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# Wednesday, November 18, 2009
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Letterpress Zombies

My friend Claudean, a designer here at F+W Media, sent me a link to the Yee-Haw Industries etsy store and it totally blew me away. You can find T-shirts, cards, calendars, posters and more inspired by and printed with their huge collection of vintage wood type. Of course, my favorite products were all about zombies, like this type-tastic T-shirt:



These zombie face prints created from rare metal type:



and this handy public service message poster:

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 1:29:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, November 12, 2009
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Typographic Coasters

This set of 4 charming Letter Coasters, made of laser-cut felt, can be yours for only $11.



via Design*Sponge

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, November 12, 2009 1:10:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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Handmade Bags

Moop makes great, simple bags to order, many of which are appropriate for both men and women. The Messenger makes a nice laptop bag and its adjustable strap is available in two lengths for the perfect across-the-body fit. (Check out one of my favorite blogs, Craft, for a Moop giveaway!)

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 2:21:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, November 09, 2009
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A Smaller Charley

I was lucky last Christmas that  my husband bought me the gorgeous Charley Harper: An Illustrated Life. But at $200, it was quite a splurge. This year, Harper fans can buy a smaller, but equally lovely, version of the book for less than $50.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Monday, November 09, 2009 3:10:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, November 06, 2009
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Dry Design

Dry yourself off with a designer towel:
Art Production Fund worked with a prominent group of contemporary artists to bring covetable, exclusive products off the museum wall and into your home. Originally debuted at art basil miami, this oversized towel by designer Ed Ruscha features the text "the study of friction and wear on mating surfaces.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 06, 2009 3:18:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, October 15, 2009
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Creepy Coasters

These wonderfully creepy letterpress coasters are perfect for upcoming Halloween parties. Etsy seller Olive-Route also has a selection of both charming and creepy notecards.



via Poppytalk

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, October 15, 2009 1:34:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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Inst-O-Matic

I'm still hoping someone will start making Polaroid film again, but until that happens, I'm psyched about this Fuji Instax Instant Camera.
It prints credit card-sized photos on bold Fuji film, but retains a classic instant film look that everyone loves. Plus, you've got more control when you're shooting: four exposure settings for indoor/outdoor shooting, a built-in flash, and a sweeping wide angle.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 2:53:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, October 08, 2009
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Designer Jewelry

Etsy seller Plastique sells awesome laser cut jewelry that would be perfect for a designer.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, October 08, 2009 4:01:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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500 Pencils

This is possibly the best gift you could give a designer, illustrator or other creative: a subscription to 500 Pencils. They'll receive 25 pencils a month for 20 months and end up with every color imaginable. Love it!

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, October 08, 2009 3:32:16 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [3] 
# Tuesday, October 06, 2009
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T Of The Times

This T-shirt sold by NYC-based designer Tim Lahan is a perfect way to laugh in the face of this wacky economy. (It will only set you back $20 + shipping.)


via Made in England

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 2:10:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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The Art of Lunch

Brighten up your workday lunch with this great series of 6 insulated bowls with lids by illustrators including Matte Stephens, Caroline Estrada and Amy Ruppel.

Features:
Easy-grip lid. Twist on. Twist off. No spills.
Dishwasher safe. Ditch the dirty work.
Cool-touch exterior. Go ahead and grab it.
Microwave safe. Heat + reheat.




Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Tuesday, October 06, 2009 1:35:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, September 28, 2009
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Pantone Pepper Mill

Pantone keeps expanding into more and more housewares. Their new line of pepper mills comes in 5 bright colors and can be ordered from Amazon for around $25.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, September 28, 2009 3:57:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Thursday, September 17, 2009
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The Letter Arts

Yep, I'm pretty sure I MUST have one of these, from a new collection of hand-printed serigraphs from the gang at House Industries:


And I'm pretty sure my colleague Megan would want one of these:



Both are part of a new collection of handmade prints from House in collaboration with screen-printer David Dodde, which features many letters and symbols from the Photo-Lettering collection in many different typestyles.

House also just released another set of wooden alphabet blocks, this time featuring more great letterforms from the PLINC collection.

Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 17, 2009 4:12:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, September 03, 2009
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(Non)Brown-Bagging

FOH Tricia Bateman, the magazine's former art director, sent me a link to this DIY lunchbag with the subject line, "You need this."

Yes, yes I do.

via design*sponge



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 03, 2009 7:02:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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Subway Map To Go

The next time you find yourself in NYC, you might want to bring along the stylish and useful NYC Metro Cuff, a matte metal cuff bracelet embossed with subway lines, numbers and streets. (Thanks for the link, Sarah!)




Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:41:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
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Letterpress Notebooks

Hammerpress is selling a line of 5 awesome notebooks with letterpress printed covers. My fave design called Butterfly. Oh, and they're only $15 each and include 128 lined pages.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:31:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, August 14, 2009
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Celebrating And

Etsy seller bishopart offers an adorable set of blank cards called "You & Me." Featuring an egg & bacon, macaroni & cheese, cake & ice cream and bread & butter, the cards are perfect for birthdays, Valentine's day or anytime you want to tell someone who much you like them.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, August 14, 2009 1:53:11 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, August 13, 2009
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HOW/Tomsuey T-shirt Winners

In a very unscientific and unbiased manner (names on lined paper picked from an empty box), we picked the 3 T-shirt winners!

Thank you to everyone who contributed their twitter accolades or woes in the HOW/Tomsuey T-shirt giveaway (#HOWgiveaway).

Entrants either posted their response to "To Tweet or not to Tweet?" in the HOW Forum (click here) or on twitter (#HOWgiveaway). 

Here are the 3 winners and what they wrote:

From the HOW Forum
Smutek says, "The coolest thing about twitter, to me, is all of the awesome little "twitter bird" illustrations that have spawned in the wake of its creation. Twitters effect on the art of bird illustration will be felt for centuries."

m@ says, "If I joined twitter to tweet, but no one heard it, would it really have happened? More importantly, would I still get 1 of these awesome T's?"

From twitter #HOWgiveaway
@oneupart twote, "Definitely tweet—it's creative corruption at its finest!"



Tomsuey Tees is a new venture based out of NYC for the creative duo Tom McGhee (Photographer) and Sue McGhee (Designer).

Posted by Jessie


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, August 13, 2009 9:40:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, August 05, 2009
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What The Tweet?

HOW Blog is teaming up with Tomsuey Tees for a limited time T-shirt giveaway. All you have to do is jump on the HOW Forum and share your thoughts by commenting on the thread to the following: To Tweet or Not to Tweet (and why you love or hate twitter)?

Click Here to Post Your Comment
Not a forum member? It's super easy (and free). Click Here

Or, Post your thoughts on twitter (#HOWgiveaway).

From there, we’ll select three winners (two from the HOW Forum, one from Twitter) and share your answers on the HOW Blog. Post your comment by Wednesday, Aug. 12. Winners will be announced Thursday, Aug. 13.









Tomsuey Tees is a new venture for the creative duo based out of NYC known as Tomsuey. Both Tom McGhee (Photographer) and Sue McGhee (Designer) have dreamed of creating a Tee range for sometime, just waiting for the right opportunity to come along with the right message to send out.

Now, with their limited edition Tweet range of tees, Tomsuey is making a statement on the current social networking trend twitter, highlighting the true disconnection of those not on the bandwagon (bandwith) of social messaging and all under 140 characters!

(Images: 1. Tasty Tweet:Blacky the crow loves nothing better than chomping on tweety bones and spitting out those pesky feathers. He really is a nice chap once you get him talking. 2. Feed Me Me: The name says it all: Don't feed the me me bird with mindless crap, look up speak and free the park benches from these corporate pests. 3. Tweet Who?: Introducing our little mate Freddy the Owl, Freddy don't give a hoot about those "me me" twits, he just wants to have a friend to talk to. Will you be his friend?)

Posted by Jessie


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, August 05, 2009 5:57:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, July 16, 2009
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Typographic Signs

Architect and Etsy seller William Dohman offers charming custom typographic signs made from recycled wood.
I will custom make any word up to 7 letters. I can do more letters, but please contact me with your specific request. Perfect for a child's name or any word you may have a connection to. Each wooden sign is cut out of recycled plywood. The white paint is applied using a dry-brush method and then the entire sign is sanded to achieve an aged look. Measurements are typically 7" tall and the length will depend on the word chosen.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, July 16, 2009 6:55:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, July 10, 2009
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Office Smarts

At only $149, the Trig desk from CB2 is sleek and super affordable. It would be perfect for a home office or small firm looking for a modern look on a budget.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, July 10, 2009 1:57:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Monday, July 06, 2009
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2 Of My Favorite Things

What's better than a great sofa pillow? A great sofa pillow that features the silhouette of a classic chair! Inhabit has a new line of pillows and wall art that celebrate the shapes of modern chairs. Gorgeous!



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, July 06, 2009 2:27:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, July 02, 2009
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Fun And Functional

At Something Vs. Something, not only can you cast a vote for the best '80s toy or Worst Ikea Product, you can show your choice buy buying and wearing a fun button. The navigation combines the voting and shopping seamlessly in a novel way that elevates the whole experience. Created by Canadian design collective Totem, Something puts an interesting spin on the idea of a web store.



Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, July 02, 2009 5:47:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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Eye-Catching Pillows
I got my yearly eye exam today, and while I was sitting in the chair I thought of these cool eye-chart pillows from Heather Lins Home, which we're featuring in our October issue. There's even a 3D version, complete with 3D glasses!


Posted by Sarah

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:11:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [4] 
# Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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Alpha Quilt

Among several gorgeous new Alexander Gerard products at Urban Outfitters is the delicious Alphabet Quilt. Mmmm, ABC.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Wednesday, June 17, 2009 7:12:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Friday, June 12, 2009
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Cute Poop

Awesome, and aptly named, design firm Modern Dog teamed up with illustrator Nate Williams to create the packaging for Olive Biodegradable Poop Bags (which I'm about to order for my new dog.)
The bags are made naturally from GMO-free corn starch and vegetable oil, are certified 100% biodegradable and compost in as little as 40 days. They come in two sizes - Unisex (small) and Super Poop (large) - and are available online at www.olivegreendog.com.
I'll definitely be needing the Super Poop size. : )



via TheDieline.com

Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Friday, June 12, 2009 6:38:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [4] 
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Ridonkulous

Affordable online art gallery 20x200 is having an amazing sale that runs through Saturday night. Get 20% off any purchase by using the coupon code RIDONK.





