Technowood

Don’t know if you caught on, but I’m having a wood craze. So are these characters.



Dutch designer Guido Ooms hunts through his local forest, and picks up sticks. He then creates these USB memory “sticks”. Dang. Smart. And looks really cool sticking (huh huh) out of your laptop. I have a mental picture of our dog gnawing on the end of it…




This Asian Desiger, Singgih Karatono, created the Magno radio. It’s wood too. Knobs, body, even the little ball on the tip of the antenna is wood. What am I going to make to join the ranks of these wood technologists? Would a wooden time machine burn up during time travel?

Raking it in...

I feel kind of like a present whore, but what you gonna do? On top of an ipod, a thin slice of curly cherry wood, and HANGING HARRY (!!!) that julie got me, I got all these other goodies from the fam as well.




From ma n pa, I got this wicked Frank Lloyd Wright stencil that we’ll also paint red, along with a slew of other goodies in the mod and wood sort of vein. My two current favorite veins.



From my sister and her boyfriend, this mind dizzying book of wood joints. I’m gonna be sticking wood together like mama nature adds branches to tree trunks.




From Julie’s mom, this Jenn Ski print, along with enough vases to house a deconstructed Rose Bowl Parade float. Bring it.

Light that Started it All

It was back in April, when I was reading the PrairieMod blog, that I saw this light. I couldn’t stop looking at it, and thought, “I want to totally rip that off. I shall make that light someday.” I’ll try to put a spin on it, but I don’t even comprehend it totally, so it’s hard to put a spin on something that’s way over my head… my spin will be, “make this… but way simpler.” I don’t even know how to link up all those light bulbs really. It was made by this guy named Frank Lloyd Wright. Heard of him? Guess his woodworking skills are a tad more advanced than mine. The home that housed these lights (floor to ceiling style columns of lights) was owned by Don Erickson, a former student of Wright’s. When he passed away, the house went up for sale. If I had 4.2 million to blow, I could have looked at those lights in person every day.

Nice to Meat You

This post might sick out Div(s), but brahs like meat… Meat on a stick, deep-fried meat, meat ground up, and put inside other meat.



Been to that great goofball store in Seattle, Archie McPhee? It’s great. They had a ton of bacon items. Like these here bacon bandaids. Rub that salty meat in yer wounds!




Gussy up the little lady with a nice Salmon Steak necklace! Nothing says “I Love You” like a pricey cut of fish. This is from Frenchman Alex Lucka.



I can’t remember where I first saw this, but seems like NotCot might have been the first place. Anyway, this crazy Italian, Simone Racheli, is making all sorts of everyday items look all raw meaty. It’s his “We’re All Made Of Meat” collection, made from plastic. Chairs, hair dryers, irons, you name it. Meat on, brutha!

Toilet Haters

I almost didn’t believe this when a coworker told me about it, but it’s pretty genius/disgusting, and is a nice follow up to yesterday’s post. It’s the Stadium Pal, for those that don’t need a toilet at all! Made for those long distance driving astronaut stalkers, or anyone too busy to run to a restroom. Strap this external catheter on, and a pouch to your leg, and go when/where you please. The same company manufactures the Beer belly, a bag of beer you can strap to your belly to save from paying big bucks at the stadium. I’m sure there’s a company out there devising the contraption that will “recycle” one into the other. If not, I’m on it.

Man Wednesday- Potty Humor

Ever lonely at the most intimate of times? How about some companions? Though more enjoyable, maybe, for standing doods, The Fish ‘n Flush offers up the possibility of having the most living things in your bathroom at one time. Outside of yer germs that is.



And for those couples that can’t bear the notion of being alone, it’s the TwoDaLoo Toilet. With only one flush, you will conserve water, but hopefully you’ve timed things out right. For those restroom linger-ers, upgrade your TwoDaLoo with a 7 inch LCD television or iPod docking station.

IKEATTACK!

So Ma and Pa Baldman came to Austin for a visit, and asked if they could help make our house look nice. We let em help us with the... fun. First, Julie told my mom they were going to add some glass tiles, leftover from our backsplash, to the unfinished Norbo table we got from IKEA. Now the table matches the rest of the kitchen, and is cooler than painting or staining it. Grrrl power. Wham. Done.




We wanted to have a hanging light over the table, but there wasn't one to begin with, so we couldn't have it hardwired without calling an electrician. Luckily for us, IKEA has plugs at the end of some of their hanging pendant lamps. We picked ours up for 20 bucks, and can't find it online anymore, but there are a bazillion to choose from. Instead of having the light hang from ceiling hooks, and plug it into the wall outlet, we we took a different approach, and Pa brought his 1 inch boring bit with him. We drilled into the ceiling, and plugged the lamp into an outlet in the attic that the vent hood was using. We first plugged the light into this little white box... a contraption called The Lightning Switch.




