This will be our year!

I can't believe this will be my last post of 2009. It seems like only yesterday everyone was fretting over Y2K... how fast time does fly!

I want to wish all of you a happy new year as we bid farewell to 2009. I'll leave you with this great Youtube video of user mitm2002's super 8 home videos between 1965-1979 set to The Zombies "This Will Be Our Year". I don't know this individual or their family personally, but its a really lovely collection of videos that feels very personal and somehow quite comforting.

Roost cats and woodland critters... oh my!

Awhile back I made a post about the Roost carved wood animals and brushy animals that were for sale on Velocity Design, one of my favorite web stores to browse. Well, I was browsing their site again earlier this week and came across these suuuuper cute cat (set of 6, $44) and woodland critter ($8 each) ornaments. Oh my, they make my heart just squee! I love that orange cat and the little hedgehog so much!

favorite calendar for 2010 - Jamie Shelman's Cat Calendar

2010 is just around the corner and if you haven't yet picked up a new calendar (don't worry, I haven't either) the time to do so is now! I've been looking at tons of calendars lately and my current favorite for 2010 is without a doubt Jamie Shelman of The Dancing Cat's 12 month/12 print calendar which is available for $75 on her etsy page.

12 cat prints with calendar, appox. 8 x 11 in. each printed on 100% cotton
rag paper, each print signed and numbered. Awesome affordable way to own
12!! great works of art! (ability to cut off calendar part after use and
save the print! Over $200 worth of art!)

pictures from Jamie Shelman's Etsy page

About a year ago I was lucky enough to win an adorable set of greeting cards from Jamie's blog and have absolutely adored Jamie's artistic sensibilities ever since. Its becoming somewhat of a pain to find artwork that isn't overdone/gaudy and isn't done on a computer, so Jamie's work is a welcomed breath of fresh air. I love the simplicity and organic shapes incorporated in her works reminiscent of another one of my favorites, Madeline creator Ludwig Bemelmans.

Jamie's original artwork and prints would make an awesome gift (*wink wink*), but even if you don't plan on making a purchase in the near future, I definitely recommend browsing her Etsy page and blog at the very least as they are full of really cute and unique artwork!

cutest designer label : manoush

When it comes to cutesy clothes (sometimes over the top cutesy), Manoush has always been my #1 pick. I can always count on them to incorporate an overabundance of pink into their current collection and pretty much drool over their look books for the entire season. I really love the versatility of the current collection (biker jackets AND ruffles), and definitely recommend checking out their site for the closeups of these thumbnails.


This season Manoush's website features French pop singer Olivia Ruiz's "Elle Panique" as its soundtrack. While the song itself is cute, the music video is arguably even cuter! The video can't be embedded (grrr) but you can watch it here or listen to the song via the video below.

cute Christmas items in MoMA sale

MoMA has placed all their holiday items on sale for at least 50% off. There are some really cute things there and if you're the type of person who stocks up way in advance this is the perfect time to be thinking Christmas 2010!

Here are some of my favorite items:

Santa on Skis Snow Globe Ornament
Featuring designs from MoMA's award-winning holiday card line, these colored glass balls, each with one flattened side, are mouth-blown in Italy, hand-dipped in a vibrant translucent tint, hand-painted, and filled with iridescent or foil glitter.
originally $22, now $9.95

Santa In Snowglobe, A&B Designs, 2009

originally $18.95 for 8 cards, now $9.49

Snowman's Scarf, A&B Designs

originally $17.95 for 8 cards, now $8.99


Light Bulb Ornaments
Cleverly designed as a larger version of traditional Christmas tree light bulbs, these ornaments are mouth-blown and hand-dipped in multicolored tints and painted with glitter. Packaged in a sturdy silver box with a clear acetate lid.
Set of 4.
originally $35, now $8.95

Cardinal Snow Globe Ornament

Mouth-blown in Italy featuring a Cardinal design from MoMA's award-winning holiday card line, this colored glass disk is hand-dipped in a vibrant translucent tint and then hand-painted and filled with iridescent glitter.
originally $20, now $9.95

You can view the rest of the sale items here: http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/CategoryDisplay_10451_10001_11523_11599_-1___1_all

chocolate cherry mice recipe!

