Water marks don't matter

I'm a bit paranoid about getting ring marks on our kitchen's newly-installed wooden counter tops, as well as all the other wooden surfaces in our home. So if you come around for tea, expect me to get all twitchy, until I just can't help myself and I swoop down and slide a coaster under your teacup/mug/wineglass/baby bottle.


My coaster fixation makes me feel awfully uptight, so perhaps I should invest in some of these clever stamp cups by Valeria Miglioli & Barnaby Barford (available at Thorsten van Elten).

The patterns on their bases leave pretty floral patterns that can be organised and arranged into repeats.

It's a great idea, quite reminiscent of last year's Sakurasaku (cherry blossom) glass, designed by Hironao Tsuboi for the 100% Store.

I think I prefer this one, because of the way the blossom is so well integrated into the design of the glass.

Oh, and I just love the machine translation of the Japanese description:

"It is the glass where the flower of the cherry tree blooms in the desk top with the phenomenon of the dew condensation which it occurs in temperature difference inside the air and the glass. " (thanks Oliver Ozoux)