Bath Time is the Best

Photo taken with ToyCamera

Summertime is here and the living is easy, as the song goes. Cashing in on relaxation time since I'm off from school. What does this mean? I discovered Lush Products and am still dabbling in nail art. This time, I'm sporting bubblegum pink nails with white french tip.

Surprisingly fragrant and bubblelicious. I love the Frosty Glitter, it turns everything pink, shiny, and perfumed in a non-overwhelming way. The Amandopondo is a delicate rose scent that's a nice floral accent.  Rather than crumble everything into the bath, I take chunks at a time so I don't waste it all in one go (not that decadent!). They are a perfect indulgent gift to yourself. 

AMANDOPONDO and Frosty Glitter, $7.95 at Lush.com

Bloody Good Books

If you enjoy a good, macabre joke, you'd love the double takes you'd receive from house guests with Liquid Bookmarks by Kyuoei Co. Ltd., Japan, $29 via Design Boom. Think of it as a unique gift to give for those who have gothic (horror) sensibilities or tongue-in-cheek kitsch. Need I explain why? The liquid bookmarks come in three colors: white, gray, and bloody red. 

Fomato Cards: You want snark? You got snark.

You want weird, quirky greeting cards? Fomato Cards  has you signed, sealed, and delivered. The creative folks behind Fomato Cards love dishing the deadpan, offbeat, deprecating characters that skewer intended card recipients.  For my older siblings who are heading straight into their 30s, I thought these were perfect, cheeky cards to poke fun at (while I still can as a twentysomething). If you like the offbeat, these cards will be a mark to separate you from the rest of the Hallmark crowd. 

Getting Carded and Looking Pretty While Doing So

Current Loving: Red Cap cards as illustrated by Carrie Gifford and Francesca Montanari. 

Who doesn't enjoy a greeting card in the mailbox? Evites and e-cards are trés passé, hardly inviting much thought and consideration compared to a handwritten, stamped note. I suppose that's why I keep my mailed greeting cards and delete those e-cards. My personal favorite is receiving cards that are artfully illustrated, perfect for framing if one's in need of decorative artwork (see my Yoshitomo Nara project).
So, to commemorate that, I wanted to share my latest greeting card find: Red Cap Cards.

If you love these Tim Burtonseque cards, seen above, you would love Carrie Gifford's illustrations. Sweet and eccentric, her cards would be a delight to deliver to whimsical friends.

Wanting something a little more delicate? Francesca Montanari delivers illustrations with a beautifully melancholic atmosphere that leave a lingering impression. 

Shake it like a salt shaker

Dig monkeys? Enjoy a tropical motif? Need a quirky housewarming present?  Go B-A-N-A-N-A-S with Alessi's Stefano Giovannoni's OrienTales banana "monkey bros" salt & pepper set, $36. These happy-go-lucky monkeys deserve a good home.

Mother's Day Gift (to be proud of): Charity Water Bracelet

Shopping for a cause can often be fun -- who doesn't love to purchase a pink item in support of breast cancer awareness month?--but often times, as a savvy shopper, I'd wonder how much of the proceeds go back to the charity cause, monetarily and results wise. 

That's why when I saw Saks Fifth Avenue's collaboration with Charity : Water, I had to tip a hat to the immediate impact of their Mother's Day advertising/shopping campaign. 

Charity : Water is a non-profit organization which builds fresh-water wells in developing countries. In areas like Africa, many women and children walk for miles to collect water --often from contaminated sources--for their daily needs. According to Charity : Water, unsafe water and unsanitary practices cause 80% of diseases in the world and kill 2.2 million people a day. 4,500 children die daily due to restricted access to clean water. 

Here's the kicker: buying one logo bracelet (in fashionable black!) will provide clean water to ONE PERSON for FIVE YEARS.  Now that one mother/child doesn't have to lug around a 40 gal. jug miles out to some dirty stream back home. Charity : Water states -- on their website -- that these products are earmarked for 100% construction purposes only (they raise adminstrative costs through other means). Now that's an immediate impact right there that I can visualize, justify, wear, and pay for.   

Charity Water Bracelet, $5 at Saks Fifth Avenue

If you're feeling more benevolent -- or hate wearing cause-bracelets -- the Saks and Charity Water collaboration promotes other gift options such as:

$20-$100 Mother's Day e-cards - Let mom choose which area in the world her donation should go to build fresh wells. 

Sponsor a Fresh Water Well  - $5,000 donation can provide drinking water for 400 people for 20 years.

Graduation/School Gifts

Aside from Mother's Day, the month of May ushers in two things: graduations and acceptance letters into university/graduate school. I have friends in both camps,  so, while shopping online, I figured a good gift to give/receive.  Agendas! My friends can testify that I'm not the most organized person but I do remember penciling everything -- club meets, study sessions, to-do lists -- into my high school, and later, my university's cheap agenda. I prefer it over electronic PDAs where I'm fumbling through sub-menus to reach my calendar. So, here are some more stylish, luxe options to graduate to, whether its for higher learning or in the working place.

