Covetable: Or, Stuff I Want

Roomtogrow

2009-11-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

In some of the stores around me I've seen, recently, some great kids' backpacks and lunchboxes. I kept trying to remember the name of the brand so I could blog about it; finally, I did. (Also I remembered how to spell 'maintenance', which has always outfoxed me.)

So. It's called roomitup. Which, honestly, is not a good name. And it turns out they are marketing this to college students, not the very smalls. But still, this is preschool chic:

Tippy toes

2009-10-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is a post about baby shoes. Be warned.

Back when my daughter first put foot to pavement, she wore Robeez, like most of the other kids. Which are fine.

But now I see that See Kai Run has a new line called Smaller. These are soft-soled, like Robeez, and hella cute.

Window dressing

2009-10-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

I got this catalogue in the mail. CB2. I've seen the stores around, but never looked into one.

The catalogue, though, entrances me, and this is why - I've become fascinated with the pretend reading matter scattered through the scenes. I don't even know what it's supposed to reflect - is it an aspirational lifestyle to read the New Yorker, the NYT and Twilight? The bathroom has National Geographic (currently laying people off, apparently). There are also the inescapable Large Design Books and, of course, everyone uses a Mac.

There is some ok stuff in the catalogue but it's very IKEA and I'd rather just go straight to the funfair land of slides and macaroni and cheese (most people think of meatballs, but a family member is addicted to the mac).

Added: Those reviews are totally fake! CB2, in my book you are busted. There is no way a pitcher can have that many good reviews because real people are picky and grumpy. Also, take note, real people don't spell well and use poor grammar. Especially in reviews.

Space 1979

2009-10-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

OK, I was at IKEA today. This is so unfair. How can they have these in Conshohocken and not here in the mod-lovin' Bay Area?

Photo and info via Daddy Types and Greg's army of tipsters. Here's what he says:

curvy plastic base in black or white, pop-in seat in red, black, white or transparent smoke [!], plus a detachable tray, all for $60 [additional seats are $20]

Stringing me along

2009-10-08T22:26:00.000-07:00

I recently got a bag of blog swag from 1000 Markets, a new Etsy rival. There was one thing in there that I've come to really love - earrings by Cheap Date made out of guitar strings.

Now, I hate the word 'upcycled'. So that nearly put me off them immediately. But let me tell you why I love them: they're light. Super light. I hate heavy earrings with a passion and these are so light that I forget I'm wearing them, go to bed, and end up with them tangled in my hair. Sorry, that was beside the point. They're great, anyway. And no one would know they're strings, so I can avoid looking like some weird band groupie.

(It occurs to me that both my friends named Cara would probably appreciate jewelry from a place called Cheap Date. A coincidence?)

Plastique

2009-10-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

The emporium of the reliably covetable known as Veer is selling the Diana plastic camera.

It makes lovely/horrible photos - photoethnography.com says you should tape it up with gaffer's tape!

Veer's selling a remake, but look how pretty the pictures are.

Little tiny Swedes made this

2009-10-08T14:58:00.001-07:00

Look, a Stokke for only thirty bucks. Oh, wait, it's a knock-off. Oh, wait, it's "Swedish Style" doll chair.

You know you've made it when Target makes you mini. Now where's the American Girl size 'Dutch Style' stroller?

Swingin' in the breeze

2009-09-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

So the first time round, I made a mobile for the babe. I found some stark black and white stuff, like the Target logo, printed it and glued it to cardboard stuck them to popsicle sticks and took two wire hangers and bingo, infant mobile. The hardest part was tying the yarn right in the middle of the popsicle stick (actually from popsicles, too - Trader Joe's lime fruit floes).

I think we still have it but it's probably wack after being crushed in the closet for four years and I'm not sure I have the mojo to make a new one.

On some blog (sorry, can't remember where) I saw someone talking about getting a handmade one off Etsy, which seems like a good idea.

However, most of the Etsy ones are not fantastic. They often fall into the trap of 'stuff facing the parent not the baby.' Or they're paper, and will get crushed the minute an infant fist accidentally comes in reach.

I like the idea of this, though.

It's nice, and because it's foam it's light, but there should be more cool crafty mobiles out there. Don't let me down, Etsy!

Now if I only had a baby...

2009-09-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's a long time since I've coveted a stroller. Sure, there are some nice ones out there, but nothing has really blown my mind since this (check the date!) and living where I do I'm all bugaboo'd out.

But.

Awesome. Thanks, mima.

Via Daddy Types.

Motorbike

2009-09-01T11:42:00.001-07:00

The thought of actually stitching these makes me just feel tired, but I love the way they look. By Tamara Maynes, via Design*Sponge.

