Liquid Treat

Al Gore might give you a dirty look, but if you're being honest, it's hard not to contemplate reaching for a handy-dandy paper plate sometime during the summer. Luckily, you can turn over a new leaf with plates made almost entirely from leaves. An inventive company called Verterra collects fallen leaves and turns them into disposable dishes, using little more than water and steam. These stylish plates, bowls and platters are technically reusable, but since they're cheap and 100-percent compostable, you don't have to feel bad about throwing them away.

by Michelle Taute

Think of the Everyday Design exhibit as a free around-the-world plane ticket that lets you explore visual culture in roughly 40 different countries. Rather than culling work from design annuals, it offers a peek at everyday everythings from street signs in Malaysia to the food packages in a Denmark refrigerator. The real-world exhibit runs through August 15 at the AIGA National Design Center in New York, but there’s also a large online component organized by country. Just click on Global Gallery to start your trip.

by Michelle Taute

Visiting the Alien Nature website kind of makes you wish Sigourney Weaver was with you for protection. This online gallery showcases close-up floral photography by Rodrigo Pedrolli and Michael Murphree, and each shot takes on the eerily beautiful persona of an extraterrestrial. These cleverly composed, slightly abstract images feature petals, stamens and pistils that sometimes closely resemble teeth and other menacing elements. Yet the fascinating physiognomies and saturated colors are so mesmerizing, you might not notice your brains are being sucked out until it’s too late.

by Michelle Taute

There are 3191 miles between Portland, Ore., and Portland, Maine, but two women formed a friendship across this distance through photographs. After Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes posted similar images to Flickr, they decided to start a yearlong visual blog that features two photos every day—one from each woman—taken before 10 a.m. This fall these charming juxtapositions will appear in a book called A Year of Mornings from Princeton Architectural Press. But if you need a little instant gratification, take a look at the pair’s new blog, A Year of Evenings.

by Michelle Taute

You might not push a car when its tachometer is in the red, but a fresh coat of paint never hurts. And that's exactly what famed Chicago designer Carlos Segura has done over at the relaunch of CarType. The site covers nearly every aspect of car design, including type (as well as ownership and fandom), with near-daily updates. Find out what the BMW logo symbolizes or indulge in a look at Segura's rides. For the latter, click on the Contact tab, then "take a peek at my toys."

by Michelle Taute

The beauty of hand-lettering lies in inconsistencies, but how can you capture those variations within the confines of type? House Industries seems to have mastered the art of imperfection with the new Studio Lettering collection, which includes three script typefaces and a set of illustrated shapes. The typeface Swing, for example, contextually chooses from three letter alternatives to achieve the best look. Sable, on the other hand, varies the size of consecutively repeating letters in homage to brush lettering in advertising.

by Michelle Taute