New Photo Print: Heart

With only a few weeks left before Valentine's day, you should be starting to think what will be your gift to your loved one! This black and white photo print of white stones forming a heart shape will be the perfect Valentine's day or anniversary present for him/her! Available for sale from my etsy shop!And if you purchase it before January 7th, shipping costs are on the house (i.e. free)!

Starbucks' 12 Months of Christmas!

The Starbucks seasonal red coffee cups are one of the first signs that Christmas is around the corner! But what goes on behind the scenes before they make their appearance? Believe it or not, it takes twelve whole months of intensive preperation for the Starbucks team to create a festive customer experience for the holiday season, and Bloomberg Businessweek magazine describes each step here!

Merry Christmas to All!

Today I spent some time taking photos at the beach... It was one of the coldest Christmas days I can remeber here in Greece, but I managed to stay warm and work. You will see these new (Valentine's day) photo prints during the following two weeks on my etsy shop, but in the meantime I want to wish you a merry, jolly Christmas day with this Christmas-y brand new photograph! Have a wonderful time with the ones you love!

My Christmas Gift to You: Free Shipping!

I've blogged about the gifts you should give to the ones you love, but now it's time to let you know which is my gift to you: As a thank-you for your support, I 'm offering FREE SHIPPING for all orders placed at my etsy shop from December 22nd till January 7th with the coupon code FSXMAS2011! Hope to see you on etsy! Have a wonderful time! Merry Christmas!!!

New Print Out: Love Told Me I Shouldn't Sleep

As Valentine's day comes closer, I'll be be releasing more love prints like this one. The lyrics featured on this A4 archival print come from the song "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" and will remind you what you probably already know if you've ever been in love: sleep doesn't come easy anymore...

The image is printed on high quality Epson matte archival paper using Epson inks that will last a lifetime! If you want to purchase it, visit my etsy shop. It will make a lovely gift for those who are deeply in love!

My Favorite Elle Decor Rooms for 2011

As 2011 comes to an end, the editors of Elle Decor magazine asked design insiders to share the rooms that left a lasting impression on them this year. Thirty rooms got the highest number of votes and you can see and be inspired from them by visiting the magazine's website. Here you can see my selections, the five rooms that have stolen my heart!

Skull Headphones!

If your friends are huge fans of Alexander McQueen and his signature design, skulls, they will be impressed and happy to receive these headphones as a Christmas gift! The skull shaped "fashion headphones" by 2Me feature a Swarovski crystal embellishment and have become more of a fashion accessory than a gadget. They are compatible with MP3, iPhone and Blackberry devices and their retail price is $49.49.

Free Printable Xmas Tags!!!

You got the perfect present, a gorgeous wrapping paper and all that you now need is a cute gift tag! Don't have one? No need to worry! The first set of FREE Sacred & Profane Designs Christmas/Holidays gift tags is here, and you can download it, print it out on your favorite type of paper, cut it with a pair of scissors and use it for your beautiful gifts! Enjoy!

Splurge vs. Steal: The Skull Scarf

 The skull scarf has become a classic and makes a great gift for your rock-chic friends!

 Products:

• Alexander McQueen Scarf from Harvey Nichols
• Navy Skull Scarf by Miss Selfridge

New Print Out: Haircuts - a Jim Morrison Quote

I read this phrase and was fascinated to discover that these were the wotds of a famous male rock-star and not of a Hollywood celebrity. Available for sale from my etsy shop.

Designer Coffee Cup

Dress up your coffee cup with a fashionable Jimmy Choo leather coffee cup sleeve and impress (and surprise) everyone at your office! Starbucks coffee cups will never look the same again!

Xmas on my Iphone!

Apart from a festive wallpaper, my iphone also needed an external accessory for christmas!

New Print Out: YAY

This archival matte A4 print will remind you of those happy moments when "yay" was the first word that came to mind as a way of expressing feelings of pleasure, approval and victory. It can be a great gift for your friends, colleagues and relatives! If you want to purchase it, visit my etsy shop here!

How to Type on an Ipad!

And when I say type, I actually mean type! This how-didn't-I-think-of-that really simple, silicon keyboard is callled "TouchFire" and fits right over the iPad's on-screen keyboard to make your wish come true: type on an Ipad! It's completely transparent, so you can always see the keys underneath, more than twice as thin as a credit card and easily rollable to the side of the iPad when not in use. Magnets on the keyboard’s sides snap it into place to type and snap it to the iPad case for storage. Watch the video and back up the project with a small donation at Kickstarter to help TouchFire's founders, Steven Isaac and Brad Melmon, fund the first production run and bring TouchFire to market!

Real Simple Gifts for Guests by Real Simple

A great and affordable idea from the editors of Real Simple magazine: Fill vessels with bath salts in holiday hues and attach wishes for a relaxing and rejuventating visit!

