BLOG – RAD AND HUNGRY

“No matter where you go, there you are.” – Unknown (STMT X...

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:19:39 -0700

“No matter where you go, there you are.” – Unknown

(STMT X Ecuador Sourcing Trip – photo RAH)

Home of the Future? Possibly. Throwin’ Rainbows?...

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:57:40 -0700

Home of the Future? Possibly. Throwin’ Rainbows? Mos definitely.

(via designboom)

There’s a common joke we heard over and over again during...

Mon, 13 May 2013 14:06:00 -0700

There’s a common joke we heard over and over again during our sourcing trip to Ecuador – If you don’t like the weather in Quito, cross the road.

Never before visited a city where you’d experience the four seasons in one day, let alone on one city block! Snapped this photo with my iPhone in Quito after hitting up an office supply shop. No filter, just crazyass weather!

(STMT X Ecuador Sourcing Trip – photo RAH)

Awesome designs and huge influence, Marimekko, teams up with...

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:47:28 -0700

Awesome designs and huge influence, Marimekko, teams up with Finnair! Totally prefer Airbus planes over Boeing but can’t say I’ve ever gotten excited about a plane’s exterior design. That’s changed now – dying to fly with Finnair so I can check out all the Marimekko branded items!

(via designboom)

THROWIN' RAINBOWS

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:43:17 -0700

Better grab yo umbrella – we be makin’ it rain lo-fi goods with the Ecuador Kit. One jumbo pencil, a stack of loose-leaf grid paper (plus a folder to protect ‘em), and a rainbow-throwin’ set of 12 colored pens – it’s STMT X ECUADOR !

SHOP STMT X ECUADOR

This is mos def a kit of first – all these items? Never before included in any STMT Kit! We couldn’t resist them for that reason – but also, they seem pretty much tailor-made for bringin’ out your inner kid. Sit down, spread out some of that paper, grab that phat pencil and pens and throw your own rainbows!

Check out the Ecuador Kit , and read the Low Down to hear about the crackin’ mom-and-pop shop where we scored most of the goods.

Our kinda DIY project – super cute lamp shades made with paper...

Fri, 10 May 2013 13:33:48 -0700

Our kinda DIY project – super cute lamp shades made with paper and rubber bands from Ecuadorian design studio, Zazon. The lamp shade with polka dots totally remind us of the Paper Goods from the STMT X Paraguay Kit!

The Low Down – STMT X Ecuador

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:01:55 -0700

The weather in Quito is seriously four seasons in every day. I woke up to brisk fall weather, then it’s warm sunshine, then it’s hot summer weather (got sunburnt for the 2nd time in my life!), then the lighting and thunder hits and the sky is all gray till night comes and it’s cold, wet, and feels like winter.

But what all that crazy-ass weather gets you? RAINBOWS. I mean, everything seemed to be screaming rainbows. From the goods we found to the Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism current campaign logo – a huge circular shaped rainbow! I even packed the perfect washi tape for this sourcing trip’s travel journal – rainbow stripes!

Second day in and I’m headed to a museum when I spot a series of office supply shops. There was one particular shop that was crackin’! I’m talking mobs of people and lines 5 people deep before it was your turn. I knew this place would have something for our STMT X Ecuador Kit. Whatever all the locals were buying, I wanted in on it. The shop was a family business with the matriarch, the Grandmother, tending the super old-school register. The mothers, the daughters, the sons… everyone was so personable. I loved watching them interact with their customers.

I asked to see the A5 notebooks and the gal pulled out a glossy notebook with a cover featuring a race car. I asked for other designs – I got horses, cats, and more muscle cars. I asked if there was anything more simple. Nope, she explained that all notebooks look like that in Ecuador.

But I didn’t sweat it. I asked to look at the loose-leaf packets of paper. We’ve never included any loose-leaf sheets, and I’ve been wanting to since the 3rd World Tour kicked off. My only concern was the folders. Would they also be super cheesy? Nope! Clear front cover with a colored back. And the color options included pastels!

