Bath Time is the Best

Photo taken with ToyCamera

Summertime is here and the living is easy, as the song goes. Cashing in on relaxation time since I'm off from school. What does this mean? I discovered Lush Products and am still dabbling in nail art. This time, I'm sporting bubblegum pink nails with white french tip.

Surprisingly fragrant and bubblelicious. I love the Frosty Glitter, it turns everything pink, shiny, and perfumed in a non-overwhelming way. The Amandopondo is a delicate rose scent that's a nice floral accent.  Rather than crumble everything into the bath, I take chunks at a time so I don't waste it all in one go (not that decadent!). They are a perfect indulgent gift to yourself. 

AMANDOPONDO and Frosty Glitter, $7.95 at Lush.com

Spring is here! Shopping, Eating, Easter Extravaganza Time!

Sorry, sorry! Spring weather came to Seattle and like a kid listening to Peter Piper, I put everything down and frolicked among the cupcakes and sakura blossoms. See, I am totally documenting everything (Loving the QuadCamera!). 

Cherry blossoms are courtesy of my neighborhood.

I went shopping at DAISO where I gathered this cute keychain cover for $1.50. I love it, so. 

DAISO is also the place where I rocked these Easter bunny ears ($1.50 also). 

My best friends are having their birthdays and, whaddaya know, Fomato cards, were my standby. Why give Hallmark when you can give Fomato with a nice side dish of snarky humor? Mmmm, snark. Pssst, click on the picture and you can read the birthday card text! I *heart* this card company. 

Recession Greeting Cards

Doesn't that just sum up everyone's mood at this time? Keep up the stiff upper lip, America. If you're going to freak out, do it in style with these recession friendly cards. The best part? These crafty cards via Creature Comforts are free for you to print and dole out. 

Dig the 'stache?

Check the 'stache disguise. Montreal-based jewelry designer Melanie Favreau's Incognito? ring offers the wearer the perfect double-take look whenever you want (or don't want) your photo snapped. 

Incognito? ring, $45 at Supermarket.

Tea time with the Shark Infuser

You'll never look at your tea the same way. Meet Sharky, the tea dispenser made by designer, Pablo Matteoda via Design Boom.

Fomato Cards: You want snark? You got snark.

You want weird, quirky greeting cards? Fomato Cards  has you signed, sealed, and delivered. The creative folks behind Fomato Cards love dishing the deadpan, offbeat, deprecating characters that skewer intended card recipients.  For my older siblings who are heading straight into their 30s, I thought these were perfect, cheeky cards to poke fun at (while I still can as a twentysomething). If you like the offbeat, these cards will be a mark to separate you from the rest of the Hallmark crowd. 

Deck your baby out: Wickedly funny baby onesis:

I pity the fool who doesn't like Etsy crafter, Bambina Mia's baby tees. Punkish, morbid, but most of all tongue-in-cheek, whatever lucky kid wears her her baby tees would rock the pram set. Hand-crafted with felt appliques, I mistook her t-shirts for adult wear. Sadly, they're intended for the rug rats set. What expecting mother wouldn't want to deck her kid out? 

Now, I feel like playing the Ramones.  Bambina Mia tees, $18. 

I am in Love with Carol's Daughter: Love Butter

I love, love, love Love Butter by Carol's Daughter. Let it be known, dearly devoted readers that I'm not the typical Bath & Body Works or Body Shop gal. I loathe fruity/sugary aromas and thick lotions that corporations deem woman-friendly (I'm looking at you Philosophy!). Therefore, I was really taken back when I was given Love Butter as a gift from my brother's girlfriend. Errr....thank you? 

I had heard good things about Carol's Daughter in terms of hair care but body stuff? I was skeptical. However, the simple packaging and the actual product won me over. I think I am a convert, seriously. 