I was just browsing the flickr page of My Paper Crane's Heidi Kinney and came across her version of homemade chocolate mice. So precious! I had never actually seen these before but I thought they would make a nice stocking stuffer or last minute gift item for Christmas.

I found a recipe from Family Fun Magazine & while I don't think these are quite as cute as Heidi's (click the "chocolate mice" link above to see hers), they are still pretty dang adorable!


Also, if you're looking for a last minute gift item, I totally recommend Heidi's Yummy Donut pillows. Available here, here, here and at Kid Robot retail stores in LA, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, and New York City (call for availability).


Katy Perry has one!

Bubble Necklace - yay or nay?

Bubble Necklacem, Marina and Susanna Sent, $115

I admit I'm not much of a jewelry wearer, but I've always admired looking at necklaces whenever I see them. While I probably wouldn't actually wear most of them (yes, even diamonds!) I would totallllllly wear this bubble necklace. So pretty!

It actually reminds me a lot of the Hussein Chalayan dress that Lady Gaga made famous.

picture from the nypost

Not gonna lie, I would totally wear the bubble dress too!

Giveaway : Kiss My Face Sheer Organic Shine Lip Gloss in "Opal"

Hi everyone! I decided to giveaway another item from my personal stash of beauty goods. This time its a brand new Kiss My Face lip gloss! This lip gloss is 100% natural and 91% organic. The color of the gloss is slightly darker and a little more purplish than whats pictured in the image, but its semi-sheer so it will work well for just about anyone. Kiss My Face is definitely one of my favorite skin care brands, so I'm really excited to be sharing this little item with you!

To be entered simply leave a comment here. Tell me anything, just make sure your contact info is in your blogger profile or you leave an email address with your comment (if I have no way of contacting you, you will be disqualified, sorry!) .

For extra entries you can:

• follow via google friend connect or if you're already following (1 entry)
• tweet about this giveaway & link to your tweet (1 extra entry for the duration of the giveaway)
• post about this giveaway in your blog & leave a link to your post (1 extra entry)
  

You don't have to leave a separate comment for each entry as I'll be reading all the comments and keeping track of everything via a spreadsheet. The winner will be selected using random.org.

This is giveaway is open to anyone no matter where you live! :)

This giveaway will close at 11:59 PM PST on Saturday, January 2nd.

Giveaway winner: Sherlyj

Bird is the word! : On sale at Anthropologie

I love all things bird (buh buh bird bird bird) and Anthropologie has a really nice selection of buh buh bird items on sale right now! My favorites are:

• the "A Measuring Gaggle" measuring cups, $14.95 (originally $28)
• Tartan Quail dishtowel, $9.95 (originally $18)
• and "Fabled Beasty" dessert plate, $3.95 (originally $12).
  

The only bone I have to pick is that the measuring cups are made from bone china which is a no go for me (get it "bone" to pick?! wocka wocka). Anyway, you can find all these items right now under "kitchen and dining" on the Anthropologie webstore sale section.

"A Measuring Gaggle" measuring cups, $14.95

Tartan Quail dishtowel, $9.95

"Fabled Beasty" dessert plate, $3.95

cute video of the day - classic Sesame Street - Octopus's Garden

APAK holiday notecards

Oh my. How cute are these APAK holiday cards? The "Holiday Santa Notecard set" is being sold at APAK's etsy store right now for $12 for a 6 pack which I think is a really great deal. The set comes with 2 designs which are pictured below (click to enlarge). The cards are printed on 100% recycled paper and I absolutely love their natural, earthy looking color!

This holiday season don't forget to support your favorite independent artists!

awesome footage of a dumbo octopus

new lesportsac "baby" collection

Ryan Baby Bag, $128

Lesportsac has a new collection out called "baby" which so far carries three really cute items: a baby bag, a set of pouches and a teddy bear. And while these items may be pretty much the standard Lesportsac fare, I lovelovelove the new "Zoo In Love" print (pictured above on the Ryan Baby Bag). Definitely my favorite Lesportsac print in recent months and months.

