Objet du Jour

Vampire Repelling Garlic Mints by Accoutrements.

Product Features:
--Protect yourself from vampire attacks with these potent Garlic Mints.
--Each 2" (5.7 cm) round tin contains about one hundred mints guaranteed to give you the kind of garlic breath that will send vampires scurrying back to their coffins.
--Warning: consistent use of Garlic Mints may have a negative impact on your social life.

Listed on Amazon.Com under Grocery and Gourmet Food.

via Book of Joe

tags:
Accoutrements
Garlic Mints
Book of Joe

Objet du Jour: Oak Heritage Rocking Chair

One of the fun things I did over the summer was visiting Art on the Rocks, a yearly art fair held in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan (in Marquette, more specifically). If time allowed, I would make a yearly pilgrimage to this beautiful art fair nestled into the woods and rocks of Presque Isle Park. In any case, we made it this year, my husband and I.

One of the things we liked best (and almost bought on the spot but had no way to get it home) was a rocking chair made by Oak Heritage. What makes these chairs special is the the way the wood is hand-bent to conform to the human body. This is the most comfortable rocker I've ever tried!

Here is how the chairs are described on the Oak Heritage website:

We are probably best known for our rocking chairs. Inspired by Amish design, our chairs have been crafted using a more radical steam-bending technique. This signatory curve in the seat and back design gives each chair superior lumbar support which makes each rocker extremely comfortable while adding beautiful curving lines to its design.

Since we didn't buy one on the spot, we are going to make a special trip to Yellow Springs, Ohio, to pick one up. This will be our Christmas gift to each other.

tags:
rocking chair
Oak Heritage
Furniture

Objet du Jour: Maury Island Farms Preserves

This is the best stuff I've ever put on toast. A delight to the tongue. And my jar, generously left for us by my aunt and uncle, is at that "scraping the sides with a spoon, hopelessly" stage.

I'm not a foodie. Toast is, in fact, one of the few meals I prepare. I would never have bought a gourmet foodstuff in a store--I'm more a "grab the store brand, it's cheapest" gal (unless, of course, we're talking chocolate). But I just ordered three jars for $6.00 apiece from The Country Store and Gardens.

I'm hooked.

If you don't believe me, here is a review by consumer Kathy Behrens from The Country Store and Gardens website:

This is the most excellent Jam you will ever taste, like freshly homemade! You'll never be able to go back to the grocerystore jam again. Annnnd, a major plus is that is spreads so easy, making a PBJ in a snap!

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!

tags:
Maury Island Farms
gourmet preserves
toast

Objet du Jour: Girl in Swing Necklace

What have you seen lately that's cooler than this necklace from Tatty Devine? Me, not much.

I found it at Soma Gallery for £33, along with a delightful array of other Tatty Devine items, also available from the Tatty Devine boutique. This one looks familiar:















I've seen these antlers in magazines and around famous necks, I think. It's made of walnut wood, not actual antlers. I'd love to be all trendy and wear this! (Wearing the girl in swing necklace, though I love it, is something I wish I could pull off--but, alas, cannot).

Antlers found at Soma Gallery for £23-- currently out of stock at the Tatty Devine boutique.

tags:
Tatty Devine
Soma Gallery
Fun Jewelry

Objets du Jour: Stephen Jones Millinery

Upon viewing these spectacular designs from Stephen Jones Millinery, I couldn't help trying to imagine a lifestyle in which they would adorn my head.

Fits of giggles ensued.

On the other hand, aside from the starvation factor, wouldn't it be fun to be a model for a day, and to walk down the runway in an outfit for which such a creation would be just exactly the right finishing touch?

Yes, in fact, I am killing time until Project Runway is on. Who wants to know?

tags:
Stephen Jones Millinery
haute couture
hats
Project Runway

Objet du Jour: ShapeScapes

Hurrah! A set of ShapeScapes finally came up on eBay, and I won it! Most of the places I've seen it advertised, the price was like $32.00, and I got it for $12.50!

