Gift Guide: For your $100 (and less) friends

For kitschy/artsy/analog friends
Flipperoo Clock, $60 at Gama Go




Self-admitted camera-mugging/primping friends
Self portrait mirror, $46 at Elsewares



Photography/graphic loving guy friends
Lights of Spain Wallet, $48 at Elsewares



Japanese art/trendy culture fiends
Aya Takano's artbook, Hot Banana Fudge,$34.00 at Giant Robot



Jet setters/Germ phobics/Nurse fetish types

The Portable Therapy On The Go(includes travel-size lavender scented facial mist spray, antibacterial sanitizer, hand lotion), $30 at Sephora.

Gift Guide: For your $20 friends

Let's face it, the holidays are around the corner.
Cruel world that it is, friends inevitably get carved down to their "What monetary category do I place you in?" category. At dearly devoted, you should at least slip'em something that's stylish, chic, and lively. Here's what's online:



For the creative/arty/designer office mate
Snow & Graham 2008 Desk Calendar, $15 at See Jane Work



Doglovers/kids/cute-lovers/carpal folks
Sleepy dog wrist cushion, $20 at Fred Flare



For the people who like shiny things
Acrylic Diamond Rings, $10 at Elsewares


Sculptural afficinados/flower lovers/pretty object lovers
Porcelain Dahlia, $15, at Vivre



The Dangerous Book for Boys, $16.95 at Amazon



Managerial, Inner-child types
Darth Vader Bobble Head, $12 at Urban Outfitters

conversation starters for the home

Seen over at Shelterrific, the Crocodile lamp is definitely worth a double-take in the home, or if you enjoy the Scarface-like menace, perfect for the office. This critter's cast in pewter and measures at 28" x 6" x 21. Get it at Vivre, $2,200.

Close your eyes and think of Queen and Country

Brought to you by Keep Calm Gallery. Perfect for those who need to collect their cool wherevah': in the hallway, home office, classroom, nursery or cubicle. Love the royal crown embellishment. Best part? The phrase, "Keep Calm and Carry On" was actually printed and posted around Britain during World War II. Talk about keeping a stiff upper lip.


PS: Seems these Keep Calm posters are super popular. Sfgirlbybay is selling her version of the Keep Calm poster in multi-hued assortments--shipping included at $27--so if you dig preppy versions in pink/lime/aqua, click here

Getting Jacked for Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday handsdown. I get as happy as a little girl when I see people decorating for it.
Its the only time of the year that the strange, mad, and eccentric are celebrated for the sheer FUN of it (THAT and the free candy helps too). Halloween was my All-American holiday where I felt truly comfortable going all out for.
Yep, I love how it's totally fine to install fake tombstones in your front yard, sew up ghosts to your house, and massacre pumpkins for artistic skullduggery. Let's say I was an enthusiastic participant growing up, my mom was just the obliging spectactor.

So back to Halloween DIY decor--specifically jack-o-lanterns.
You can't celebrate without one and I've been trolling the web for some ideas to start.
Here at dearly devoted, I'm showing off some of the sweet pumpkins I've seen online to date.



Cylon Jack-O-Lantern
I am a huge Battlestar Galactica fan and this fufills that fangirl thrill and my geek quotient. Looks like a trip to Radioshack and the pumpkin patch for this one. Nerd skills required. Find out how to make this by the folks at Make blog


Flickr stream: Pumpkins and Jackolanterns


Cute and morbid I can't resist that deadly combo.


Ode to the 80s Gotta love John Cusack in Say Anything. Something a lil' different from a pumpkin expression.


Gross out humor

Feeling in the mood for graffiti art

Just spreading some major art love for 2 graffiti artists I've been following lately: Fafi and Banksy.



From her agency bio: Fafi, a strong presence in the graffiti and fine art scenes, who is known for her images of sexy and liberated girls. On walls or in paintings and drawings, her girls can be funny, sexy, or aggressive openly confronting and suggestive to the viewer. By exploring femininity through stereotypes, and using it to her advantage, Fafi creates girls who are both powerful and active.



From wikipedia: Banksy is a well-known yet pseudo-anonymous English graffiti artist. His artworks are often satirical pieces of art which encompass topics from politics, culture, and ethics. His street art, which combines graffiti with a distinctive stencilling technique, has appeared in London and in cities around the world.

Note: How can you not look at that piece of art and not crack a smile? Talk about giving an elegant makeover to hideous doodles and elevating it to something hilariously absurd?

Back from Seattle

Spent a long weekend in Seattle and was so exhausted from my mini-vacay that it took me a good week to recover from it (What's up with needing a vacay from a vacay?). Snapped lotsa photos, saw the interesting sights...I can say that Seattle is a verrrry clean city with interesting design. Came back with some goodies to dole out for coworkers and a lil' nifty souvenier for myself.



Meet Wee Ninja.
I found him at the Seattle Art Museum's gift shop and with my lil' fetish for ninjas I couldn't help but snatch him up--I couldn't tear myself away--it got to the point where my BF bought it for me but I think he's secretly taken by the ninja's huggability himself.
See more of him at Shawnimals
And to further snowball this plush toy tangent into another, I present you my fav Youtube clip: "Ask a Ninja"