Sometimes I feel like this woman: spewing things out of my mouth, wrapped up in knots or just sad with my heart caught in my throat. These beautiful and expressive tea cups are each hand drawn by Buenos Aires artist Irana Douer and sold exclusively through Makool Loves You. Makool is my favorite online boutique of late. Check out owner Anisa’s clothing line available there as well, love love love it.

This just might be the greatest blanket of all time and could potentially solve the blanket hogging issues in my house. Leave it to those Scandinavians residing is the remote and chilly Iceland to come up with this warm and wooly Twosome Blanket. Vik Prjónsdóttir is one of the oldest and best known knitwear producers in Iceland using 100% Icelandic sheep wool in all their sustainable products. Their imaginative products have recently become available in the US through Scandinavian Grace in Brooklyn. Thanks Makool Loves You for the link.

I am dying for a beach vacation! We are going to Kauai for our 6 year anniversary but unfortunately I’ll have to wait until September for that. Until then I will fantasize about my outfits and add some gorgeous items like these Matt Bernson sandals from Urban Outfitters to my wish list.

My obsession for letterpress cards has now turned into an obsession with letterpress message posters. It started with my For Like Ever poster and then We Are So Good Together and now I have become an obsessive lurker of Keep Calm Ltd and their limited edition message prints. Founders Lucas & Hayley made quit a splash last year with their reprint of the popular British poster Keep Calm & Carry On from the 40’s. They are now working with several talented artists, illustrators and designers like Douglas Wilson (above) and Hazel Nicholls (below) who create and sell their own hand made screen prints through Keep Calm, all under $50 I might add.

I own lots of bags and I really wish I was one of those people who remembered to switch their bag with every outfit. But I just know if I do that I’ll lose something in the passing of my stuff from one bag to another and I cannot be without my Rose Bud lippy, my hair elastics or my three different sets of keys! That’s why one great bag is essential and thanks to Liana who writes Mixed Plate, I think I’ve found it. Not surprisingly it is another talented Etsy seller, San Francisco based DrikaB. Each one-of-a-kind bag is made from a variety of colorful and durable fabrics with a sturdy jute handle. They are also a very nice price ($55).

I have always loved Japanese design so I was really excited to find out about Tortoise Life in Venice, CA. It is an incredible shop and website selling items from Japanese crafters making items by hand, using traditional techniques. These little stuffed animals made with wood block printed fabric representing the 12 signs of the zodiac caught my eye (2008 is the year of the mouse). Another unique item are these stone mugs. The artist actually picks the stones from the ocean floor to use as the handle. Simple and beautiful.

My friend and new Mom, Mallory Parkington sent me this link to Cocoon Couture and their adorable and durable bean bags. Each bean bag is made of 100% cotton pinwale corduroy with cute vintage fabric applique’s, available in a variety of colors and critters. They are $129.95. I’ve always wanted a bean bag, do you think I’m too big for these?

One of my favorite jewelry designers Amy Bengtson is having a SALE TODAY, all jewelry is 20% off!  Just in time for Valentines Day.

Dear Martin,

You stole my heart the instant I discovered you on your creator’s blog Sweet Nellie. I first fell for your irresistible smile and the heart on your rump but it was that stylish hat and scarf combo that made me swoon. I had visions of us taking a romantic gondola ride through the canals of Venice sigh*. Alas you have already found a home and I’m sure they will love you as dearly as I would have.

Fortunately for all of us Martin has some equally adorable friends. Winkworth and Head Scarf Hettie both handmade with love and care by Trish Millener are available on her Etsy shop Sweet Nellie.

Gosh darn I love these paper cut sculptures by Sanfran67! I would not object if the hub-eroo splurged and bought me one for Valentine’s Day. P.S. I really like the deer design.

