All posts filed under: Things for Fun

My Embroidery Kit by Lisa Grue

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Embroidery. The word conjures up the vision of wall hangings in the hallway of your grandmother’s house and delicate handkerchiefs that seem too nice for blowing your nose. Or, in the case of a new embroidery kit from designer Lisa Grue, a grinning skull that cheekily reminds you that “Shit Happens”. Created by Danish graphic designer and artist Lisa Grue, the collection is based on the concept of  Memento Mori — the idea that we must remember our mortality and pause once in a while to enjoy life. The modern embroidery kit contains everything you need to create a piece of quirky decor in the same stress-releasing, meditative way that has been done for centuries. You can pick one up for yourself, and your hippest grandma, from Grue’s web shop in June.  

modern-twist

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  I was drawn to the modern-twist booth at this winter’s New York Gift Fair by their unique collection of food-grade, hand-screened silicone placemats. Based in the San Francisco/Oakland area, modern-twist makes a range of products, from bracelets to coasters, in a manner that allows them to be both a socially and environmentally conscious company. Free of BPA, latex, and chemicals, their products are good enough to literally eat off. The line of  12” x 16” KIDZ mats, starting at $17 each, are filled with child-friendly scenes by contributing artists that can be doodled on with washable or dry erase markers and wiped clean again with a damp cloth. Adults can have fun too, with a line of silky smooth silicone place mats in subtle geometric and floral designs. Other product designs from modern-twist include trivets, coasters, wine glass markers, jewelry boxes, pillows, and a line of silicone bracelets that will appeal to kids of all ages.

Cameo by Rux Custom Baby Rattle

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Watch out silver spoons, the Cameo by Rux Custom Baby Rattle is the hot new heirloom baby gift in town. The latest concept from New York City-based RUX Design, Cameo by Rux rattles feature the custom carved silhouettes of the parents on either end and the baby’s name engraved in the handle. Cameo by Rux founder and designer Russell Greenberg says the inspiration for the rattle, which follows a line of other customizable objects, came when his wife was pregnant with their now five-month-old son Kingston.While it doesn’t take as long as a baby to make, this gift does require a bit of planning. First, the 8”-long maple rattles are sold as blocks of wood with instructions branded on all sides. A pre-paid and pre-addressed shipping envelope is hidden inside the block base, which the customer then uses to mail the block to the company’s workshop for carving. A gift-code on the base of the block is used at the Cameo by Rux website to upload the customer’s profile photographs. Rattles are completed within three …

id America iPhone Cases

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I drop my phone . . . a lot. I drop it way more than an adult with the full capability to use her hands should. But I absolutely hated my last iPhone case (the rigid button covers made it impossible to turn it on and off with one hand), so it’s been naked for bit —a bad thing if you drop your phone a lot. If you are like me and would rather be bare than have a crappy cover, then check out these new iPhone 4/4S accessories from New York City-based  id America. Inspired by the shape of a gasket on a performance engine, the brushed aluminum Gasket case with a “suede” inner lining shows enough skin to be sexy, while still offering protection. Gasket ($29.95) comes in six colors including the new Rally Blue (below). Also new from id America is Skyline ($24.95), a rigid-flex case offered in black, white, and pink with a simple, but fun, dot matrix pattern on the back. Finally, while not technically a case, the Cushi Stripe …

Toddy Gear Cleaning Cloths

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It strikes me as a bit odd that people spend hundreds of dollars on phones, tablets, and other touchscreen devices, then walk around with them smudged up all the time. It’s hard not to – the glossy surfaces show every fingerprint and oily cheek mark. What’s worse, when they do get wiped clean, it’s typically with a shirt sleeve or other fabric that can scratch the surface. With the Toddy Gear line of designer cleaning cloths, there are dozens of options to keep devices smudge-free, while expressing your personal style. The Toddy is a dual-sided microfiber antimicrobial cloth that cleans and polishes your grimy goods, with designs ranging from drawings of vintage photographic equipment to preppy plaids and punchy botanicals. Machine washable, the cloths come in a 5″ x 7″ and 9″ x9″ size. $9.99 to $14.00.

Prizm Stand

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Resembling a sort of primitive Decepticon, the Prizm Stand from Hubb Innovations is a two-piece aluminum stand for phones, tablets, and MP3 players. Introduced at this month’s CES, the Prizm stand is made from aluminum alloys and precious metals formed into two identical parts that slide together. The low-profile stand comes in anodized colors including green, blue, pink, purple, red, yellow, and black, as well as premium metals like 14k gold, antique brass, antique copper, antique nickel, and carbon fiber. Ranging price from $24.95 to $34.95, the stands are a good gift idea for  sci-fi geeks, architects, engineers, or transforming robot aliens.