30 Gifts Under $25: No. 28

The Microplane

This is a must-have for the kitchen! I love this little tool. It is one of my most-used kitchen tools. I use it for citrus zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, you name it. If you have a cook in your family, get him or her one of these. It would be a lovely gift with a bottle of whole nutmeg for grating. You could even include a few recipes that list nutmeg as an ingredient.

30 Gifts Under $25: No. 29

Pecan & Raspberry Kringles from O&H Bakery

These things are fabulous. I first tried the O&H Kringle in law school, when a classmate brought one in for an ealry morning Mediation Class. Her mom had sent it to her. The bakery is in Wisconsin and it must be a magical place to produce such sweet delight! The Kringle is moist, flaky and delicious. Anyone on your list with a sweet tooth would surely like to receive one or two of these!

30 Gifts Under $25: No. 30

I have been inspired by some old posts of Jordan Ferney at Oh Happy Day to do a "30 Gifts Under $25" post. I'm starting now since I know a lot of friends and family have already started their shopping. So here goes ...

From Lollyphile - Lollipops in three neat flavors: maple-bacon, absinthe, and wasabi-ginger! Not your average Christmas candy! You can buy 12 for $24.

My type of jewelry.

I love these pendants from The Weekend Store. They're repurposed old typewriter keys. Just love 'em. They make rings, bracelets, and earrings too.

Things I'm Liking . . .

RIng Toss Necklace at Sundance

Gelsey Wedges and Adele T-straps at Sundance (sundancecatalog.com)

Maryjane Pumps by Wanted (at Piperlime.com)

No more brown baggin it.

Check out my cool new lunch bag. It's neoprene. It's a far cry from my first lunch box, a metal Strawberry Shortcake. It is from Built NY. They also make market totes for shopping.

Shortcut to Candy.

Anyone who has ever melted, colored, and placed candy coating discs into a pastry bag will want these! That process can be quite irritating -- not to mention time-consuming. These will solve the problem. I spied them on Bakerella's site. You can purchase them here in a bunch of colors.

Delicious Dental.

I learned about these from Bree at Life at 123 House. You can purchase mouthwash or tooth paste from Breathe Palette in any of these fab flavors: Tropical Pineapple, Rose, Monkey Banana, Honey, Kiwi Fruit, Fuji Apple, Vanilla, Strawberry, California Orange, White Peach, Lavender, Cinnamon, Lemon Tea, Bitter Chocolate, Caramel, Grapefruit, Pumpkin Pudding, or Cola. Pretty cool.

Clever kitchen.

I really like these chopping boards from MOMA by Damian Evans. I have a conglomeration of random sad looking boards at the moment. They should be retired for these. These are designed to avoid cross-contamination of various food types: red/raw meat, white/cooked foods, blue/fish, green/vegetables. Plus they would fit so nicely in the space between my microwave and fridge.

Artful Wednesdays

I love these tiny little works of art by Eva Soehjar, a UK designer. They are made of polymer clay. Each one is handpainted. Check out her other works at her etsy shop.

Artful Wednesdays

Today's art is by an artist named Laura Sue. Her artwork can be purchased at the Earth Art shop on etsy.

Oh the possibilities!

I see fabric and I think possibilities. Not that I'm a particularly fabulous seamtress. I think I get this imagination from my grandmother. She was a fabulous seamstress. As a little kid, I would sit in the bottom drawer of her sewing table while she sewed. I loved all the different colors and patterns. I still do. My grandmother could spend hours in a fabric store, touching every piece she walked by. Right now I'm thinking of all the different things I might make with these patterns from Fabric Stash. Perhaps one of them will make an appearance on a Crafty Friday.

Lovely pottery.

I just discovered Whitney Smith Pottery. It is gorgeous. I just LOVE the cake stand with the little birds. Well, I love it all. Check her shop out on etsy.

Artful Wednesdays

I'm starting this new weekly posting. I'll share an artist that I have recently discovered each week. This week, I picked Sarah Blank. Here's some info. from her website:

"I enjoy painting beautifully strange worlds and curious characters. In my work I am influenced by myth, fairy tales and personal experiences in the natural world. I am constantly on a treasure hunt for subject matter for my paintings and drawings. I scavenge treasures on the forest floor and in antique and thrift shops. Sometimes I construct little narratives for my work but most of the time I rely on my subconscious and let the story unfold."

Her artwork can be purchased on her etsy site.

Bizarre, and yet I want one.

You can have your own DNA mapped and framed for a mere $390! Get a kit from DNA 11, swab, and send. It's that simple. This is weird, but cool. I can't help but wonder how my and Scott's DNA would look hanging over the sofa.

{photos from DNA 11}

Sweet Dreams

Our dogs need this! They want one and they don't even know it exists. How cute is that? A steak pillow! It can be found on etsy and is made by Midnight Snack.

Nest Obsessed

Lately, I have been obsessed with nests. Somehow I'm drawn to them! Perhaps it is related to the little sparrows that have built a nest and laid their eggs in the lantern hanging on my porch this Spring. Here are some of my "nest finds" from Etsy.

1. Tags from Sunshine and Ravioli.

2. Nest painting from Kellydesigns.

3. Darling egg soaps from Pixie Potions.

4. Cute thank you notes from Megan Creates.

5. Baby tee from Farm Girl Dry Goods.

6. Three canvas painting from Amy Giacomelli.

Things I Heart

Cupcake pendant from Uncommon Goods. Handmade in Boston by Beth Falk.

Since I just started a new job and moved into a new office, office supplies are on my mind. These are from See Jane Work.

Ceramic berry baskets from Uncommon Goods.

And my favorite find in a while . . . this cute little bird's nest pendant from Starry Designs. You can check out all her jewelry in her Etsy shop.

Pretty little things

I found these little necklaces at Uncommon Goods. They're handmade in Georgia by artist Kathleen Plate. They're made from real beer, Coca-Cola ™ , wine and water glass bottles. So sweet and simple.