ShapeScapes has been on my "coveted objects" list for, oh, over a year now, but my budget for non-essential items is about $0.00. (Magazines, of course, are considered "essential items"--in my budget. After all, how can you do collage without them?) But given the price, I had to splurge! I'll just have to tighten the belt this month on something else. Food, perhaps.

tags:
eBay
ShapeScapes
budgeting

Objet du Jour: DwellStudio Blossom Pig

I can offer no explanation for my love of this object. It is from the DwellStudio Baby line, and I neither have, nor am, a baby. But it's a lovely cowgirl piggy cushion, and I want one! (Ok, maybe I'm a little bit of a baby. . . .)

Available at Design Public.


tags:
DwellStudio
Blossom Pig
Design Public

Objet du Jour: "Messy" Tablecloth

I love this tablecloth on so many levels. The graphic is wonderfully irreverent, and the simple needlepoint treatment projects a lovely indie/handmade aesthetic.
























Also, it colors outside the lines! I love it when art breaks through its frame; there's probably an arty word for that, but as I have no background whatever in art or design of course I don't know it. If there isn't a word for it, there should be. I played around with the concept a bit in this piece from my Flickr photostream. (Yes, I'm aware I'm rambling. It's been a long day.)

In any case, the tablecloth is by AZEdesign, and I spotted it on a blog called roadside scholar, which is well worth a look.

tags:
AZEdesign
tablecloth
needlepoint
roadside scholar

Objets du Jour: Clio Tableware

Handmade ceramic cheese platter. Waaaaay cool.
























"Improved Crockery" dinnerware. Tres chic.
























"Seconds" teapots. Ah, the irony. No, not irony. What do I mean? Literalcy. Literality. Literalness. Yes, my spellchecker tells me the latter is correct. (However, I prefer "literality.")

This type of literality is part of a design trend. I'll track down some other examples for you one of these days.

All available at Clio.

tags:
tableware
Clio
design trends

Objet du Jour: Yada Yada Yoga Frogs

It's been so long, do I even remember how to do this?

Hell, it's not rocket science. . . .











I was filled with joy by these yoga frog figurines. Enough so that I had to break my over-long silence and post them for you. Some of you out there might have some very tense frogs on your hands, so it's the least I could do.

Available over at Art & Artifact: $59.95

tags:
yoga
frogs
figurines
Art & Artifact

Objets du Jour - Graham & Green Mugs

Cool mugs at Graham and Greene. Above, Urban Alphabet Mugs.

Below, By The Lake porcelain tea cups and saucers.
























tags:
Graham and Green
urban mugs
tea cups

Objet du Jour - ISAK UK Counting Poster

I fell in love with these little birdies from ISAK UK when they were featured on Delight.Com last week. The platters and plates are nice, but this children's counting poster is IT.


I know it's not nice to play favorites, but I particularly like number 17.

tags:
ISAK UK
Delight.Com
child decor

Objet du Jour: Bird Print Cups

Aren't these great? I love the graphics and the chic way the cups are stored/displayed. Just one thing: I would get obssessive/compulsive about making sure they were stacked correctly, and I really don't have time for that. Like, the cats wouldn't get fed because I'm messing with the cups.

Still, they're great. At Dutch By Design for $35.00

tags:
cappucino cups
Dutch by Design
tabletop

Objet du Early the Next Jour: Ryan McGinnes Soccer Ball

See, now this is cool. You don't have to be a soccer player for this to be cool. You don't even have to be the Arbiter of Cool to know that this is cool.

As described on the Vivre website:

Perfect for the athlete-aesthete, this stylish hand-stitched soccer ball is patterned with surrealist icons by artist Ryan McGinness. The ball is FIFA tournament quality. Black/gold. Size 5.