The mom-and-pop shop also had a pack of 12 colored pens PERFECT for the Ecuador Kit. I LOVE that this pack is the only set of colored pencils or pens that I’ve ever spotted where the colors are not arranged like a rainbow. Instead, they start with their country colors from right to left. The other colors? NO clue how they decided to arrange ‘em!

Secured the inventory and decided to move on. I walked down the street and straight into the back of an office supply shop. I could see the cabinet full of writing instruments from the street. Within seconds, I spotted them – jumbo-sized turquoise pencil with a green foil-stamped elephant! They totally match the pretty pastel folders! Jumbo-sized pencils may be made for kids, but who says only kids get all the jumbo-packed fun?

oxxo,
Hen

The Hunt is on! El Trolebus de Quito is this country’s...

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:00:44 -0700

The Hunt is on! El Trolebus de Quito is this country’s rapid bus transit system. Tell us the country AND your most memorable public transit story, and we’ll put your name in a drawing to be Champ at 9pm PST.

Tweet your caption to @radandhungry, or post to our Facebook page. Champion of the Hunt wins a custom kit filled of awesomeness sourced from the March 2013 source country.

(photo RAH)

We love binder clips. And we love this super cute handbag in the...

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:06:00 -0700

We love binder clips. And we love this super cute handbag in the shape of one!

Thanks for the tip, Alison!

PRT. Pretty Rad Thing.

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:07:00 -0700

The Portugal Kit theme unfolded as soon as we booked the tickets. Our lives are ruled by three-letter country codes – I’m talkin’ everything, from the way we organize to the way we talk!

PRT = Portugal’s country code. As soon as I read those three letters… everything was all about the PYT. We have mad love for Michael Jackson, and it felt destined that all things Portugal would be pretty and mos def rad. And our hunch proved to be true.

We were nonstop snapping photos of the beautiful tiles spotted everywhere – from seriously old tiles to modern tiles, bright colored tiles to muted ones, groups of tiles that created a scene to other groups that created patterns.

So when it came time to design the Portugal Kit poster, I kept going back to two things: the tiles that run deep in the Portuguese culture, and the amazing flower-scented pencils in the kit. I knew that the poster had to involve flowers and patterns that could be “tiled”. Because everything we spied in Portugal be a PRT. Pretty Rad Thing.

(photos RAD AND HUNGRY Sourcing Trip)

No denying that it’s super easy and fast to jot down dates...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:49:00 -0700

No denying that it’s super easy and fast to jot down dates and create a mini-calendar in your notebook. But who can resist this awesome rubber stamp? It’s a rubber stamp perpetual calendar – the pieces can be swapped around!

(via swiss-miss)

Inspiration for the STMT X Portugal Badge – First Day Cover for...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:10:00 -0700

Inspiration for the STMT X Portugal Badge – First Day Cover for the pair of stamps commemorating 50th years of diplomatic relations between Portugal and South Korea.

(via Ship Theme Gallery)

“The journey is my home.” ~ Muriel Rukeyser (photo RAH)

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:24:22 -0700

“The journey is my home.” ~ Muriel Rukeyser

(photo RAH)

We wanna play house with Portuguese industrial designer, Rui...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:11:21 -0700

We wanna play house with Portuguese industrial designer, Rui Pereira! Pereira mixes a classic Portuguese pastry, ovos moles, with some Japanese flava, baby castella, to create super cute cakes in the shape of furniture!

We’d decorate pieces with honey and Nutella, a few with raspberry jam and powder sugar. What toppings would you use?

Have you seen the pastries from our sourcing trip to Portugal?

Yup, your eyes workin’ just fine - this entire notebook is...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:27:00 -0700

Yup, your eyes workin’ just fine - this entire notebook is slanted at an angle, just like an italic font. Black notebook includes ruled sheets. White notebook includes blank sheets.

You totally want one, right? Get one!

