Powered by the letter N

For me to get through a looong day, without any awful mishaps at least, I definitely need to set the ball rolling with an espresso. And to keep me really happy (and well caffeinated) it's just gotta be a short shot of the hot stuff from my Nespresso machine. We have their CitiZ hanging out on the counter, but now I'm a wee bit jealous, since they've just launched Pixie, a compact new machine that can brew a hit of espresso within 25 seconds of being switched on. Oh, and if that's not enough to pique your interest, Nespresso hooked up with a Parisian design crew called 5.5 Designers (seen below monkeying around) for a series of Pixie accessories, including insulated cups inspired by the aluminum coffee capsules.

Hot for coffee [giveaway]

How zonked am I after New York? Don't ask, but if there's one thing that can give me a good kick in the pants to keep a day like today on track, it's a short sweet shot of espresso from my Nespresso machine. I wasn't always a coffee drinker though, nope, as a teenager I was possibly the world's worst barista at a coffee bar in London, see, I only drank tea then, rather than coffee (apologies to anyone and everyone I ever served an awful cappuccino to). On the design front, the latest from Nespresso are the limited edition CitiZdot Paris and New York machines, designed by Sylvia and Lo Toth of Collectif T.O.T., which, I can guarantee you, will always give you a perfect cup of coffee and zero teenage attitude.

[giveaway] Okay, now here's a bit of fun - My friends at Nespresso have offered up the chance for someone to win a CitiZ in Limousine Black (click here to take a look at one)! You're eligible if you live in North America, and all you have to do is sign up for my e-mail newsletter (see that little box under the Subscribe title on the left, that's the spot). Oh, and anyone who's already receiving for the newsletter is automatically entered. Get yourself signed up by 6pm EST on Friday, May 21st, then I'll be randomly picking 1 lucky winner!