Coochie Coo

There's nothing wrong with enjoying being a baby. Well, unless you enjoy it too much. But for the part of us that wishes we were back in the days of constant coddling, there are a few items to ease the pain of adulthood.

My favorite is the Make-your-own-mobile from blissen.com. This cute mobile with an undersea theme is printed with soy-based ink on recycled paper, so that the grown-up part of you can feel good, too.

And if that leaves you craving more, head over to Etsy to peruse the selection of handmade plushies. Perhaps a squid or an octopus to complement the mobile?

For Those With Man Hands

For the most part, I'm pretty happy with being a girl. There are times when I wish I had the ability to open jars with a single twist, but that's a surmountable problem.


Unfortunately, most girls never get the chance to wear cufflinks. Which is too bad, because these little pieces of man-jewelry can be found in retro, glam and kitschy designs. Pin Up Girl Clothing sells the tattoo inspired number at left, while Kitsch Shop of England carries the Budweiser fridge version below.

You can even find cufflinks with naked ladies or Einstein's face. No matter the style, cufflinks can turn a boring old wrist into a flashy one. Which makes them the perfect accessory to wear while opening jars.

Something Luscious for the Lushes

Rum and Coke is okay, and a Diet Sierra Mist with vodka will do in a pinch, but if you want to up the ante of your drink you must find Stirrings. This newish line of high quality mixers is the best thing to happen to cocktails since little umbrellas. Craving a Peppermintini? Consider it done. Mojitos? Forget the hassle of mixing mint and sugar with cold liquid. And the accompanying line of Rimmers is the perfect pairing for the rim of your margarita.

If your drink still feels too plebian, consider one of Stirrings' specialty ingredients like Bitter Orange. Or, you can track down Essences, a "new frontier in cocktails" which includes Summer Basil. If you still aren't satisfied, well, maybe Diet Sierra Mist and vodka is the drink for you after all.

Essences can be found at Whole Foods and Cost Plus World Market, as well as some liquor stores.

Not Crazy at All

So you aren't a bimbo, and you've never even been to Bombay. But how could you not want this design on your very own shirt? At Going Postal, you wish is granted. Bold, simple, stylish, it's a piece of wearable vintage curio and an ice breaker all in one!


If you'd rather not have the word "bimbo" plastered across your chest, you can check out some of Postal's other designs. They specialize in stamps vintage and exotic, but you can also find shirts of Houdini, pulp magazines, and, um, Texas. Best of all, you can choose from a variety of shirt styles: short sleeve, long sleeve, women's or tank. All you have to do is find the print and cut that suits you, then go out and get the party, or at least the questioning stares, started.

For Lovers, Artists, Foodies

See that happy couple? They're happy because they've discovered the joy of Gourmet Body Paint from Red Envelope. Why they are painting each other's arms and faces, I don't know. If I had a pot of edible body paint, I think I'd be a little more creative. Come on, wouldn't you?

Available in flavors like Creamy Caramel and Succulent Strawberry, the paints would make an excellent gift for everyone's (least) favorite holiday, Valentine's Day. The kit comes with paintbrushes too, so you don't have to scrub out that brush you used to touch up the bathroom wall last spring.

Let the taste testing begin.

Etsy, Otra Vez

Favorite crafty thing of the day:

This fluid, mesmerizing glass sculpture is by turningpointstudio. Looking at it makes me think of the inside of a glacier. It's one of those things that I imagine would make a great gift for a celebrity because it's beautiful, original, and useless. It's also slightly out of my price range, which is why it is still for sale on Etsy instead of holding court over my humble coffee table. But if you've got the dough, head over there now and snatch it up before a friend of the A-list gets the bragging rights.

Shhhhh... Ahhh.

Water pressure is a funny thing. It's never quite the same from shower to shower, which makes each new bathroom an entirely different, and usually uncomfortable, bathing experience. Too much and you feel that skin is being stripped from your body. Too little and you feel like you're using a watering can.