Selections from the Terence Conran for Marks and Spencer Collection

Here are only a few of my favourite items from the new Terence Conran Collection for Marks & Spencer, a collection which offers consumers amazing design at equally amazing prices! And if you are still trying to find gifts for your friends and relatives, there is nothing that would impress them more than a piece from the designer who has had more impact than any other designer of his generation on everyday life in contemporary Britain! 

Home Decor Envy: Living Rooms

Source: The Design Traveller

Splurge vs. Steal: Leather Shorts

With only 30 days to Christmas, your thoughts have probably started turning to what to wear to this year's Christmas and New Year's parties. And apart from long dresses, sparkling accessories and high heels, there is one more fashion item that should definately be on your list: a pair of black leather shorts! A style staple for winter, leather shorts can be worn with everything - from a plain t-shirt to a strict blazer - and help you achieve an effortless, edgy, rock-style look! Our choices? A wonderful, budget-friendly Joseph pair from TheOutnet and a gorgeous Haute Hippie pair from Net-a-Porter for a sports-luxe spin!

D.I.Y Valentino Sweater from WhoWhat Wear.com

I'm always looking for unique and interesting D.I.Y. projects online and today I'll blog about my latest discovery. Erica Domesek, the D.I.Y. genious of the website "P.S. I Made This", teamed up with the editors of WhoWhatWear.com and re-created a gorgeous, nearly identical Valentino-inspired lace-appliqued sweater which will cost you much less than the original sweater's retail price (i.e. $1.890).... Check out the instructions here , grab a pair of scissors and make room in your wardrobe for the project's final result!

Cyber Monday SALE with "CYBERM2011" Coupon Code - 30% OFF

Enjoy 30 % OFF for three whole days, from Saturday the 26th till Monday the 28th, on all of my shop's items! Yep, Cyber Monday is here and Sacred & Profane Designs celebrates the day that is devoted to promoting online shopping with offering you the coupon code "CYBERM2011". Use the code during checkout and enjoy a generous discount on the products you loved and bought!

Shop Away with Cath Kidston Bags!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday discounts will most probably find you carrying many, many bags filled with gorgeous and discounted goods! But if you want to keep shopping comfortably (not to mention in a way that is friendly to the environment) why not opt for one of Cath Kidston's beautiful, patterned carry-all bags which are large enough to carry everything you'll buy and are easy to carry? Here are my favourites:

1. The Chelsea Rose Carry All Bag

2. The British Birds Carry All Bag

3. The Shooting Star Cotton Book Bag

4. The British Birds Carry All Bag

Happy Thanksgiving!

... with lessons from Aerin Lauder on how to set the perfect dinner table for those you love the most, your family and friends!

ZARA HOME 25 % OFF on November 25th & 26th

 

If you lose me tomorrow, I'll be shopping in front of a computer the whole day! Check out my Zara Home choices for Christmas in this post!

MTV Likes Sacred & Profane Designs!!!!!

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!! Can't believe that one of my posters is in MTV's Buzzworthy Holiday Gift Guide: For Music Fans!!!!! I'll spend the rest of the month with a big, or better, huge smile on my face! Thank you MTV, thank you Etsy and thank you Tania (my sister, who patiently poses for all of my poster photos)!!!

Terence Conran: The Man Who Democratized Design

London's Design Museum is celebrating Terence Conran's contribution to British design in a new exhibition, The Way We Live Now. Conran, who has just turned 80, went from starting Habitat in 1964 to running a design empire that now encompasses restaurants, shops and an architectural practice. He was also one of the founders of the Design Museum. He speaks to Jonathan Glancey about the way he changed the way we live now! You can check some of the exhibition's highlights at Guardian's website. 

Ikea at YouTube!

Just subscribed to Ikeas's YouTube Channel "IKEASmallSpaces" and discovered amazing ideas on how to find and use hidden spaces and choose furniture that does more than one thing!You've got to visit it!

Splurge vs. Steal: The Leather Sleeved Trench Coat

If you need a leather sleeved trench coat (I know I'd like one), check your bank balance and go for the style and price that suits you best!

Splurge trench: Burberry from Net-a-porter.com

Steal trench: W118 by Walter Baker from TheOutnet.com

Two Pies in One (Pie Pan)

...with the Split Decision Pie Pan, a simple yet innovative product which you can find at The Spoon Sisters (retail price: $18)! It 's perfect for the indicisive ones or for those families who can't make a unanimous decision when it comes to baking their Sunday pie! This ingenious pan includes two inserts for creating either a traditional full size pie, or two halves. Make two sweet halves at once - apple or blueberry - or make one savory and one sweet. After all, why would you bake one pie when you can have two at the same time?

Jonathan Adler Arrives at Philadelphia!

