I just love it when little issues we dealt with all our lives are nixed through the most simplest of solutions! Say goodbye to stacks of dixie cups, germ-infested toothpaste cups, or cupping hands; hello, Tapi. The first "squeezable" tap-gone-water-fountain is blowing my mind! How simple?? And how genius! Perfect for kids faucets, toothbrush-tots-in-training, and family bathrooms in general! And with the array of available color options you can go bold to brighten and add some fun, or opt for white or steel to go as seamless as possible!
Tapi from Dreamfarm, $4.95
Stella McCartney launched a beautiful little capsule-collection of kids clothing this month; the start of her own label for children. The line seems simplistic, yet edgy enough. I guess the main feature right now is the luxury-blends: cotton/cashmere etc. But I don't see anything much more special than her fantastical Gap rendezvous (hope it's not an end to that era??). Honestly, my favorite dig is the yellow boots!!
And that graphical-deer logo is pretty dope.
The hot-topic right now is Andrew Zuckerman and his newly published project, Music. I don't know anyone who is not a fan of his work - his lens produces epic captures! And I'm especially fond of his publication for kids, Creature ABC. Come to think of it, his Creature Floor Puzzles ($24.95) are probably one of the most timeless ways to gift a Wii-era child... lend them an appreciation for beauty and affection for creatures of the earth. With Chanukah around the corner and kids receiving way too many high-tech toys, this may inspire you to take it down a notch - spend some time puzzled over on the floor again! These images are quite incredible, check this:
I can't wait to check out Music:
"The Music project features dynamic portraits of over fifty musicians of all ages, from across genres, who provide their perspectives on one of the most universal and yet unexplainable art forms. Music is available as a book, which includes portraits and interviews as well as access to a feature-length film; it is also available as an iPad app, with text and portraits from the book as well as individual films for each contributor exclusive to the app."
Here's a sneak peek:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o1hP_Mlc_A]
Now this is why the "collaboration thing" totally rocks!!
When Gwyneth Paltrow (who was surprisingly fabulous singing at the CMA Awards last night! Watch her performance here.) spent months in Nashville on set for the indie film "Country Strong", she had an interior decorator work with an empty, raw space and turn it into something she and her family could live in peacefully, albeit temporarily. I read about the renovations on (one of my favorite online-spots!) Goop, and spotted a Blu Dot sofa in her children's bedroom - almost identical to our Blu Dot for Urban Outfitters find in Freida's room. Here's the catch: her's was retail for $900 vs. ours which was a BD for UO collaboration ($648) swaged on clearance for a measly $125!! Our "Benzo" has wooden legs instead of steel ones, and I'm sure the "Flat Out" is a lot more comfortable to sleep on, but there are ways to score big on design, ladies!
I was teaching the concept of "blessings over food" with my Hebrew School class (3rd graders), and decided to do a little project to culminate the discussion of how special and significant natural sustenance is. Want to rev-up the planting process a bit? Terra-cotta planters + chalkboard spray-paint =
The kids really enjoyed decorating their planters with the blessing and all different sorts of vegetables and herb (we planted parsley - it grows in cooler weather) illustrations. This is such a great way to spruce up your kitchen window-sill (who doesn't want to cook with fresh herbs always on hand?), and a super-cute way to label and mark different species...
