Taking it to the yard!

Some cool things to help you take advantage of the nice weather and take your food outside to the yard, patio, or pool. Enjoy!

Everybody loves a caddy! This one is very nice and has a very cute pattern. For knives, spoons, and napkins.
Flatware Tote Along
$42.00
The Merry Martini

For your caddy! So that if the fork gets dropped in the yard and then gets stepped on it will disintegrate into the ground instead of lying in wait as some sort of mowing disaster. Just sayin'.
Fork, Knife and Spoon Set
$8.00
Branch

A little bit of elegance to take your buns and condiments out to the picnic table. Some people may give you that look, but it will look awesome and YOU will be happy. Plus it isn't too expensive.
Chocolate Brown Large Melamine Serving Tray
$28.00
Plasticland

I have seen this goblet done with a Corona or a Sal bottles and, to be honest, I was a little "meh" about them. I am not big on beer (or Corona iconography). This goblet, however, I love. I love the color, even the wheat imagery on the side, made of Grolsch bottles.
Grolsch Goblets (2 pack)
£11.99 (about $18.50 US)
Nigel's Eco Store

A pretty Warhol butterfly dish for your sliced tomatoes and onions for burgers, a pile of pickles, or other patio nibbles. For the price, you can buy 23! ...or 2.
Butterfly Appetizer Plate
$1.50
CB2

A better alternative for paper plates (and taking your china outside). Disposable bamboo plates! These plates are great because they can be thrown in the compost heap when everyone is done! And they are not bad to look at either.
All-Occasion Veneerware Bamboo 11" Plates
$10.95 for 8
Greenfeet

One part of me thinks that it would disturb me to watch this guy melt into nothing, the other part really hates to get bug bites in the arch of my foot. That part (the second part) wins out with this one. A bright blue gnome who gleefully sacrifices himself in the name of a mosquito and no-see-ems free dinner in the yard.
Giant Gnome Citronella Candle
$12.50
Plasticland

Wood is Wonderful

New obsession - wood.

I took a trip to Terrain (Urban Outfitters' new garden range) a couple of weeks ago and was struck by this large wooden planter that was nearly as tall as I am. Well, not literally struck, you would be not reading this if that were the case, but I was taken with its texture and its warmth.

My personal aesthetic often skews towards melamine and porcelain, but I feel myself shifting to the more natural beauty of wood. So today I bring you things made of lovely, warm, wood. Enjoy!

A nice bold wood bangle for your arm. This would look awesome with just about anything, I think.
Accordion Wooden Bangle
$9.99
Urban Outfitters
A beautiful bud vase for you daily wildflower picking. If you are in to that sort of thing.
Mango Wood Vase
$148.00
Anthropologie

I am very close to getting too knick-knack-y in my decorating, but I love this bird. Perched atop books about George Nakashima, precious.
Wood Bird
$48.00
Three Potato Four

This just makes we want to have a nice cup of coffee....in Paris. Classic and warm, this would even feel at home in my Swedish Modern living room.
French Cafe Coat Hook
$52.00
P.O.S.H. Chicago

"It's log, log...it's big, it's heavy, it's wood..." Sorry. A wonderful natural (bark free) log to use as a stool or occasional table. "Everyone wants a log!" or a stump in this case (semantics).
Tree Stump
$225.00
mxyplyzyk

I can't describe how much I love this. Now I am not sure how drinking out of wood would be different than drinking out of china (which always tastes better) but I will give it a try.
Keyaki Wood Tea Cups
$40.00 for a set of 4
Rare Device

Lemonade

When life gives you lemons make lemonade...right? So, when people give you trash why not make some awesome design out of it. Enjoy! I love this board because it is made out of re-purposed trash, naturally, but also because it seems to have much better functionality than a normal thin cork board. I love that you can slide things in between the paper "board" so things stand out giving them some emphasis...I am thinking awesome tickets to an upcoming summer tour - w00t!

Pulp Recycled Bulletin Board
$28.50
Delight

I saw this Hommin trash can a while back on one of my favorite blogs but I couldn't for the life of me find where you could buy it - well, here it is! The design is brilliant, and it will help you reuse your plastic bags.
Clothespin Trash Can
$18.00
Mxyplyzyk

Sometimes the best design is the one that already exists. A cool ceramic cup with silicone lid. For your tea, coffee, or whatever.
Not a Paper Cup cup
$22.50
Paper Source

ABCZ

I love all things related to type. I frequently enjoy a cool blog called - interestingly enough - I love typography , and I spend WAY too much at time at work looking for just the right font (I am generally a Garamond girl.)

