Character

I can't say that I am a real Tintin fan -- don't get me wrong, the little guy is great. But he wasn't part of my childhood, so I won't ever really appreciate him in his full glory, I suspect.

But I love the store Kar'ikter [sic -- unfortunately], which is a Tintin heaven. It's also a heaven for the little designy tidbits I love, 99% of which is not on the website. In fact, there were so many things I've blogged about that it was a little scary. I swear I don't work for them!

A thousand pieces

Via Popgadget, this is one amazingly fantastic floor. My dream house definitely includes this -- a hardwood jigsaw puzzle to walk on. In fact it's not a real puzzle, it's only two pieces, but the overall look is beautiful, elegant and playful. I love it!

Ode to an apple

I have been drinking Martinelli's Gold Medal* Apple Juice all my life -- first blithely, as a child, now with distinct admiration for the 193os-era receptacle. It's so sweetly rotund, with its little collar of apple leaves in relief. I think it's lovely, and there's something about the weight of the class that means the juice stays pretty cold.

Well. Imagine my shock today when I paused for refreshment only to find my "Drink Your Apple A Day" was now plastic! It looked the same, but certainly was not the real thing. No way. Martinellis, listen up! Bring back my bottle!


*The medal is from 1890, at the California State Fair. But whatever.

Breakaway

Jansport has come out with a line called Superbreak. The reason I care is that I always want a backpack but I hate the way backpacks look. But this series has some very cute patterns -- and there are matching rollies and duffles and whatnot.

We should all be this size

The children's section of IKEA should upsize some of there stuff, because it's great. Of course, I like large-IKEA, too. But this cartoony wardrobe is fantastic. It's part of the Mammut line, which also has cute little chairs. I also love this chair -- would be great for a garden.

This little wagon, too, is really a triumph of design.

Swoon..................

I am in serious covet with Freddy&Ma. I love things you can customize, and the bag shapes are wonderful. But best of all are the fantastic patterns. I hardly know how to describe how much I love these bags...

Crow

In keeping with the birds-on-everything meme (which I like), here are two beautifully simple things -- found completely independently of each other, but wouldn't they make a nice, high-contrast combo?: this don't-call-it-a-onesie and this messenger bag. Both are made by independent, small crafters. Both are just lovely.

UnBoring

Ooh, ooh, from the very first page I knew I was going to love Not Neutral. Those cups are cute as hell. So is the ribbon dinnerware (a coffee set -- you know I need that). And this is a fantastic cork board.

Baby Covet Roundup #4

Oh, Jeeto! I love this stuff -- bright graphic tees with simple, high-contrast designs. The grasshopper! The airplane! My only problem is that my own particularly baby happens to be a drooler and a bib would cover up the fun bit.

OK, I admit that I don't need a Dipees and Wipees thingamajig. I could use, say, a ziploc bag to hold a couple diapers and wipes. But that would be boring. These little pockets (to throw in a non-diaper bag, for instance) are super-cute. (I just have to mention that the company is based in a town called -- seriously -- Flower Mound. That's amazing.)

(Addendum: I don't use a Bjorn, I'm more of a Patapum person, but I like this idea from Baby Bella Maya -- covers to make a Bjorn-type carrier pretty. It's a panel of fabric that slips on. But they need funkier fabrics to really be covetable.)

Jansdotter

I'm really into Lotta Jansdotter's designs. There's something light and airy and playful about them, but they're elegant, too. I love this linen tote bag and if we weren't already halfway through 2006, I'd definitely be all over a calendar...a cheap way to get good design!

On the subject of Cherries

OK, so I'm sure you know by now that cherries are in season, so to speak. I refer to the endless cherrifying of apparel that is happening. Now don't get me wrong. I like cherries (to eat) and think they actually make a very fun design element. But it's sort of strange how these fashion memes get going. I have seen cherry shoes, cherry skirts, cherry shirts, cherry PJs (I have a Nick and Nora version of these, so I'm not as innocent as I'm pretending to be).