I've always been a huge fan of Lesportsac because their bags are always super lightweight, durable and best of all... washable!

3 Pack of pouches, $38

Donnie Bear, $18

cute video of the day : baby sloth!

awwwwwwwww!

my Christmas pick : Marc Jacobs special items

Marc Jacobs heart compact, $5

One of the perks of living in the LA area is that we have our very own Marc By Marc Jacobs store and that means my friend receive plenty of gifts from their special items section. The special items are Marc Jacobs branded goods at a... not so Marc Jacobs price. Those familiar with the brand know that Marc By Marc Jacobs is a label that sells individual clothing items in the $150+ range. Luckily, the special items start at at just a few dollars. You can pick these up from any Marc By Marc Jacobs or Marc by Marc Jacobs Special Items store and I believe you can also order direct from any of Marc by Marc stores with a $20 shipping fee.

My top 5 picks from the special items:

Knock Out (ahhh, love that tooth!) and Paris Je T'aime necklaces, $16 each

USA tote, $18

Long scarf, $20 each

Mirror heart clutch in gunmetal, $22 (comes in 6 shades)

Shiny studded clutch, $47

20% off Endangered Species Chocolate

Endangered Species Chocolate is having a "black Friday" sale until the 30th of this month (tomorrow!) which means.... 20% off of everything including their 49 cent sale section. The 49 cent sale bars are now 39 cents, an even crazier deal!

Also, if you're looking for a gift, I highly recommend the African Wildlife Foundation "adoption" packs which start from $24 (normally $30). They all come with a 1 year membership to the African Wildlife Foundation, a donation to the AWF ($15 is donated with the $24 set), a cute plush of the animal of your choice and a selection of Endangered Species Chocolates. Pictured above is the $24 "adopt a lion set".

Fair trade, organic and 10% of the proceeds from every order goes to support great causes, yay!

Nijntje / Miffy T-shirt at Forever 21

I never thought I'd see an American clothing company produce a shirt using the name "Nijntje" rather than "Miffy" and I have to admit that I am pleasantly surprised with the decision. I actually prefer the name "Nijntje" as it's the original name for the character still used in the Netherlands and also makes a lot more sense than "Miffy".

I'm kind of tempted to pick up one of these shirts as Nijntje/Miffy is one of my favorite storybook characters of all time (along with Ludwig Bemelman's Madeline and Arnold Lobel's Frog and Toad among others). I've never actually purchased anything from Forever 21 (crazy? wise?) but if I were to buy something, this would totally be it!

Links:

• Nijntje t-shirt at Forever 21
  

Shu Uemura x Tsumori Chisato

Has anyone picked up any of the items from the Shu Uemura x Tsumori Chisato collection yet? The packaging is super adorable x 23123213, but the prices are a little bit too rich for my blood. Everything looks really dainty and sweet and I especially love the accessories like the mini brush set and bag pictured above, $69. I mean, the makeup packaging is really cute and all (like the Cat Couture Palette pictured below, $65) but accessories really take the cake - I just wish there were more of them (makeup bags, mirrors, brushes, etc.). Cosmetic brands, take note!

Links:

• Shu Uemura x Tsumori Chisato @ Shu Uemura USA

Giveaway : Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in "Fruitloose"

I was just thinking back on how I promised a giveaway from my own personal stash of cutesy items some time ago but haven't yet got around to it which is a huge YIKES! I'm looking forward to sharing some cute things with all my internet buddies so I'm building up a nice selection of goodies to share with you. Just as a teaser I'm giving away a brand new, sealed tube of Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Gloss in "Fruitloose" (ARV $7) from my personal collection of beauty items. This lip gloss is a really cute shade of pink, but I had to reconsider keeping it because I'm not a huge fan of the all the little glittery friends in there. Also, VS is not sponsoring this giveaway, its just an item that I personally own and I would like to share with you.

To be entered simply leave a comment here. Tell me anything: your favorite animal, a yummy recipe, a how to for a cute DIY project, an item you want or are giving for Christmas, etc. Just make sure your contact info is in your blogger profile or you leave an email address with your comment (if I have no way of contacting you, you will be disqualified, sorry!) .

