the best gift

Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

The other day, a box of croissants arrived in the mail from my mom. They are the BEST. They come frozen and tiny in a huge box, and you just let them thaw and rise overnight. Bake them in the morning and smell the hot, flaky French croissants throughout your house. These were the most appreciated, unexpected treat!!

photo from palmbayflo on flickr

I have two rising right now–one for breakfast, and one to eat with peanut butter and jelly for lunch!

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yellow and grey gift picks for kids

Posted on 14. Dec, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

Continuing my series of color-themed holiday gift guides, I present my yellow and grey gift picks for the kiddos:

1. Automoblox Sports Car – $10: Boys, girls, and adults will appreciate the fun and beauty of these simple toy cars. The parts of each car can be mixed and matched, too!

2. Grey Poupon Fox – $24: This plush fox is handmade by SleepyKing out of yellow wool felt and recycled wool tweed.

3. Small Yellow Backpack – $9.50: The perfect size for the little one in your life–besides, it’s time they started carrying their own things.

4. Lego Head Lamp – $12: Reading under the covers would be really fun with a cool headlamp.

5. Scribbles: A Really Giant Drawing and Coloring Book – $19: This creative coloring and drawing book is my go-to kid gift.

6. PlasmaCar – $60: This cute car won the Oppenheim Toy Porfolio Platinum Award and is apparently really fun to ride. It looks like kids can propel it by wiggling back and forth, and their intertia makes the car go forward…I can’t claim to understand it, but it looks really fun.

7. Purrzzzz the Cat – $20: Purrzzzz the Cat is made completely out of recycled PU bottles.

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color-coordinated holidays: yellow and grey for him

Posted on 11. Dec, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

Today I am taking off with the high school speech team–it’s our first tournament of the year! We just had three snow days in a row and there were no practices this week, so I’m not sure what to expect. But all the kids are always excited for the first event of the season and I know they are eager to do their best.

Continuing my series of color-themed holiday gift guides, I present my yellow and grey gift picks for the guys:

1. Socket Lamp Wall Decal – $25: My husband loves this minimalist, industrial wall graphic.

2. WeSC Pickups Headphones – $20: Lightweight and compact, with supposedly great sound.

3. Dr. Bronner’s Citrus Liquid Soap – $9.50: Bronner’s soaps are fair trade, organic, unpretentious and unfussy.

4. Calf-High Memphis Socks – $12: I love it when I see a man wearing secret cute socks.

5. PowerSquid Outlet Multiplier – $20: This cool gadget works like a powerstrip, except that you can actually plug more than two bulky power converters into it.

6. Lomo Pop 9 Camera – $40: You guys know that I love giving fun cameras as gifts–this one takes nine identical images on each print.

7. Rhodia New Web Notebook – $25: Rhodia’s version of the popular Moleskine notebook–I like Rhodia better.

8. Pole Jaune Art Print – $30: You could frame this beautiful art and give it to an art or photography enthusiast.

9. Toddland Heeeey Belt – $28: Animal-friendly PU belt with cute illustrations.

Tomorrow is yellow and grey for kids!

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color-coordinated holidays: yellow and grey for her

Posted on 10. Dec, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

Thanks for all of your great feedback about these gift picks! I’ll get back to some more normal posting soon. I’m finishing a huge bridal order right now and it’s taking up most of my creative writing time.

Continuing my series of color-themed holiday gift guides, I present my yellow and grey gift picks for the ladies:

1. Blank Hello Cards – $11: I like to keep sets of cards like these on hand for when I just need to drop a note.

2. Modern Rock Canary Earrings – $42: I love all things made by this company, Metalicious–they also made my engagement ring, a ring with a solitaire “diamond” cast in metal instead of cut from stone. These gold faceted metal earrings are gorgeous!

3. Ceramic Jars – $52: These beautiful handmade ceramic vessels can hold flowers, utensils, knitting needles, plastic forks, whatever.

4. Custom Calling Cards – $22: This hand-printed set of 40 calling cards will make a lasting impression–I ordered some of these with my daughter’s name and my number on them. Maybe a little premature, but I’m already excited for playgroup!

5. Button Down Dress- $37: I have this dress from Tulle and I love it! It’s festive and cute with colored tights.

6. Sheepskin Gloves – $18: These Merona gloves from Target (check your local store) are warm and super cute–I wear mine with my grey wool coat.

7. Lotta Prints – $20: Famed and beloved designer Lotta Jansdotter shows how easy it is to print patterns on all sorts of surfaces.