And back up, too

2009-08-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

Holy moly, more awesome posters by awesome Amy Martin! At 826 in LA, of course. (I always feel funny writing that, because it's not the address of the LA place, only the SF place...whatever, I'm just trying to edit reality.)

Anyway!

This one is my favorite but they're all awesome. We own three from series one and might need this one, too.

Check out Amy's site - the Tiny Vaudeville posters are great.

Striking

2009-08-24T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've always loved matchbooks. I'm really sorry restaurants don't offer them anymore, even though I know it's the smoking thing. But they're so much fun to collect, which is why I want:

this book

and

this book.

(Sorry about the crappy Amazon pictures.)

Drink me

2009-08-24T21:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm mellowing on you, catalogue. (See below.)

Look, it's another 'not-a'! These are not those horrible little plastic cups that are thin and weird and easy to squish.

They're ceramic, natch. Still too small, though.

Boom car

2009-08-24T21:40:00.000-07:00

The MoMA store rocks; the MoMA catalogue, on the other hand, does not. But it's not the products inside, it's the way they select them. Too many scarfs and notecards - this ain't the Met.

Anyway.

Love this. It's more a wristlet size and I'm sure the sound quality is awful, I just like the way it looks.

Leads in performance

2009-08-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's a little bit hard to see (and I'm too lazy to tinker with the photo on a Sunday morning) but I loved this. It was set into the floor at what is now a Honda dealer - so it's a little sad, really. But check out the awesome rocket logo. Atomic age!

Cookin'

2009-08-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

I've been in an uncoveting rut recently, I think. I spend too much time in Trader Joe's, where the packaging is awful.

But check this out - IKEA getting into the stove biz. Kid stove, that is.

This is important because most fridges either look like this, or cost a lot. The IKEA one has burners that glow, man. At least that's what I think they were doing. And all for $99.

Of course you could put this together yourself out of bits and pieces from the as-is section.

Area where?

2009-07-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

New shop to get all covetable about - Areaware. Check out some of my favorites.

Obviously cool:

There are *so* many decals now, but this is truly different. Plus, you know, type as decoration, love it.

The songs of the fifty states

2009-07-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

A new, major covet - the work of Frank Chimero, which I saw on bangs, a beard and ballyhoo.

Just look:

And then this is awesome - the covetable states of america. Makes me wish I lived in Colorado.

Keys

2009-07-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Love this threadless t-shirt design. It reminds me of a shirt I got someone at Brooklyn Industries - it was a line-drawn image of a computer/accordion/boat.

Put it in my stateroom

2009-07-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

Um, hello beautiful luggage (found on angry chicken). I know I should pick the editor series, but it's linen, for god's sake. Can you imagine what would happen to linen luggage! So that above is the aviator series. But all the series are gorgeous. Put me on the QEII already.

Whoo

2009-07-17T22:59:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, owls as a "thing" are a few years out of date. But I still like this. Plus, it's a piggy (owly) bank. Ah, function!

I took a crappy picture of itthe other day with my blackberry, but I might post it anyway just because you can see how big it is. But for now, this:

A tub with wheels

2009-06-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

So I saw the MADSEN cargo bikes over on Junior Society, run by the guy behind Mahar Dry Goods, which I've blogged about enough times that linking the posts would be tiresome, so just use the search.

Anyway.

Check these out.

You can put kids in it! You can put dog food in it! I want one! (Also she has cute shoes.)

Twitter/winner

2009-06-16T15:21:00.002-07:00

Hey, everybody, an Envirosax giveaway!

So, Envirosax we've talked about more than once.

Well, they are sweet enough to do a Covetable giveaway, sort of in time for Father's Day (delay my fault, not theirs). So listen up, dear readers. If you look over to the right, you will see a link to the Covetable twitter. Yeah, I know. But anyway, sign up to follow the blog and I'll put you in the running to pick one bag of your choice from either the retro graphic series or the oxford series.

My favorite retro is this.

And my favorite oxford is this.

But no pressure.

Stumped

2009-06-16T15:21:00.001-07:00

So this is - well, I don't know what it is. Yes I do: it's a cardboard stump from Target. That's all I can say. But I like it.

Whoosh

2009-06-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, some stuff I've been meaning to post for a while.

First is the IKEA slide, which of course Greg at Daddytypes beat me to - but hey, that dude has ads.

Our local IKEA (aka my daughter's favorite restaurant) recently remodeled and the tunnel/slide play combo through the wall in the kid furniture section has been replaced by this mysterious small chamber with changing lights. I better post a picture because that sounds weird, but it basically looks like a child-size teleport device that will take you straight to Sweden.

However, there is still a slide at IKEA. It's pretty great, actually, especially compared to the bright plastic, static-inducing kind. Not cheap, though.