Hansen + Tivoli

I'm already a huge fan of Tivoli audio products, and this new collaboration of Tivoli and German-Danish furniture designer Greta Hansen seems like a dream team. Gorgeous!

Who's that Girl?

Puzzle, a photo by etslee on Flickr.

I forgot how much I loved doing puzzles. I guess it's the OCD side of me.

This iconic image "Girl with a Pearl Earring" by Johannes Vermeer nicknamed "the Dutch Mona Lisa" is on view at SF's de Young Museum until June 2nd. I was a little disappointed that there were no other works by Vermeer on display (though he apparently only has 36 known paintings!), and the focus on Rembrandt's Century, the companion show, was a little dry (etchings are not my favorite). Still, it's a must see for this work alone. Go on weekday and before 3, when it's less crowded and you can get up close. Not as big as I imagined either, it's only 17.5" by 15.5".

Corey Stoll, he's that good

I just finished Netflix's new originial series House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright and Kate Mara. However, by the 4 or 5th episode, I knew already who was going to be the heart and soul of the series, and that's the boozing, cocaine snorting, hooker magnet Congressman Peter Russo, played by Corey Stoll.  He's a relative newcomer to me, but his last big role was a notable one, Hemingway in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. There was Oscar talk for his Hemingway role (didn't get nominated), but I predict he will nail an Emmy nod for House of Cards. The last time I felt this strong about a new actor, it was Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson. And he turned out pretty well, no? Man, if this guy was a stock, I'd be buying shares now!

Vancouver Robson Square

YVR, a photo by etslee on Flickr.

Sometimes the best photos are caught being in the right place at the right time. Well, I was home in Vancouver over the hoiidays, and exploring downtown after the first big snowfall in December. The snow didn't last long and the day ended with a beautiful sunset I caught from Robson Square. I love how futuristic this shot feels, thanks mainly the Canadian architect Arthur Erickson and a nice view of the Wall Centre.

Colton Haynes hotness

One of the reasons I watched MTV's Teen Wolf is Colton Haynes (click photo for GIF). Unfortunately, he's left the series. Oh well...you can still catch the first 2 seasons on Netflix streaming.

MUJI opening in SF

One of my favorite retailers MUJI is finally opening in SF this week on Friday Nov 30th. It's been a long wait, as NYC was the only US location for the longest time. I admire the clean, minimalistic aesthetic, renowned Japanese functionality and, hopefully, moderate prices. They also seem to partner with great designers like Naoto Fukasawa, who designed this iconic CD player.

How much do I like MUJI? So much, I searched out the retail store when I was in Rome last summer....and overpaid in euros for a travel pouch.

World's Thinnest House

As seen on Design Milk's website, the world's thinnest house by Jakub Szczesny in Poland. It's an amazing 4 feet wide.

The glass ceiling certainly adds a sense of space for those feeling it would be too claustrophobic. I love this type of home, which could add livability to tiny spaces in large crowded cities like Tokyo and NYC, maybe even SF.