For extra entries you can:

• follow via google friend connect (1 entry)
• tweet about this giveaway & link to your tweet (1 extra entry for the whole duration of the giveaway, not once per day)
• post about this giveaway in your blog & leave a link to your post (1 extra entry)
  

You don't have to leave a separate comment for each entry as I'll be reading all the comments and keeping track of everything via a spreadsheet. The winner will be selected using random.org.

Oh yeah, this is giveaway is open to anyone no matter where you live! :)

This little giveaway will close in two weeks at 11:59 PM PST on Friday December 11th.

Giveaway winner: zachsgran

20% off all prints at L'Affiche Moderne‏

photo property of L'Affiche Moderne

From now until December 9th, L'Affiche Moderne‏ is offering 20% off all prints in their webstore (coupon code: 122009). They carry some of the most adorable prints I've ever seen and this is a great chance to pick up one (or more) at a discounted price. Small prints are normally 29€/~$45 and ~$35 with the coupon code (a framed print will run about $110). While I definitely prefer silkscreen over digital prints (L'Affiche Moderne‏ does digital) many these prints are so highly detailed that I don't silkscreening would do them justice.

And even if you find the prices to be steep, I HIGHLY recommend checking out the site and taking a look at all the great artwork.


Links: L'Affiche Moderne‏ print gallery

Sanrio Christmas items!

Sanrio Christmas items are now up at the Sanrio.com webstore!

I've actually never been a huge fan of holiday themed items as they aren't extremely useful for the majority the year, but some of these items are reeeally cute (loving the little HK plush with the cape). Pretty sure I won't be buying any of these, but they are certainly fun to look at. There's a nice range of items too: stockings, pillows, blankets, snow globes, and of course... a ton of plush toys. Check out the holiday themed items here and Sanrio's gift suggestions here.

endangered species chocolate sale!

Wow, I was just browsing the Endangered Species Chocolate site & saw that they were having a 49 cent sale on their premium organic 1.4 oz. chocolate bars.. yes 49 CENTS! That's about the same price as a traditional candy bar that 1) isn't organic, 2) isn't premium and 3) does not even come close to tasting as good as Endangered Species Chocolate! These are some of my favorite chocolates and although my favorite (dark chocolate and tangerine) isn't included, these are all extremely tasty.

The 49 cent sale includes:

• Organic Dark Chocolate with Blueberries

• Smooth Organic Dark Chocolate

• Organic Dark Chocolate with Cherry

• Organic Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter (not vegan)
  

All the flavors are gluten free, organic and kosher, with the dark chocolate having the benefit of also being dairy free/vegan as well. The only downside to this sale? Shipping is pretty expensive! However, I'd say it's still worth making an order as these are really delicious chocolates & normally in the $1.50- $2.00 range per bar (a pack of 16 is $22 on Amazon). If you plan on ordering a bunch of these, it is definitely worth it. Plus, they make excellent holiday gifts!

• Endangered Species Chocolates sale
  

cat, cat, cat! restock at rotofugi

picture from rotofugi.com

My favorite plush in the past few years, Cat, Cat, Cat!, is back in stock on Rotofugi- plus theres a few new styles available as well (including a 2 color eye variation, awwww)!

Perfect halloween timing. Cute, cute, cute!

• Plushes @ the Rotofugi webstore
  

hello kitty 35th anniversary jewelry giveaway on kidglue

Hello Kitty Rings (picture from kidglue)

Kidglue is giving away three sets of very cute 35th anniversary Hello Kitty jewelry (a ring and necklace) in the color of your choice... red, yellow, green or purple. All you need to do for a chance to win is leave a comment on the blog with your color of choice & follow kidglue on twitter, tweet, or blog about the giveaway for extra entries. This ends soon so get your entries in STAT!

• ENTER HERE
  

Junko Mizuno My Little Pony!

Admittedly, I am not the biggest Junko Mizuno fan... in fact I don't consider myself a fan at all. But when I came across this mass produced My Little Pony Doll designed by Junko, I was sort of captivated by the design. Being a fan of My Little Pony since I was a kid, the recent designs (you know, those weird, distorted, cheap looking ones) have always left something to be desired. But I kind of dig this one... the color combination, the hood, the translucent hooves, it works. I'm not crazy about the design on the face, but overall I think this Pony looks good for a, you know, modern My Little Pony.