The Lightning Switch is this wireless transmitter that is basically a remote control for whatever you plug into an outlet. Not as wicked as The Clapper, but the same general idea. I didn't want to have the toggle ON/OFF switch on the wall, so it's tucked under the table. And it doesn't even run on batteries... just fairy dust and magic.




Now Julie and I have light shining down upon us as we eat our Honey Nut Clusters and Cinnamon Life respectively.

15THOUSANDDOLLARSFORACHAIR?

This is a pretty nice looking chair. It’s the Vladimir Kagan Contour Chair, from 1953. On sale now for the low low price of $15,000.00. Do people buy chairs for that much money? Who are those people, and why won’t they let me do their bidding for them? I’ll take a wee cut. That’s all I’d need if they are buying chairs for 15k.



We bought two of these Poul Jensen designed Selig Z Chairs off ebay. Built in Demark. Sometime in the 50s. No leather… but if 15, 000 bucks were a lake, we bought these two chairs for a teardrop. They are beautiful and similar to this Contour chair… and they are a two, and not a one. Off the top of my head, I can think of eight new and new-to-us household items we bought off ebay after we bought our house… including our vent hood over our island cooktop. For rell.

Choppin Blockhead

I had my ma talking to my wife the other day. Mom’s worried about my woodworking skills. She reminded Julie that in Junior High, I was in woodshop with the mulletheads, and I made her a cutting board… “It fell apart, but I loved it.” I remember her using half a cutting board for a long time.

I’m assuming the German Designers cranking out these cutting boards at Elsewares never had one fall apart on their mom. What I really like about these guys is the laser artwork they’ve engraved on the hunk of wood. That lady is diving into the grain/pool! Cool.

Toolin' Round

Now that I’ve truly manned up by having a power tool in my garage, and sawdust on the floor, today’s man post is tool related.




I’m not sure how smart it is to drink beer and hammer, but may I present the Bottle Opener Hammer. I won’t lie that the beer fridge is located in the garage as well.



Did you see No Country for Old Men? Dudes have to unscrew air vents with dimes. Well, pick these pocket screwdrivers up, and you’ll have that air vent off before the bad guy can get to the stash you are hiding up in thar.



And since dudes don’t have purses, and have to put everything in their pockets (see above), the bottle opener key is a necessity when you aren’t in your garage hammering something.




After you’ve opened more beer bottles than hammered nails, make sure the wife takes over… pick her up some tools for ladies. More ergonomic and sensual than your rusty old stuff, but DO NOT be tempted to use them, or next you’ll be bathing with Oil of Olay.

Mushroomrooms

I’ve seen this place for sale out in Westlake, and the peep over at Austin Mod House actually went inside it. Lucky bastards. It has no doors, just this crazy maze of foam walls and ceilings curving in every direction.

The house is located on a 2.47 acre lot. The overall square footage is only 1100, but c’mon! You could host “Party at Mushroom Palace” every single night! Make the guests bring their own tents… plenty of room to sprawl outdoors if need be...

High Time...

Band Saw. It has arrived. It has been put together. It has cut. I have 10 fingers, and a thin slice of the "Widow Maker" that fell in our backyard. Will it be a coaster? Will it be a clock face? I've cranked out some loggish candle holders. Divya deemed this "The Bark Collection." Look out logs. You thought fire places would be a fate worse than death? Beware of the bald man and his power tool...

The Lamp Lady

I’m not sure why, but the fact that I love this lamp by Cathrine Kullberg scares Julie. I think she’s afraid that I want to turn our house into a log cabin or something… maybe she fears I’ll run away with this blonde from Norway? Who know… but I want to make wood veneer lamps, and have to figure out how to join the two edges. Kullberg does hers by hand-stitching them with leather. Kewl. Putting together that band saw this weekend. Should be halfway thru the Amazon Rain Forest by Sunday.

Infected

Brahs and sahs, I’m in the throes of a sinus infection. Wicked. But we’re still kickin it Man style.




I could go for a hot tea in one of these Gun Mugs. They are stylin with gold or platinum plated triggers. HIGH Stylin.




My workplace also doesn’t have soap right now in the restroom, so these hand soaps would come in mega ummm.... handy. However, I get a little satisfaction knowing I’m passing my germs on to coworkers, I’m not gonna lie.



What I really need, though not often in Texas, are one of these sweet beard caps. Made by Icelanders. Infections are kept at a minimum with a head covered this much… Not to mention it will be the only way I can ever “grow” a beard, says the woman who controls my facial hair.