But imagine a shower where the pressure is that of gently falling rain. The Ciel de Pluie (Sky of Pluie) comes to us from France, a country that knows luxury. This "rain shower" isn't your typical overhead faucet. Oh no. This one gives you a full ceiling of cascading water, and a full rain shower treatment.

While indulging in the wondrous rain shower, it's possible that you could forget what a shower is actually for (that would be washing). But thanks to VitaFutura's Lengua curtain, you'll have a helpful reminder of what the average person thinks about in their oh-so-average shower.

iPod=Good; iPod+Cozy=Better

The iPod (whichever one is new this week) is supposed to be an indicator of cool. But with everyone from the third-grader next door to his great aunt Hazel sporting an MP3 player, is there really anything distinguishing about it?

There can be, if you know what to add to it. Not technologically (who needs to watch movies on a 2" screen anyway?), but artistically. Enter the iPod case.


Forget anything sold by Apple. To have your own piece of flair, get a fancy-schmancy one from MOMA (left), or find a handmade one on Etsy. There are a bunch of designer ones out there, from the Gucci/Kate Spade/Vuitton crowd, but those are boring.

If you want to be unique, make your own. See what others have created on Craftster and get instructions too. Or check out the classy ones at Pixel Girl. Then go show that third grader what cool really is.

Pretty Things from Poland

Be honest. You've always wanted a hand-crocheted thong from Poland.

Good news! At koniakow.com, you can choose from a wide variety of tiny undies, all handmade by lace makers in Koniakow, who are "famous worldwide" for their skills. And if you don't believe them, you can read what the Chicago Tribune had to say about the art of lace thong making.

Everything is custom made, so you don't need to worry that a Polish size 8 is an American 2. All you have to worry about is how to work "Oh, my crocheted Polish thong is just sooo comfortable" into the conversation.

Kitchen Cravings

Someday, I will be able to afford the kitchen of my dreams.

It's not that I spend a lot of time longing for more than a working dishwasher. But with technological advances taking over every aspect of our lives, the kitchen is ground zero for domestic hipness. Behold:

You know how sometimes the things you keep in the refrigerator door aren't as cold as you'd like? Thermador's Freedom fridge blows cold air inside the door, keeping that little bottle of Dijon perfectly chilled.

Whirlpool's Polara just may be the next best thing to a housewife. This range (or "oven," as I like to call it) can be set to start baking at a specified time. And then to bake for a specified time. And then to cool down slightly and keep your dinner warm while you finish up Happy Hour downtown. By the time you walk in the door, that frozen lasagne is ready to eat. Can you imagine? It DOES THE COOKING FOR YOU. Truly a thing of beauty.

The microwave was invented as a convenience for lazy people. Smarthome has taken it a step further with the Beyond microwave. Scan in the barcode of the food you wish to heat. Place in microwave. Watch as the machine warms the item to exactly the right temperature. Eat, and fear the robot revolution.

Etsy

Favorite crafty thing of the day:



"Feltris Blocks" sold by theconnor on Etsy


Everyone should know Etsy. I can't figure out why it isn't a household name (in upscale, trendy, cultured houses). Etsy is an online shop where artists and crafters can sell their wares. It's not an auction site like Ebay, and it's super user friendly. Items are organized by category, seller, and even materials used. It's the perfect place to find handmade, one-of-a-kind, looks-like-it-came-from-a-boutique, exquisitely crafted items.

But for now, the site suffers in oblivion. There are plenty of people selling their stuff, but not as many who are buying. For shame. Go there now.

World is Good

There are lots of things in this world that I hate. Genocide? Hate it. Political corruption? Hate it. Bad movies? I really hate those.

But thanks to the magic of the Internet and mass media, I constantly find things that I love. Handmade items, unique stuff, creature comforts that I wish I could afford. These things are usually material, sometimes indulgent, but always clever, beautiful, and innovative. And what better place than a blog to share them with the world. Because sometimes the world is good.