So today I have collected for you some cool type related gifts. Enjoy!
This post is inspired by a list by revolutionarygirl for ThisNext.

I really dig this print. Simple and beautiful with just the right amount of color. I hope it inspires you to write...and love every minute. [via: poppytalk]
ABC Love Print
$45.00 16x24
Made By Girl

For a quirky yet natural touch to your bedside table or shelf.
Carpenter Wood Letters & Numbers
$8.00 each
Three Potato Four

I have been fighting (unsuccessfully) the urge to do a plate collage in my kitchen or dining room. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but they have been used so often and presented in nearly every iteration imaginable that they are practically cliche. This plate makes me say "who cares if it's cliche?" Not me. [via: poppytalk]
Antique Platter with K Monogram
$75.00
Kelly Wilson Antiques

I have been wanting to post this for a while. I think it is just the joy of the idea that such a small thing can be given the time to be so be made so beautiful. This is a perfect gift for your favorite needle artist.
The Small Object Needle Case
$9.00
Rose and Radish

I think of this as a periodic table of design. When you can't (for the life of you) remember who designed the Wiggle chair (Frank Gehry.)
Design classics alphabet poster
by BlueAntStudio.com
$35.00
Supermarket

Mom

This year for Mother's Day I have picked items which come together to set the perfect stage for a nice chat with your mom. I figure, a mom would rather have some quality time to really get a handle on what is going on with you than another potted hydrangea (especially when she has never had the heart to tell you that she hates hydrangeas.) So this year, give her some time (and some cookies)!

Stay at the front of your mom's brag book with this exquisite orchid in a clever tree stump container. So she can't claim that you never send her flowers.
Paphiopedilum Orchid
$79.95
Martha Stewart for 1-800-Flowers

Everyone - especially your mom - deserves a super fancy cookie every so often. Make her feel like a queen with these French-style macaroons.
16 (8oz) French-Style Macaroons
$32.00
Dean & Deluca

The perfect plates to serve up those super fancy cookies.
notNeutral Gilt Plate Set
$50.00
Rare Device

Sip some tea or coffee while you chat and nibble on yummy treats. They also go nicely with the plates.
Amelia Espresso Cup & Saucer
$18.00 each
Anthropologie

Give your mom the tool to make coffee in timeless style. Give her Chemex! She will love you always (with or without the super cool coffee maker).
Chemex Ten Cup Classic Series Glass Coffeemaker
$37.90
Chemex

Blossom

In celebration of spring (at last) a few things in honor of the lovely, fleeting cherry blossom. Enjoy!

Lovely lights take the form of a branch of blossoms.
Via Loki22f on ThisNext.
Cherry Blossom Branch With Decorative Flower Lights
£16.00 (about $32.00)
Graham & Green

Pretty porcelain vase with a raised blossom motif.
Porcelain Cherry Blossom Vase
$26.00
Jayson Home & Garden

Beautiful blossom ring. This is my favorite.
Crystal Blossom Ring by Rebecca Berry Jewelry
$38.00
Plasticland

How cool is this? Glasses that leave cherry blossom "rings" on your table cloth. Set of two glasses.

Sakurasaku
$60.00
Charles & Marie

Sweet little cherry blossom earrings.

Pink Sakura Earrings
$4.00
Sakura Kitty Creatives

I love this shirt.

Asian Floral cherry blossom vintage art black V neck
$28.00
Ahpeele

Things for your Stuff

Some quick picks of storage solutions for some of your stuff. Random, I know. Enjoy!

I would put this in my pantry next to my "Cake" box and my jar labeled "Rocks." OK, that was a horrible joke, but I do love the clean lines of this tea box.
Le Bistro tea box
$24.95 AUD
Whiteport

A whimsical burst of color comes with this ornate cast metal money boy. These days every penny you save counts. In which case I suppose a jar will work just as well, but this is pretty. It has a rubber stopper on the bottom and also comes in peony (above) or white.
Money Box
$79.00
Brocade Home

I guess you could stash whatever you like in here, but anger is not good to carry around. Here is my suggestion - write down what is making you angry and put it in this jar, let it go...If it is still bothering you a week later then you may have to address it - otherwise it will likely just make you laugh. One of Jonathan Adler's awesomely petulant designs.
Anger Jar by Jonathan Adler
$75.00
Charles & Marie

I saw one of these boxes on Three Potato Four a few months back and they sold out super fast. Here is series 4 for our enjoyment. I just love their rustic character and the number label. I picked 8 because it is my favorite. Each are one of a kind.
Wooden Box Series 4 - #8
$70.00
Three Potato Four

Tucking Allison In

I have this squirrel obsession lately. I know I have been posting a lot of squirrel themed items. The funny thing is I don't even really like squirrels. I mean I like cute and/or plush squirrels, I suppose, but the real ones creep me out. I would never hurt one, and I like seeing them frolic in my backyard. ("Allison" happens to be a blond squirrel that frequents my yard who recently lost her tail...poor Allison.) But I am the most happy when they keep their distance. I am sure it is mutual.

