March 2008 Archives
If you are looking for something fun to kick it around in over coffee and Saturday morning errands, I have found reknown Belgian fashion designer Dirk Bikkemberg's 2008 collection of "Bikkembergs" to be sporty, fashionable and fun. Ranging in different styles and a wide array of bright colors Bikkembergs are a must have this Spring.Website | Where to Buy
I'm in the market for a new bluetooth headset and in my research Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth Headset seems to hit all the marks for me. Honored with the 2007 Good Design Award, the Jawbone was designed by Yves Béhar of fuseproject for Aliph - a leading developer of mobile audio products focusing on providing the best user experience in any environment.So well designed, the Jawbone was even featured in an exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The Jawbone comes in black, red and silver and works with all bluetooth compatible mobile phones, including iPhones (8GB and 16GB models)
Form meets function here as well with this headset. The Jawbone virtually eliminates all background noise thanks to the Noise Shield technology, an advanced, military-grade noise-canceling system that continuously adapts to your changing environment to deliver and receive unparalleled audio quality.
Website | Where to Buy
Polly George is known for her pure and simple white glazed ceramics. Polly slip casts her items and then individually stamps or decorates them with hand applied birds, butterflies and roses. The glaze is then hand dipped giving each item their own individual character ensuring that no two are ever exactly the same. Her collections have many individual pieces, including a tiered cake stand, tea pot, vases, candle holder, bottles and more. I also love her Mr. and Mrs. Jones set as well. They are classic and whimsical.Her butterfly collection is so beautiful and perfect as we enter into Spring.
Website | Where to Buy
I have long admired Angela Adams designs. Her patterns and lines are distinctive and inspired by the natural beauty of life off the coast of Maine. Adams weaves together unique colors and patterns for her rugs, linens, pillows and canvassed prints. Now, she brings her unique designs to these delicious chocolate covered cookies. They look too pretty to even eat, but chocolate calls!
Website | Where to Buy
I have a "thing" for cupcakes. I absolutely love them and can't have just one. The thing I've found is that cupcakes are so easy to make, but not always the easiest to get from here to there.The Cupcake Courier is another one of those, "why didn't I think of that" products that is really so simple, and long overdue.
Jennifer Gunn, mother of two, came up with The Cupcake Courier to solve one of her biggest challenges -- transporting her nicely made cupcakes to the kids and family parties without them rolling around in the back seat of her car. The Cupcake Courier solves this problem with three removable and stackable trays that holds three dozen cupcakes in one easy to tote container. Removing all of the trays, the The Cupcake Container can also serve as a cake courier as well, which is cool.
Gunn Designs are committed to solving "mother's problems" and have a mission to create stylish products that "make household life a little easier" -- and in this case, a little sweeter!
Website | Where to Buy
A new alternative to the beanbag of the past, Jukka Setälä from Finland designed the Fatboy®
in 1998 as the beanbag from the 21st century. Now with a wide selection of Fatboy options, which includes Fatboy's for indoor and outdoor spaces as well as for your four-legged companions, Fatboy is a fun and easy-to-maintain accessory for any home, office, dorm room, game room, etc.
Considering we call our own cat, Fatboy, we see the 24x24 catbag being the perfect place for him to take his coveted catnaps!
Website | Where to Buy
Spending a little time in the hospital the past several days to visit my grandmother, many family and friends have been bringing flowers and it reminded me to bring in some Jill-ables to display her pretty spring arrangements.
Jill-ables are unique "Fill Me Up Vases" that, believe it or not, are flattened plastic pouches, that when filled with water, stand and hold your bouquet upright.
Jill-ables are great if you are taking flowers to someone at the office, to a teacher in the classroom, even Grandma at the hospital. Cut or buy your favorite flowers wrap them up to go, then bring your favorite Jill-able print, like the Murano or Facets for an instant vase that is fun and easy to display your floral bouquet.
Website | Where to Buy
Their name alone is fun and fabulous and their soaps convey all that is right in feeling and smelling, simply clean. When it comes to the ritual of washing, Filthy Farmgirl Soaps looks to enliven the senses and bring you in touch with the riches of the earth.
Filthy Soap Company grows and harvests many of their own herbs and spices and support local organic farmers whenever possible. The soaps themselves which are aptly named -- Rowdy Rosemary, Loopy Lavender and Peppermint Patootie, just to name a few -- are 100% natural and vegan-friendly. Their soap's labels are even printed on 100% recycled paper.
Filthy Farmgirl says: "Soap is not just about getting clean, it's about loving your body and the earth."
Live Nakedly!