Carol's Daughter packaging states upfront: paraben-free, no petroleum, mineral oil, or artificial color. Instead, sweet almond oil, beeswax, cocoa butter, and shea butter are primary ingredients. Nice. Plus, it smells cinnalicious! I love cinnamon. The body butter feels like soft wax, very light and easy to apply in layers without making your skin feel gloppy or greasy as other lotions may. A little goes a long way. The cinnamon stick included within the body butter is a nice touch -- it's perfect for the holiday season! It also leaves a nice, subtle scent that doesn't overpower you; it's embarrassing but I keep sniffing my hands to catch the cinnamon scent, mmmm. As an unexpected gift, this was an unexpected delight -- telling y'all, go visit Sephora or your beauty boutique shop and check this body butter out. It is THAT divine! 

Recession Chic for the kids

 When I saw Graham and Green's Cardboard House for sale on its website at $80 (USD) -- the first thought that came to my mind was: "Necessity is the mother of invention."  
Times are hard economically. Why spend $80 -- that could go to gas, utilities, mortgage -- when you can make it yourself? While dearlydevoted is a shopping/design/lifestyle blog, I also encourage a DIY spirit. This folks, is a clear example of where creative, budget-friendly parents can rule: It's a frickin' cardboard house! Check out the incredible cardboard projects 
for kid furniture here: foldschool .

Riding in Style: Dutch Bicycles

 A girl can dream right? How can you not see yourself cycling on the streets with this beauty of a bike? The back-rack allows you to stash your books-groceries-etc. and jaunt off to your next urban destination in style...Paris, Amsterdam, London, and Copenhagen, is that you I see in my future? A throwback to a glamorous era, the Oma is made by the Dutch Bike Co. of Seattle.

Oma bicycle, $1589 at the Dutch Bike Co. of Seattle

Like I said, a girl can dream right? Sigh. Europeans are spoiled when it comes to old-school, beautifully designed bicyles. This totally beats the Huffy I rode back in the day. 

ZOMG! Zombie Bear Plush wants to eat your braaaainsss

The mind behind this sick, twisted, and utterly delightful plush is Mariska Vos-Bolman, creator of Fluffels. Fifteen inches tall, this morbid plush is bound to get double-takes wherever it sits. Designer note: Removable intestines included! There's definitely a  WTF factor involved here. I love it! Zombie Bear was the 2006 winner behind Craftster's "Zombies & Robots & Bears...Oh My!" 
Schmancy also interviewed her AND is having a Fluffels giveaway, so go sign up!

Zombie Bear, $110 (€80) at Mariska's Etsy Shop

Fly Like Paper

Real or fake? This is guerrilla-style origami fun in action. London-based artist, Martin Postler, created this subversively dark DIY art project, the Paper AK47 kit. Putting the pieces together, the DIYer can appreciate the beauty of the design separate from its function.
According to the product description: "Part of Postlerferguson’s Death Machine series, the Paper AK-47 was glittered, graffiti’d and garnished by respected street artists for the well-received Paper Wars exhibit in London this summer." 
Hmm. I did some digging and found snapshots of the Paper Wars exhibit. The other paper byproducts are breathtaking for their meticulous reconstruction in paper. See the AK-47 below:

Paper AK-47 Kit, $42, at A+R Store

Oh, the places you will go

What a difference a year makes. Blogging wise, dearly devoted has celebrated its one-year anniversary! It did so in May but I'm only reflecting now with the major changes happening soon. This year, I got out of my metaphysical limbo, applied to grad school, and quit my job to make the move.



So, what does it mean, dear readers? I'm picking up my bags to move to Seattle! So, next week I'll be driving cross-country. In the meantime, I've been playing with Wordle, a web app that crates graphic, textual art based on reader submitted text or link. Wordle will create a visual word cloud based on randomness or frequency. Above, I entered a list of cities I've traveled or intend to. Can you guess which ones I've visited and the ones I'm itching to go next? My inspiration came from Ork's City Neighborhood posters, seen below.

Check out the results that Wordle generated when I entered dearly devoted's website:

You can customize the color, font choice, and layout to make it how you like. For a graphic geek like myself this is a fun, cheap thrill.

