Don’t forget, the Fabulous Stationery + decor8 Workspace Contest is fast approaching deadline. Have you entered? Our deadline is 5 p.m. EST on Friday, September 29th – just two days away! Three entries will be chosen to win prizes, click here for details.

Speaking of contests, have you entered Jena’s contest over at Modish? One lucky Modish reader will win a collection of handmade items, all from her sponsors, valued up to $400! For details, click here. Deadline is October 7th! Nice contest, Jena! :)

Also, don’t miss Apartment Therapy’s I’ve Got Color? Contest, all entries should be received no later than Monday, October 16th. This contest not only has a great theme (I can’t wait to see the entries), but AT and CB2 are awarding some amazing prizes – the 1st prize is a $2,500 gift card from CB2. Not too shabby! Click here for details.

Did I miss any other design contests out there? If so, please fill us in with nuggets of wisdom by commenting below. :)

(images from decor8)

Happiness is… A big German cookie! This is a mandelhoernchen, an afternoon snack that we enjoyed yesterday while strolling around. I keep telling myself that I’ll only eat like this for a few more days, then it’s back to salads and grilled chicken and fish again… There is no way I can eat like this for two months straight. We’re purposely not renting a car for this reason, so we can walk and eat. :)

A woman who lives directly across from us, she is also on the 4th floor, has a fitness studio in her flat. Each day, I see her stretching, drinking tea, and leading group classes in her gigantic flat. It looks like they are doing pilates. Hmmm. Maybe I should go over there take a class with her. It certainly would help curtail my chances of growing out of my clothes while I’m here. :)

Back to happier thoughts… Like eating mandelhoernchen.

(images from decor8)

What’s not to love about a textiles and wallpaper company (soon to add lighting, pillows + more!) with a name like Timorous Beasties? The quirky name actually comes from the Robert Burn’s poem, “To a Mouse”, but there is more to this design house than a funny name. Known for “provocative and surreal” designs, Timorous Beasties of Glasgow was founded in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, who met as students at the Glasgow School of Art. They got started by designing wallpapers and textiles for other companies, and like most creative types, desired to manufacture designs on thier own, along with special commissions, and recently opened a shop in Glasgow.

Their approach? Purely experimental in both hand-printing and machine production. Their aesthetic? Constantly evolving from naturalistic images of insects, plants and fish in their entomology collection; to a more contemporary graphic style which, as their Glasgow Toile illustrates, explores social and political issues. I’m not a huge toile fan, but I love their London Toile shown below and would use it in my own home.

Don’t miss their chic pillows, lighting, and rugs, too. All coming soon!

(images from timorous beasties)

Paula at Henry Road gave me a heads up regarding her latest adds for Fall/Winter ’06. She wanted to give decor8 readers a chance to see them before the official launch. Here’s what Paula had to say about the Fall/Winter collection, “The new additions essentially comprise three new designs in yummy chocolate, caramel and black with blue thrown in. Designs are Circles, Waves and Flowerfield and they are designed to blend with the existing line.”

Paula has new products too, “In terms of products, aside from new pillows and tablecloths, I have added a cool new tote, some laminated zipper bags which would make great gifts and for those who want to keep track of to-dos and dreams, there are four notebooks with 100 blank pages inside and great printed covers.”

Shop Henry Road online towards the end of next week; new products will be listed on the site at that time.

Thanks for writing in, Paula!

(images from henry road)

If you’re a shop owner, you should definitely consider Rice out of Denmark as a potential line for your store. They only seem to be carried at retailers here in Europe, so perhaps you can be the first to bring them to the states. Tableware, items for the kitchen (sweet tea tins), jewelry, totes, blankets…I viewed most of their wares yesterday at Esplanade and was quite impressed with the look and feel of everything, great quality and prices, too. I especially loved the dreamy pastel colors (lots of blue and pink) and the vast array of vintage-y prints that they use – especially their totes and bags. My personal favorite is the blue travel bag with the metallic trim – so cute.

You can view their entire collection online or contact them directly for more information. Sorry, they do not have an online store, nor do they sell to individuals. Here’s their current list of retailers.

(images from rice)