do-it-yourself foreign aid for women and girls

In Saving the World’s Women, New York Times writers Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn report on extreme acts of violence and repression against women and girls in developing countries such a Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. One such story told of young girls attacked with acid in an attempt to prevent them from attending school. Both…

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one big swell table from several smaller ones

Westerby Gard is an inn and restaurant on a beautiful centuries-old estate near Inkoo, 45 minutes southwest from Helsinki. Its traditional, rustic style reflects the Swedish influence on Finland. I was taken with their glossy painted tables, cleverly configured to make a huge dining table, or rectangular tables of any length – no tablecloth necessary. It’s…

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chalkboard volkswagon

Chalkboard paint is one of the best inventions to come down the line in some time, due in large part to it’s improvisation-inspiring nature. There seems to be no end in sight to the uses people are devising for it. A current favorite: this ’70’s Volkswagon painted with chalkboard paint that I stumbled on on Flickr.

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tapio wirkkala: materials as opportunities

This quote by Tapio Wirkkala is high on a wall in the Design Museum in Helsinki. (Wirkkala was one of Finland’s most esteemed and prolific designers; perhaps his most recognized design is the Finlandia Vodka bottle that looks like ice.) In two sentences, he captures the central operating principles of creating just about anything: the “chance” and diversion from…

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back! from Finland

On the Finnair flight home from Finland, I glanced out the window to discover this incredible vision: a vast expanse of snow and glacier falling into the sea. The route home took us across the Arctic Circle and the coast of Greenland. That gives you an idea of how far North the amazing city of…

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gone (to finland)

In any creative endeavor, downtime is essential; breaking the routine, wandering, dreaming are a different kind of fuel than DOING.  So I’m gonna follow my own advice and take some time off to recharge: no posting on the blog, or any other official writing, for a week. I’m going to Finland, to look for Alvar…

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the 7 vices of highly creative people

D.A. Blyler wrote the Seven Vices of Highly Creative People in reaction to the grumbling he was hearing about people working in offices where Stephen Covey’s bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People had been implemented. Personally, I’ve found Covey’s book to be strangely unreadable, and relate much more to Blyler’s recommendation for sex, cocktails, and gastronomy – specifically…

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an alien robot’s cookbook

Ruth Fankushen Kunkel wrote An Alien Robot’s Cookbook for her boys who were picky eaters; she needed to find a way to engage them in eating and making wonderful food. It begins:           “Due to a random mechanical error, I traveled to Earth without warning…I finally            crash-landed…

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rethinking a dish rack

Dish racks and kitchen storage systems are among the most disappointing offerings in stores; it’s hard to find one that really functions well and looks great. The design group Studio Matière has designed a kitchen storage system built of pine splints in an irregular, ladder-like grid that can hang from a tree branch, or be…

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