until you get everything you wanted!

This famous sock changes shape according to what you put in it. Made out of 100% nylon, it stretches to over 3 times its original size and never loses shape. The only thing is - do you take your presents out of it or leave them there, 'cause they make such a nice sculpture?

P.S. (to my friends): No, this blog has no connection whatsoever to my birthday, coming up next week :)

we're singing...

...in the rain

But in order to do that, we have to be prepared for the rainy season. It's been hot and dry in Bucharest until now, but who knows...rain can come up (ummm, down, in fact) when we least expect it.

So...what do we need? A good pair of rubber boots ("practically trendy" is the key-concept) and a fashionable umbrella. Got them both here, at dotting!

The rubber boots are from Emilio Pucci - you recognize the funky print, don't you? - and they're perfect for going out when it's raining cats and dogs. The umbrella is for sale at Charles & Marie for 60$ - but it has an independent personality, so try to get used to that! This umbrella stands on its own feet (yes, it's got feet - and 3 of them!!!!) and is pretty stylish in black or white.

who do you...

...wanna be today?

Just a few posts ago I was telling you about the cutest impersonations around. The only thing is that I dunno which is sweeter: people wanting to be animals or animals wanting to be other animals?

While trying to solve this dilemma, here are some funny mobile accesories and key-chains from mintmint: some babies dressed in seals, penguins or bears. As most Japanese things, they are sometimes completely useless, but sooooooooooooooooo charming that they instantly make your life better!

the jeans...

...that don't hurt the environment

It's only natural that a post about plastic clothing would be shortly followed by one about organic clothing. Can you believe fashion is so fickle? :)

The truth is that eco-friendly fabrics and production methods are the latest trend right now. And you're even cooler when you dress well and protect the environment at the same time! By the way, did you know that your usual jeans have somewhat of a share in creating the greenhouse effect? It's 50% for their production and another 50% for their maintenance.

Pretty big, huh?

That's why we're advising you to take a look at the Ober ecological jeans, which seem to be a great alternative for those who think a little further than tomorrow.

life in plastic...

...is fantastic!

Or it should be, come fall 2007.

PVC is going to make its way into our lives - and it will be big! And we thought the 80's comeback was scary...

In the fall-winter shows, plastic showed up everywhere: from basic clothing items to accessories. The garbage-bag dress at Alexandre Herchcovitch, the plastic totes at Marni and the glossy rubber tights at Hussein Chalayan should speak for themselves. Try to prepare in advance for all this invasion and make baby steps: today a rubber ducky in your bath, tomorrow a plastic bracelet (yes, they're IN this season, too), and who knows, maybe by fall you'll be ready to welcome the polyester style in your life open-heartedly.

via vogue.

guess who's coming...

...to dinner

I just love the "alter ego" theme in design. All the wannabe rabbits, bears and other cuties are soooo sweet! But you see, there are two ways of fooling those around you: you can either dress up completely as the animal you want to be or you can just pull up a cap with their ears! It's total fun!
For example, look at the hungry bear in this picture...he's mixing up so well with the rabbits at their cocktail party - and he'll soon be having them for dinner, probably.
If you also like it, buy the Tee here.

go to look-zippy for more.

the 2007 supermarket trends...

...are in

Trend spotters from Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) have predicted the trends that will hit supermarkets in 2007. But these are real trends, not just fads - so they'll "be around for some time to come", said David Jago, director of GNPD custom solutions. So if you want to be in the know and hate being caught on the wrong foot, here are the 9 things you should take into account:

1. Natural Amazonian products - people are loving exotic products more and more, and natural anti-ageing ingredients like the Amazonian acai and cupuacu will soon pop up both in our plates and glasses and in our cosmetic bags.


2. Ethical products - whether they're linked to fair trade /sustainability/ charitable activities or they make ecological claims, these products have already gained support from customers and the trend seems to be going up.


3. Refillable packaging - caring for the environment is very "in" these days.


4. Natural cosmetics - consumers diss animal testing and kiss natural ingredients; face cream shouldn't just look good and smell good - it should also DO good.


5. A return to basics - did you think only fashion was circular? As nowadays we're overwhelmed with colorful, trendy, spectacular choices that we don't really see anymore, it seems that the coolest products will be those with traditional ingredients and simple packaging. Imagine that!