The Good Worker Bee card

Everyone appreciates the concept of a gold star. Do something great, get recognized for your efforts.  While that hold true for teachers in the classroom, there's no sparkly equivalent in the cubicle world. That's why, I couldn't help but be amused and confused by this Congratulations card designed by Be a Decent Human Being for Sycamore Street Press. Is it snarky? Is it sincere? Maybe both? It's inscrutable.  The equivalent of a Rorschach test for card receivers. The overlarge typographic emphasis on "THAT THING YOU DID" would certainly make me feel...unsettled. So accusing. Followed by that cheery post-script, "Really super," makes me feel weird. If I was an evil passive aggressive nice boss, this would be ideal.  Perfect for upper management, coworkers, and frenemies. Seen over at Decor8





Congratulations card: Great Job on That Thing you Did , $4, Sycamore Street Press

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

Think you've had enough cute knicknacks for your office desktop? Think again. For robot fetishists and pencil pushers, the Walking Robot Pencil Sharpener is perfect for display and usage. By sharpening your pencil, you also power up Mr. Roboto to march to your own beat. Nice.



Walking Robot Pencil Sharpener, $6, at ThinkGeek

Black Knight spotted

"It's just a flesh wound!" - Black Knight, Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Caught over at Abbey Goes Design Scouting, this medieval Black Knight stitched plush toy is bound to charm you. Created by artisans, Friederike, Jaques de Molay and his horse Josephine are happily pictured above. View their website for more intricately detailed crafted toywork.

The cute OUCH box

From a design standpoint, the first-aid cross is iconic and appealing. In its Swiss form, white on red, this sturdy medicine box has me falling in love with it. Isn't it so nostalgic? Its retro feel reminds me of WWII industrial design: remember those old metal lunch boxes?
It combines classic design and functionality that will actually find some use in my house.
Seen over at SwissMiss. Medicine Box, VINCON

Harajuku Girls

Documenting Japanese street fashion is all the rage nowadays -- whether in magazines, art house books, or pop music (I'm looking at you, Gwen Stefani). As readers may know, I love seeing how fashion is evolving over there -- whether its in style blogs like SushiCat or in J-fash magazines. It's a subject that I hold dear to me. That's why I'm happy to share news that my friend, Albert Siegel, has just published his first photobook, Harajuku Girls. Living in Japan, Albert spent a few years capturing the various subcultures of Japanese street fashion: Gothic Lolitas to Cosplay to Gyaru, and more. So, what's my small role to play? I art-directed and designed the book cover above. It was hella fun to do.

Small story: We became friends after I saw and complimented on a street fashion poster (the one below) hanging at my workplace. Turns out the photographer was Albert -- we struck up a conversation about Japanese street fashion and the rest was history.

Here's a peek at the inside pages:



Shameless posing? Check.



Cute fashionable couples? Check.

100 pages long, there's plenty of photographs to ooh-and-aww over. Some of the snapshots are worth having a poster of (Albert, go look into that, seriously). It's definitely worth a look if you're into Japanese fashion.

Harajuku Girls, $29.99

Mmmm...pancakes, b*tches

If Prince (ala Dave Chapelle) served me these sweet teddy-bear treats -- mmm, pancakes -- I'd die happily with a maple-smeared smile on my face. With a non-stick surface, this Mini Bear Smile Skillet, $18 at Fred Flare,  is easy to cook and clean with. For $18, buy yourself some culinary happiness, for yourself or for a friend as a cute housewarming present. 




Prince would approve.

Heavy Metal: Kimberly Baker Jewlery

My latest find is Kimberly Baker's jewelry line which blends intricate metal work, feminine appeal, with a dash of rock n'roll. Based in Seattle, Kimberly's jewelry has been featured in Gossip Girl, fashion magazines, and on celebrities like Shakira. As a Gossip Girl watcher, I'm not surprised (I admit, half the show's fun is to see what Serena and Blair wear!) and love her designs. It also doesn't hurt that her line is reasonably affordable. I love the photo campaign with the model featured above. Below, I've featured my favorite picks for silver and gold.





Lidia Sterling Silver plated earrings, $88

Silver Leaf bracelet, $330

Elizabeth Ring Sterling Silver, $150

Gold Dorothy necklace, $215

Gold Wolfette ring, $315

Gold Keiko ring, $140

Bianca Ring 18kt Gold Vermei, $150