Thanks for the tip, Grace.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, June 12, 2009 2:40:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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Patterns

While we're on the subject of pattern design and decor, I also made a stop at Ikea this weekend to buy some drinking glasses to use for entertaining. It was a toss up between the Snall glasses by designer Nygårds Maria Bengtsson ($5.99 for 6) and the Busig glasses by designer Caroline Abild Jessen ($6.99 for 6). I ended up going with the Snall set since the pattern is simpler and goes better with my party plates.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 2:04:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Little People

I've always loved the look of vinyl wall graphics, but was never able to decide what would look good in my home until I came across Elly Nelly, run by mother and daughter team Elaine and Nell Oliver, who are both experienced textile designers. I bought Walk This Way and Safari and installed the little people all over my first floor yesterday. Instead of putting them in a straight line, I hid them in little corners and above light switches. It's fun to look around and try to find them all. The Safari animals will go upstairs in my bedroom once I figure out exactly how I want to arrange them.



Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, May 26, 2009 1:51:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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Just Say No

We featured the fun Alphabet Bags from the U.K. in HOW's April issue; now we've spotted the company's latest tongue in cheek product. Give the economy the middle finger in cute, typographical style, and at a recession-friendly price, too.


via swissmiss

Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 4:04:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
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Build Like the Master

A link on Design Observer this morning pointed us to news that LEGO's Architecture brand (who knew? how cool!) has teamed up with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Brickstructures Inc., which helped develop the architecture line, on a new licensed series. First up: Fallingwater and the Guggenheim. Wow.



via Design Observer

Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 3:36:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Old Bag

Designer Wendy Harrison started Letterfest to celebrate her love for type and unique gifts and housewares. Her "Old Bag" shopper is funny, but totally useful.
Head down the shops with this eco-chic typography bag. I’ve hand-drawn the letters and screen printed them on a lightweight cotton bag. Natural cream fabric, dark pink lettering – the print is on both sides.

The bag is approximately 16" × 16", with 18" handles. Can easily fold up to fit in a pocket or handbag when you’re out and about.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 12:56:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, May 18, 2009
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Coffee Coffee Coffee Coffee

This set of vintage coffee mugs on eBay would be perfect for a small design studio's kitchenette. Celebrate your love for caffeine and typography at the same time! Starting bid is only $15.95.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Monday, May 18, 2009 3:05:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, May 15, 2009
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Make The Logo Smaller

Every art director's fantasy comes true on this brand new, cuts-too-close-to-home, T-shirt from Typography Shop.
Set in Neuzeit S, a 1966 geometric-grotesque hybrid redesign of Wilhelm C. Pischner's Neuzeit Grotesk, originally designed in 1928. Available in black or white. Silk screened on American Apparel's 100% superfine cotton, 4.8 oz. slim fit tee.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Friday, May 15, 2009 4:10:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, May 14, 2009
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Letter Bag

The very talented Louise Fili has lent her considerable design skills to BlueQ for an alphabet inspired shopping bag based on vintage European letters.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, May 14, 2009 8:11:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, May 12, 2009
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Vintage + Type + Garden = Lovely

I'm an avid gardener who compulsively tags every plant with zinc or wooden labels, and this totally caught my eye on design*sponge this morning. Allison Cecil creates these custom markers from vintage silverware and sells them via her Monkeys Always Look shop on Etsy. Only 8 bucks! Want!



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:55:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Our Type of Skateboard

If we were into skateboarding (really, we're just a bit too uncoordinated for it), we'd be riding this baby. NYC designer Antonio Carusone collaborated with Buddy Carr Skateboards on a limited-edition project. See more at Carusone's AisleOne site, and more pix on Flickr. Only 100 are being made, and they should be available in June.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 1:56:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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Dinotebooks

Fantabulous illustrator Meg Hunt just released a pack of three limited-edition mini-notebooks. They're perfect for sketching or note jotting. And they feature awesome, fearsome dinosaurs.





via Drawn!

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Tuesday, May 05, 2009 3:55:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, April 30, 2009
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Mother's Day

For all the cool Moms out there, Hammerpress has just released three new Mother's Day cards in their unique style.


For my own cool Mom, I just ordered a tiny Mother's Day card from the World's Smallest Postal Service.


Also, Etsy has a special Mother's Day showcase where you can find lots of handmade goodies, including these custom silhouette necklaces.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, April 30, 2009 12:50:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 29, 2009
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Thread

Plazm Thread is a new T-shirt-of-the-month club of limited-edition designs, curated and delivered by Portland-based design firm Plazm and buyolympia.
Six incredible original designs delivered to your  door, once a month, for just $99. Whenever a month passes? That shirt  goes out of print, period. It's gone. So get 'em while they're fresh:  truly limited edition Plazm Thread t-shirts.

We're kicking off with a special alien abduction theme, designed by  Art Chantry. Orders for shirt No. 1 close June 1, 2009. Subscribe now and also receive one-of-a-kind shirts from Kate Moross, Ed Fella, Hannah Stouffer and two more artists to be announced soon.


Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 1:58:16 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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Aus-10-tayshus!

FOH Steve Gordon just sent over a link to preview the sweet, limited-edition T-shirt he's planning to produce for the HOW Conference. We're digging the typolicious design.




Posted by Bryn

Events | Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 8:58:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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Design In Ohio

My favorite Cincinnati design store High Street is now carrying products from Columbus, OH-based Non-Fiction Design Collective, a group of four designers who create non-traditional lamps, plates and more. I can't wait to stop by the store and check it out.





Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 12:55:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, April 16, 2009
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File Under: Lovely

Blogger, designer and papergoods producer Joy Deangdeelert Cho posted on her OhJoy blog about having discovered some of her screen-printed file folders; they're available now while supplies last.

If Joy's work looks familiar, you may have seen it in HOW's extensive roundup of designers who produce handmade/hand-printed papergoods a few issues back. See that article here.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, April 16, 2009 3:25:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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Great Source for Designerly Goods

Megan's on vacation this week; she probably already knows about this site, but it was news to me. Design Public has all sorts of home decor, lighting, kids' stuff, accessories and the like, all with a modern sensibility. I'm loving their collection of outdoor entertaining items, especially now that we've set up our covered side porch at home for spring and summer use. The bent plywood serving tray below is by Urbana Design.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 15, 2009 4:35:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 08, 2009
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Paper Packs

The delightful virtual vintage store Three Potato Four is offering Paper Packs for $16, which are filled with a combination of numbers, type, pattern, graphics and color through an assortment of maps, tickets, stamps, cards, labels, signs, stencils and and all things old school.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 08, 2009 1:36:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, April 07, 2009
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Cool Totes

Just had an email from our friends at Modern Dog with a new totebag they've designed for BlueQ. Love it!



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, April 07, 2009 6:48:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, April 02, 2009
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The Yeti And The Whale

I've always like Hammerpress's line of everyday greeting cards, but today I found some new faves: a series of five card featuring ridiculously cute animals, including a yeti and a whale.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, April 02, 2009 1:48:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, March 24, 2009
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Type Bucket

The delightful online store Three Potato Four is selling one-of-a-kind burlap buckets made from used coffee sacks. The printing on the bags is transformed from informational to decorative.
Re-purposed from a recycled (fair trade) coffee sack these amazing buckets are as unique as the sacks they came from. Beautifully crafted by Maya from Mayamade they are lined with a soft unbleached cotton that have a linen-like weave. We love the worn and typographic look of these extremely sturdy and versatile buckets.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 2:30:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, March 23, 2009
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"Paper" Plates

Oh dear heavens, how much do we love these: the Memo collection of mugs, glasses and serving plates from Fishs Eddy. Yes, yes, we do love them.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Monday, March 23, 2009 2:44:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, March 20, 2009
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Cool Feet

Turns out laptops work better when they have good air circulation. Enter, Cool Feet: suction cup feet that ergonomically elevate your computer while allowing excess heat to escape from the bottom, all for only $13!





via Shelterrific

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, March 20, 2009 2:05:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, March 19, 2009
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A Graphic Love Affair

House Industries' love affair with midcentury textile designer Alexander Girard continues ... and frankly, our love affair with House Industries does, too.

The Delaware gang has released a new collection of fonts and objects inspired by Girard, whose collaborations with the Eameses and with George Nelson led Herman Miller to Modernist heights in the 1950s and '60s.

House previously produced a series of alphabet blocks featuring Girard's lively and colorful patterns. Now comes a new font series, including Girard Script, Girard Slab and Girard Sky (based on Girard's identity for the old Braniff Airlines). Plus, some fun Tshirts (we want!!!) and stuffed toys. Everything bears Girard's sunshiny color schemes and Mexican-influenced graphics.

Fantastic!

Women's Old Sun T:

Rosy Casa Doll:



Girard Script:



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, March 19, 2009 7:44:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, March 17, 2009
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Green Goodies

Can’t get enough of the color green? Check out these green shoes and cufflinks.

SeaVees/Pantone shoes


In Green, PANTONE 391

Sonia Spencer/Pantone cufflinks



What kind of Green Goodies have you found lately?



Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 8:01:54 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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On Sale This Week

Shop online at pantone.com and use the priority code PANTONE20 at checkout to save 20% off of everything on the site.


Take 25% off all Inhabit pillows. Use promo code PILLOWS.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 4:09:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Ampersand Jewelry

I love the ampersand. It's such a classy character. So when I saw this adorable ampersand necklace on Etsy, I was tempted.



But don't really wear necklaces very often, so I emailed the store owner and asked if she'd ever considered making earrings. Turns out, she'd be thinking about it for a while and agreed to make me a pair for $20.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 3:59:26 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, March 05, 2009
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By Designers, For Designers

After producing an extensive article in the magazine last year about designers who create, produce and sell their own handmade goods, we thought about building on the whole designer-as-maker trend. Wouldn't it be cool to have a place at the HOW Conference where designers could sell their handmade wares?

And so, the Designers Marketplace was born. Catch it on Thursday, June 25 in Austin.

Anyone attending the conference can come and browse the design-savvy goodies, and if you're interested in selling your stuff, you can register here on the conference website (the $50 fee covers our costs for table rentals and signage). Start stocking your inventory now, because we expect a lot of interest.