8. Duck Duck Boots – $53: If you must run out in the snow, at least be wearing cute boots.

9.  Awaken Necklace- $67: This handmade necklace is made with yellow limestone and glass beads and smoky quartz.

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color-coordinated gift guide: red for him

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

Continuing my series of color-themed holiday gift guides, I present my red gifts for the guys: (more…)

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color-coordinated gift guide: red for her

Posted on 07. Dec, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

Continuing my series of color-themed holiday gift guides, I present my red gifts for ladies:

1. The Small Object book of Labels and Stickers – $10.95: There is a sticker or label for EVERY need in this cute package. I bought a pack for my neice but I really want to keep it for myself…

2. Love Ring – $86: I love the industrial style of this fine piece of handmade jewelry.

3. Denim Chicago Duffle – $78: Handmade by Nam Kim Designs, I think this would be really cute to stuff a magazine and some work to take to a restaurant or coffee shop, or my husband could use it as a lunch bag.

4. Birds on a Wire Pillow – $24: With its washable cover, this well designed pillow would be beauitful on a wooden deck chair or a plush white couch.

5. Live What You Love Letterpress Print – $20: In case you need a reminder.

6. Birkin Bag Tote – $25: If you can’t afford the real thing, this funny response to the Birkin–which can cost up to $65,000–is a cute tongue-in-cheek substitute.

7. Hedy Platforms – $162: These might be a good gift to get yourself–I think they would make any standby LBD perfectly festive.

8. Big Frills Apron – $38: This would be a fun hostess gift wrapped in a vintage glass bread baking dish or something. Right?

9. Neves Cardigan – $120: I love the off-center brass buttons and the scarf-like ties on this boiled wool sweater. Bonus: It’s hooded!

10. Red Holga Starter Kit – $75: Just what every girl needs–a monochromatic camera!

11. Red Riding Hood Storytime Schedule – $25: Illustrated by my favorite designer Shinzi Katoh, this 2010 planner’s cover reads “A cute red hood is walking in front of a wolf.”

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color-coordinated holidays: green gifts for kids

Posted on 04. Dec, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

Continuing my series of color-themed holiday gift guides, I present my green gifts for kids:

1: Citrus Wall Sticker – $30:  explore water and “plant” a faux citrus tree with a wall decal from blik.com

2. Lego Alarm Clock – $38: this cute clock would be great for my 5 year old nephew, my 20 year old brother, or my 32 year old husband…love that timeless lego design

3. Suede Pencil Roll – $30: this pencil roll is handmade from heavyweight Italian suede and 12 jumbo colored pencils are included.

4: Recycling Truck – $25: I love this unexpected spin on the same old truck toy–made of all renewable materials.

5. Rapelli – $26: Rapelli is a colorful game made of renewable bamboo.

6. Christmas Doodles book – $12: Christmas Doodles is full of festive pictures for your creative child to complete and create.

7. Arranging Narrow to Wide puzzle – $15: this well-designed puzzle teaches your child about gradual variations in width.

8. Green Apple Fairy Bracelet – $4.50: designed and made in denmark, these bracelet kits from handmadeliving are wildly popular in europe and would make a perfect rainy day activity!

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color-coordinated holidays: green for him!

Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

Continuing my series of color-themed holiday gift guides, I present my green gifts for guys:

1: The Fir Tree – $12-60: The scents created by Christopher Brosius for his company cb i hate perfume are singular scents that you will instantly recognize from your favorite memories and past experiences. The founder of the popular company Demeter Fragrance, Brosius’s new independent company returns to the simplicity of the magical scents that made him famous.

2. WeSC Oboe Headphones – $60: These are the most beautiful headphones I have ever seen.

3: Green Phone Index – $37.00 -  – This address book would be a great addition to your working man’s desk. Just push a button, and the corresponding card peeks out of the bottom. Magical!

4. Monopoly House Cufflinks – $14: I think these are so clever!

5. Custom Laptop Case – $125: Custom-sewn to the size of your computer, this spillproof laptop case will last for years.

6. Grow your own aloe – $15: The perfect for pale boys everywhere.

7. RFID Experimentation Kit – $100: I think this is a thoughtful gift for the tinkering type of geek. This kit allows you to experiment with different types of RFID tags and includes various projects such as an RFID door lock, an RFID Windows login, a RFID-enabled safe, and more.

