elfing it

These Top Grip Paper Clips tie for first place in my book. I love the extreme simplicity of the design and its notable performance. They're made of brass and they're from Sweden. They're $4.00 and available from Kiosk. If you haven't visited the online shop Kiosk before, it's worth a quick peek. It's one of my favorite online shops because it's so quirky and original. Don't be fooled the the funky site design. The products selected and offered are very nice. In addition, the proprietor can write some damn good copy. Below is an excerpt for these paper clips...

...Sure all paperclips hold paper together, but there are none that have this geometric shape or the elegant rose gold color. I decided to do a little product testing. This clip can hold up to 19 pieces of paper, comfortably, but I suspect it’s only meant to hold up to 10. It can withstand the number 2 setting of a fan and when dropped from 6 feet, 6 pieces of paper stayed together. Did you know the first paperclip was invented by a Norwegian? And that Sweden occupied Norway for years? Shame on them, but that makes paperclips Swedish with a little skewed logic.

I have this thing for goldfish. I love them, probably because of their significance in Asian culture. They represent luck and prosperity (I confess. It's actually the Koi that owns this status, but since the goldfish looks like a mini Koi, we'll just pretend the goldfish qualifies for the myths too.)

For $6.50 each, this Fish In A bag Soap is an inexpensive, but not unimpressive, hostess gift.

The fact they look a little disturbing [at first] means they're getting the message across. Designed with a goal to educate about conservation and consumption, each box of Walteria chocolates contains a Pygmy Hippopotamus, Mountain Gorilla, and Koala Bear. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each set of chocolates will be donated to aid the World Society for the Protection of Animals. $45

One pound of mouth-watering fudge made by the Brigittine Monks in the lush Willamette Valley in Oregon. $13

Made with only the best, freshest natural ingredients - local dairy butter, real cream - and locally grown walnuts (also available without nuts). Available at Sahalie.

For a mere $150, this Flip Pocket Camcorder provides 60 minutes recording time in full VGA-quality video on 2GB of built-in memory. Plugs into your computer visa USB for instant viewing and sharing or do it the old-fashioned way by plugging the included cable to your TV. For the internet fanatics, this unit has built-in software that lets you easily email, capture still photos, and upload videos to YouTube and AOL. For $150. Unbelievable. (And... I dig the orange!)

My favorite of all the silly USB gadgets and gizmos out there right now. It's no Dyson, but this micro USB Vacuum ($20) actually works. All you have to do is plug it into your computer's USB port. No batteries required.

To top it off, they've even designed it to lock upright for storage. Truly ridiculous, and I love it! What will they think of next? (I'm still chuckling.)

Unfortunately, it's pretty much sold out everywhere. Obviously, others love it too. However, WhateverWorks claims they'll have it back in stock by December 10.

This is a digital photo frame on steroids. The 15" screen is large enough (and more optimal) mounted on a wall, and the 1GB of internal memory can store hundreds of photos directly on the frame. Image files are readable from USB Flash drives and most digital cameras,and can support up to 12 Mega Pixels in JPEG format. $290

 

Good Magazine launched last year with the motto "Give a Damn."  The magazine is filled with rich content about matters you may just "give a damn" about. I suppose one can describe it as 'social consciousness with a little gloss.' 

Good does more good by donating 100% of your $20 subscription to a cause of your choice. For $20, I've replaced a few greeting cards with Good as birthday and holiday gifts.  I'm proud to say I've contributed about $160 last year to Teach For America.  As a matter of fact, I was so excited, I somehow managed to subscribe two for myself. (Okay, it was an accident. One intended recipient never did realize they gave me a subscription for their birthday because I filled in my address instead of theirs. Doh!)

_{via GrenadeFishing}

I love the fact they make shoeless slip-on Converses (my skateboarder lifestyle resurfaced recently). I love it more they allow you to design your own. Below is the design of my shoes, which I received promptly after two weeks (in very impressive packaging with fancy shoe bag and all).  Yes, they make off-the-shelf red Converses. But not with that cool little orange stripe on the back. Ah-hah!

DesignYour Own at Converse.com, $60

Note: Sizing is unisex so it can be tricky. Plus Converse has their own sizing standards, so you may want to double-check the chart before paying.

I love the fact they make shoeless slip-on Converses (my skateboarder lifestyle resurfaced recently). I love it more they allow you to design your own. Below is the design of my shoes, which I received promptly after two weeks (in very impressive packaging with fancy shoe bag and all).  Yes, they make off-the-shelf red Converses. But not with that cool little orange stripe on the back. Ah-hah!

 

DesignYour Own at Converse.com, $60

Note: Sizing is unisex so it can be tricky. Plus Converse has their own sizing standards, so you may want to double-check the chart before paying.

For the modernist in your life, a mid-century styled gingerbread house for the holidays. Quite nice, though less festive than the traditional house ($55) and more expensive. Believe it or not, it's not easy to create. Large pieces of gingerbread are fragile, and because of its odd shape, they require more time to assemble.

$78 at RedEnvelope. (Allow 5 extra days for delivery, with or without personalization.)