To subvert that, I'm actually not posting about cherries! Instead, I will post about cherry blossoms. Poking around Etsy, I found a few nice pieces -- like this necklace and that necklace (not by the same people but very similar).

Technology accessories are cute

Popgadget led me to this laptop sleeve made of felt. It's pretty, but they need more colors -- I don't like the shade of orange that's the only other option. Made by red maloo, it comes in various sies and the unfoldy bit on the side works as a mousepad.

Plate o' ...never mind

I love Lena Corwin's melamine plates (and the simplicity of her site). I first saw one at Rare Device, a fun shop in Park Slope (no surprise).

Pretty in pixels

Pixel Pieces and Kids Wear This are on my new fun favorites list. There's a lot of "hip cutester" clothes on the market (not enough in my closet, of course) and this stuff definitely fits into that category. Their prints in the Miss S collection are excellent and the graphics on the Pixel T-shirts are very, very cute. (I like the purple and green color scheme.) They do a little pack that is good for a gift or to keep in a diaper bag for, well, um, you know...those days when one set of clothes just ain't enough. However, I don't want to keep nice stuff languishing around in a bag. I mean, come on.

The site is sort of hard to navigate (those little black captions under the photos are links that you have to click on to actually see stuff). But find your way over to the bedding sets -- now those I really covet.

I have inside dope that they may be opening up a retail place in Los Angeles, but for now they're just in other people's stores. (Including at SFMOMA's irritatingly named "MuseumStore" -- yes, one word. Ugh. But I love the store.)

File under chic

I think these are fantastic. Especially since I always end up with papers rumpled and keys unretrievable. It's a bag; it's a folder; it's a bag; it's a folder...

Silver made by twins

I adore this arrow-and-heart necklace by Twigs and Heather, aka the twin sisters Heather and Kerry Alice (they have great photos on their bio page). Most of what they do seems to be making molds from twigs and then turning that into jewelry, but I think I like the fun, funny designs of Kerry even more.

I got turned on to them at Modish.

Bin that!

I really like this squat, friendly trash can by Vipp. It's the model 14 and comes in a range of cheerful colors. The one in the picture is "Python" (hmmm) and would match my IKEA shower curtain, except I have no room in my bathroom for a bin. Sad but true.

Fitzsu carries the Vipp, and some other nice things.

Fatboy

I think a Fatboy bean bag is something I really need in my life right now. After all, I spend a lot of time on the floor, surrounded by the detritus of baby life. I'm not entirely certain what makes an original Fatboy so special -- the color palette, definitely (although I don't think the Marimekko prints work -- thats just too much), and the Finnishness of its designer. But I also suspect that the shape is part of it. I like that you can use it flat to lounge on, too.

Ecotainment

I want a wooden TV. Even though walking into the Hannspree store is a little frightening, I love this wooden TV.

Flemings

Jeweller Susan Fleming makes these beautiful pieces out of, I think, paper behind glass and soldered into silver. You can pick the paper and the style from her options, which I think is really nice -- nearly makes it one-of-a-kind.

Call me

Chronicle Books does it again. This is the address phone book from the Wanderlust series and I love, love, love it. It's filled with photos of phones, too. And the entries have a box to write down how you know the person. It's even plastic-covered, which is good for wear and tear...from travel or baby drool.

Did I mention that I love it? (Now all I have to do is write in addresses. Uh oh.)

easy-to-grip fun-to-turn

I don't own a bike, or a shed, or anything else particularly lockable, but I still want a Sphero combination lock. What a cool name, first of all. And it's pretty and round, like candy -- especially the purple one.

According to Master Lock, it has "a slick, metallic finish in teens[sic] favorite colors." So I'm immature. But don't forget the "easy-to-grip fun-to-turn, smooth spinning dial." (Fun to turn? Jeez, who writes this stuff?"

Hug my matzo

Genuine huggable matzo ball. Need I say more? (I think I saw this via Daddy Types.)

