Vespa Rocker

Vespa Rocker @ Barneys New York by Present Time, $118.

From the Barneys website: "Vroom, vroom! Adorable wooden rocking scooter reminiscent of a retro Vespa. 25" x 9.5" x 16". Available in Pink. Suitable for children ages 3+."

AHHH, seriously, How insanely cute is that?!

New Items from Sweetdolls on Etsy

Just dropped by Sweetdolls on Etsy (one of my absolute favorite Etsy sellers) to see whats new and was super pleased to find lots of cute new goodies! If you're still looking for a great gift for a youngster or just someone who is young at heart, Sweetdolls are a great option (they also ship super fast). Dawn, the owner of Sweetdolls, also does amazing customs!

Puppy Rattle, $15

Jada doll, $22

Grace doll, $22

Scarlet doll, $22

Kidrobot : Yummy Donut 3" Mini Plushes

Kidrobot x Heidi Kenney
Yummy Donut Mini Plush 3-Inch, $7.95 each

Giveaway : Areaware Magno Radio ($250 value) + Holiday Gift Guide

Areaware is a New York City based company that specializes in unique design products for the home that are equal parts quirk and function but also 100% awesome. From fun jewelry to adorable pillows to funky dishware, Areaware carries an impressively wide range of products with some of the most interesting and appealing designs I have ever encountered.

While I love decorating my own home with Areaware pieces, their product range provides especially unique options for all purpose gift giving. With the holiday season fast approaching, I thought I'd offer up some of my favorite gift giving ideas with you!

My top picks for gifts from Areaware:

Rabbit Large Cushion & Owl Large Cushion in organic cotton, $84 each
(also available in smaller sizes for $24-36)

Forget Me Knot Ring in Platinum ($720), 14K gold ($200) or Sterling Silver $50

Magno Radio ($150-300)



Animal Box: Rhino, $49



Loop Rattle (German Silver), $70 & Fawn Infant Body Suit (organic cotton), $30

My hands down favorite item from their lineup is the Medium Magno Radio ($250) which Areaware has very kindly provided me to tinker with!

front (beaaautiful wood body & dials)

back (fabric covered speaker + battery compartment)

I've decided that just about everything about this radio is perfect. From the gorgeous neutral color palette, oversized dials, contemporary-classic style hybridization, and beautiful wood grain to the sustainably harvested materials, Mp3 compatibility and lightweight portability.... I can't really think of a single thing I don't like about this design.

The radio can be plugged into the wall with an AC adaptor (not included) or powered via four AA batteries. An external antenna is also included as well as a connector cable that allows you to plug your ipod/mp3 player into the radio and use the radio as a speaker. The sound quality and reception is excellent and the product is very user friendly (perfect for all ages). At 7.5 x 7.5 x 4.25 inches, the radio isn't too huge/bulky but is large enough to be an attractive attention grabbing piece in a room. The Magno radio has definitely got to be one of the coolest things that I own!

goooorgeous details!

The designer of the radio, Indonesian native Singgih S. Kartono, has gone to great lengths to ensure that this product is designed and manufactured in the most ethical manner (through low environmental impact, providing jobs to villages in need of economic growth + more). The story behind the product really is wonderful and you can read much more about Kartono and the story behind the Magno radio here.

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Areaware is generously offering one reader their very own Magno Medium Radio (a $250 value)!

To Enter: Visit the Areaware website & leave a comment letting me know a product you saw there that you'd love to own.

Bonus Entry 1: Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect, RSS OR via email (post your email address)
Bonus Entry 2: Follow The Wide World Of and tweet about the giveaway + leave a link to your tweet (you may tweet once per day for one extra entry each)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Also make sure to leave your contact info in one of your comments (email address, facebook link, twitter ID, etc.) or have your email address visible in your profile.

This giveaway will end December 5, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. Open to US readers only. Good luck!

Giveaway winner: Steph

**I was provided with the product mentioned in this post free of charge. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post & was not obligated to give a positive review of the product. All opinions expressed here are mine. **

Shawnimals Ninja of The Month : Baby Ninja

The Ninja of the Month from Shawnimals is now here. This month's plush is a wee baby ninja (7" x 7" plush ) with cloud limited to 100 pcs ($30).

Sanrio Hello Kitty Holiday Collection 2010

Hello Kitty Holiday items are here!

Posted below are just a few of the new items in stock at Sanrio.com. Hello Kitty in pink earmuffs with a ribbon holding a little snowman with a ribbon = ultimate cuteness!

Hello Kitty 6" Plush: Earmuffs ($20)


Hello Kitty Earmuffs ($14)

Hello Kitty Carry Pouch: Earmuffs ($20)

Hello Kitty Key Chain w/ Mascot: Earmuffs ($15)

Hello Kitty Cellphone Charm: Earmuffs ($20)

Missoni Cashmere Teddy Bear

Missoni Cashmere bear plush, €215 at Colette

I love when designer brands do plushes and other odd sorts of 'accessories'- though they seem to be very hit and miss for the most part. The cashmere bear plush pictured above can be currently purchased from Colette for a quite hefty €215 ($299 USD). Although I'm all for clashing colors, I'm definitely not feeling the color combination here and am still undecided about the design/pattern of this particular teddy bear itself. What do you think: cute or not?