Learn more about the Designers Marketplace -- in the meantime, check out a few of the goods that will be for sale. We'll introduce you to the designers selling in the Marketplace in the coming weeks.


Kat Feuerstein's letterpress cards and stationery




Jess Moss' bags, mittens and scarves made from fleece and vintage fabric



Kelly Parke and Darcy Hinrichs' conference survival kits



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, March 05, 2009 7:49:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, March 02, 2009
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Custom Letter Pillows

When you think of type, it's rare to think "soft and fuzzy," but these custom letter pillows from Laura's Left Hook will change your mind. For only $20, she'll crochet a 15-inch letter of your choice and stuff it with fiberfill.



via Craft

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Monday, March 02, 2009 2:49:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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Pretty Puzzle

I just got a type catalog in the mail from House Industries celebrating fonts and products inspired by the work of Alexander Girard. My favorite of many Girard goodies is the animal puzzle.
Based on a Girard carpet design found in the project archive of Saarinen’s Miller House in Columbus, Indiana. The design was never used in the landmark home, but we couldn’t let this folksy menagerie sit in the archive without letting it see the light of day.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 1:32:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, February 18, 2009
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Just In Case

Artist/designer Steven Harrington recently partnered with Arkitip magazine and Incase to create an illustrated Macbook case, which looks like an imaginary laptop case from the 1970s.





via Kitsune Noir

Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 1:37:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, February 13, 2009
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Comic Sans Love T

Ode to Comic Sans

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
If you say you hate comic sans, is your heart being true?
For it pits and it pats when those letters come in sight,
With rue your heart is laden, give in, there’s no need to fight.

As Veer says, “You either love it, love to hate it, or hate that you love it.” Either way, Comic Sans is a sensitive subject. Check out this T-shirt, made from the emotion-clad font. What's it do to your pulse?



Posted by Jessie


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, February 13, 2009 2:03:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [3] 
# Wednesday, February 11, 2009
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Hell, Yes!

Poking around the New Museum website, I came across this delightful typographic mug inspired by artist Ugo Rondinone's "Hell, Yes!" sign that is currently being exhibited on the museum's facade. It strikes me as a powerful, optimistic statement for our rocky times. (Rondinone created the original piece in 2001. Hmm, wasn't there a big bubble bursting then, too?)

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 4:14:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, February 09, 2009
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Dude To Dude

Besides our girlfriends, husbands, significant others, Valentine's Day is nice time to let your friends know how much you care about them. But what's a dude to do? You can't send a cheesy card with hearts to your poker budy or your pick-up b-game crew. But you can send a Palentine, a specially designed greeting that celebrates guy on guy platonic relationships. Even better, they're free. Just download the PDF and print.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, February 09, 2009 3:14:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, February 05, 2009
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Letterpress Love

Express your most heartfelt love this year with letterpress Valentines from Hammer Press. They offer a selection of cards in their inimitable style.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, February 05, 2009 1:54:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, January 29, 2009
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World's Smallest Postal Service

Now that our email inboxes are so full, if you really want to get someone's attention, snail mail is often the way to go. But if you really, really want to make an impact, you can send a tiny letter (that comes with a magnifying lens), from The World's Smallest Postal Service. I just got the world's smallest birthday greeting from my friend Meg and I couldn't be more delighted. Now, my husband will be getting the world's smallest Valentine from me!

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:49:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Book Sale

PictureBox, a publisher and visual culture studio based in Brooklyn, New York, is having a huge sale on their books through February 8. These are unusual art titles that you won't find at your local chain bookstore, like director Michel Gondry's debut book "You'll Like This Film Because You're In It," marked down from $16.95 to $6.95.



via Boing Boing

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, January 29, 2009 3:56:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, January 27, 2009
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And, I Love It.

This light-up ampersand from Urban Outfitters will cast a warm glow around your office.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, January 27, 2009 3:52:22 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, January 26, 2009
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Year-At-A-Glance

I happened upon this cute calendar poster at Little Paper Planes and realized it's just the sort of thing I need to put up in my kitchen to keep track of various cat-care duties. But, even though the design is charming, it's not exactly my style. So, I did a quick search on Etsy and came up with several options, finally settling on one from Sycamore Street Press that features letterpress-printed illustrations of cats and dogs. I love buying things from Etsy and it turns out that Sycamore Street Press is based in Columbus, just a short drive north from HOW headquarters in Cincinnati.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, January 26, 2009 3:51:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, January 23, 2009
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Masterful Penmenship

Calligrapher Betsy Dunlap is offering a unique Valentine postcard from her Etsy shop. For $10 she'll hand write your message in one of three gorgeous styles on a letterpress-printed card.
The card was printed by the always impeccable Pistachio Press on an antique Vandercook letterpress with hand-mixed fuchsia ink. Card is a 5x7 flat, made from Crane's Lettra 100% cotton paper. The personalized note will be inscribed on the back in navy ink, hand-mixed from gouache. The envelope is Crane's 100% cotton in navy, with the address inscribed in metallic gold ink.



via Oh Joy!

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Friday, January 23, 2009 2:48:14 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, January 13, 2009
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Pantone Shirts

Gap and Pantone have paired up to offer a colorful array of T-shirts at Gap’s rotating concept store on 54th Street and 5th Avenue in New York City. They even have a shirt in "mimosa," Pantone's 2009 color of the year.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 8:43:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, January 12, 2009
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Art Bandages

The next time you get a blister from using the X-Acto too much, decorate your wound with bandages designed by Mike Perry, of Hand Job fame, for Urban Outfitters.



via Kitsune Noir

Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Monday, January 12, 2009 1:20:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, January 05, 2009
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Handmade Holiday

I started working on my handmade Christmas gifts at the beginning of November, but I couldn't share the project on the blog because too many people on my gift list read it. Now that all the presents have been opened, I can tell you about it.

I turned vintage and thrifted pillow cases into reusable shopping bags. Then I made mesh bags for fruit and veggies and screen-printed a little pouch to put them in. All the bags are different, but I documented the set I made for myself.

The project was time-consuming but inexpensive, and everyone has promised to take their bags to the grocery store.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, January 05, 2009 3:47:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [5] 
# Wednesday, December 17, 2008
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Snappy Wrap

Dangit ... I've been looking for JUST the right giftwrap this holiday season, and haven't found what I'm after. Now that I've wrapped everything in run-of-the-mill paper, I find Janine Vangool's papergoods. Her Calgary gallery/shop UPPERCASE carries her own and other designers' fantastic products (I'm also loving the selection of calendars).

HOW featured UPPERCASE in our August roundup of designers who create and produce paper products, and I've been a fan ever since.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, December 17, 2008 2:47:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, December 16, 2008
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Super Fast, Last Minute, Crafty Christmas Gift

You really meant to make some great designer gift this year, but you ran out of time? Wait. There's still hope. Check out this awesome stenciled scarf project that you can do in no time, while highlighting your design/illustration skills.

via Craft

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 3:31:46 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, December 15, 2008
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Cool Kid Stuff

Two of my favorite Cincinnati stores are King Arthur's Court Toys and Blue Manatee Books. I stopped by both this weekend to pick up gifts for the orphanage my company is sponsoring this Christmas. But I also came home with a gift for myself: This awesome alphabet stamp set from Melissa & Doug, a company that makes well-designed toys that are fun and educational.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Monday, December 15, 2008 2:09:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, December 11, 2008
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Designer Wrapping

I don't know about you, but I'm super picky about holiday wrapping paper. This year, I'm loving "Light the Tree" from PopInk. Printed on French Smart White Paper, it's sold in sets of two 19.5" x 27" sheets, along with a bunch of other seasonal patterns and colors.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, December 11, 2008 3:01:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Bamboo Type

Just in time to be the perfect designer holiday gift, Veer is offering a set of bamboo type coasters.
Table your passion for type with these laser-etched bamboo type coasters. Bundled in a family of four, each 4" by 1/4" coaster features a unique jumble of characters from Baskerville Semibold.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, December 11, 2008 1:00:13 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, December 08, 2008
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Choose Your Own Charity

Want to make a donation as a holiday gift for your clients this year? Check out Tis Best, where you can order gift cards that allow the recipient to choose the charity they want to support. You can even upload your own image to be printed on the cards. I ordered one for my brother, who's all about saving the planet and not eating animals. This way, he can decide exactly where the money will go.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, December 08, 2008 5:50:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, December 05, 2008
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Do You Love Cheeses?

Yes, I love all the cheeses. But I'd love them even more sliced up on this amazing ampersand cutting board from House Industries.


via Swissmiss

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Friday, December 05, 2008 2:23:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, December 02, 2008
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For Your Studio Kitchen

Pantone continues to license its brand and colors to create smart and covetable Pantone Universe products. (See our earlier post about the new Pantone cufflinks.) Today comes word of a new collection of cups and mugs from London Design firm Whitbread Wilkinson and their line of W2 Products. The full set of 10 mugs would be a great addition to any design firm's kitchen or conference room.

The colors are:
• PANTONE 179 C Paprika 
• PANTONE 292 C Baby Blue
• PANTONE 3025 C Lagoon Blue
• PANTONE 337 C Duck Egg Blue
• PANTONE 363 C Pea Green 
• PANTONE 10 C Cool Gray
• PANTONE 732 C Chocolate
• PANTONE 130 C Mustard 
• PANTONE 520 C Grape
• PANTONE 3272 C Turquoise 

Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, December 02, 2008 2:24:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, November 24, 2008
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Holiday Crafting

At HOW HQ, we share office space with book and magazine editors who work on titles related to all manner of crafting. And we've watched as a) the craft market goes more upscale and b) the design field gets more into handmade and hand-embellished work.

So in that spirit of design-meets-craft, one of today's Design*Sponge posts caught our eye: An advent calendar project with gorgeous typography that could be easily adapted for all manner of holidays. The artist, Denise Sharp, has an online shop and a blog with all kinds of yummy visual inspiration.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Monday, November 24, 2008 1:44:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, November 19, 2008
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I'm Only Happy When It Rains

Or at least I would be if I had this gorgeous umbrella from the Umbrella Society. There are lots of designer patterns to choose from.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 9:10:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, November 17, 2008
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Hi-Tech/Lo-Tech

Modofly partners with artists to create and sell laser-etched moleskine notebooks in a variety of sizes and papers. You can also hire them to etch your original design onto notebooks, which would make a great holiday gift for clients.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, November 17, 2008 7:40:57 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Why Do I Want These?

