coloranddesigntrends.com

Who knew there was such a demand for this cool stuff? Looking around, it is difficult to find interesting packing tape. Who would want interesting packing tape? Well, my opinion is that you should always add some style to even the most mundane things. Why settle for clear tape, when you can add some flair to your packages? Dramatic designer packing tape…It’s simple, efficient and very cool. For those of us who like to add a bit of personality wherever we are able.

Click on the photos below to take you to the site, then you’ll have to search within the site for these cool tapes…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This unique furniture by molo is made from 50% recycled content. It’s honeycomb structure is expandable and compressible, so you can take it out & set it up, then fold it up and put it away. It’s actually made from brown kraft paper, the ingenious honeycomb structure gives it the ability to hold up under pressure. It’s a great example of engineering. It’s also in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bringing natural elements indoors to your living and working spaces is an ideal way to achieve a more peaceful atmosphere. It makes us feel grounded and connected to the world around us. Using plants and natural objects indoors as decorative accents, using patterns in our surroundings that mimic those found in nature and using colors that reflect those found in the earth and sky will help you achieve this goal.

Having house plants indoors is a great way to clean the air around you.

Indoor plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air. Many studies (such as NASA’s) are realizing that house plants actually clean the air and can help remove pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene. 

Here are some of my favorites:

Epipremnum aureum (golden pothos)

Spathiphyllum `Mauna Loa’ (peace lily)

Aglaonema modestum (Chinese evergreen)

Chamaedorea seifrizii (bamboo or reed palm)

Philodendron scandens `oxycardium’ (heartleaf philodendron)

Philodendron selloum (selloum philodendron)

Philodendron domesticum (elephant ear philodendron)

Dracaena marginata (red-edged dracaena)

Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana’  (cornstalk dracaena)

Dracaena deremensis `Janet Craig’ (Janet Craig dracaena)

Dracaena deremensis `Warneckii’ (Warneck dracaena)

Ficus benjamina (weeping fig)

 
Using Natural Patterns

Drapery tie backs in a natural leaf pattern….

 

Candle holders with nature-inspired designs…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Draperies, upholstery and area rugs are a few ways to bring in natural patterns.

Here are some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a resurgence in window coverings that are constructed of reeded grasses.

Woven bamboo window coverings…eco-friendly and beautiful

Window films provide privacy yet filter light, and have some nice and natural patterns.

This Fall season brings us back to the basics…tights. Not the tights we wore when were little- remember the opaque black, white or navy? Sometimes they had a little cable or rib design? Not these days. The tights this year are full of color, design and style. The choices are fantastic. Everything from fishnets to tassels, glittering, shining, sparkling. Or maybe you prefer a snakeskin pattern? A scroll work design? Plaid? Comic book patterns? Tie dyes? Rainbows? Camouflage? Any way you look at it, the tights of today are available in a vast array of colors & styles to make you think twice before being able to choose just one…or two…or three…

Click on the photos below to get more info on your favorites.

 

This is an interesting trend in our ever-changing world of communication. Since the beginning of the new millennium we have seen this product evolve. With an an increasing presence of global competitors, the US Postal Service, as a business must maintain some competitiveness. As a federal agency, they must maintain a certain standard. Which makes their particular niche a challenging one. My opinion is that this product is a huge step in the right direction.

Not only can you generate postage from your own computer system, you can purchase stamps which support your favorite NFL team, Collegiate team or express your enjoyment of the award-winning photography of Anne Geddes. I think the best feature of this product is the fact that you can take any of your own photos and turn them into stamps. Think of the possibilities….advertise your business with your logo, use it on a birthday or wedding invitation, make your own statement when sending in your bills.

Completely approved by the USPS. See link below for further details.

A removable skin tight protective cover for your iPod, iPhone, psp, ds lite or laptop (Mac and PC).
Gelaskins have been around since 2006, the first releases sold for approximately $14.95. Today, the prices remain the same, amazingly enough…the iPhone (yes, the 3G!) and iPod skins retail for $14.95, the 15″ and 17″ MacBook Pro skins are $29.95, as are the 15″ and 17″ PC laptop skins.

They are consistently creative with artist generated designs that add instant personality and style to your cool, but not so interesting looking iPod, iPhone and laptop. They’ve recently added matching wallpapers, too.