At Vivre, for $185.

tags:
soccer ball
Ryan McGinnes
Vivre

Objet du Jour - Twinkle Living "Midnight" Rug

I'm loving this rug from Twinkle Living, called "Midnight." Only $1016, at Design Public.

tags:
Twinkle Living
Design Public
area rug

Objet du Way Too Long: Warm Biscuit Fairy Diary

OK, so I went on vacation with the completely incorrect assumption that internet access would be so easy you'd never know I was away. Picture me walking the halls of my aunt's apartment building with my laptop open, trying to increase the signal of some unknown neighbor's wireless connection from one to two bars so I can post. Picture my frustration. Picture the posts I would have posted. *sigh* OK. Onward.
























To make up for it all, I've found you this delicious fairy diary from Warm Biscuit, a newly discovered online store that has me charmed completely.

Would you not have loved this as a child? Are you not tempted to buy it, on the pretense that it's for your niece, while knowing full well you'll keep it for yourself?

And here's something you should know: fairies are the new skulls. Remember, you heard it here first. (But you have to spell it "faeries." Not sure why, but know it as fact. Trust me.)

tags:
Warm Biscuit
diary
faerie

Objet du Jour - Tea Talk Teacups

I'm loving these word-play tea mugs. The list could be endless, couldn't it? Humili - tea. Adversi - tea. Indigni - tea.

I should probably leave it to the professionals.

At Wrapables for $11.95 apiece.

via Design Milk.

tags:
tea cups
wordplay
Wrapables
Design Milk

Objet du . . . uh, week?

OK OK OK. I was so impressed with myself for posting three times in one day that I got all full of myself and haven't posted for a week. BAD me! Bad, bad me!

Anyway.

Let's talk Acme Studios.

































Acme Studios probably isn't new to anyone, but it's a great fav of mine and deserves a re-visit every now and then. Now is an especially good time for a visit because of these new leather business card cases, available in early July. (There are more, but I like these two the best.) On top we have "Scarlet King," and below, "Butterflies." Both are designed by Adrian Olabuenaga, and are available for $27.00.

I think the snakeskin patterned one is especially awesome.

Here are some of my other favorite Acme business card cases (I love business card cases). These are all the traditional metal cases, available for $31.00 a pop.
























Up top, "Spring," by Eva Zeisel. Love the colors. Down below, "Prospect Garden," but Michael Graves. Love the pattern. (Sucker for florals.)
























Here we've got the wonderfully grungy "Crops," by Marcel Wanders, on top. And down below, the lovely black and white "Petal," by Gabrielle Lewin. (Again, sucker for florals.)













And finally, the cool architectural style of "Collins Avenue," by Alberto Berga-Perales. And I like this one why? Let's all say it together: "BLACK AND YELLOW!"

tags:
Acme Studios
business card cases
Adrian Olabuenaga
Eva Zeisel
Michael Graves
Marcel Wanders
Gabrielle Lewin
Alberto Berga-Perales

Objets du Jour: Ibride Plates and Platters

I'm loving these melamine plates designed by Ibride for Habitat.

**Warning: both sites are designed, most annoyingly, in the beloathed, innavigable flash (boooo, hisssss).**

























This line of plates is called "Sorbet," and is described as follows:

With unique and dreamlike patterns created by combining photographic imagery, turn of the century line drawings, and high tech computer effects, Sorbet is perfect for outdoor dining or the most stylish midnight beach party.

Way cool, any way you serve them.

Ibride trays, also way cool, are available at Velocity Art and Design. These are made of high pressure laminate over pressed wood and paper board.
























If you don't like the squirrel tray below, well. . . there are plenty of blogs out there, so you might as well just move on.
























Eclectic Detective: arbiter of taste in laminate squirrelware.

tags:
Ibride
melamine tableware
serving platters

Objets du Jour - Scalamandre Fabric

Scalamandre "Calabassas County" Leaping Frog Cotton Print


















Scalamandre "Ewe Too" Checked Woven Chenille


















Scalamandre "Animoux" Lampas

Aren't these adorable? I spotted the froggy print in the current "Traditional Home" magazine and had to share it. Love the ewes and other critters too. How 'bout you?

All can be found at Design Diva Fabrics. The Scalamandre website is here.

tags:
Scalamandre
animal fabric