Lucite for Sore Eyes

Cute without being cutesy, these hairpins remind me of a grown-up version of those plastic barrettes everyone had in the seventies. Plus, this is one of my favorite colors. These are from snapcrafty.com, which also has some fantastically cute jewelry, all made from vintage lucite pieces and the like.

It's Never Too Late

Who doesn't want to be a girl detective? I first learned the meaning of "titian-haired" while reading about Nancy's adventures, and there's still a part of me that wishes I could spend my days sleuthing around old mansions with hidden staircases, driving my blue roadster, and ignoring the advice of my elders in pursuit of the truth. If you can't get enough Nancy, this Wikipedia article will remind you of the good old days: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew

Glass Houses

I wish I were redecorating and needed glass tiles. (And that I had unlimited funds for my redecoration schemes). Then, I could buy some of these gorgeous tiles from Oceanside Glasstile. Oh, and p.s. they're made with up to 85% recycled glass. www.glasstile.com

Food for Thought

You know, life's not just about cute shoes and great chocolate. No, really. Which is why I am so excited about having a local chapter of Dining for Women. Dining for Women is a giving circle that helps women and children in developing countries. Translation: once a month, a bunch of very cool and interesting women of all ages come to my house, bringing with them (a) something yummy and (2) their checkbooks. We eat, have great conversation, and at the end of the evening, we learn about the program designated to receive our donations that month. Then, we give whatever we might have spent on eating out to Dining for Women, which collects money from chapters nationwide and sends it to that month's charity. We started the chapter in November, and we have already helped support micro-credit programs in Africa and Guatemala, and a women's shelter in Iraq. If you don't have a chapter in your area, it's very easy to start one. Just check out www.diningforwomen.org!

Fired Up

Despite the pretentious, unpronounceable name, this chocolate is fantastic. Don't miss the Red Fire and Black Pearl chocolate bars. The Red Fire bar combines two of my favorite things -- cinnamon and hot chiles -- for an unexpected flavorful delirious mouth tingling sensation explosion. And the Black Pearl is pretty good, too. This chocolate isn't fair trade certified, and since I prefer my chocolate products *not* be produced using child slaves, I asked and was assured that the owner "is constantly sourcing single-origin chocolates to create products where we know specifically where the beans are grown and how the people are treated within the agricultural cropping." I'm not sure about the syntax, but it seems to indicate that there's no child slavery involved. So enjoy with a clear conscience! www.vosgeschocolate.com

Parker's Posies

The first time I saw a Kim Parker piece was in the bathroom of a local Thai restaurant. I liked it so much, I actually considered offering to buy it right off the wall. Then, I read about her in Home magazine's September 2006 issue, and realized there was a whole slew of Kim Parker products I couldn't afford. Sadness! But a few weeks ago, I found this print on sale at (don't tell anyone!) World Market, and it has now found a home over my couch, where it is just perfect.

You Know It's True

Everyone knows that the more obscure a beauty product is, the better it is, which is why Septodont hand lotion is my favorite. Delicate, clean soapy smell, superquick absorbency, lightweight yet protective. And practically impossible to get. I get mine from a friend at the dentist's office, which is where I discovered it, but this looks like a promising source:

http://www.newlinemedical.com/Sept_cream.html

Why Didn't We Think of This Sooner?

There are few things more disgusting than the feel of a cold, wet shower curtain clinging to your naked flesh, even if the shower curtain is perfectly clean. Which mine is not. There, I've said it! Judge not, lest ye be judged. Some clever person figured out a way to keep that from happening when they invented (drumroll) the *curved* shower curtain rod. I can't wait to get mine online -- I may just have to stop by Lowe's and get one tonight.

Oprah, Save Us!

In the last couple of months, I've developed a burning desire to read poetry. What does this mean? Is poetry the new book club? I don't know, but here's one of my favorites.

Dream Song 14

Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so.
After all, the sky flashes, the great sea yearns,
we ourselves flash and yearn,
and moreover my mother told me as a boy
(repeatingly) "Ever to confess you're bored
means you have no

Inner Resources." I conclude now I have no
inner resources, because I am heavy bored.
Peoples bore me,
literature bores me, especially great literature,
Henry bores me, with his plights & gripes
as bad as Achilles,

who loves people and valiant art, which bores me.
And the tranquil hills, & gin, look like a drag
and somehow a dog
has taken itself & its tail considerably away
into the mountains or sea or sky, leaving
behind: me, wag.

Passportends

Why didn't I keep my passport up-to-date? Now I'm going to be one of the 16 million Americans trying to get a passport in 2007 (a record high). I'm determined to go somewhere this year. And Akron, Pennsylvania doesn't count.

One Night in Bangkok

I always thought of chess as a kind of nerdy, intellectual game. Now I find myself wanting to play. Well, maybe that's not such a stretch after all.