6. Web-based marketing - companies will join the Net revolution and drop more traditional marketing methods. With so many interactive choices, we can see why.


7. Cosmetic companies targeting men - the "metrosexual", the "smoothie" and only God knows what's next! Still, one thing's for sure: HE is looking for as much attention as women are and he wants to have great skin, perfect hair and tough abs. And it might be easier than he thought.


8. Taking advantage of the teen market - yes, they're the ones that love to spend (and don't seem to have any restrictions!). Plus, they're eager to adopt trends and they can serve as innovators at every time of the day. Children used to be the focus until now, but it's bye-bye candies and toys!


9. Traditional breakfast alternatives - we're those always-in-a rush-no-time-for-breakfast types. Uhhh...USED TO BE. The "quick fix" cereal bars, energy drinks, pill-foods are going to be taken over by the longer, better, tastier, healthier (and there's much more :)) alternative. Slow foods are the new fast foods - and we'll probably be loving it!

If you're a shopper - take care what you buy (you can't be in the avant-garde if you don't know the trends to be :)); if you're a marketer - well, you probably know what's next :)

via food and drink europe.

we know...

...what's in your bag

A few days ago, Leo Burnett Romania came out with some interesting findings on women's bags, part of a greater research project, called LeoShe.

I was pretty happy to see that someone considers these things to be "research-worthy" and not superficial - as I've been told in 2005 about my graduation paper on "Clothing and accessories in advertising" (to put it simplistically :)).

Who would have guessed that Romanian women carry screwdrivers, TV sockets and plasic gloves with them?

But today's question is - what would YOU carry in these cute marimekko bags?

Choose your favourite and remember: it's been proved yet again that your bag speaks volumes about you!

my name is Rody...

...no, really!

Well, today is a special day. I discovered a really cute toy that can be inflated, humped and fun to play with. And that - by the way - has my name :)

So here's to the little Rody pony, which comes in 7 colors and looks really fun!

find it here.

when you go in the mountains...

...always bring your best friends with you

This is a very true saying - I've come up with it today, thinking of this weekend. You can really notice why: of course, it was filled with fun and laughter, with crazy stuff and and magic moments.

I think this super-pink-double-deer-and-acorns Tee is just perfect for what I'm feeling right now, so I thought I'd post it in here. Go buy it if you feel like doing some fun shopping.

Until then (and even if he doesn't wear pink :P) let me dedicate it to a very very special person - you know who you are :)

Thanks.

via beautiful/decay.

we heart...

...Lacoste and Colette

What happens when super-cool Lacoste joins hands with uber-trendy Colette? A super-cool-uber-trendy limited edition collection of sneakers and polo shirts, of course! Celebrating 10 years of existence this spring, the Paris-based concept store initiated a special collaboration with Lacoste, creating an engaging story about Caperino, Peperone and the friendly gator. Going to visit their croc "cousin", the 2 dogs live a real adventure through a 14 T-shirt series, while the crocodile travels around the shirt, leaving its well-established place to the lovely Cap&Pep.

The collection items are available starting March 1st - shirts at the price of 140E and sneakers - 120 E for men and 100 E for women.

an explosion...

...of joy!

Chocolate is one of our all-time favourites, but we've got to admit that appearences count almost as much as taste does. Agreed? So how would you like to grab some of this bubble-wrap choco? It really looks funny (and yummy, too!) - but its creators say the looks are not just an uselesss gimmick. In fact, they say the bubble wrap shape gives the chocolate bars a unique taste. We're taking their word for it - and you can use your own taste buds to decide! Choose the perfect sweet from the large variety on DeLessio.

via notcot.

would you...

...fancy some at-home vintage shopping?

As it's totally obvious by now, the spring-summer collections for 2007 prepare us for a truly vintage experience. And take note: trends for fall are still inspired from the past, so we should start preparing. But instead of going thru tons of vintage shops searching for cool stuff, why don't you look a bit around you first?

Whether it's a pop art Tee from your mom, a 40's dress from your grandma or maybe some old-school bijou, it might be all under your nose! And remember: it's cool to home-shop. Plus - the ladies in your family will be delighted that you appreciate their taste!

Pics from the Comme des Garcons show for fall 2007, via Vogue.