Northern Wood

These Canadians are on it! Propellor Design is making the kind of items I'm dreaming about in my head/in my future garage/floor covered in sawdust instead of old wet boxes filled with hoses and silverfish. I need to draw inspiration instead of making exact replicas! Bamboo lights, reclaimed wood furniture, rad resin chandeliers. oh man... Welcome to my new company opening in 2008 called Propellor Dezign.

Wood eater

So my parents got me this band saw on ebay for my birthday. Believe! I mean, my birthday isn't until January, but this bad boy is arriving on my doorstep tomorrow, I think. Soon table lamps, pendant lamps, end tables and entire large villages will be pouring out of the garage. Let me know if you are interested in a village... 40 building minimum.

Local Woodman from the A-T-X

Julie and I ran down to the East Austin Studio Tour this past weekend wit a group o pals. It was pretty okay… the highlight for me personally was talking to one Brian David Johnson. Not only does the brah bang out woody delights you can buy at IF+D for thousands of dollars, or sit upon if you need a bench at Whole Foods, but he was super friendly AND informative! I think I have my “how to bend wood??” question answered thanks to this man. Though he didn’t offer me to hang out with him to learn his masterful ways and pay me a grand a day for the learning, he was still inspirational. That’s his Yama coffee table in the pic. Available in walnut or cherry. Oh dang… is it Wednesday? I was supposed to put up something stupid and man-ish right? I’m sick and thrown off by my days, and Thanksgiving and the like. Well, sorry. Here’s to hoping Fish Assholes on a Tuesday make up for my lack of thought on a Wednesday. CLINK!

Soup Me. Please.

Still sick. and at work. A bad combination. The other night, our friend Divya had us come over for delicious vegetable soup. The best I've ever had. I was thinking, "soup sounds good still." Too bad we don't have Div's mad skills, and in our soup pantry, all we have are these Fish Assholes. Luckily, they are Manhattan style at least...

Disicko

Today, I am sick.

Been sick since I went to a disco themed party.

Draw your own conclusions.

If I were King...

Here’s what I like. Big ole castles. There’s one in our neighborhood, weirdly… Pemberton Castle, but that’s another story. Today I was tooling around the web, and on the Day Lab DIY blog today, Amy (meow) was gabbing about this Carleton Villa that’s up for sale.




Now not only do I want to live in a castle, but I want to live on an island. Preferably one inhabited only by those I invite… otherwise, I take them out with a couple rounds of cannonballs.



The Carleton Villa isn’t EXACTLY a castle, but it’ll do. So upsides: on an island, tons of land (6.97 acres), really really rad, and only $495,000. I mean, houses in our neighborhood are selling for more than that, and none of them have 3 water frontages.




Only one downside really… besides it not being in Austin Texas: it was going to be razed in the 1930s, and hasn’t really been getting much attention in the restoration department since then. The General Electric Corporation owned it during WWII, and were letting any old numbskull come take what he wanted, since they were dismantling it themselves anyway.




William Wyckoff cashed in on the Remington Typewriter boom, and snagged the very first student of architecture to graduate from Cornell University, William Henry Miller, to whip up this summer home. Crazy.




I need to jump on this fast, b/c it could be turned into a club possibly. Sounds horrible. I thought our house needed some fixing up when we bought it. I’d better move onto “Woodworking 102” ASAP… followed by the “Got a Castle Fixer-Upper?” series. Maybe they have books on tape?

Gesundheit!

Dood Post Wednesday. Check it brah… Mine allergies are killing me. Damn near choked me in my sleep last night (true story). So a couple good nosy items for you and your shnoz.



Pick Your Nose cups. Thinking about modeling for this company. My profile has a lot to offer.



Behold the Big Maoi Tissue Dispenser. This seems way more awesome than the ugly pink Kleenex box (with lotion!) sitting on every flat surface of our house. Unfortunately, I could also possibly model for this company as well.

P&K, What the Hay?

What the?? There’s this place that opened up 18 months ago called the P&K Grocery. It pretty much ruled. I popped in there once on a whim to get some coffee, and was helped by a bunch of really cute hippie style ladies… really cute. Really friendly. Really good coffee, and miniature loaves of banana bread, and awesome bacon egg and cheese sandwiches. It was all modern and nice and cozy on the inside. The first time Deanna went with me she said she wanted her house to feel like this on the inside. They had groceries, and cool old school giant lollipops, and weird candy, and stylish home décor stuff, some handmade goods, rad magazines… now they closed?? Already? Sounds like the owners worked a lot, and have to spend more time with their families. Guess I wasn’t a close enough relative. Hardcore sigh. Where them pixies working now?? A coworker of mine thinks we should open a quiet neighborhood pub there. The building is for sale, and I keep tripping over the bundles of money when I try to leave the house, so….