Beautiful Birdies

How cute are these? Four standard measuring spoons hand cast in lead free pewter and topped with four beautiful birdies! The birds come perched on a copper display rack so they make a fantastic addition to any kitchen wall! Check out more cool kitchen gear by the Bee Hive Kitchen HERE.

Uncorked!

I love a nice glass of wine in the evening, especially on my patio on a warm summer night. But, since I cannot drink all day, I will settle for one of these really clever and cute pendants and earrings from natural whole corks. Handcrafted by Uncorked, each necklace comes with a larger cork with an illustration or photograph (often quite whimsical) and a smaller cork with a corresponding saying. Plus, each piece of jewelry comes in a really cool test tube...just waiting to be uncorked! Check out all the designs HERE.

Cool Site of the Week--Struts

Since the warm weather is officially here, I am finally wearing my slingbacks, mules, wedges and sandals. One of my pet peeves (and most other women's too!) though is the constant pulling of my pant hem out from under my heel with every step I take...Out Ease Struts is the perfect solution to end this problem once and for all. Now, I have used other brands in the past, but these are the best ones because of the ease of usage. No ironing or sewing into the pant hem...simply peel the Strut from the backing and press firmly into place at the bottom back center of your pants. They curve to the form of the natural pant hem and are undetectable. The effect: the pant leg stays taut so that it won't get caught in the area between your heel and shoe. Genius! Only $12.95 for a package of 5 pairs...Trust me, you will be getting a pair for every pair of pants you wear!! Get yours HERE.

Lights Out

Wow. This fabulous lamp by Funky Baubles is handcrafted from an apple gourd. Yes, an apple gourd! Finished with metallic red paint and embellished with red and green glass beads, this is such a cool addition to any household! Funky Baubles...indeed! See more interesting lamps made from other gourds HERE.

The Man's Bar

These Boozy McGee Nesting Dolls by Belles Lettres are a hilarious gift to give the man in your life! I whimsical twist on the old-fashioned and traditional Russian nesting dolls, these are a fun and totally unique item to add to any bar! See more designs HERE.

The Sixth Day of Christmas

Six geese a laying or a cool leather bound journal by My Handbound Books. I have been keeping a journal for over 25 years, so this would be a cool one to keep my thoughts in. I love the lime green suede, but there are also some amazing leather ones that are just so cool looking.

Cool Site of the Week--Pants Stay Put

I am definitely a shoe person. I love my mules, my sling backs, my backless sandals...I hate, however, when they get caught on my jeans, trousers, wide leg pants. You know what I am talking about don't you? When the back of the pants gets caught between the heel of your foot and your shoewear? Ugh. The constant tugging at the bottom of my pants takes away the chic factor of anything I am wearing almost instantly. So, I cannot tell you how excited I was to come across this absolutely ingenious product called Pants Stay Put. Easy to use: 4 of the iron-on pouches (2 per leg) are ironed onto the back hem of the pant leg for a secure bond. Then, you insert a pant stick (reminds me of a collar stay for those of you that have significant others that wear dress shirts to work) into the pant stay pouch. It is truly amazing...it keeps the back of the pants taut and away from the back of the shoe. I love this product. For any women who has experienced this problem, Pants Stay Put will be a godsend to you! Check out their website HERE to order yours!

Cool Site of the Week--Placetile Designs

Placetile Designs is a very unique company that offers tablewear, gifts and place cards. The uniqueness comes from the fact that all of the pieces are created from fine ceramic that can be written on with a dry eraser pen. Thus, the pieces can be used over and over again. Some of my favorite items are the Menu tiles (what a fun, hip, and elegant way to announce what dinner will be), napkin rings (perfect for letting everyone know where to sit) and the Babysitting tile (saves time from rewriting notes to the babysitter.) I love when people come up with cool ideas...that still look elegant. These are just so much nicer than those dry eraser boards!! And, Placetile Designs will be donating 5% of all proceeds from the Hats Off place tile (pictured below, and how perfect for a baby shower!), to the Susan G. Komen foundation!!

Coffee Break

I need, need, need my coffee in the morning. Lots of cream. Lots of sugar. And, now, I can have my coffee as pretty as it is sweet! Check out these hilarious, cute, slightly sexy (in a tongue in cheek sort of way) coffee corsets by Jenn Gee. Available for $8.50 in a ton of different fabrics and ribbons, this is the perfect gift to give anyone who likes their morning (or afternoon or night!) cup of joe. I actually bought these three that are pictured (how great is the lizard one!), but you can check out all her styles HERE.

Going Bananas

How cool is this? A banana shaped case to protect your bananas from getting bruised. Another fabulous find from Firebox, this is available for $8.95. The perfect idea to stop you from going...er, bananas!!

Penny For Your Thoughts

I have kept a journal since I was 10 years old. I write in it every day, some posts long, some just short jots about my day. At the end of the year, I store it away. Since I am 36 years old, I have 26 journals tucked away. 26!! My husband asks what I will do with them and I figure that maybe one or both of my daughters will be interested to know about my life and read them one day. I already have my journal for 2007, but how I wish I had found these gorgeous journals by Tobi Woods before I started this year! Really, just the perfect little book to keep your thoughts, doodles, or grocery lists! Available in 16 different themes and colors with brightly colored text weight paper inside, I especially liked the colors and prints on the Bloom, Bulb, and Flower journals. And, they are only $12 each!! Tobi also makes fabulous notecards, magnets and wall art which feature her signature abstract floral designs on bright bold colors.

Breath Palette Kit

This is one of the coolest products I have come across in a long time!! Invented in Japan and now available exclusively at Firebox, Breath Palette is a naturally derived line of flavored toothpastes that will change the way you look at brushing your teeth. Available in 20 different (and when I say different, I really mean it) flavors, this product is simply ingenius. There are 4 palette sets to choose from: 1) Sweet Tooth Palette: Vanilla, Bitter Chocolate, Caramel, L'Espresso, Pumpkin Pie; 2) Smoothie Palette: Freshness Yogurt, Monkey Banana, Kiwi Fruit, Strawberry, Blueberry; 3) Zen Palette: Lemon Tea, Cola, Rose, Lavender, Honey; and 4) East Meets West Palette: Darjeeling Tea, Indian Curry, Cinnamon, Tropical, Pineapple. I want to try all of them!! Each kit comes with five .9 ounce tubes of toothpaste for $22.95. More expensive than Crest for sure, but what a great gift idea for the man or woman who has everything. Including halitosis.

Places I've Never Been

Ever day dream about visiting exotic far-away places? JHill Designs can help you escape on an imaginery vacation with her calender of 12 drawings (one for each month obviously!) of imaginary vacation spots around the world. Printed on heavyweight silk paper, the pages come tucked in a neat plastic case that doubles as a calender stand. At only $15, this may be the cheapest vacation you ever take!!