I have decided to put the whole squirrel "thing" to bed with one last blockbuster squirrel post. I will not guarantee that I will never post anything about a squirrel again, but I will promise to try to skip over these items from now on...at least for a while. Enjoy!

This is a lovely print, but it sort of illustrates why I like squirrels to stay over in their corner of the yard chewing on that nut. They have this innocent look, I guess, but they look as if they may just want to scratch you any minute. I realize that this is totally irrational.
Squirrel on Green Print
$15.00
Orange Willow

Awww ... how sweet is this? A little squirrel sitting on a log feeding a fawn an acorn. I am not sure if the fawn is injured somehow or just tired. Out of everything in this post this is the thing I would be most likely to get for myself. It is just so odd and is subtly colored. I love it.
"Vintage deer and squirrel ceramic darlingness"
$26.00
Side Dish

A little squirrel bauble. This is one of those cute rings that you can stack to make look like woodland scenes, etc. See Soop's shop page to see what I mean. This is just the lonely little squirrel. I love the style of these rings, but I am so clumsy I would likely cause myself or someone dear to me harm with this thing. That or I would find I had broken the tail off somewhere.
Red Squirrel Ring
$12.00
Soop

The poor little squirrel on this tote looks so worried. Maybe he can't remember where he buried that peanut. Oh that's right...it was in that freshly planted flower pot on that porch....right? This is a nice big bag for all your shopping needs.

Squirrel Large Canvas Market Tote Bag
$22.50
Bobo Junket

For the yard we have this sweet pink pained concrete squirrel. It would look better with some green slime on it, but that comes with time. Maybe she can help protect your container plantings...you know, wig out the real squirrels.
Vintage Cute Shabby Chic Pink Concrete Squirrel Garden Sculpture
$15.00
Rare Bird Boutique

Possible new rodent obsession: hamsters. I had a teddy bear hamster named Sneaker when I was little (RIP). This pillow is very cute. I love the little mushroom in its little paws. I never fed poor Sneaker mushrooms. I rarely fed him anything. Oops. I think I may just let the rodents be at this point. This little cutie comes in four colors.
Hamster Plush
$16.00
Shana Logic

You've Gotta Do What You've Gotta Do

I am a big maker of lists. I find them from time to time after they have exhausted their usefulness, and I wonder what I was thinking, or making, or plotting.

Because of my nearly obsessive list making, I have a tendency to go through (OK - collect) pads on which I can compose my lists. I have found a few clever, and one practical, items to aid in your list writing. Enjoy!

A humorous "Things to do" pad with your first item cleverly included. The first bullet point changes from page to page. Better yet, you can pick your favorite character from Paper Cuts Studio to adorn the front cover (I like Chris best.) Never forget to pick up that prescription, the buttermilk, or spade and smile all the way, enjoying some gummy bears...lots.
Paper Cuts Studio Custom To-Do List Notepad
$5.00
Supermarket

I know, another squirrel, but this one is so cute and he is playing a little guitar. A guitar! What a joyful place to jot your list du jour.
Rock Squirrel Notepad
$6.00
BOYGIRLPARTY

My sister used to sit at our dinner table and regale us with her tales of self-realization. Inevitably, there would come a time in the dialogue where she would state "and then I said to myself, "Self"..." That is what this makes me think of . A clever little pad for your notes to yourself along with a hand check box to verify that you received your message.
Note To Self Pad
$5.50
Knock Knock

Stop cluttering up your desk with dozens of slips of paper (I am talking to myself here) and save some trees (and reduce trash) at the same time! A ceramic tile pad with a white board pen. Perfect to keep track of items as they are exhausted from the pantry and fridge. You can save the paper for a love note.