I mean, they're just pencils. But they're pencils imprinted with famous mustaches like Salvador Dali's and Zorro's. What is with this mustache trend? I don't get it, but I like it.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, November 17, 2008 5:56:03 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, November 14, 2008
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Sorry, We're Lazy

The creative geniuses at Aesthetic Apparatus recently released a series of posters inspired by OPEN/CLOSED signs. Hang one of these in your window and see what happens.
What began as a never-produced poster idea has propagated itself into a series of 9 mock OPEN/CLOSED signs. Double-sided yet possibly commercially-useless, these signs will relay to passers-by and potential customers that you're not really into categorizing your availability in such limited definitions like "open" or "closed."




via Draplin Design Co.

Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 14, 2008 1:09:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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For The Stylish Male Designer

Here's the perfect gift for that special design guy in your life: PANTONE Cuff Links.
PANTONE cufflinks designed to resemble the iconic PANTONE chip are made from stainless steel for everlasting wear and feature coloured enamel in seasonal PANTONE colors. Each set of PANTONE cufflinks comes in a high gloss beautiful black signature box with white leather interior and a PANTONE leaflet showing the colors in that seasonal collection.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 14, 2008 1:02:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Tuesday, November 11, 2008
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You Smell

Designer Megan Cummins  created the packaging for You Smell . . . Like a Lemon soap while she was a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Now she's selling the soap with its gorgeous, funny label.



via Oh Joy

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 1:37:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, November 07, 2008
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USA T(ype)-Shirt

Print Liberation, a funky design studio that's featured in our Nov/Dec business annual, just released a T-shirt commemorating the recent election.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Friday, November 07, 2008 2:20:18 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, November 06, 2008
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Color Is The New Black

Moleskine recently announced a new collection of notebooks called Volant.
The newest addition to the Moleskine family of notebooks is a fresh, colorful collection! The Volant collection introduces a brand new format in an array of four colors and three sizes, infused with the Moleskine brand philosophy:
• a very neat and simple design;
• a soft Moleskine cover, light but resistant;
• the quality of the paper

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, November 06, 2008 2:42:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Wednesday, November 05, 2008
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Mmmm ... Popcorn!

We stayed up way too late last night watching the election returns, and had a hankerin' all the while for some popcorn. And then an item on NYTimes.com this morning pointed to a new gourmet popcorn purveyor called 479 Popcorn. Not only do the flavors look absolutely yummy, but the website (by The Engine Room) is totally delish.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, November 05, 2008 1:36:53 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, October 27, 2008
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Flashy Flash Drives

Pantone is offering a selection of personalized flash drives that would be great to hold a digital portfolio or a digital holiday greeting. The drives are available in 15 colors from 512MB to 8GB, and can be custom engraved.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, October 27, 2008 1:35:22 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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And Then I Woke Up

I'm loving this ampersand T-shirt from Ugmonk.
Ugmonk was established in 2008 by designer Jeff Sheldon. As the market continues to become saturated with overly complex, cluttered designs, Ugmonk’s mission is to provide high-quality products with simple, yet fresh graphics.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 4:15:21 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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Get Ready For 2009

This colorful calendar by SuperKonductor is just the thing to get you in the mood for 2009.

Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 4:16:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, October 02, 2008
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Chair Cards

Among several great designs on the cricicis etsy page is this set of cards featuring a pattern of overlapping chairs.
this set of five fold-over cards features a digitally illustrated pattern of chairs. each chair is highly detailed. they are all a subtle gray-scale, printed on a textured paper. the paper is a very pale gray with a tiny hint of mint green.
included are five minty-leaf green envelopes.
cards are 3.5" x 5" when folded.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Thursday, October 02, 2008 4:33:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, October 01, 2008
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Wooden Keys

These super fabulous antique keys are actually made by the artist by applying images of antique keys to birch board and then cutting them out with a laser cutter. Genius! These would be great as part of a clever self-promotion.

via Poppytalk

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, October 01, 2008 4:39:14 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, September 29, 2008
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T-Shirt Sans

Target is selling a cool T-shirt design by Turn Nocturnal that features sans-serif fonts including Helvetica, Myriad and Futura.


via NotCot

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Monday, September 29, 2008 3:43:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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Heavy Metal

Blend Creations, which specializes in recycled stainless steel jewelry, has partnered with several contemporary illustrators to create limited-edition monster pendants to benefit UNICEF. One of the artists is friend-of-HOW and Daily Monster creator Stefan Bucher.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 1:48:19 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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Tiny Sketching

Five bucks buys you this set of tiny colored pencils, perfect for on-the-go sketching.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 4:06:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, September 19, 2008
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Custom Wallpaper

Perfect for the design office or your home office, you can now design your own wall mural or repeating pattern and have it printed as wallpaper. I love the idea of creating an original patter, maybe even with your logo, and using it for a feature wall.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, September 19, 2008 4:00:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, September 18, 2008
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Alphabet Clips

Get organized and alphabetized with these cute paper clips designed by Stephen Reed.



via Oh Joy

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, September 18, 2008 6:19:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, September 03, 2008
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Oh James Victore
I just can't stop loving you and your boldly confident lines. Now you've created hand-painted collectible plates perfect for display on the walls of ironic homes across America. How could you make me want something I really can't afford?

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Wednesday, September 03, 2008 4:12:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, August 18, 2008
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Original Thoughts

Who doesn't need a great blank journal for sketching and idea logging? Designer and illustrator Andy Pratt offers several unique choices in lined or unlined versions. I'm a huge fan of Original Thoughts and Great Ideas.



Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Monday, August 18, 2008 4:53:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, August 14, 2008
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Across The Univers


Classic typeface meets classic tank in the latest offering from Typographyshop.com. A stylistic companion to their first product, Helvetica Neue Descending a t-shirt, Adrian Frutiger's 1954 masterpiece is illustrated in descending weights in two colors.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, August 14, 2008 4:22:49 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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Get Schooled

School, a youth marketing firm in Hong Kong, recently created an unofficial Olympics T-shirt to celebrate unity. Their website shows where each shirt goes once it's sold, everywhere from Canada to Brazil to France to the U.S.



Posted by Megan


Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 1:40:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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Recycled Letters

Urban Outfitters is selling a delightful line of 3D letters made from recycled materials. The designs vary, but they all seem to come from food packaging.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 4:06:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, July 08, 2008
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Ampersand T

Show your love of type right on your chest with this Ampersand T-shirt from House Industries.
A wise man once said that you're only as creative as the obscurity of your sources. In general social circles you don't get much more obscure than House Industries, and this obscurity is compounded by a House Industries shirt that doesn't say House Industries anywhere but on the label. So you'll be walking down the street with one of these shirts draped just right to hide your slightly flabenning middle, and this random hot designer chick will come up to you, grab the back of your collar to see who exactly made such a simple but elegant garment. What an icebreaker. We can't guarantee that this is going to happen and we can't assume that you even want it to happen, but it's a nice shirt nonetheless.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 6:23:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, June 26, 2008
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Local Love

After the city guide on HOW's hometown went up on design*sponge this week, another d*s reader named Drew had posted his own on his designcincinnati blog. Following a rabbit trail of links from Drew's blog, I found Handmade in Ohio, which then led me to Wire & Twine. I really dig the low-tech look of the site's navigation (and also their cool T-shirt designs):



Not that I spend all my time chasing web links, mind you. No, not at all.

Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, June 26, 2008 8:48:52 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, June 23, 2008
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Typtopus

This typtopus t-shirt from Inkyfinger's Matt Sutter rules.
An octopus made entirely on the typeface Avenir will float atop the green waters of your chest with glee for all to see.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, June 23, 2008 3:39:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, June 19, 2008
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Speaking of Type

On the heels of Megan's post about the letter-shaped icecube trays, I just had to borrow this link from core77 and share this awesome Uppercase Scarf from Little Factory.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, June 19, 2008 2:45:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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Icey Type

I keep seeing these cool letter ice cube trays around the blogosphere but nothing about where they can actually be purchased. So I was happy today when I came across The Spoon Sisters, which sells all kinds of fun kitchen and home goods, including the letter and number ice trays. Besides saying it in ice, you can use the silicone trays for jello, butter and even baked goods.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, June 19, 2008 1:52:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, June 18, 2008
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Car Art
Infectious produces stunning, removable car art with a host of well-known creatives like Dalek, John Burgerman and Zeptonn. My favorite is called Fluid and was created by British illustrator Si Scott.
British illustrator Si Scott is the master of gorgeous, swirly, insanely intricate typography. And, unbelievably enough, it’s all drawn by hand with fineliners. Si has taken his whorls and flourishes and moulded them into a series of striking sea creatures for his Infectious car art. He imagines them bubbling down the side of a car, like a moving aquarium.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 5:37:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Texty Jewels

I'm fond of little jewelry pieces, and I recently stumbled upon the chocolateandsteel shop on Etsy.com, with a few tiny typographical adornments. Hmm ... I do have a birthday coming up, so maybe a little self-gifting might be in order.


via design*sponge

Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 4:37:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, June 16, 2008
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Small Type

Paloma's Nest offers handmade, hand-stamped bowls featuring custom text. The small vessels are perfect for jewelry or keys.



via Poppytalk

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, June 16, 2008 4:24:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, June 04, 2008
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Wall Candy

V&A Prints is an online selection of more than 3,000 images from the Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the most renowned collections of art and design in the world. What's even better, is that you can order prints on paper or canvas directly from the museum.



This amusing print is available as a 5x7 for £5 all the way up to a 32x45 inch print for £100. (International orders are accepted.)

via Fly

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, June 04, 2008 5:58:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, May 08, 2008
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Pretty in Green

We're big fans of delphine, designer Erika Firm's Rancho Santa Fe, CA-based papergoods line. Not only have Erika's gorgeous goodies shown up in HOW design annuals, but they're also featured in our upcoming story about designers' handmade paper items. She's gearing up for next week's National Stationery Show in New York City (but for the HOW Conference, we'd be there in a heartbeat). And today she tells us she's launching a line of super-cute recycled cotton totes.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, May 08, 2008 1:27:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 30, 2008
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Commands
This series of three digital prints from Atmostheory, celebrating often used Mac commands, can be had for just $12.



via Swissmiss

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 4:50:09 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, April 24, 2008
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Uh So

I'm drawn to this set of ambivalent coasters by Canadian illustrator Ray Fenwick.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Thursday, April 24, 2008 4:21:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 23, 2008
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Beautiful Trash

Today Umbra announced the release of Artala, a line of three trash cans decorated with the designes of Joshua Davis. The cans are available in red, kiwi and ocean and are made from biodegradable plastic.






Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 3:58:21 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Tuesday, April 15, 2008
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Designer Chocolate

We're about to be inundated with entries in HOW's Promotion Design Awards (judging starts tomorrow), so I've got clever promos on the brain. I was delighted by San Francisco-based Coco-luxe Confections, which makes gourmet truffles that can be customized with logo or text. The yummy candies would make a delicious, memorable client gift.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 4:26:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, April 14, 2008
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Snail Mail Fun

Celebrate the lost art of letter writing with hillarious letterpress printed cards from Zeichen Press. The blank cards feature vintage illustrations and fun typography.





via Swissmiss

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, April 14, 2008 5:47:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 09, 2008
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Yee-Haw

Famed letterpress shop Yee-Haw Industries recently opened a store on Etsy selling notecards and limited-edition posters. These Alpha Pattern card sets are my favorite and a great way to keep cool cards on hand for unexpected occasions.



via Poppytalk

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 09, 2008 3:25:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, April 08, 2008
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Custom Moleskine

What's better than a classic Moleskine notebook? A custom, laser-engraved one! Engrave Your Book offers an artists' series of notebooks for sale, as well as a custom-engraving service.


via Oh Joy!

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, April 08, 2008 6:22:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, March 20, 2008
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No Bag

Part of It works with artists to create products for causes they are passionate about. Sales from products benefit charities chosen by the artists. For instance, sales of this alphabet bag by London-based designer Daniel Eatock benefit The International Dyslexia Association.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Thursday, March 20, 2008 5:58:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Bloxes

On the first day of the SXSW Interactive Conference, I noticed one corner of the convention center being taken over by interlocking cardboard shapes. The display morphed and grew over the four days as attendees played between sessions. Turns out, these "toys" are called Bloxes and were designed to build movable walls to dampan sound in offices and just build cool things. A case of 20 Bloxes in white or brown costs $59.95 and each Blox measures 9.5 inches square when assembled.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, March 20, 2008 1:43:52 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, March 13, 2008
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For Your Table

This strikes me as being simply brilliant: chalkboard napking rings. At MoMA. Via swissmiss.


Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, March 13, 2008 8:45:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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Hope Shirt

If you like Shepard Fairy's Obama Hope Poster that's been buzzing around the blogosphere, now you can get the design on a t-shirt from Upper Playground for $25.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 7:12:18 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, February 26, 2008
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William Morris In The Office

Design*Sponge today points to a line of cute office supplies from Galison that features the designs of William Morris. What's really cool is that the Clover pattern supplies recently won a merit award in the HOW In-HOWse Design Awards. The pattern was reproduced from a wallpaper sample in the Brooklyn Museum of Art and can be found on file folders, journals, notepads and  more.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 6:29:47 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Monday, February 25, 2008
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Big Cheese

A few years ago, during a drip to Madison, WI, I came across a set of adorable mugs with catchy word/image pairings. I chose one that paired the word "big" with a cute drawing of a wedge of cheese. But when I got home, the mug was broken (due to some bag packing on my part). So I was excited today to see a post about Jane Jenni on the Drawn! blog. I thought her style looked familiar so I checked out her site and there it was: big cheese (plus a bunch of other designs that I like even more.)


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Monday, February 25, 2008 8:49:52 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, February 21, 2008
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Big Covers

I just came across some great book covers turned into posters at UrbanOutfitters.com. Classics like To Kill a Mockingbird and The Catcher in the Rye are captured in all their vintage glory.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, February 21, 2008 6:21:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Friday, February 15, 2008
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Shop In Style

If you're tired of boring canvas shopping bags, BlueQ has a line of bags that are as stylish as they are sensible, including this one illustrated by mixed-media artist Charles Wilkin.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Illustration
Friday, February 15, 2008 1:43:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, February 13, 2008
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What Happens if You Eat All the Pieces?

via Core77

We love chocolate. We love Scrabble. We love Chocolate Scrabble, by designers Mary & Matt.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 7:34:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, February 07, 2008
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For Your Desk

Design Within Reach is selling a set of 12 moleskine notebooks to capture your thoughts and sketches for an entire year. Each black notebook is embossed with the phrase "One Year of White Pages," along with a hole to indicate the month (one for January, two for February, etc.).

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, February 07, 2008 4:35:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, February 05, 2008
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CD Love

Just in time for your romantic Valentine's mix CDs, 5inch is offering the 3 CDR Love Bundle for $7.50. The catchy designs are sure to capture someone's heart.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 3:44:57 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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Monogram Mugs

I got over my Jonathan Adler mug obsession from last week when I came across these monogrammed mugs at Anthropologie for only $6. I liked the bird on the P better than the flowers on the M, so I went with the that. The store has plenty of type-centric products to choose from, including another series of monogram mugs and large metal letters to put on a shelf or hang on the wall. I never get tired of looking at letters!

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies | Typography
Tuesday, January 29, 2008 4:19:57 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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Want!

New Jonathan Adler mug with love on one side and hate on the other. It seems like a steal at $24.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 8:12:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, January 16, 2008
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Off The Wall

If you were lucky enough to get an iPhone for Christmas, Veer has a treat for you: a selection of design and type-inspired wallpapers for your shiny new gadget.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, January 16, 2008 1:21:44 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, December 18, 2007
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Pretty Patterns

If you love Amy Butler's fabric patterns (like me) but aren't into sewing (like me), she recently launched a new line of paper products through K&Company. Plus she's posted directions for some great paper projects on her site.







via Fly

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, December 18, 2007 6:22:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, December 17, 2007
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Another Gift For Type Lovers

If you haven't perused the Typographic Gifts for Designers series over at Hoefler & Frere-Jones, what are you waiting for. If you have, here's another type trinket to add to the list. These alphabet key chains are made of 100% wool with all natural dyes and are available from Plastica for $7.50.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, December 17, 2007 9:06:53 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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Spreading the LOVE
Another way to wear your heart on your sleeve: ROSA LOVES is a non-profit T-shirt company, but different in that every T-shirt design relates to and raises money for a specific need, whether the need is providing holiday dinner for 10 families in St. Augustine, FL or offering scholarships to rural Mexican students or buying a local woman a new walker. After the need is met, they stop printing the shirt, making it a limited edition.  Each T-shirt has the actual story printed on the inside of the shirt.

 

Posted by Carmen

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 9:43:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
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Better Watch Yourself
With Christmas shopping in full swing, you just might need some help figuring out (fortunately, I just finished checking people off my list yesterday!). So, here's a really cool watch from NOOKA that has a neat display (12 dots light up to reflect the hour of day) and comes in a variety of colors (gold being only the obvious choice).




Posted by Carmen

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 6:30:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, December 06, 2007
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Great Gifts For Guys

The fantabulous Design*Sponge has been posting great gift guides for the past week, but today they cracked the toughest nut of all: What to get for the creative men in your life. Check out the 2007 Gift Guide: For Him for lots of great ideas.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, December 06, 2007 6:55:38 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, December 03, 2007
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Whoa!

I don't don't know how most people in Sweden celebrate Christmas, but I think the designers of the Pipparkakan cookie cutters will be having a merry time, indeed. This would be just the thing to liven up a bake sale or cookie swap!


via NotCot

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, December 03, 2007 8:06:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, November 29, 2007
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Design and Wine

Designer Josh Jakus's Wine Pocket is constructed of industrial wool felt collected from factory excess. It's both eco-friendly and stylish and now it's on sale at DWR for $29 with free shipping.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, November 29, 2007 1:39:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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Design On Sale
During the month of December, you can get 15% off all orders from Inhabit, purveyers of graphic sheets, pillows and wall decor (just enter HOLIDAY07 during checkout). All the products are designed by husband and wife team Jennifer and Mike Tuttle who also run a design firm called Planet 10.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 2:02:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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(Not) Staples

From our favorite OFFICE supply store in Portland comes news of an upcoming exhibit and a few cool new products:

They're featuring 10 nationally recognized female letterpress artists in a show called (natch) LET HER PRESS, which opens November 29 and runs through January 19. Creative gals from Hammerpress, YeeHaw, Egg Press (all of whom have been featured in HOW) and others are participating; each artist has produced 5 prints, which will be for sale during the show.

During opening weekend (November 29 to December 1), OFFICE is offering discounts on letterpress cards and papergoods in its shop. Also new to the store: These cute (almost sexy, in a schoolgirl-fantasy sort of way) Japanese book bags.



Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 3:02:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, November 16, 2007
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Wrapping Roundup

I've got the holidays on my mind today so I poked around the web a bit to find some fresh wrapping paper that will look great under the tree. Here are some of my faves:


Snow & Graham from Kate's Paperie



Marimekko from Crate & Barrel



Paper Source



Pop Ink from CSA Design and French Paper



Whimsy Press

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 16, 2007 4:45:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, November 12, 2007
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Pretty Paper

All the designers I know seem to have at least one (or two or three) notebooks going at the same time. They may take client notes in one with lines and save sketches in an unlined version. However, they're used, pretty notebooks make a perfect gift for the creatives in your life. Design*Sponge just posted a great roundup of gorgeous journals, notebooks and planners. From $7 to $73, you're sure to find something for everyone on your list.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, November 12, 2007 6:01:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, November 06, 2007
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Designer Gifts

The Savannah College of Art and Design has a great online store full of gifts for the designers in your life. One of my faves is a series of melamine plates, designed by the school's Working Class Studio, that are great for parties or outdoor dining.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:50:13 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, November 05, 2007
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You're Welcome

Poking around the P22 site today, I came across these two very inviting welcome mats. Designed by Dard Hunter Studios the mats sell for $39.95 each.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, November 05, 2007 6:07:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, November 02, 2007
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Wheels

Almost like snowflakes, car rims come in huge variety of patterns. And, as it turns out, the shapes are gorgeous when screen printed onto round cards. The Memowheel game, created by German designer Jakob Straub, lets you match 32 pairs of rims to test your visual memory.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 02, 2007 7:25:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, November 01, 2007
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Limited-Edition Toy Cameras
  
HOW Books editor Amy Schell just passed along a link to a super fun gift idea from the Lomographic Society: a White Stripes edition of the Holga and Diana cameras.
Each camera set is packaged within a custom gift box and contains a treasure-trove of accessories. Pricing is $180 and 150 EUR per set. Purchases are limited to 1 JACK Holga set and 1 MEG Diana+ set per customer.