From the Hasbro site:

"Designed by international artist Junko Mizuno, this gorgeous pink-haired pony features intricate body designs, platform “heels” and a “fur” accented bonnet. With her unique look and impressive origin, this pony is sure to occupy an important place in your collection.

Junko Mizuno is an international artist known for her comic inspired art and illustrations. She designed this pony for “The MY LITTLE PONY PROJECT: 25 Ponies for 25 Years,” a collection of 18-inch tall pony figures. Those ponies were auctioned and proceeds went to charity."

• Junko Mizuno My Little Pony @ Hasbro Toy Shop
• Juno Mizuno official site (warning: some content may be NSFW)
  

shinzi katoh - update!

Awhile back I made a post about Shinzi Katoh products and have an update for you- the webstore on the offical Shinzi Katoh website now ships internationally! I'm unsure of how expensive their shipping costs are, but I would expect they are somewhat steep (especially considering a good portion of their products are made of glass). However, the item prices on the webstore are somewhat lower than you would find domestically in the USA & with a much wider range of products.

"little girl" tall glass from Shinzi Katoh (click to enlarge)

I can't say enough about the quality of the products & the artwork is absolutely gorgeous. Can you tell that I'm a HUGE fan?

• Shinzi Katoh official webstore
  

cute kitchen timer!

I've been on the lookout for a cute kitchen timer for... years. I eventually settled on an egg shaped one, but it's plainness sort of leaves something to be desired (sigh).

While browsing the new items at Fred Flare the other day. I spied this really cute ICE CREAM shaped kitchen timer. So cute... but I don't want to be a kitchen timer glutton so for now I'll stick with the eggy wegg. $10 at fredflare.com

• ice cream kitchen timer @ Fred Flare
  

cat cat cat !

My favorite plush as of late is hands down Maison de Mieux's Cat Cat Cat. The plush cats come in various (and very appealing) sizes, colors (both fur and eyes), and textures. I love how nice and simple the design is, but completely effective at the same time. Pictured above is one of the smaller pieces which are typically priced around $20 (photo from yoyamart.com), pictured below is the large version (photo from rotofugi.com) which is around $30-$40 on average. Rotofugi appears to be sold out of Cat Cat Cat and I'm not sure if they will get any new stock in. Yoyamart still seems to have some in stock in the $25 - $38 price range. Currently, Yoyamart is the only US based online web store that I can find that has these in stock. If you know any other retailers carrying Cat Cat Cat, feel free to let me know in the comments!

• Cat Cat Cat at Yoyamart
  

• Marie Maison de Mieux website

more sanrio x tokidoki

The next batch of Sanrio x Tokidoki items are now available for purchase on Sanrio.com. The prices seem as crazy as ever and this batch of items comes complete with... a $450 limited edition rhinestone zippo lighter, yikes! $450 is the top end of the price spectrum while the lowest price items are $10 spiral notebooks. A huge selection of older items are also still available for purchase.

• Tokidoki on Sanrio.com
  

2 sales worth mentioning

A pretty good sale going on right now is the All Aboard Toys clearance which has been dubbed "The Big Sale", shipping on the site is a flat rate of $5.95 and you can find toys, accessories, clothes and more up to 80% off. I actually picked up a bunch of Domo Kun stuff- pens & mechanical pencils for $1.95 , notepads for 99 cents! All Aboard Toys carries a really broad range of character items- everything from Seasame Street to Bob the Builder to Hello Kitty to Disney characters. Definitely worth checking out and some really great prices! Great for stocking up for birthdays (or birthday favors) or the holidays.

• All Aboard Toys

• All Aboard Toy's Big Sale

Another thing worth mentioning is that Lesportsac recently added a sale website in addition to their online store which includes prices up to 75% off retail and free shipping! There is a nice variety of items ranging from $8 and up in some of the older prints. The selection of bag designs + accessories looks really good & previous seasons of the Stella McCartney x Lesportsac collaboration are included.

• Lesportsac Specials