Blythe Doll Updates : Middie Blythe & Neo Blythe “Midnight Spell”

I don't really post Blythe doll updates here very often, but I thought the new Middie Blythe was something worth taking a look at here on the blog. The new mold has eyes that move along with the doll's head tilting action which you can see on the video below:

What do you think: creepy or cute?

Also, here's a picture of the Cinderella inspired CWC exclusive "Midnight Spell" Neo Blythe.

**all images from Blythedoll.com**

More info on the two dolls here: http://www.blythedoll.com/eng/news/index.html

Sanrio 50th Anniversary Special Items : Hello Friends

Tuxedo Sam 10" Plush, $20

Sanrio.com finallly has the "Hello Friends" Hello-Kitty-Dressed-As-Her-Friends items in stock, rejoice! The plushes are alllll sooooo cute, but the Tuxedo Sam one will always take the cake as my favorite.

Fun fact: for my birthday one year (I must have been about 5) the only thing I wanted was a huge Tuxedo Sam plush, and I got it. And oh yes, it had to be the huge one... what a greed-o I was, damn!

Keroppi 10" Plush, $20

My Melody 10" Plush, $20

Chococat Face Cushion, $24

Badtz Maru 5" Plush, $12

Pochacco Plush Keyring, $7.95

Yoko Nomura Plush You Plushes - Love It!

I am super in love with these handmade plushes by Yoko Nomura. Perfect shapes, wonderful little details (tiny hats with pom poms!)- awww, so very, very cute. Both of the plushes pictured below were part of Munky King's Plush You show and can be purchased from the Munky King website.

Be sure to also check out the Plush You group on flickr for more crafty inspiration!

Balance Ball Elephant, $150

Balance Ball Dog, $150

Sanrio 50th Anniversary items @ Japan LA

Hello Kitty as Tuxedo Sam Pillow, $24

Eek, Hello Kitty dressed up as other Sanrio characters! Tooooo cute.

From the Japan LA newsletter:

"Sanrio is making some really cute stuff to celebrate their 50th Anniversary! We just got our first shipment of special 50th Anniversary items of Hello Kitty dressed as other Sanrio characters. This special collaboration was only available at Puroland, (Hello Kitty theme park), in Japan, but it is being made for the U.S. to celebrate the anniversary! So, what I am trying to say is this is a big deal, and these are very collectible items that will sell out quick!"

See more here: http://www.japanla.com/blog.php?blog_id=562

Sanrio New Arrivals

Nyokki & Penne Ballpoint Pen: Dot, $7.75

Little Twin Stars Boston Bag: Deer, $58


Hello Kitty Pink Plush Backpack, $24

Read more »

Munky King "Plush You!" Show Pieces Now Available Online

LUMBER JOE plush by V is For Violet, $60
Click here to view all the pieces. Plush You! runs until 9/19 at Munky King Melrose.

Mark Your Calendars : Plush You @ Munky King

8.26.10 - 9.19.10
Opening Reception: Thurs, August 26th 7-10pm

From the Munky King newsletter:

"Here's a sneak peek of some of the goodies that arrived for the Plush You show. Wheeeee! Plush You! is exhibition of 65 of the 'best of the best' plush artists from around the globe curated by Kristen Rask of Schmancy Toys in Seattle. Hope to see you here! Music by R-Rated and Colby Ice cream treats by Coolhaus"

Munky King is located at: 7308 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California

Hello Kitty Mini Fan @ Sanrio.com

Beat the heat cute style with a Hello Kitty Mini Fan! Available from Sanrio.com in pink or white. $10 each.

Lucy Roberts : Bespoke Mutant Animals on Etsy

No, you are not seeing double!

Two headedness might be an acquired cuteness but if a bunny can be super cute, then perhaps a two headed one can be twice as cute? Okay, maybe a stretch, but if you're looking for a unique gift item LucyRoberts on Etsy creates some wonderful plushes that mass market production dare not touch (which is why I love them so). Each plush is salvaged from clean, good quality thrift store & garage sale finds and brought to life Frankenstein's monster style. Well, maybe they aren't as ugly as Frankenstein's monster and aren't made out of body parts, but perhaps they too may be slightly misunderstood!

Take a look at some of the other great items from Lucy's shop:

Conjoined Sloths

Two-Headed Cardinal

Not all of the creations in the shop are conjoined, in fact, most are fun hybridizations of various animals, such as the ever illusive:

Lioncub Duckling

Kitty Kiwi

I recently purchased the two headed bunny pictured at the top of this post from Lucy's Etsy store and it is undoubtedly one of the coolest things that I own. The piece is stitched together cleanly and very securely, it looks great! This will certainly make a great conversation piece, as would be any item from the shop!