Trends . . .

I recently had a chance to catch up on all my magazine reading. It can really pile up since I subscribe to a ton of great magazines! I'm kind of a magazine junky. Anyway, there are so many great trends out there but I saw three mentioned in InStyle and the New York Times that we have covered. Stackable rings- we have some beautiful sets from the talented Robindira Unsworth. Large hoops earrings- we have great hoops by another wonderfully witty and accomplished designer- Amanda Sterett and Robindira. And Leopard in the New York times. I've seen leopard mentioned everywhere! We have the best leopard bags by MZ Wallace- they are simply gorgeous!

The Magisso Cake Server- a great design, a useful tool!

We are constantly searching for that unique gift that you know your gift recipient doesn't have- a gift that is well-priced, beautifully design and offers great packaging for a perfect presentation. And if this item could solve a little problem or two- well, we are all over it! That's what the Magisso cake server is all about- great design, great packaging and just darn useful. It is designed by Maria Kivijärvi, a young Art & Design student from Finland. In Mariaʼs own words, “despite the recent trend for functional and innovative design in kitchen utensils and tableware, the basic idea of the cake server had not changed in a long time. For this design, I was deliberately searching for a completely new functionality and appearance for the cake server”. Ok, how many times have you tried to put your beautiful masterpiece of a cake on your guest's plate with a skinny pie server for it to just topple sadly upside down? Or even worse- break into two pieces! That's what this amazing invention is all about. Style meets function in this unique object that simplifies the task of cutting and moving a piece of cake in one action. By pressing down on the cake with the Magisso cake server, you can cut a perfect piece of cake and hold onto it! By lightly squeezing the handle, you can lift the piece of cake, then release it on your guestʼs plate. Voila- cake piece intact!

The Magisso cake server in stainless is made of mirrored stainless steel, which is cut and bent to give it this unique shape, it is then polished by hand to assure a great finish. It is the perfect gift for families and friends and just won a 2010 red dot product design award. It ships in a fun, well designed box that's great for gift-giving. Check out this video to see how this nifty tool works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4NVLcfXcfE

New this year are this great vibrant colors- black, lime, purple and white in strong plastic. At $19.00, they make a perfect hostess gift!

• dishwasher safe
• made from BPA-free, food safe plastic

Calendars!

It seems crazy but yes, we have already received many of our 2011 calendars and yes, they are already selling! We have a gorgeous wall calendar from Snow and Graham- over sized and making the perfect statement for any wall or bulletin board. We also have the best selling desk and mini desk calendars from Snow and Graham that are perfect for gift giving. New for this year, Snow and Graham introduced a great "write-on" calendar that offers cool design and practicality. Linda and Harriett offered yet another absolutely beautiful letterpress calendar for 2011 with tear-off postcards. Liz Libre, the owner of Linda and Harriett is about to have a baby, so we are happy to have her amazing designs before the baby arrives and starts to take over! This calendar sold out before Thanksgiving so get yours before they are gone! And have you seen her birthday calendar? It's great to keep handy to help you remember to celebrate all the important people in your life! We'll keep you informed about some new ones that we found in our travels. Stay tuned!