Ceramic Memo Board
$11.50
See Jane Work

Spring Forward

I am a bit whiny about this, but I swear I feel the lost hour (taken at 2am March 9, 2008) until we get it back in the fall. I know there isn't really an hour missing, but I feel it. Keep track of the correct time with this awesome desk clock. There is no alarm , but the design alone should make you anxious to wake up just to see this clock.!
Riki Watanabe Desk Clock
$120.00
Moma Even though spring is technically still almost two weeks away, today I was reminded of one of the joys of it - rain - and lots of it. Attempt to keep yourself dry with this spring green umbrella! The design on the edges depicts people walking, chatting and carrying umbrellas. I like a nice compact umbrella as much as the next person, but when you need to stay dry there is nothing better than a cane or golf umbrella.
People Umbrella
$10.95
CB2

I love this more than I can say. An ingenious umbrella stand by Swedish Designer Eva Schlidt. Sleek, chic, modern, with a bit of humor added in for good measure. The steel frame cradles your umbrella while the simulated sea sponge collects all the drips. Comes complete with a black umbrella.
Eva Schlidt Umbrella Stand
$150.00
SFMOMA

P.S. Don't forget to turn your clocks forward 3/9/08 before 2am!

Bug Off!

OK, I get 0 points for observation because it took my sister Tizzy to point out that the plate on the cool plastic doily in my last post was covered in bugs. I don't know what I thought they were, maybe the floral-esque pattern it strives to emulate, but not bugs. The realization made my skin crawl a bit.

It is not that I hate bugs...OK, I hate them. I mean, I think they are fascinating creatures, beautiful even, but just the thought if them crawling on me, or my food, is enough to...let's not go there.

But in disgust I have found inspiration, and some other buggy treasures for you (including the aforementioned bug covered plates.) Enjoy!

This is one of those things that I find funny in a whimsical way. A lovely silk pillow screen printed with Victorian inspired floral motifs and flocked Beatles. Nifty. Think of it as inspiration to take the trash out. I actually really love this pillow, I would put in my living room.
Thornback & Peel Silk Pillow Collection, Coffee Beetle
$50.00
2Jane

Here they are...roaches, and snails, and flies - oh my! Wonderfully graphic "Pretty Nasty" plates by Soop Design Ltd., Great Britain. You choose from "Nasty Snails," "Nasty Bettels," or "Nasty Flies." Use them to serve cookies at tea, if you want.
Soop Design Pretty Nasty Plate
$32.00 each
Rose and Radish

I love this. I would definitely add this to my card collection. I know just who I would send them to too. A healthy sized roach with long feelers to gather up all that gossip.
Set of Four Letterpress Cards and Envelopes - Trash Talk
$12.50
Pressa Russa

Cicadas and I have an understanding. They stay out of my way, and I stay out of theirs. But summer would not be summer without them, and they are breathtakingly beautiful creatures. The worst part about them is when they attract those scary huge Cicada killing wasps that are the size of a Mini Cooper. These earrings are beautiful, but I could never wear them.
Cicada Earrings
$22.00
chainchainchained

I Dream of Doilies

I am a doily fan. When I was younger I would always seek out the textile section in resale and antique shops to find the pile of lace usually tucked away in the back. I think they are pretty, and delicate, and they were usually something I could afford. I mostly use them on my dresser under the myriad dishes and boxes I use to store and display my jewelry.

I have gathered for you some doilies in modern applications. I hope you enjoy them!

I revealed in an earlier post that I have a weakness for stylized forms. This definitely falls in to that category, but I also find it sweet and pretty. I would definitely be happy to use this on my breakfast table.
Lightly Lovey Placemat
$45.00
Rose and Radish

Adorn your ears with these lovely lacy filigree earrings. They are nearly dreamy and will add a little elegance to your outfit for your night out or trip to the antique store.
Rosette Filigree Earrings
$10.00
Fred Flare
Thomas Paul has some cool doily plates in his Gothic collection, but I found them too literal for this post. Instead I give you this lovely plate from his Artifacts Dinner Plate Set. They are all wonderfully lacy, but this one just said "doily" to me.
Artifacts Dinner Plate Set
$36.00 for four assorted plates
Thomas Paul
Elsewares

Shelf Worthy

As part of my resolution to better organize the house, we are investing in a wall of shelving for the living room. We have always been remiss in the use of our vertical space, and the stacks of books and magazines are getting out of control. I also have lots of pictures and things I would like to display.

I have a vision for this shelf. It is to be a wondrous wall of beauty laden with books that are almost too interesting not to take a quick look through, with lovely and interesting objects scattered among the books and picture frames. It is a simple vision. Not at all pretentious.

Below you will find some of the things I have been eyeing for our shelves. Enjoy!

A simple rabbit sculpture. Since I was born in 1975. I like the brown one.