Gifts for kids

As a design-conscious auntie, I knew I couldn't get any ol' kid toy for my soon-to-be three yr.old niece.
Fischerschool toys are so-so but I hate that limited pre-school color palette. Hello Kitty was fine but I wanted something a lil' different and quirky--you know, something that fits Auntie's style ^_^.
Since I'm a ferocious reader, I wanted to give the gifts of books to my smartie-pants niece, something different from the pile of kiddie DVDs she's gonna get from my mom. Lo and behold, I found Bossy Bear at my local Borders. It's illustrated and written by the co-creator of Ugly Dolls, David Horvath, and Bossy Bear is quite kawaii. I love his lil' red cape and crown. "Mine!" I chortled as I grabbed it off the shelf. I really almost want this book for myself.

Here's a lil plot snippet from Amazon: "Clearly a self-appointed king of any domain, this blue tyrant wearing a golden crown and a red cape has a to-do list that includes, "Do what I want. Take me where I want to go. HURRY UP!" Unsurprisingly, Bossy Bear's ways leave him all alone. An encounter with someone new—a patient, toothy turtle—leads to Bossy Bear's enlightenment."

If you visit Bossy Bear's site, you can download desktop wallpapers of him.

Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget

Simplistic, elegant, and whimsical.
You know how you see some products that incite your inner child to scream, "Gimme, gimme, gimmee!" Well the Dior Oui ring does just that for me. I usually hate "word" designed products (hello, tacky word shirts) but for some reason, this French item is just the opposite, its quite chic. Made of white gold,the ring costs a pretty penny at $675 at Eluxury.

Brilliant, cute idea meets design/function

How cute and ingenius is this? Trunki transforms carryon luggage into a wheelable ride for the kiddies.
Do you know how hard it is to travel with little kids?! My sister would love this. The little ones can push themselves, walk it, or be tugged along via a strap. Bright, colorful, functional...talk about easing tired footsies. Plus, you can pack toys, books, etc. that you couldn't fit into your carryon. The children's product sector needs more smart designs like this. I love the color schemes of the products.
The British inventor, Rob Law, apparently pitched the idea to a reality inventor show and was turned down. Now who's laughing his way to the bank. Read that story here.