The talented potter and designer Jonathan Adler opens a store in Philadelphia that offers his range of amazing products for the home - everything fom pottery to furniture to pillows. And he's happy to discover that the city he loves is loving him back!

The Newsstand: December 2011

Not all magazines adopt a holiday-style magazine cover for their December 2011 issue, but the ones that do definately invite me to buy them!

Wish List: Selections from Kelly Wearstler

Until December 25th I will be posting twice week my wish lists from my favourite online shops and pray to receive at least one of these items on Christmas Day! Here are my selections from one of my favorite designers, Kelly Wearstler: one of her books, a brass sculpture, a brass ring and a clutch!

Home Offices I Envy...

Images: Elle Decor Lookbook

Minimal, white and decorated with works of art. This is all I need for my office. Oh yes, and plently of coffee!

Personalized Gifts for the Family!

When it comes to choosing gifts for your family and your close friends, it's always a good idea to go for products that can be personalized with their initials, it makes them so much more special! Here are a few suggestions for the Holiday season that will definately impress them! If you want to purchase one more of these items, click on the following links:

Dabney Lee Salt and Pepper Shakers

Jonathan Adler Monogram Pillow

iPad Leather Case

iPhone Cover

Unboxing Kindle Fire

no, not me...Kindle Fire is NOT available in Europe yet...grrr....! But the L.A.Times technology reporter Nathan Olivarez-Giles lets us know how Amazon's brand new tablet looks and feels like. Have to say that I'm terribly jealous!

Christmas Magazine Covers: Martha Stewart Living

Minimal yet beautiful! I was expecting something more conventional from the Martha Stewart Living magazine and I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised!

My Moo Product Labels!

Do you like my new Moo product labels? They are big, rectangular stickers which I use when packing my posters. I have blogged about Moo before but, honestly, it's one of the relatively few companies I respect and admire. They offer top quality products (stickers, labels, postcards, greeting cards, business cards etc) with a twist: they give us the option of printing a different image on every card/sticker/label in our pack! If you use moo products you will realize that they themselves are a great mean to show off your portfolio, your products and to help people to remember your business! I highly recommend moo.com for your business cards, stickers, greeting cards or labels and I would love to read your feedback after using their services!

All I Want for the New Year....

...is an almost perfect body and an almost perfect soul! Oh yes, and to sell plenty of prints like this one!

Behind the Scenes: Making the Liberty Christmas Windows

Designing and decorating the Christmas Windows of one of the best department stores in the world, Liberty in London, can be quite demanding and stressful. Especially when you have to compete with store like Harrods or Selfridges. This year Liberty releases a short 'behind the scenes' video of their talented Visual Merchandising Team working on creating their Christmas displays ready for the grand unveil!

Do you Book-Marc?

Meaning, do you visit and shop from Marc Jacobs' bookstore - yes, bookstore - "Bookmarc"? It's only one year old and it's already the coolest bookstore in New York where you can find Marc Jacobs colored pencils in a minimal modern case, postcards featuring original art and photography, and affordable Jacobs-branded school supplies. Books? Of course there are books, not to mention some rare coffee table tomes, and as you've probably guessed there are also quite a few in-store book signing events! What kind of events? Those that combine books, fashion and magazines, like yesterday's book signing by Marc's longtime friend and French fashion editrix Carine Roitfeld! 

Under 100: Christmas Decor Selections from Zara Home

 Today I have one more post on affordable Christmas home decor accessories from one of my favorite home stores "Zara Home"! I LOVE the two red and white tea towels!

Blog Feature: Etsy's Design Dot Team

Check out the very interesting blog of Etsy's Design Dot Team which presents talented etsy artists and their creations! Sacred & Profane Designs' products can be found among them!

Studio Sneak Peek

Wonder what's going on in my studio right now? I'm editing photos of the prints that will be available for sale at my etsy shop by the end of this week!

Under 100: Christmas Decor Selections from Ikea

More affordable items for your home's christmas decoration, this time from Ikea!

Guardian: How to make a Tatty Devine Necklace

Are you an avid crafter? Do you love wearing funky jewelry? Then you've got to check out Guardian's article "How to make a Tatty Devine Necklace"! Rosie Wolfenden and Harriet Vine, the women behind cult jewellery label Tatty Devine, explain how to make a 'shrinky' necklace out of old crisp packets! It's a very interesting and easy project for kids and stylish adults!

Under 100: Christmas Decor Selections from Habitat

Almost all of the department stores, the smaller home stores and of course the online shops have now launched their Christmas 2011 collections; and you probably want to buy everything that's available (I know I do). But you can give a festive tone to your home with only a few, affordable items which will cost you less than 100 dollars, euros or British pounds. From my blog I will be presenting my "under 100" christmas decor selections from various online stores during the next four weeks. This week I have found five wonderful items from Habitat!