And back up, too

Holy moly, more awesome posters by awesome Amy Martin! At 826 in LA, of course. (I always feel funny writing that, because it's not the address of the LA place, only the SF place...whatever, I'm just trying to edit reality.)

Anyway!

This one is my favorite but they're all awesome. We own three from series one and might need this one, too.



Check out Amy's site - the Tiny Vaudeville posters are great.

Put it in my stateroom

Um, hello beautiful luggage (found on angry chicken). I know I should pick the editor series, but it's linen, for god's sake. Can you imagine what would happen to linen luggage! So that above is the aviator series. But all the series are gorgeous. Put me on the QEII already.

Packin' my bags

I have a new favorite for the imaginary overnight bag I don't have, but want.

Jane Marvel bags have great prints and look strong and capacious. I haven't seen one in the flesh, so to speak, but from the pictures they look pretty covetable.





Also, I'm very intrigued by this toiletries bag. It's not insanely huge, like the Eddie Bauer one I have, which I could practically pack for the weekend in. But it still unfolds and hangs. And check out the the awesome little round mirror.

Hummingbirds vs. robots

I bought this Coelacanth bag today at my local fabric store. It's a nice size, smaller than a shopping bag but big enough for stuff.

Coelacanth also sells this great little robot tote that would make a great lunch bag if you added a a little velcro to the top (I mean, I don't know about you, but my stuff would fall out).

I don't have a link, but it looks like this.

Crank it up

This little ipod amp is nice to look at, plus you can charge it by crank or solar panel. Probably pretty low quality sound, but it's cute. I love the way crank energy is coming back. We have an ancient, pre-war flashlight that works that way, only it drives the dog crazy.

AM/FM

OK, so nothing beats a Tivoli, as we know.

But I do like the way this looks, although I suspect it's (like those Target ones) pretty cheap in construction.



This one totally looks like a Tivoli knockoff -- but, you know, I'd prefer people found inspiration in awesome-looking stuff rather than making more of those radios with the funny lights.

Kids do eat lunch

This is a great-looking lunchbox, but I can't get my hands on one! They only ship in October, plus I probably can't afford one. But I can covet!

Anyway, it comes with boxes for food that fit perfectly inside (good idea -- I'm always cramming stuff into my daughter's lunchbox, running around the kitchen swearing under my breath and looking for lids...). And you can strap a water bottle on top, like so:



The designers are US-based but Dutch, from the land of so much good design (and pretty hot guys).

Come with me to a far-off place

Very, very covetable -- these are time travel posters by Echo Park Travel Mart, benefiting 826 Valencia's Los Angeles version. These were practically invented for me -- retro travel meets scifi? Love it.

I want them all!

Crabby

Halsea's got a new look for the site but the bags are just as covetable. Great crabbies! I really have a soft spot for this designer. I'm just waiting for a sample sale...

Short sleeve

I need a laptop sleeve.

A poppy seems nice.

Or a built one.

Sunny day

There's this nice little shop not too far from me called Park Life. I notice that on their website they are selling something I've coveted for years.



This is probably a pretty goofy thing to covet, but I just hate cloudy days. What if you could look up and see something different?

Hard pill to swallow?

Made a great find today -- I snapped up (on sale) a pillbox by Karyn Cantor. Mine has the swallow, made in Sweden, on it. Very cute!

I also really like her square rings. They look like they're bakelite, but maybe something else. Anyway, they are pretty covetable. Especially the yellow.

Cool it

Thermos, that old standby, is coming out with some cool stuff. This thing on the left is a cooler, and I also saw some lively lunch bags (the Raya line) at Target.

(And for the baby crowd, the talked-about stainless steel sippy.)

File it under cute

Did you know that Filofax got cute? I like this print very much, and I know there's more than what's on their website. (And let me just add that I love the name Yard-O-Led, and the pens. Especially the contrast between name and look. Viceroy Pocket, please.)

Flare-o-rama

Oh, those nutty nutcases over at Fred Flare, you have to love them. Where else do you find such a brave selection?


I am a little not ready for all the Valentine's retail stuff yet but I do love this pixelated love duffel.

Truly covetable is this travel wallet. I love the little belt strap.



And these are fantastic: mitten/gloves and matching scarf. Stuff like that should be bright and beautiful, to make grey days a little more fun. (And, hello, extremely cheap. Snap them up.)

Vacation mentions

Just back from my week in the old hometown, and I just want to give a couple of shout-outs.

Mustard Seed Cafe at 1948 Hillhurst, in Los Feliz, is a great place to go with a babe or kid. Mine had her first crayon experience there (they cover the tables with butcher paper) and it was very satisfying. The food is very good -- salmon scrambles, BLATs, burgers on wheat buns, salads, you know the thing.

And for the car, can I recommend Putumayo's African Playground. It is, I warn you, unremittingly jolly. Do not listen to this if you are in a mood of irony or cynicism. But really, I mean, would you prefer Raffi?

I'm not sure I should give away my secret urban playground...let's just say that mammoth, empty discount shoe warehouses have long aisles for running, boxes to lift and unpack, and -- best of all -- friendly and/or uncaring staff. All of this is good for babies, and for adults there are shoes to look at.

Another kind of suitcase

Mahar Drygoods sells these little suitcases as gift boxes, but I think they're fab and would work as a temporary purse or just all-around fun box. (You can't buy them without buying something else at Mahar -- but that's really not hard to do, it's a treasure trove.)

Groove is in the heart

I read in the New Yorker about Rimowa luggage. I love hard cases anyway, plus these have color, so they are definitely covetable. The Rimowa website is pretty funny, though.

My 200th post! And Paperchase

I was wondering why Borders had all these nifty things with neat-o patterns in their stores. Then I found out that they'd bought Paperchase, a UK company. It's sort of Tepper Jackson, but a bit more girly. Anyway, there are bags and notebooks and cards and pencil cases and lots of fun and silly fluff, all priced quite cheaply.

Buckle up

I've never actually been a fan of those seatbelt bags until now. I really like this backpack version. Maybe it's this funky lavender color (I refuse, refuse, to use the name in the drop-down menu), or maybe it's the fact that it's a backpack and I need a backpack. But anyway, I like it. (They're selling it as a diaper pack but I am not sure why.)