Kasia Galazka

“Whisper!” Over the phone, there’s silence, then a low, burbling growl. “Oh, that was good! Did you hear it?” Karen Anderson asks. I laugh, and in that moment, the anxieties of daily life melt away.

Getting lost in the Internet Archive is like climbing into a claw machine filled with toys: At first you’re struck by how wonderful it is to be surrounded by dusty artifacts, but after the newness wears off, you might start yelling for help and trying to get out. Read more

If the rose is the queen of flowers, in 1923, Gustav Schlüter had a kingdom of kingdoms. When the master gardener first founded his German nursery Garten Schlüter, roses were his first love, and the company’s logo continues to be a familiar red swirl to this day. His motto, Unser Garten, Unser Stolz, translates to, “Our garden, our pride.”

Bleep, bloop. “Hallo, mein name ist Pepper.” Step into Future Candy’s office in Hamburg, Germany, and this is how a sleek, white humanoid receptionist—named, you guessed it, Pepper—might greet you.

Cats hiking on a leash, cats sauntering through snow, cats floating on a kayak. On Laura Moss’ and Cody Wellons’ popular Instagram account Adventure Cats (which boasts more than 128,000 followers), wayward kittens know no bounds.

Inside Leela Hoehn’s office, it’s hard not to feel watched. That’s because one of her best sellers is a sturdy spiral bound 12-month planner featuring a giant eye printed in decadent gold on black.