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, November 01, 2007 3:16:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, October 12, 2007
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ABCs

I admit it, I never get tired of looking at lovely letterpress cards, but when most of our communication is by email, wouldn't it be special to send a note on one of these monogram notecards from Anthropologie? Grab a set of 6 for $16.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, October 12, 2007 4:17:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, October 10, 2007
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Overheard On The Forum

The designers in the HOW Forum are a crafty bunch. They recently started a thread about creative pursuits outside of work that yielded some great gift ideas. Check out the post for links to everything from photos and illustrations to notecards and journals. Here are three of my faves:

Gorgeous cut-paper illustrations from A Little Hut.



Letterpress cards from Sunlit Media.



A journal from Jane Hancock Papers.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 4:16:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [3] 
# Friday, October 05, 2007
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Pretty Things
We're suckers for beautiful papergoods, and we just stumbled across Redbean Paper + Ephemera, which has a collection of incredibly well-designed (and customizable) holiday cards. We also like that the nouveau-holiday, robin's-egg-blue-and-red color scheme on some of the cards echoes the palette of HOW's upcoming November/December cover. We feel so stylish.


Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Friday, October 05, 2007 6:25:23 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, September 27, 2007
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Cereal Box

I'm not sure I understand the connection between vintage cereal graphics and laptops but I dig this series of laptop sleeves from Target.


Posted by Megan

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 27, 2007 7:43:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, September 24, 2007
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Pillow Pillow Pillow

More and more these days we're hearing about designers staring their own product lines as a creative outlet. Pillow Pillow Pillow from creative studio Hornet Inc. is just such a project. You can see all the pet-shaped pillows on the site and they're available to buy from select retailers including Elsewares and Rare Device (search for "pillow").



Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, September 24, 2007 6:46:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Friendly Desk Accessory

I just came across this fun tape dispenser from Fred Flare and thought it was the perfect thing to perk up a Monday.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, September 24, 2007 5:45:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, September 19, 2007
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Bubble Bags

Speaking of speech bubbles (see Photoshop Logo post below), I just ran across this Word Bubble Laptop Bag on swissmiss, a design blog Bryn just told me about the other day. The bubble motif is also available on a really lovely shoulder bag. All the bags, and other fun products, are made by hand by Michelle Kline of Portland-based SNAP Design.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 7:54:32 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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In Da House
The gang at House Industries has released their spring 2008 clothing collection (hmm ... what to call it? Street wear? Skate wear?): T-shirts, retro-punky golf attire (to be worn with a certain degree of irony while on the links), hoodies and pullovers.


Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, September 18, 2007 9:23:49 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, September 17, 2007
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What Do You Weigh?

A bathroom scale, that tells you how much you weigh in celebrities instead of pounds (from Baby Jesus to King Kong), is just one of the humerous offerings of Angry Retail, a Dublin, Ireland-based company founded by two graphic designers. The web store also sells T-shirts, posters, bags and buttons.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, September 17, 2007 4:13:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, September 14, 2007
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I.O.U.
Here's a perfect office accessory if your coworkers are constantly borrowing things from your desk. Created by Australian product-design firm MOZI, these "borrowing checks" will help you keep track of your wandering CDs, books and office supplies.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, September 14, 2007 2:27:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, September 06, 2007
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Cool Kicks
Designers Andy Mueller, Jennifer Pitt and Kevin Fernley of The Quiet Life (a little creative side project for the trio) have teamed up with Lakai Limited Footwear on a sweet limited-edition collection of skateboard-y shoes.


Posted by Bryn

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 06, 2007 4:59:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Gifts From Veer
To celebrate its fifth anniversary Veer is running a fun promotion: spend $500 on photography, illustration or type and get $100 towards cool Veer merch. Click here for all the details, then check out cool goods like the Kern jacket, Swash buckle or Helvetica mug.


Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 06, 2007 1:30:13 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, September 04, 2007
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Designer Shoes
The String Republic offers classic espadrilles in fantastic patterns by designers and illustrators from around the world. One of its most recent offerings is a pair by illustrator Nate Williams.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, September 04, 2007 4:27:11 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, August 16, 2007
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The Water Problem
Lately, there's been a bunch of stories in the news about how bad bottled water is for the environment (like this one and this one). I gave up my beloved  Fiji water about a month ago, but I still haven't found a great solution for taking water to office meetings or in the car.

(I have a cool Camelbak bottle, but I stored it under the sink next to the dishwashing powder and now the soap taste won't wash out.)

So today, I jumped onto Amazon and did a quick search for water bottles. It turns out there are a bunch of great designer choices. Now I just have to decide which one to order. Here are a few of my faves.

Sigg offers many good options like this loop top water bottle or these gorgeous round top ones.




I also like the simplicity of this Klean Kanteen.



And finally, this New Wave Enviro bottle comes with a nifty hook you could clip to a bag or at least dangle from a couple of fingers when you're trying to carry a bunch of stuff to a meeting.

Posted by Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, August 16, 2007 6:58:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [3] 
# Wednesday, August 15, 2007
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MMMMM, Metal

Have you seen this scrumptious wireless aluminum keyboard from Apple? For only $79, you can use it to trick out your workstation. (It would look lovely with the aluminum base of my new iMac. I wonder if I have Bluetooth?)

Posted by Megan
via NOTCOT


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, August 15, 2007 4:44:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, August 03, 2007
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Brainstorm Toy
Posted by Megan

Yesterday, the HOW staff spent the day at our favorite brainstorm hideaway thinking about the magazine and how to keep making it better. Whenever we have a big brainstorm, we bring a box of toys with us. It's full of fun things like MadLibs and Silly Putty. But lately, the toy that's captured everyone's attention is a maddening little plastic puzzle that's nearly impossible to solve (though both Bryn and Susan finally cracked it yesterday). Nobody remembers where the puzzle came from in the first place, but I found something similar on Amazon. So the next time you want to get your brain moving in a new direction, try the IQ Bock puzzle. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, August 03, 2007 3:05:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, July 25, 2007
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Gadget Pad
Posted by Megan

The Load-Ding Device Orangizer ships flat, then folds to form a tray to cradle power hungry devices like cameras and iPods while they charge. The white plastic is flocked on the inside, in red, pink or black, to protect your gadgets. At only $15 from the A+R Store, it's a good deal on a useful item.


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, July 25, 2007 1:24:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, July 23, 2007
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Designer Desks
Posted by Megan

via Design*Sponge

As part of her House & Garden blogging gig, Grace of Design*Sponge recently compiled a slide show of 28 totally cool and usable desks for the home office.


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, July 23, 2007 8:56:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, July 12, 2007
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Treasure Trunk
Posted by Megan

If you're looking for a cool, unique gift check out Trunkt, a website where you can buy directly from more than 200 artists and designers in 9 countries. Product categories include paper, jewelry, handbags, home accents and more, like these notecards from Mew Paper Arts, jewelry from Metalicious or mugs from Circa Ceramics.






Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, July 12, 2007 4:03:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Monday, June 25, 2007
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For A Very Limited Time Only
Posted by Megan

50 signed (on the box) Red Hotchachachas from illustrator Gary Baseman will be available today starting at 10 a.m. pacific time from GaryBaseman.com. First come, first serve. One per customer. Each comes with a special edition (signed and numbered) Hotchachacha Giclee print (8.25 x 11.25).


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, June 25, 2007 2:07:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, June 06, 2007
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Keri Smith Rules!
Posted by Megan

One of my favorite illustrators/creative thinkers, Keri Smith, just released a new book edited by one of my very best friends, Meg Leder of Perigee Press. Wreck This Journal is for anyone who's ever needed a little nudge to keep up with their journaling or sketchbook-keeping. Apparently, there's already one in the mail to me : ) I can't wait!


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, June 06, 2007 7:37:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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Creatives Care
Posted by Megan

Veer, fine purveyor of fonts and photos, recently added a new T-shirt to their Creatives Care collection. The shirt, with an illustration by Niklaus Troxler, can be had for $22. Proceeds benefit the New Orleans nonprofit Common Ground Collective.


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 6:43:54 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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The Sketchbook Redesigned
Posted by Megan

via Not Cot

The Dot Grid Book was developed as an alternative to traditional lines and boxes. The light geometric dot matrix serves as a subtle guide for your notations and sketches. ($14)


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, May 15, 2007 3:39:54 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, May 10, 2007
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Magic Calendar
Posted by Megan

Via NotCot.org

The secret of this perpetual calendar from Better Living Through Design lies in the magnetic frames that come with it—simply roll them over the black markings to discover the dates.


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, May 10, 2007 4:09:49 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 25, 2007
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Another Tiny Monkey
Posted by Megan

The HOW staff has adopted another stuffed monkey. He is a handcrafted amigurumi critter from Etsy sent to my by my dear friend Meg. (Oh, according to the handwritten tag, his name is Tommy.)


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 7:27:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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Design Your Own Kleenex
Posted by Megan

In the category of "how cool is that," is the design your own tissue box feature from Kleenex. You can actually buy a box with your design for $4.99 plus shipping.


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 25, 2007 7:05:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, April 23, 2007
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Perfect Shelves
Posted by Megan

On the recommendation of design blog Oh Joy!, I decided to check out the A+R online store today and see what they had to offer. When I visit expensive looking sites, my first stop is always on the sale page, so I clicked. And there were the exact shelves I'd been looking for. I didn't realize that what I wanted were the Massie Flying V Shelves, but when I saw them, I knew. So I order two sets of 5 shelves to construct the wall display of my dreams. (Plus I got free shipping!)


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, April 23, 2007 6:49:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, April 13, 2007
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Little Lovelies
Posted by Bryn

Patricia Zapata, a regular on the HOW Forum, has a little online business selling handmade cards and wall art. Lovely!


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, April 13, 2007 3:41:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, April 11, 2007
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Gift Ideas
Posted by Megan

Managing editor Sarah Whitman just came across Great Gift Ideas: 50 Affordable Designs by Famous Designers on the HOW Forum. As someone there pointed out, a lot of the gifts have to do with fruit, juice or beverages in general. Hmmm, are designers more thirsty than other people?