Travel Shorts // Portugal + Counter Culture

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:53:00 -0700

Pastelaria Coimbra, Pastry Shop in Lisbon

Back in the day my father explained that the best seat in any sushi restaurant is at the counter, front and center. You had access to the head sushi chef and full view of the tasty goodness. And to this day, counter seating is always my first choice – love gettin’ the up-close-and-personal view of cooks working their magic.

In Lisbon, I learned about a whole different type of counter culture. Spotted on every corner, on every block stands a pastelaria. They serve savory and sweet pastries, cookies, sandwiches and more. Stop in for breakfast or lunch and you’ll witness people standing side by side, packed tight like a tin of sardines. They’re huddled together at the counter, grubbin’ on a quick meal, a pastry with coffee.

Grabbing a coffee and pastry for a quick meal isn’t a new idea, but I’ve never seen it done like the Portuguese do. In the States, you sit at a table with your bagel and coffee, headphones on, staring down at your phone. In Lisbon, you stand at the counter, lingering just long enough to finish your coffee and pastry and be social. It’s communal counter dining! It’s noisy, a bit chaotic, and somehow the system works.

Like coffee shops, the range is huge. From fancy over-the-top versions to the homey neighborhood joint. After checking into the hotel on the first day of the STMT X Portugal sourcing trip, I headed down to the corner to check out Pastelaria Coimbra.

Pastelaira Coimbra reminded me of my parent’s restaurant. Nothing fancy, just simple goodness. You keep returning because you fall in love with the people who run the joint. And I did. Isabel, João, and Pedro became my instant friends. They’d smile BIG every time they saw me walk in. One night they even let me stay after they closed shop so I could take photos for the STMT X Portugal Kit. Totally, BFF’s right?!

The only thing routine about my every day was Pastelaira Coimbra – two savory pastries and a galão. Minutes before heading to the airport, I rushed down the street to stop in… one last fix of a galão and I had to say goodbye to the crew. I walked in and spotted Isabel. She made hand gestures of a plane taking off. I nodded my head, yes. We all exchanged hugs and kisses like how old friends do. Finding a home away from home? True love.

(STMT X Portugal Sourcing Trip – photo RAH)

Address ::
Pastelaria Coimbra, Avenida da Liberdade
Rua Alexandre Herculano, nº29 E
1250-008 Lisbon, Portugal

How much do we love Korean-born, Paris-based artist Yvette...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:33:08 -0700

How much do we love Korean-born, Paris-based artist Yvette Yang’s fashion font?! I mean c’mon… a font made almost entirely of shoes and handbags?!

(via Trendland)

My love of public transportation runs deep. I drool over subway...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 17:43:00 -0700

Cassiano Branco

António Lobo Antunes

Amadeo de Souza Cardoso

Fernando Lopes-Graça

Fernando Pessoa

Alexandre O'Neill

Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro

My love of public transportation runs deep. I drool over subway station signage (hellooo NYC and Berlin!!) and when I spied the first caricature at the Lisbon Metro Airport station… I stopped. Foolish or not, I didn’t worry about my luggage. I started snapping photos of all the super rad caricatures. Yes, the illustrations are dope but I was curious about the people. A few included obvious clues – an architect, an artist, a conductor. But the others? Not so much. So what to do? I looked up the names online and spent the night learning about artists and writers, and all sorts of cultural icons of Portugal. Art and history lessons by way of public art in the Lisbon Metro Airport station? Amazing.

Lisbon Airport (Aeroporto de Lisboa)
Metro Airport Station (Estação Aeroporto) / Red Line (Vermelha)

“People don’t take trips… Trips take people.” ~ John...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:58:58 -0700

“People don’t take trips… Trips take people.” ~ John Steinbeck

(photo RAD AND HUNGRY)

“party / amenities / an octopus / running...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:35:04 -0700

“party / amenities / an octopus / running wild”

Look at this awesomeness created by a RAHstr, Nathalie, with her STMT X Canada badge. We’ve said it one, twice, maybe a hundred times but it’s true. We have the best customers EVER.