Louis Vuitton Large Ring Agenda Cover, in damier azur
At 7x8 inches, you won't have to jam your scribbles into tiny notepads. This slim, polished agenda has room for credit card slots and pockets.


Louis Vuitton Agenda Wallet Cover in Pomme d'Amor
Small and pocketable, this travel-sized agenda holds a diary and credit cards in a delicious apple candy red cover. Very glamorous.

Coach 6X8 Tattersall Pattern Agenda

A little preppier, this casual agenda is perfect for a sportier, casual user. It sports an address book, notebook, and card slots. I love Coach's plaid pattern here. 

Cute Baby Legwarmers

The photo above is so wrong, so absurd, and yet, bizarrely cute that I had to share this. BabyLegs was started by a stay-at-home mom who created these legwarmers as a solution over uncomfortable stockings for her baby daughter. Since dearly devoted loves items that are whimsical, offbeat, cute, and functional, I believe these nifty fashion meets that criteria. I just love how the look compares with the kids below. If I lived somewhere cold enough, yes, I would probably rock the legwarmers look too, hipster status be damned.





Am totally digging the argyle print.
DIYers take note, I bet y'all could whip a similar stitch.

Bite me! S&M Gingerbread Men

Perfect for cookie lovers with a sense of humor (evil streak optional).
ABC Gingerbread Cookie Cutters, $11.99, at Perpetual Kid. Perfect for a holiday party, these 3" ABC cookie cutters
stand for Already Been Chewed.

Holiday Cards

There's something mesmerizing with Anahata Katkin's illustrative designs for PaPaYa! I love the use of mixed collage from her cultural/vintage photos, patterns, textures and bright colors that make it all a happy mix. The Asian/Victorian/Latin/etc. influence is delicious eyecandy. Check out the mishmash with her 2007 Holiday Card boxed set , $12, includes 8 cards/envelopes, Happy Santa design showed here.



Jesus in the Lotus Holiday Card Boxed Set



Santa's Helper Holiday Card Boxed Set

$10 Tees Sale at Threadless

Take Me To Tokyo by Juju's Delivery, $10

Awesome holiday sales at Threadless, for $10 outfit your entire family with these witty, snarky tee's.
Sale ends Dec. 16th.

Check out the selection:


[Paper Cranes by Glenn Jones]





The Ravens Cry by Andrew John Mohacsy, $10



Radios by Dan Terry



Cowboys and Indians by Glenn Jones, $10



In Case of Emergency BREAK DANCE, $10

Gift Guide: For your $100 (and less) friends

For kitschy/artsy/analog friends
Flipperoo Clock, $60 at Gama Go




Self-admitted camera-mugging/primping friends
Self portrait mirror, $46 at Elsewares



Photography/graphic loving guy friends
Lights of Spain Wallet, $48 at Elsewares



Japanese art/trendy culture fiends
Aya Takano's artbook, Hot Banana Fudge,$34.00 at Giant Robot



Jet setters/Germ phobics/Nurse fetish types

The Portable Therapy On The Go(includes travel-size lavender scented facial mist spray, antibacterial sanitizer, hand lotion), $30 at Sephora.

Gift Guide: For your $20 friends

Let's face it, the holidays are around the corner.
Cruel world that it is, friends inevitably get carved down to their "What monetary category do I place you in?" category. At dearly devoted, you should at least slip'em something that's stylish, chic, and lively. Here's what's online:



For the creative/arty/designer office mate
Snow & Graham 2008 Desk Calendar, $15 at See Jane Work



Doglovers/kids/cute-lovers/carpal folks
Sleepy dog wrist cushion, $20 at Fred Flare



For the people who like shiny things
Acrylic Diamond Rings, $10 at Elsewares


Sculptural afficinados/flower lovers/pretty object lovers
Porcelain Dahlia, $15, at Vivre



The Dangerous Book for Boys, $16.95 at Amazon



Managerial, Inner-child types
Darth Vader Bobble Head, $12 at Urban Outfitters

Happy (Pre) Father's Day!

Dads get no respect. This year, tell your dad he's really King of the House with this excellent, gilded trophy. When he opens up the box, you can start a sing-and-dance with "For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellooooooowwww...that nobody can't deny!" What a self-esteem booster! At least, I think so.
Perfect for his office or home. Fred Flare, $12



This shirt is just a great gift for the man in your life, whether it be your significant other, bachelor brother, or dad (if he's got a healthy sense of humor!). The look on the male model is priceless. Fred Flare, $24.

Father's Day falls on June 17th.

Item of the Day

I like odd things. I also like fire.
As a latch key kid from the 'burbs, this recalls a time period where I experimeted with pyrotechnics or more plainly "let's see how #(%(* blows up!" This included aerosol cans, plastics, and whatever random item I could hide from my mom's attention.
The irreverent design puts a smile on my face and deviltry in my heart. Ah, memories.
The Dutch designer Piet Houtenbos made these from real US Army surplus grenades (!!) and they are reusable and burn for 24 hours. It even comes in 3 colors: neutral, silver, and gold (bling, bling).
Hand Grenade Oil Lamp Collection, $60, Lekker