Here are the current coupons for Gelaskins:

• GelaSkins - Buy 3, Get 1 Free
  Posted on 9/7/08 and Expires on 12/31/09

Here are a few of their current designs….click on photos below for a link to the site.

Blowfish

N3 Ragdolls

The Great Wave

Madness

Las Americas

As a new female blogger I recently had the opportunity to attend Gnomedex 8.0. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I was excited to be a part of a tech conference that was being supported by some pretty big names…such as CNN and Sony (and Chris Pirillo, of course). I was also excited at the possibilities of what I might learn and experience. And I knew that historically, this is a boys group. Not to be intimidated - I grew up with 3 brothers, and I work in the design industry which is typically male dominated - I was ripe for adventure.

My first pleasant realization was that I wasn’t the only woman there. There weren’t hoards of women, but I’d say there were about 50 in a group of approximately 500 men. Not bad. I then realized that these Gnomedexers were pretty cool people. I was most impressed at the energy and innovation in the room. There were a lot of “old-timers” who have been in the industry practically since its birth (sorry, I don’t know them by name) but I think there may have been more new people than old….amazing business, research and development people. It was fascinating to me. So many were talking about new ideas and developments in their industries. So many were open to learning new ideas. It was like pure innovation.

I am also new to twittering. Watching the process unfold in front of me was like opening a living history book. As people were presenting on stage, there was an ongoing real life commentary on twitter. Some of the things written were funny, some profound, some crazy, some informative. Twitter is going to change the way a lot of groups handle communication. Politicians have already adopted it as a way to monitor public response during a speech. CNN has it on their web site. Think of the possibilities.

Another great realization I had at Gnomedex was when Chris Pirillo announced he wasn’t a programmer. I couldn’t believe it! I had somehow mistakenly assumed that since Chris was hosting Gnomedex and is the Father of Lockergnome, that he was a techie programmer. Not that this is a bad thing at all…I actually attribute this to the fact that Gnomedex participants are innovative and down to earth. I applaud Chris for his line up of diverse presenters and participants.

My favorite presentations were Beth Kanter showing us all the power of the internet by raising $3774 in approximately 90 minutes to send a young woman in Tibet to school to improve her life forever… And Scott Maxwell discussing the issues related to remotely driving the Rover around the Martian surface….And Jon Malkin demonstrating the Vocal Joystick where you can control a computer or robotic arm by the inflections in non speech vocalizations… And Dave Matthews telling us about an amazing new digital entertainment device called Boxee. Though Dave needs to realize he has a huge potential market with women and he should take out the comment about WAF’s (Wife Approved Fixtures) from his presentation. Not cool. Women will boycott.

All in all, I loved Gnomedex 8.0…it was fascinating, informative, inspiring, intense and appreciated. Thanks, Chris & Ponzi!

The very first pulp magazines were started in the late 1800’s, and evolved throughout the early to mid 1900’s. They were very basic compared to our magazines of today, and were made from cheap wood pulp….hence their name “Pulp Magazines”. These early publications became known for their short, racy fiction stories and eye catching cover art. It was the beginning of heroic characters such as Phantom Detective and Doc Savage that entertained generations and eventually led to the super heroes we all know and love today.

Because of their popularity and impact on our society, we are seeing a resurgence of these images in popular culture through products such as these messenger style laptop bags. Studded with images from pulp magazines of the 1940’s & 50’s, these fully padded bags will protect your computer and are built to carry laptops up to 15.4″ in width. They’re backed with a soft, plush velveteen and have a padded shoulder strap as well as lots of interior pockets to store your stuff. The funky red dice dangling from the strap are retro cool for your modern technology.

Click on the photo if you’re interested in more info….

…and don’t forget to use these eBags coupons:

• EBags - 10% off Purchase + Free Shipping w/ $35 Purchase (Posted on 11/1/08 and Expires on 11/30/08)
• EBags - $20 off $100 (Posted on 11/1/08 and Expires on 11/30/08)

Here’s a very cool way to carry your stuff. It’s colorful, fun and foldable. The origami like folds can be arranged in one of three ways, then secured using the magnetic handles. Simple, cool & affordable at only $59. Click photo below for a link.