Blue Is The Sky | Happy Holidays.

If that's the case, Happy Holidays!

Sky Blue | Blue Sky

By Nord | Where Design Meets Nature.

One of the biggest pleasures I have in life is to sleep on smoth bed linen with a fresh scent. I definitely sleep much better!   

At Rost  in Bergen I came across with this Danish brand called By Nord. Do you know it? 

Click here for the bedlinen collection.

2011 Fragments.

To photograph fragments is one of my favorite things to do. Having a camera handy (mobile preferably to email it straight away to my Facebook and Twitpic accounts) is a tool I cannot live with out anymore.

Everywhere I go I see fragments that communicate with me. Here are my favorite 20 of 2011. Yes, I did my best to narrow it down to 10 though I didn't know which ones I preferred.

This stencil is everywhere in Lisbon. It says "What I want is to be happy". This on was shot in Rua do Poço dos Negros. 

Hearts I drew in a restaurant in Barcelona. Left them there.

Barcelona again - The Fish by Frank Ghery.

Another stencil in Lisbon. This one in Avenida 24 the Julho. I called it "Don't give up". 

What's better than a little break after you accomplish something? This moment was right  after I finished  my 2 weeks business trip to Norway.
Love to seat outside in a nice café, having a drink and looking at people walking around wondering what they're thinking. 

The beach I used to go every weekend. It's my home town.
Check the moon on the top left hand side. Lovely, isn't it?

And again, another stencil. This one here shot in Cais do Sodré, Lisbon.

Details: The Tram cables hook on the wall. Perfect!
(Lisbon, Calçada da Estrela)

The kids are alright. (Santa Rita, Portugal)

One of the most beautiful buildings in Lisbon: Campo de Ourique.

This stencil here I call it "Can buy me love". 

2011 was a great year for me. I moved back to Portugal, found the job I wanted, worked on interesting projects and I found the house I wished for: small, old, super cute and central. This picture actually marks that first moment when I felt at home. My mugs are in, I am in!

The basic principle of architecture is the Sun, don't you agree?
Love this structure, which we straight away link to "House" or "Home". 

This was a year of great trips, some on business other pure pleasure. Another moment in a Non-Place waiting to reack my destiny.
This picture was shot in  Scotland I think.

Love out of the blue.

Moments with friends and others alone.

The first butterfly I saw in years,

La Vie En Bleu
(Portuguese sky, isn't it stunning?)

Provincial-Chic.

One of my top 5 pictures. The Full Moon was stunning, the streets were pitch black and the red line is a car's light.
(Photo shot with my iPhone)

Life Is Beautiful.

Do you have a life moto? I do. It is simply: life is beautiful.

Have a nice weekend.

Being Creative.

image via Fearless Creativity

Have A Nice Week.

Illustration by Blanca Gómez, illustrator and designer living and working in Madrid.

World Map Multitasking.

For some time, years actually, I've been occasionally looking for a World Map. I found a few but none of them were love at first sight, which is always the key to purchase anything I want and wish for.

The reason for such wait is that I want it to be both informative and very stylish. I can tell you, it hasn't been an easy task.

This first one is almost the one, and it's displayed the way I want mine to be.

I like the simplicity of this one, but that's it.

A classic with a touch of pink. Cute!

Love this one, though it's not informative enough.

Cool, but too artistic.

And this one, like the very first one, is very close to what I want. Now I just need to find it big and flat.

Have you ever found yourself in this position? You know what you want, you have it with all details in your head, but there's no way you can find it. So, you wait.

I Have Always Known.

To personalize things is one of my favorite hobbies, if that actually exists in my daily routine (hobby, I mean).
Generally, posters are my favorite canvas. Like I did with “Keep Calm” I couldn’t resist to do something with this one by Row Boat Press.

Do you like to personalize things or do you rather have them original?

Keep Stylish.

In the Spring of 1939, with the war against Germany, the British Government's Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters to be distributed throughout the country. The posters were intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.

Three designs went to production. The first two were distributed, but the "Keep Calm" posters were held in reserve. It was never officially issued and so remained virtually unseen by the public - unseen, that is, until a rare copy turned up more than fifty years later in a box of old books bought in auction by Barter Books in Alnwick.

Shop owners Stuart and Mary Manley liked the poster so much that they had it framed and placed near the till in Barter Books. It quickly proved so popular that they decided to print and sell a facsimile edition of their original poster which has since become a best-seller.

When I'm in an arty mood I like to change a word to make my own statement. And this one is indeed important as styling (interiors) is one of my (favourite) projects as a designer.

What's yours?


The other two messages were:
"Your Courage. Your Cheerfulness. Your Resolution will Bring us Victory".
"Freedom is in Peril".

I Love Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola tastes different in NYC.

All About Patterns.

Lately it’s been all about patterns. Patters patters patters. Impossible to live without them, isn’t it? They’re used in interiors, furniture, wallpapers and curtains for hundreds of years.

Today I thought to post photographs of patterns used in architectural surfaces, as they become increasingly popular at the beginning of this century.

This pattern was very popular late 1970’s. Simple as it can be, but very rich. Love the 3D effect.

For some reason I can’t place this pattern in time: 60’s? 80’s? Not sure. Anyway, I like its playful asymmetry, quite summery I think.

Very Sixties.

This one is specially engaging: if you look closely you can trick your eye and see it 3D. Can you? (click on image to enlarge)

Neoclassic pattern.

Size: 10x10cm.

Classic pattern.

Inspiring patchwork.

I couldn't resist to post this tile panel. It's not a pattern, but since all the ones I post here are on tiles, this one couldn't be missing. It's located in one of Lisbon's Underground main stations. Every time I pass by it always makes me smile. I love the way they give a contemporary touch to such classic design.

Related article.
Azulejos

Sneak Peek.

I haven't been able to seat down to edit photos and write an article to post here, but I have so much to share that I thought I should write a sneak peek on what I am planning to share with you all for the next couple of weeks.

From beautiful houses to design and fashion exhibitions, hotel bars and simple colourful patterns: stay tuned. Lot's to get inspired.


MUDE, Design and Fashion Museum @ Lisbon.
Alexander McQueen and Ron Arad.


ExperiementaDesign.
Revolution 99-09 @ Palácio Quintela, Lisbon.


Shop @ Chiado, Lisbon.


Eclectic Flat by a Contemporary Woman @ Graça, Lisbon.


Hotel Bar by the Beach.
Porto Novo.


A touch of Art Deco.
Summer Houses @ uSanta Cruz.