Website | Where to Buy
This is an exciting post for us because on Sunday, I received several messages suggesting we check out Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea. Text messages and Facebook posts came in saying, a sparkling tea from San Francisco's Golden Star Tea Co. (from taste to sophisticated bottle design) was "extraordinique." The reports we received from the California's 2nd Annual Artisan Cheese Festival were this sparkling tea was fresh, crisp and effervescent, like champagne, but without the buzz.
Being a huge fan of Kombucha, I was interested in learning more about this line of sparkling tea. Gold Star's tea is crafted with a secret blending of heirloom teas, raw cane sugar, jasmine flower essences (all organic), and then fermented using intensely artisanal processes. The process adds aromatic elements and complex flavor tones. Sampled with gourmet foods, the reports back said the sparkling tea paired well and complemented all the foods that were sampled at the festival. Most importantly, above all the cheeses and other food and drink sampled there, Golden Star White Jasmine Sparkling Tea was noted as the most extraordinique!
Special thanks to all of you who send us your email, text messages, and posts on ideas for Extraordinique. It helps us fulfill our mission to bring awareness to artists, designers and innovators who are pushing the envelope, creating new and amazing things and influencing our day-to-day life in extraordinary ways.
Website | Contact Info
I don't know what it is about cuff links, but I think they are the epitome of style for a man. Putting on cuff links to me indicates a man of detail and someone who looks for that extra detail to finish off their look. I came across Tracy Matthews, jewelry designer, from the Ladies Who Launch Facebook Page and while I was window shopping her site (for myself), I found her men's line, which includes very unique cuff links.Since my family is from Malta, I was thrilled to see Tracy Matthews designed cuff links with the Maltese Cross. These are extraordinique!
Website | Where to Buy
If you are looking for a stunning way to dress the table for a dinner party, holiday gathering, or formal reception, Lumigram provides "Light for Style" with a shimmering fiber optics tablecloth.
Lumigram's Luminex® patented material emits a colored light along the full length of the fibers, producing a stunning luminous effect. Unlike other light sources like Neon, LEDs or Electroluminescence, the light coming from the fiber optics fabric is subtle and stylish, producing a beautiful luminous effect and awe-inspiring decor.
Lumigram's tablecloths come in four different standard sizes. If other dimensions are needed, you can contact Lumigram for those specifications.
The tablecloth is powered by a mains adaptor 110/220Vac. The tablecloths are shipped with either a European power plug (Europlug, usable in all European countries except the UK, Ireland and Malta), a UK power plug or a US power plug.
Not all salts are created equal. If you like to cook, you'll know there is an amazing variety of salts that can really enhance your recipe.
Katja Wöhr and Robert Chaves, founders of Gusto Mundial Balearides, are pioneers in hand-harvesting flavored gourmet salts, including Flor de Sal con Hibiscus. Partnering with Micheline Starred Chef Marc Fosh, he uses Flor de Sal in his specialty dishes.
Flor de Sal con hibiscus
As purple and beautiful as a hibiscus, this gourmet salt is exotic and aromatic. Gusto Mundial Balearides notes that the Flor de Sal con hibiscus ideally compliments dishes, including salmon, avocados and citrusy salad dishes.
Check out Chef Fosh's mouth-watering recipe for Hibiscus Marinated Salmon with Guacamole.
Flor de Sal may be the secret ingredient to any dish that needs that extra something to make it extraordinique!
Growing up in a family-owned gift store, I have a deep affinity for specialty gifts, greeting cards, stationary and event invitations. I really love unique papers, prints and letterpress designs. I love classically simple designs with a modern expression. Pancake & Franks chic style for everything from personal note cards, baby announcements and wedding invitations are fresh and unique.
Pancake & Franks designs will bring a smile to your face and those you send a handwritten note or invitation to.
Whether you are looking to just send a simple hello or a keepsake for those important memories in life, check out Pancake & Franks. Their products are sustainable, 100 percent organic and biodegradable.
Wedding season is coming soon - consider Pancake & Franks for your Save the Date!
For all those parents-to-be, I fell in love with these extraordinique baby announcements as well.
Website | Where to Buy
I recently received a beautiful bottle of olive oil from Italy and wanted to separate the bottle for the dinner table and for cooking. Looking for unique kitchen accessories, I found these contemporary drizzlers designed in handmade glass in an assortment of gorgeous jewel tones.
What I love about drizzlers is that they can be used for cooking on the range or making a salad with olive oil and vinegar, but I also use them at the sink for handsoap and mouthwash.
At $15, these drizzlers can be a unique element for dressing your dining room table, kitchen counter, even bathroom. Choose from the following colors: Saphire, Ruby, Amethyst, Emerald, and Amber.
SPECIALS
SPECIALS