A couple of years ago while on a hike with Tia we were bitching about life when I remembered a great piece of advice Haley’s BFF Alison had given her. She said when you’re having a crappy day and you feel like being mean just remember You are a Queen, so “Wear Your Crown”. Tia loved it so much that she had a plaque made for Haley and me by the lovely and Queenly clay artist Rae Dunn. It was really perfect that Rae made them for us because her work has such a childlike, whimsical nature. Rae creates more than these little plaques she also creates beautiful vases, bowls and plates. You can find her work at her new studio Fourth & Clay in Berkeley or her Etsy site. If you ask nicely she just might make you beautiful Queen (or King) your own reminder to Wear Your Crown!

Are these handsoaps creepy or cute? Created by Marie Gardeski who originally made them for an art project at Cranbrook Academy of Art these little soap hands have become the latest novelty item to take off in the design world. Made out of goat milk and glycerin you can buy a bag of ten little hands in a range of sizes and colors for $17 on Marie’s retail site Foliage. I showed Billy and he likes em, guess you’ll be seeing some baby handsoaps if you visit our house!

Lucky you! Echo Design, a family owned biz for 85 years has some really cute beach wear that won’t sink your walleroo. Check out these cotton beach cover ups for $68 and this fun terry hat for $30. My fingers are crossed that this year we really will go back to Kauai!

I loved sifting through my Mom’s recipe box growing up. I loved her flowing handwriting and the tea stained cards splattered with dough and other unknown food particles and I’d imagine having my own recipe box someday when I was a grown-up. Unfortunately now that I am a grown up I’ve realized I am too scatter brained and impatient to organize my recipes. But if I ever did get around to transferring my pile of printed recipes from Epicurious, which currently reside in a big sticky pile on top of the fridge, I would imagine these monogrammed boxes from Jack and Lulu might be just thing to motivate me. $50 bones each.

Sorry I’ve been slow to post, we just got power back today after 4 days of no electricity!! Living by candlelight was kind of romantic and it was pretty peaceful at night with no TV or computers to distract us but having no heat killed the romance pretty quickly. Thankfully I woke up at 2:30am today to the glorious sound of the heat turning on!

So back to blogging. The always inspiring Design Sponge turned me on to this gorgeous tableware by local San Francisco artist Lisa Neimeth. Her whimsical plates, bowls and platters are in such warm colors and have a rustic quality I really like. They look like something you might uncover on an archaeological dig. One of the recurring images she impresses into the thick California clay she uses is that of “the Drowning Charlotte–an early 20th century porcelain figurine that was baked into cakes. Whoever got the slice with the Charlotte had a year of good luck.” Now who couldn’t use a little bit of luck with their cake, I’ll take 2 please.

This print called “Max & Jules” by artist Geneviève Gauckler makes me laugh. I can’t remember how I came across Product of God but they have lots of great crazy, cool and affordable limited edition prints by some of the top contemporary graphic artists and illustrators, they even have a print by Beck. It’s a cool site, check it out!

Sweet find via Figments, another great online retailer. Shinzi Katoh Design is the Japanese design and manufacturing company of artist designer Shinzi Katoh. He produces his unique designs on tote bags, fabric and these aluminum bottles. If you don’t already have a Sigg bottle and are looking for an eco-friendly option for carrying your water then I would highly recommend one of these bottles. Here is what Shinzi says about his products: “We call these goods ZAKKA that make people feel happy and exist like comfortable air. This is what we always keep in our heart when we create new designs”. Beautiful.

A pink pig flying through the air on a whale, does it get any cuter? These amazing animobiles from Blabla are just a sample of the adorable designs by Florence Wetterwald all handmade by Peruvian women. Flo and her BFF Susan traveled to Peru in 2001 where they found entire villages of expert knitters making colorful finger puppets from old wool sweaters. Inspired by these women Flo has designed an incredibly bright and fun line of knitted items made from natural fibers all grown in Peru. I’ll never look at a finger puppet the same again. Prices start at $42 for the animobiles

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