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 2:28:19 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, March 29, 2007
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Hot Tracks
Posted by Bryn

Apple announced today a new Complete My Album program on the iTunes music store: If you've previously purchased single tracks from an album, you can get credit for those tunes when you go to purchase the full album. (Previously, if you bought a single and then wanted to buy the album, you paid the full-album price and ended up with two versions of the single.) For the next 90 days, the program is retroactive to include any singles you may have purchased dating back to the iTunes store's debut.

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, March 29, 2007 7:29:29 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, March 27, 2007
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Crafting In The Clink
Posted by Megan

Fine Cell Work is an organization that teaches prisoners in the UK fine needlework skills and helps them earn money to send to their families by selling their creations. You can buy gorgeous, handmade pillows, bags, rugs and quilts and help a good cause at the same time.





Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 8:58:11 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, March 22, 2007
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The Computer Of My Dreams
Posted by Megan

The New York Times has a super short preview of the computer of my dreams: The Samsung Q1P. It only runs Windows, but I can forgive that for it's paperback-book size and 1.7-pound weight.

22samsung.600.jpg


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, March 22, 2007 8:25:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, March 02, 2007
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Notable Notebooks
Posted by Megan

Fab fabric desginer Amy Butler is selling gorgeous notebooks on her site. Brighten up your next business meeting with one of these tastey designs.

Gifts and Goodies
Friday, March 02, 2007 4:41:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, February 26, 2007
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Secret Message
Posted by Megan

Recently, one of my coworkers received an interesting Thank You note in the form of a can of dirt. It turned out to be a Message Bean. Just add water, wait a while, and the message grows into pretty green plant.

bean.jpg



Gifts and Goodies
Monday, February 26, 2007 2:46:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, February 23, 2007
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Laptop Sweater
Posted by Megan

If dogs can have sweaters, then why not laptops? These protective sleeves are knit from fine merino wool.


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, February 23, 2007 1:25:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Tuesday, February 20, 2007
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Give A Hoot
Posted by Megan

We've been seeing more and more owl motifs lately. It's a trend we're liking. Here are a few faves:

Letterpress card



Owl Hoodie



Owl Lamp


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, February 20, 2007 3:19:26 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, February 15, 2007
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Romantic And Beautiful
Posted by Megan

For Valentines Day, my husband bought me the graphic novel version of The Fountain, which is also a movie that I loved. The story is terribly romantic and the illustrations in the book are stunning. Much better than a box of chocolates!


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, February 15, 2007 1:40:36 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, February 09, 2007
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speaking of v-day
Posted by Tricia

If you're looking for something a little different for your sweetie, try etsy. It's my favorite site for buying handmade crafts.


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, February 09, 2007 6:19:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, January 10, 2007
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Weeeeeeee
Posted by Megan

Our fave wall-graphics company blik just announced a new line Wee Gallery wall graphics sets. Classic designs, Elephant and Giraffe, are bigger and better than ever, with more graphics per package. And debuting alongside these updated graphics are two brand new designs, Undersea and Farm.

All Wee Gallery/blik products are made with blik re-stik, which means you can remove them AND move them. These hand-drawn animals work especially well with newborns and babies.

Picture 112345678910111213141516171819202122232425.png

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, January 10, 2007 7:53:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, December 21, 2006
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Buttons!
Posted by Bryn

Ever since we profiled them in HOW's December 2005 issue, we continue to be mighty impressed by those folks at Coudal Partners. (And not just because Jim has agreed to speak at the HOW Conference in Atlanta.) Awhile back, we blogged about Coudal's homegrown sports paraphernalia biz Sixteen Straight. (Rex Grossman sort of scotched that project.) Now they've got a new venture, Pinsetter. Get a full set of alphabet buttons (2 of each letter, plus punctuation and a red heart) for just $39.

Picture 31234567.png

Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, December 21, 2006 4:48:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Tuesday, December 19, 2006
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Funny Design
Posted by Megan

Designer Brian Sooy just sent me a fun link to The Onion store. These fake boxes were designed by Arik Nordby, who has his own humerous golf-merch site called Bogeypro.com. The idea behind the boxes is that you put a real present inside, but when the recipient first unwraps the gift, they'll wonder what kind of drug you were smoking while Christmas shopping this year.


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, December 19, 2006 8:36:48 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, December 13, 2006
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The Cutest Bike
Posted by Megan

HOW Books editor Amy Schell just forwarded me this adorable bicycle she found on Daily Candy. Popular in Holland, the jorg & olif bike is now available stateside. You can learn all about it at the pretty jorg & olif website.




Picture 5.png

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 2:46:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [4] 
# Tuesday, December 12, 2006
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Desktop Illustration
Posted by Megan

We spend so much time sitting in front of the computer, typing on our white or beige keyboards and moving the mouse around until our wrists ache, that any chance we get to liven up our work stations is welcome. Enter Keyboard-Characters: a line of super-fun cut-out illustrations meant to be propped up on the back row of your keyboard to keep you company. Each of the 10 characters is illustrated by Von Glitschka, aka the Vonster.




Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, December 12, 2006 4:06:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, December 11, 2006
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Wall Monsters
Posted by Megan

Jan Willem Wennekes, an illustrator based the Netherlands, recently released two sets of vinyl wall graphics in his signature style. These clever montsters would be cute in a kid's room (whether that kid is 13 or 33).

Populations_Lrg_03.jpg

Outbreak_Lrg_03.jpg




Gifts and Goodies
Monday, December 11, 2006 6:05:22 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, December 07, 2006
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The Party's Over
Posted by Megan

If you prefer your holiday celebrations with a healthy dose of sarcasm thrown in, then The Party's Over wrapping paper is the perfect thing for you. Designed by Pure Products USA, the paper comes in gold or silver and is printed with "festive facsimiles from Jack Abramoff's American Express expense records and emails; indictments of reporter Judith Miller and Vice President chief of staff Scooter Libby, email correspondence from Michael 'Brownie' Brown, checks from Jeffrey Skilling and Ken Lay and many others." The perky paper is sure to spark heated debate around the Christmas fire this year!


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, December 07, 2006 3:02:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, December 06, 2006
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Snap It Up
Posted by Megan

Design and branding blog Brandflakes for Breakfast just launched a holiday gift guide section where they promise to add cool (and silly) gear for designers throughout the season.


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, December 06, 2006 3:07:49 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Wrap It Up
Posted by Megan

UPPERCASE highlights the world of design and illustration through exhibitions, books and unique products. Owner and graphic designer Janine Vangool has designed a line of holiday papergoods: gift wrap, tags and Christmas cards that are inspired by typographic flourishes and punctuation. The papergoods are available in store, online, and in select stores.


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, December 06, 2006 2:57:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, December 01, 2006
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1,000 words
Posted by Tricia

Like many designers, I have a weekend hobby of taking photographs. After a couple years of emailing photos of trips, my friend Phil Sexton asked me if I'd be interested in collaborating on a book. His ideas was for a photo book of writing prompts. Each spread would have a photo on one side and on the other, a little essay about writing and an exercise prompting you to write 1,000 words about the photo keeping what you learn from the essay in mind.

This summer we had the opportunity to produce the book under the Writer's Digest imprint. (HOW's parent company also produces Writer's Digest magazine and books.) The days were long especially since this was a personal project which had to be done after office hours and the production schedule for writing, photography and design was about five months. Most designers can work more that 40 hours per week without batting an eye. The process of this book taught where my limit was and a lot about my design habits when left to my own devices.

The book is called A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words: Images, Ideas and Exercises for Writers and it's due in stores in the next few weeks. I'd be honored if you'd take a look when you're at your local Barnes and Noble or Borders for some Christmas shopping this holiday season.









Designers | Gifts and Goodies
Friday, December 01, 2006 4:11:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, November 22, 2006
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Colorful Holidays
Posted by Bryn

News item from Pantone: Shop at Pantone.com this holiday season, spend more than $249, and score an iTunes gift card or extra discount on your order. Sure, you can stock up on all your color swatchbooks, but we like their office products.
home_accessor_dk.gif

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, November 22, 2006 1:24:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, November 21, 2006
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Multitalented
Posted by Bryn

Not that creating gorgeous typefaces isn't enough, Emigre's Zuzana Licko also creates gorgeous ceramics. In her spare time.



Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, November 21, 2006 4:50:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, November 20, 2006
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Playing Cards
Posted by Bryn

via Daily Guilt via Coudal

These look like fun: tiny business cards from MOO with your very own Flikr images on the back.

Gifts and Goodies
Monday, November 20, 2006 8:29:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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If We Had Kids
Posted by Bryn

(Which we don't.) But we still love these, 'cause they'd look sweet on a shelf in our living room. House Industries has created a set of alphabet blocks in collaboration with the estate of mid-century designer Alexander Girard. Girard's textiles for Herman Miller and identity for Braniff Airways incorporated folk-art motifs, and you'll see those influences in these lovely wooden blocks. At 100 bucks a pop, we'd hate to turn them over to a teething toddler.


Gifts and Goodies
Monday, November 20, 2006 6:41:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Saturday, November 18, 2006
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hi, hi, birdie
Posted by Tricia

If you're a fan of indie rock, tshirt design AND helping out a charity, then this site is just for you. Bands like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Rilo Kiley, Hayden, Stars and others have each contributed tshirt designs to the Yellow Bird Project, a Montreal-based, non-profit initiative. Their mission is simple. They collaborate with musicians in designing a T-shirt, then print and sell them on their website, and all of the money they make goes to charity. Which charity? Each of the artists gets to choose their own.


Gifts and Goodies
Saturday, November 18, 2006 8:33:08 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, November 17, 2006
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On My Christmas List
Posted by Megan

I'm in the market for a new cordless hand-vac and this Karim Rashid-designed model from Black and Decker is going on my Christmas list right now!



Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 17, 2006 4:53:21 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Tiny Chairs
Posted by Megan

Angolz.com offers hard-to-find toys and accessories from Japan and carries my favorite thing in the world: a line of miniature replicas of famous chairs at a price I can actually afford. I have the first three chair collections, and I got an email this morning that Angolz will begin selling Volume 4 this month. Nelson Marshmallow Sofa, here I come!


