Thursday, November 17, 2011

Things That Make You Say... No Way!

It's a stiletto shoe.  




No.  It's a Desk.



It's a stiletto shoe desk.  Welcome to today's text-webisode: "Things that make you say... No Way!" 


Miracles and Blessings!  Kiki here... Yes, way!  Our iCafe Woman Moderne divas and little divas are celebrating innovators,creative thinkers... Average Joans who like to think way out of the box.

I'm sure Benjamin Franklin's wife thought he was a little nuts with his penchant for lightening storms and his crazy talk about creating electricity. But we're not talking about history-changing inventions, we're shining a light on new spins on everyday products... things you see daily.  Check these out!

1. I know what you're thinking.  It's just a bag of coffee, a cappuccino and a neat display of Twinkies, Yodels and Ho-Hos.  




(Coffee and Hostess cakes - Cake Wrecks)


Look again.  They're cakes made by today's new breed of cake artists.  They're not your typical neighborhood bakers from back-in-the-day.  They're artists, sculptors and designers for those who love sweets. 

2. A Rubber band Chair... Really?   A bigger question is, will it hold me if I sit in it?


(Preston Moeller's Rubber band Chair)


We've all used rubber bands, but have you ever sat on a chair made of rubber bands?  You won't end up on the floor after sitting in one of Preston Moeller rubber band chairs, who designs fun, upcycled furniture.  Sixty-five thousand colorful rubber bands are bound by a wire frame.

As an industrial design student,  he created the 'rubber band chair' which earned him the $3,000 first prize in the Appalachian State University’s 6th Annual Chair Design Competition. 


3. Lark Silent Alarm and Sleep Sensor
Okay, this was designed just for me.




Now you can set an alarm that'll wake you up without disturbing your spouse.  (That's what I'm talking about!) Lark alarm clock and sleep sensor by Lark Technologies Inc. silently vibrates to wake only the person using it--not both people in bed.


The $129 sensor wirelessly connects to an iPhone via Bluetooth and slips into a wristband that's worn on your wrist while you sleep. The un-alarm device went on the market on June 14, you can purchase it Apple stores. 

Not only does it act as your alarm clock, a sensor on the Lark tracks sleep patterns and measures your quality of sleep.  It's soothing, gentle and unlike regular alarms, it doesn't jolt you into waking up and increase your adrenaline before your feet hit the floor.

What's really ingenious is that the Lark vibration is slightly different each day so you don't get used to it and start snoring through it.


4.  Is that a cozy for a street sign?


(Magda Sayek - Knitted Graffitti)

You've seen graffiti on walls, buses and on construction fences, a lot of it is not so warm and fuzzy.  Well, that has all change thanks to Magda Sayez the founder of the knit graffiti crew Knitta Please.  (also known as knitting guerrillas) Knitting is no longer just for grandmoms in rocking chairs.  That's now a thing of the past.


Today, Wall Street execs, Hollywood starlets, celebrutantes, fashionistas, the-girls-next-door and a Jersey girl or two are all  knitting.  Knit graffiti crews are turning ugly stop signs, meters, water spigots, steps and awnings into beautiful knit creations.



(Knitta Please - Utility Pole in NYC)

This year, Magda entered her knit art in ArtPrize, a festival held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where over 1,500 artists displayed their work in venues spread all over downtown Grand Rapids, and the public voted on the entries to determine the finalists and the prize-winners.  

(Seating 1 - Art Prize)


(Seating 1)


It’s Magda’s first year as an entrant. She teamed up with City Flats Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a new green space in downtown Grand Rapids that’s decked out with modern furnishings all designed and made in Michigan. 

Magda's entry Seating 1 quiets the old fashioned perceptions about the knitting craft and honors modern furniture design.  Okay, here are the stats.  The art piece stands 81 square feet and has 5,184 knitted squares -- yes, all by hand. Visitors to the Flats Hotel couldn't miss the giant wall installation, a feast for the eyes and hands.  A signature Knitta awning welcomed visitors before they stepped inside.






5. Now, back to Food Art... this is amazing.

Art Oreos
(Mixed Reality)


6. A Little Black Dress that's a Telephone?

(The Telegraph)


Yes, a little black dress that's also a cell phone.

 Named the M-Dress, this LBD lets wearers make and receive calls by slipping their sim card under the label, allowing them to keep their usual numbers. Gesture recognition software allows users to pick up a call by raising their hand to their ear and end a conversation by letting it fall to their side. 
The M-Dress, designed by the London-based fashion company CuteCircuit, rings when an incoming call is received and different ringtones can be assigned to different numbers.  But the dress can only call a limited number of pre-programmed contacts, according to Mashable, the technology website. This LBD is a form-fitting silk jersey that hit the market earlier this year.

7. Can't you see Princess Beatrice's sculptural hat in an art gallery.  I'd wear it!




(Princess Beatrice at Prince William's Wedding)

8. How many Lucy Ricardos can you fit in Jamestown, New York?  
Apparently, over 900.




(Guiness Record - Lucy Lookalikes)

Aug. 8 2011
(Reuters) - More than 900 red-lipsticked, redheaded women -- and men -- gathered near a "Vitameatavegamin" sign in the hometown of "I Love Lucy" star Lucille Ball to mark her 100th birthday on Saturday with a world record for most Lucy look-alikes.
Sporting upswept hairdos and blue and white polka dot dresses, the crowd of 915 Lucy Ricardos were set to establish the first Guinness world record in her honor. It was all part of the annual Lucy Fest in Jamestown, which drew fans from as far away as Australia.



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