the function key

Ok, so I’m not a kid, but sometimes kid-focused products are just more interesting. Take this Envirosax for example, how could you not want it to lug your groceries? That’s what I thought.

Baa, Maa, & Paa available at Envirosax.com

Look at the little piggy I picked up this weekend! She’s soo cute! Ordinarily, I’m not into vinyl designer toys in blind boxes, they seem to be a black-hole for money. But when I saw her sitting in the display case at Newbury Comics, I knew we were destined to be life-long friends.

You can check the entire Monster Hunter Pig Collection here. Believe me, they’re all undeniably cute.

I, like many other vintage-loving people, adore Bakelite. The thermosetting plastic was created by Belgian physicist, Leo Baekeland and widely used in the 20th century to make radios, clocks, telephones, and jewelry. Unfortunately, due to cost and Bakelite’s brittle properties, it’s not used very much anymore — instead it’s become a highly collectible (and expensive) commodity.

Last year, while walking home through Beacon Hill, I stopped at a vintage jewelery store. It had an extensive collection of Bakelite jewelry, and it had Bakelite clocks. I fell in love with a yellow-mustard art-deco wind-up clock in the jewelers collection, but it was out of my price range.

While I left the clock in the Beacon Hill store, my obsession with Bakelite never ceased. And today, I discovered these great miniature Bakelite clocks handcrafted by The Twelfth Dimension, makers of miniature dollhouse accessories. The clocks aren’t as amazing as the one that stole my heart, but their miniature size definitely delights me.

Forget the handwritten break-up hankie — if things have gone awry in your relationship, send your significant other this:

They’ll get the picture — yes, that’s an edible skull in a box — and you will forever be known as the most-tasteful ex in their black book.

Douglas Little’s Mori Ex Cacao (Death by Chocolate) skulls begin with bittersweet chocolate and are filled with organic ingredients such as brandied cherries, scorched caramel, or bitter chilies. The skulls are then painted with colored cocoa butter, giving them an eerily chilling effect. They’re available at Unica for $40/skull.

p.s. Alternatively, these skulls could also make a really great gift for the Goth in your life!

Dress up your fridge with these black and fluorescent magnets designed by Snowden Flood (what a lovely name) of London.  Flood includes an Eames rocker, Jacobsen Swan chair, Saarinen tulip chair, Pederson Icicle table, and a retro ceiling fan in each magnet set.

Did you know that contact lenses were invented (well technically it was only a sketch) by Leonardo Da Vinci? No? Neither did I. Interestingly enough, LensShopper.com highlights both the history of contacts and comparison prices on contact lenses from around the Web on its Internet site. So, if you wear contacts, or if you’re just interested in switching up your eye color for the Summer months, check out these coupons from LensShopper, and learn a little something about those things you put in your eyes every day.

Click here for more coupons.

Did you build monsterous castles out of Lego blocks when you were young? I certainly did. I also built these amazingly cool Malibu-esque beach houses (made especially for girls) out of Lego’s, too. Point is, you can further your love for those primary-colored blocks and integrate their charm into your home decor.

Cook eggs to perfection with the Lego Eggtimer, throw some Lego-shaped ice cubes into your cocktails, or bake a Lego brick for your honey! All available at the Lego Web site.

I’m hunting for a specific travel guide. Ideally, it will be sleek, graphically pleasing, comprehensive, compact, and contain numerous recommendations for restaurants, sights, and shops — it would be an added bonus if it contained 4-color, fold-out maps. A knowledgeable travel expert might naturally suggest Wallpaper* City Guides or Moleskine City Notebooks, both of which seemingly fit my criteria for said travel guide, unfortunately, these books fall exceedingly short.

Both guides offer 4-color, fold-out city maps, they’re both quite cute (sleek and compact) — one might even venture to say Wallpaper’s* guides are sexy, with their bold colored covers and white spines. But they’re both lacking! Wallpaper’s* lists of destinations (restaurants, shops, scenes) is minimal, maxing out at 4-6 suggestions for each category, and Moleskine seems to dedicate too much space to note taking, with it’s removable pages, customizable labels, and sticky notes. Neither guide book seems worth the coinage, especially since I have to buy one Wallpaper* or Moleskine guide and another more comprehensive, “this book says i’m a tourist” Frommer’s guide or what not.

When will the travel industry get smart and target its material to the influencing consumer who wishes for the perfect marriage of smart design and all-encompassing information in one unassuming paperback? Ugh.

Well, while I wait for the publishers to get savvy, can anyone else suggest a worthy travel guide?

You’re your number one fan, now admire those dimples whenever you want. Designed by Colin O’Dowd, the Click Polaroid Mirror fits perfectly into your bag, on your desk, or on your bedside table . . . the perfect companion for the egoist in us all.

One of my favorite indulgences is Brumisateur facial spray by Evian. At $10 for one 5.0 oz. pressurized can of water, you can see why I consider it indulgent. I recently ran out of the product and finally picked up another can this week, but I was less than thrilled — with the packaging.

I saw the new can design on the Evian Web site months ago, but had yet to see one in stores, until yesterday. Immediately I noticed the new ergonomic shape, making it very comfortable to grasp; this modification made sense. However, what did not make sense was the tiny little cap stuck on top of the new ergonomic can. When I got it home to try it out, I had difficulty removing the micro-cap — there was too much resistance, and twisting it really didn’t do much to help. After a bit of struggling, I popped it off and sprayed my face — ahh, same refreshing mist.

I noticed my old can of Brumisateur sitting on the counter and moved it next to the newbie. What a beauty! It’s regal, sleek, classic. And in its shadow, stood an awkward hour-glass shaped bottle of vaporized water with a fez for a cap, looking sheepish. I wonder if the Evian product designers performed a similar side-by-side comparison? Do they really like the new can more?

Now, I’m not one to be found of adages, cliches, etc., but in this instance I think its safe to say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.