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 17, 2006 3:23:58 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, November 16, 2006
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A Hint of Mint
Posted by Megan

Have a coworker with less than fresh breath? Give them a hint with mints packaged in cool tins illustrated by Gary Baseman. Maybe, they'll thank you (instead of punching you in the face).


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, November 16, 2006 8:44:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, November 14, 2006
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Gorgeous Greetings
Posted by Megan

Full Circle Press and A Day In May just released their 2006 holiday greeting card line. The cards may be ordered in boxed sets or customized for your family or corporate needs. Fifty cents from each holiday card and twenty cents from each gift tag ordered will go to the WATOTO FUND, helping provide Masai women and children in Kenya's Great Rift Valley with an education, daily living expenses and a safe haven.


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 1:45:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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On Our Wish List
Posted by Bryn

via RDQLUS

Yep. This is going on our Christmas list, for sure.

Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, November 14, 2006 1:31:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Wednesday, November 08, 2006
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Great Design For Kids
Posted by Megan

Picture 112345678.png

Mahar Drygoods provide a highly curated selection of clothes, toys, book and more for classy kids. Look here for hand-printed books by Ayumi Piland like Smelly and Animal ABC Book.


Plus super-cute hand-made toys like this:

Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, November 08, 2006 8:07:11 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, November 03, 2006
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What A Card
Posted by Megan

I'm always looking for new and unsual greetings. This series of all occasion cards from Firecracker Press certainly fits the bill. A set of 4 super cool cards, printed on thick kraft paper and packaged with envelopes, can be purchased for $16.

Picture 1123456.png

Picture 2123.png


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, November 03, 2006 3:26:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, November 02, 2006
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Random Acts
Posted by Bryn

At HOW's first Mind Your Own Business Conference, I met the lovely and talented design duo of Ilene Guy and Erin Sarpa, who run EandI Design in San Jose. These gals are a blast to spend time with—and they have big hearts: For the past several years, the firm does a random act of kindness every month, whether that's donating art supplies to a senior center or giving 10% of that month's profit to a cause. In November, they're giving 10% of proceeds from sales of their cute baby announcements and shower invites (available through tiny*prints) to a local charity.


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, November 02, 2006 1:49:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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So Cute
Posted by Megan

When Netherlands-based designer/illustrator Jan Willem Wennekes (aka Stinger) sent us an email about his new book "Stingermania," I thought his style looked familiar.

It took me a few mintutes to realize that he was one of the winners in the Blik/Threadless contest. So now you can buy his work in book form or as a graphic for your wall.


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, November 02, 2006 1:35:39 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, November 01, 2006
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Design Supports Writing
Posted by Megan

The new designs for November are up and ready for purchase at the D*S Shop.

As always, 100% of the profits go directly to the designers and 10% of the shop's ad revenue will go to charity. This month's donation will be split between 826NYC and 826Valencia, both of which offer tutoring for children age 8-18 to help them develop writing skills.

November artists are:
1. Camilla Engman (limited edition print)
2. Ryan Kundrat (modern martini picks)
3. Alyson Fox (limited edition drawings)
4. Sesame Letterpress (coaster pack)
5. Good on Paper Design (notepad set)
6. Esque Design (recycled glass bud vases)

kvinna m bubbla i famn[1].jpg



Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, November 01, 2006 7:07:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Friday, October 27, 2006
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Chucks + Tattoo Flash = Super Sweet Shoes
Posted by Megan

Sailor Jerry, purveyor of fine clothing and accessories, has just added two new designs to its limited edition line of Converse shoes. The Skull Snake Tattoo Converse Skid Grips sell for $45 and the  Ace Tattoo Flash Chuck Taylors for for $50. We have enough Chucks in our shoe wardrobes around here, but these are mighty tempting!

converse1.jpgconverse2.jpg

Gifts and Goodies
Friday, October 27, 2006 2:46:21 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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For Designers Who Only Wear Black
Posted by Megan

For the ultimate in designer toilet paper (yes, I said designer toilet paper), check out this new line called Renova. The luxury paper comes in black, red, orange and green and can be ordered online.

RENOVA COLORS.jpg

Gifts and Goodies
Friday, October 27, 2006 1:42:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [3] 
# Wednesday, October 25, 2006
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Designer Numbers
Posted by Megan

via Design*Sponge

Design Within Reach has just released a line of metal house numbers that are actually quite affordable at $24 a pop. What makes the numbers really great is that they were designed by type legend Erik Spiekermann.


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, October 25, 2006 5:17:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, October 24, 2006
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Ride in Style
Posted by Megan

From the company who started the wall decal craze now comes blik Autographics. Personalize your car with one of 12 body graphics or 6 window graphics.


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, October 24, 2006 9:08:09 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Thursday, October 19, 2006
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Attention, Sportsfans!
Posted by Bryn

Here at HOW HQ, we're all girls, but a couple of us are sports fans. OK ... really just me. Which is why I found Coudal's latest venture, SixteenStraight.com, to be simply friggin' genius. Mr. Mooth is from Chicago, so I have a smidge of loyalty to Da Bears.


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, October 19, 2006 6:56:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
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15 Minutes of Fame
Posted by Megan

The new Andy Warhol watch collection from Seiko makes it easy to keep track of your 15 minutes of fame. Produced under a license from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Andy Warhol 15 includes two lines:

The Pop Collection features artwork from Warhol's early days as a fashion illustrator, along with works that laid the foundation for the Pop Art movement.


The Plastic Series is a line of watches that originates with Warhol's fascination with plastic. This line was created to mirror Warhol's interest in consumerism and mass production.


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, October 19, 2006 2:33:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Tuesday, October 17, 2006
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Monster Bags
Posted by Megan

via BoingBoing

Keep your laptop safe and warm this winter with these adorable monster laptop sleeves from Barry's Farm.


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 8:25:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, October 06, 2006
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A Sleek, Yet Comfy, Office Chair
Posted by Megan

via Boing Boing

Sci-fi writer Cory Doctorow recently recieved a demo unit of Steelcase's new Think chair and he can't say enough good things about it. Beyond its attractive design, the chair "is built from isometrically opposed materials that bend, give, and then hold to support you as you move, keeping you upright and balanced no matter how you squirm or fuss." Sounds like a perfect chair for workaholic designers who spend too much time hunched in front of their computers.


Gifts and Goodies
Friday, October 06, 2006 3:38:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
# Thursday, October 05, 2006
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Tea Time
Posted by Megan

The next time you're feeling stressed about a major project, forget the coffee or candy bar and reach for a cup of black tea. Daily cups of tea can help you recover more quickly from the stresses of everyday life, according to a new study by UCL (University College London) researchers. New scientific evidence shows that black tea has an effect on stress hormone levels in the body.

If a plain old cup of tea doesn't sound appealing, there are plenty of interesting varieties available, including Tea forte, which is specially packaged in silk infusers with a decorative stem that acts as a handle for removing the triangular tea bag from your cup.

TeaForte-1.jpg



Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, October 05, 2006 2:51:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, October 02, 2006
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Coffee To Go
Posted by Megan

via Shelteriffic


In the market for a new go cup? These are high on design and functionality. Read the reviews here.





Gifts and Goodies
Monday, October 02, 2006 4:34:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Design*Sponge Shop Opens
Posted by Megan

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My favorite blog for designer gifts and goodies has just added a shop, featuring limited-edition designer housewares like this:



YUM!

Gifts and Goodies
Monday, October 02, 2006 2:47:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Wednesday, September 27, 2006
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Designer Tees
Posted by Megan

These T-shirt designs were chosen (with 6 others) from over 90 submitted by U.S. teenagers participating in a "say what’s on your mind" design-it-yourself T-shirt workshop. The workshop was held at a grand opening for the Target National Design Education Center located in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City. They're being sold exclusively on Red Hot Shop and all sale proceeds will be given to Cooper-Hewitt. Cool!

Target is also sponsoring free admission to the Cooper-Hewitt during National Design Week, October 15-21.



Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, September 27, 2006 7:00:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Tuesday, September 26, 2006
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Not Yer Mamma's Backpack
Posted by Megan

via Design Sponge


Finally, a backpack you won't be ashamed to carry. This line of bags from Eastpak was designed by Swedish designer Hanna Werning.


Gifts and Goodies
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 5:36:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Monday, September 25, 2006
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We Love Letters
Posted by Megan

These cardboard letters from Paper Source are just the thing to decorate your home or office. Embellish them with doodles, paintings, photos or anything else you can dream up.


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Gifts and Goodies
Monday, September 25, 2006 8:18:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Friday, September 22, 2006
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Designin' In The Rain
Posted by Megan

It is a nasty, nasty day here at the HOW headquarters in Cincinnati. To make myself feel better, I'm looking for fun accessories to brighten dull days. Here are a couple of winners:

The Color Spectrum Umbrella from the Moma Store:



And the Aki umbrella stand from 2Modern:



Gifts and Goodies
Friday, September 22, 2006 3:54:00 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [1] 
# Thursday, September 21, 2006
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Paper Shoes!
Posted by Megan


via Make


Wondering what to do with all those paper samples scattered around the office? Designer Shin Tanaka sure does. He crafts one-of-a-kind paper toys and shoes.



Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 21, 2006 9:08:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [3] 
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Hot Design For Cool Kids
Posted by Megan

Apartment Therapy: Chicago is focusing on great design for kids this month. Here is their Top 10 List of well-designed, kid-friendly products for the kitchen.


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 21, 2006 6:47:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
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Sock Monkeys Revealed
Posted by Megan

Designers love sock monkeys, right?! If you find these creative creations as amusing as we do, be sure to check out the new book Sock Monkey Dreams. Along with sock monkey history and lore, the book also includes amusing photos of the monkeys in their natural settings. (You know, a coffee shop or bowling alley.)


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 21, 2006 5:45:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [2] 
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Mmmmm, Posters

via Design Sponge


Letterpress shop Hammerpress has recently relaunched its website with a great new store. Stop by for limited edition posters and prints.


—Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Thursday, September 21, 2006 3:49:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0] 
# Wednesday, September 20, 2006
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B is for Bauhaus



These cute cards will help kids learn their ABCs and provide a Mid-Century Modern education in 26 remarkably easy lessons. The Modern Alphabet Flashcards can be purchased at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or at Jargon Boy.

—Megan


Gifts and Goodies
Wednesday, September 20, 2006 4:07:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)  #  Comments [0]