Brazilian Good Things

I haven't actually found a good way to buy these online -- I've been dependent on getting them from people who are in Brazil. It's a good reason to move there, actually. It's a creamy cashew filling inside of a thin wafer and covered in milk chocolate. Not to mention the fabulous hot pink wrapper and the weird name (literally "Dream of Waltz").

Havaianas

It's freezing here (freezing = below 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and I'm already thinking about summer. Flip-flops, iced tea, and a hammock. These will be the flip-flops of choice. www.brazilyellowpages.com

Unique Up On It

One of the coolest people I know, Sharon, has this great fair trade company that makes the cutest bags ever. I don't have this bag yet (it's part of the Spring Collection) but I've been pestering her about it for months now. If you're not into flowers, she has a great selection of stripes and batik fabrics, too. www.uniquebatik.us

Pining for You

While I haven't completely given up my obsession with violet based fragrances, the love has waned somewhat. Maybe it's the wreath on my front door -- I never realized that pine could smell like candy -- but I picked up an "evergreen" scented candle, and combined with the Creamy Nutmeg fragrance from Bath & Bodyworks (my inner fragrance snob cringes at the name!), it makes my house smell fantastic.

Color Me Yellow

It may not be possible for a human being to own a color, but if it were, this is the color I would buy first. There it is, third from the top. Not quite mustard, not quite gold. My dining room is this color and something about it makes you want to make yourself at home and stay awhile. I also have a one of a kind, gorgeous bracelet from Unique Batik in shades of this yellow. I got the last one from Sharon, thinking I would buy it for myself, but somehow a customer found it and bought it. I was pretty sad, but managed to survive by focusing on other things (like -- where can I find the perfect flats in this color?). Then, it came back to me! Unbeknownst to me the customer returned it, and my assistant manager gave it to me for Christmas. I love that girl!

Not Finn-ished With Marimekko

If I had been able to find any way to fit this fabric into my home decor, I would have somehow justified the price. Sadly, it just didn't work. Maybe you can use it, and let me live vicariously. This image is from www.finnstyle.com but the fabric is available at various sites.

Ring Around the Zinnias

Of course, it's currently sold out, but I love this Ivory Zinnia Ring. It's from www.thecarrotbox.com, which also has some great shopping links.

Inexplicable

Why do I suddenly find myself with the desire to have a bird call on my keychain? I don't know, but I do. This one is from www.silvercrowcreations.com.

Bee In My Bonnet

I love these glasses. I love them so much, I almost don't want to tell you about them because I want to be the only one who has them. They are from La Rochere, the oldest glass company in France, founded in 1475. The design has a simple elegance but doesn't take itself too seriously; the bees have a kind of whimsical charm. They're heavy enough that you don't feel like they'll break if you look at them wrong, but the glass is quite clear. I lucked out and found mine at a local discount department store, but www.cheftools.com seems to have a good selection.

What Care I For My New Wedded Lord?

Normally, I'm not a huge raspberry fan. But lately, it seems to be a thing. It all started with Zhena's Gypsy Tea Raspberry Earl Grey. Twenty-two "elegant sachets" (read: round tea bags with no string and therefore no easy way to get them out of the cup once the tea is brewed) come in a cute tin you'll want to keep out on the counter so that everyone will know how incredibly cool you are. When you open the tin, the delicate, sweet smell of raspberries mingled with the zingy bergamot drifts out, and it smells so great, you might be tempted to stand around with your nose in the tin. I won't tell if you don't. As though the cute tin, great smell, and delicious tea weren't enough, there's also the fact that it's gypsy tea. And as everyone knows, gypsy tea is way better than regular tea.

Did I mention that it's fair trade?

The website is www.gypsytea.com.

(Bow) Wow! Cool Pet Tag

Even dogs deserve a little style. Note that I resisted the urge to entitle this post "Doggy Style."

I would include a picture of my dog Blue in his uber-cool customized pet tag, but then you would want to come steal him, and that simply wouldn't do. Get your own dog! And when you do, this is the tag you'll want. Recycled, hand-made, and supercool.


http://st43.startlogic.com/~byhandgo/tags.html

Only Fair (Trade, That Is)

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't include some Ten Thousand Villages products. I'm sad to say the picture doesn't do this beautiful tablecloth justice. But that's okay -- it's a good excuse for you to visit your local Ten Thousand Villages store.

Not only is this a gorgeous piece of hand-painted fabric, it also provides work to artisans in India. So while you're dining on this tablecloth, a family across the globe gets a meal because you bought their handicrafts.

You can get it on www.tenthousandvillages.com, but if there's a store near you, check it out. You'll be glad you did.

Granny Earrings

Why do these little granny earrings call out to me? I don't know, but they do. And not in a granny voice. In an irresistable, lilting tone that says, "Buy me, and everyone will want to be just like you!"

If they say the same thing to you, you can find them at:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5186576