Baby Covet Roundup #3 -- covet this site

This covet roundup is dedicated to Sparkability. The index page gives you a pretty good idea of why I covet this site. Check out the Diaper Changing Clutch -- a pad, really, and it looks a little narrow, but how gorgeous is that embroidery! I keep coming back to look at the pigeon light...I mean, it's ridiculous, but I can't help loving it. And you know I love this. And this. And these zodiac baby blankets I've never seen anywhere -- isn't Libra pretty? I've always loved those sort of faux alchemical-style symbols. These crib sheets are very nice. I wouldn't mind a big person's set!

Pretty yum

This is beautiful cake. All the cakes made by I Dream of Cake are beautiful -- although some are outright alarming, like these eerily accurate cakes made to look like LV bags and shoes and whatnot.

I'm curious, though...how's the carrot cake?

Note it down

I need an address book. This is not an address book, this is a journal. I don't need a journal, but if I did, I would want this wallpaper-covered one. Actually, I just want wallpaper like that!

If anyone has any suggestions for an address book, mail me.

Frank time

I sort of think that I don't need Frank Gehry's handwriting with me every second of the day, even if he did design Disney Hall.

Nevertheless, this watch is brilliant in concept -- the time is always displayed narratively.

Big little bag

So I really want this little clutch purse by Queen Bee to be smaller (it's 11 inches), so that it is a wristlet. But it's sweet and small biz and I like the colors. It's vinyl, not leather...good or not good, depending on your persuasion.

Don't look far from home

Sometimes it's the simple things that please best. The simple, bright, cheap, just around the corner (figuratively) things. The Old Navy things, in fact.

Check out these bibs. They are very slick -- love the colors. I am so sick of putting boring, pastel lame-bibs over the cute clothes of my incredible baby! And please, let's not talk about the bibs that say "I Love Mommy" and stuff like that. I mean, how insecure can you get?

izé

Sparkling water and fruit juice -- no biggie, right? Well, I love Izze. I love the way it looks and the way it tastes. Grapefruit is my favorite, yum. But clementine and lemon are also fine. And just look at that logo! So nice. I think they should send me a T-shirt, don't you?

Cup of change

I am crazy about this crushed coffee cup change purse. I know it's supposed to make a point about panhandling, but I can't really concentrate on that when the design is so amazingly clever and innovative. Plus, I've always wondered why NYC coffee was somehow Greek...

No-brand sound

Muji is sometimes a little stark for me, and to tell you the truth I don't hate brand identification, as long as the logo was well-designed.

But I love these portable cardboard speakers. However, you know I'd spill coffee on them somehow.

Charles & Ray

About anything by Charles and Ray Eames is covetable, to tell you the truth. I love Lounge Chair Wood, which you can still buy. If you can find enough quarters under the couch, that is. Otherwise you will have to settle for these.

Rockin' Robin

So, yes, I really do love things with birds on them. I truly did not realize that until I started Covetable -- isn't that funny? It's not like I'm such a bird person, although I rather pity pigeons.

I really think this wallet is great. It's bright and pretty and fun and looks like you could eat it. Moreover, the inside is clear, so you can see what you put in it. This is actually a stellar idea.

Mozeeeeeeeee

Covet, covet, covet!

How sweet is this? A modern high chair designed by Mozee, it converts later to a regular kid's chair. But whatever, even if it didn't...this is just too, too, good. It comes in white and black, too. In the US, it's available through Modernseed, which is a store I adore. I need a nice fat gift certificate...

See the world

I really do need a 9-x-13-foot laminated wall map. I really do. You can write on it! You can see where you've been! It's big! (Those people in the picture live in a weird house, though. I think they need some furniture.)

What's your type?

I'm a fan of letters. Not lettres, although I'm that, too. No, I mean just type, like you're reading right now. And that's why I love this book -- Typology: Type Design from the Victorian Era to the Digital Age, by Steven Heller and Louise Fili. Flipping through it is just enough to make my mouth water. There are so many beautiful shapes. I'd wallpaper a room with this book.

It's published by the ever-wonderful Chronicle Books, with their fab list and very sweet logo. The ad copy for the book says: A must-have for designers, not to mention that quirky group in love with type for type’s sake (you know who you are)

Oh, dear. Busted.

(While you are over there, check out baby-gami.)