8. Grassy Lawn Charging Station – $25: The Grassy Lawn Charging Station provides you with realistic artificial grass to cushion your gadgets while they charge. A compartment underneath hides all of the power adapters and cables.

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color-coordinated holidays: green

Posted on 25. Nov, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

The color green has so many wonderful connotations and meanings. In our increasingly eco-conscious society it can represent environmental awareness and sustainability which is a great gift to give. Green is also a calming color, symbolic of rebirth and renewal. Or maybe green is your favorite color because it brings out your eyes or reminds you of a cherished memory.

This year I am toying with the idea of giving color-coordinated gifts to my friends and family, picking their favorite color to wear or decorate or draw with as a theme for their present. Here are my picks for the color green:

1: Eco Coffee Sleeve, $6.50: These handmade coffee (or smoothie!) sleeves will keep your hands comfortable and reduce waste from those always-thrown-away cardboard coffee sleeves. Perfect to pair with a gift card to her favorite coffee shop!

2. Style by Kate Spade, $16.00: With its inspiring layouts of watercolor illustrations, quotes, drawings, and lists, Kate Spade’s book of style advice and commentary is a sunny, happy addition to your library.

3: Glass Cocktail Ring, $62: Cut from glass, no two of these these beautiful cocktail rings made by artist Orfeo Quagliata are alike.

4: Green Scallop Coat, $112: Why do I have to be pregnant all winter when this beautiful coat exists? Maybe next year. I love the scallop design and buttons on the placket!

5. Be Delicious Gift Set, $55: One of my best friends wears this scent and it will always remind me of how awesome she is, so I’m kind of biased. It’s a playful, juicy, apple-y woody scent that is not at all pretentious and I love it. In that way, I think it’s also appropriate for younger teenage girls.

6. Breathe poster by Nikki McClure, $9.50: This simple poster print is significant and inspiring. Hang it up on your wall from simple binder clips for a daily reminder.

7. Adidas Originals Watch, $85.00: I would wear this classic, sporty watch with gold-toned accents with a little black dress. Festive!

8: Shinzi Katoh Tote Bag, $40: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5…How many sheep are on this farm? I gradually fell asleep.” I am in love with Shinzi Katoh and all of his adorable designs (My diaper bag is by him!) and you can finally find some of his bags and accessories over on Modcloth!

..coming next… green for him and green for the little ones!
xo

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color-coordinated holidays: black and pink

Posted on 21. Nov, 2009 by Princess Lasertron.

This year I am toying with the idea of giving color-coordinated gifts to my friends and family, picking their favorite color to wear or decorate or draw with as a theme for their present.

We’ll see how that works, but I can picture it ending up REALLY cute. I was planning to wrap all of our gifts this year with brown kraft paper and thick four-inch black satin ribbon, and I would love to tear open a nondescript package like that to find a rainbow of goodies inside.

Here are my picks for black and pink gifts. Could be great for a girly tenager turned emo, a cool 80s-obsessed friend, or a fashion-forward man in your life.

Bombs Away tie from Cyberoptix TieLab will run you between $30-40 depending on the cut you prefer. As you can see it comes in several colors–Professor Lasertron has this tie and loves it!

Black Tea Lip Balm – $3.50 from Flourish Bath & Body

Raspberry bow heels for a cool $99.99 on Modcloth. I’m mostly including these to show my mom. Aren’t they cute, mom?

This peppermint-scented Coal Soap comes in packs of two for $6.00 from Sun Basil Garden

One Year of White Pages–12 blank notebooks from A+R Store at $38.00

Pink and Black Diana Camera from Lomo. For $105,  this would be great for a high schooler or photography hobbyist.

Pink Nixon watch from ASOS, $65.00

Monogram Pillowcase from Urban Outfitters, $18.00 (or two for $30)

Leather Grandpa Slippers from Urban Outfiters – a nice stocking stuffer at $18!

Beautiful Japanese masking tapes – available in so many different colors at three rolls for $8.50 from Pretty Tape

Classic Labeled Notebook – $5.75 from Present and Correct

Crocheted Tights – $12 from Fred Flare (tights are #1 on my wish list this year!)

Pink Polka Dot French Press set –$44.99 from Modcloth! I love this, you could make so many different drinks in it.

Super unique Russian Doll Tape, $10 from Fred Flare – great stocking stuffer!

It would be easy to have some fun with this theme–I could sew oilcloth tote bags to match the goodies contained within, scour thrift stores to find vintage jewelry and accessories.

more to come!
xo

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