forcute

I love this website - Branch. They sell only the best sustainable products and gifts for the home, and everything is just so much fun. New merchandise is always being added and the prices are very reasonable too. Nearly everything is made in the USA, and most of that is handmade quality stuff. Love it!

Vintage Belt Floor Mat by TING

Vintage leather belts on a reconstituted leather backing.

Handmade in the UK $698.

Blanket + Poncho

100% recycled cotton and polyester. Comes in lots of great colors.

Handmade in the USA $56.

Figure Pillow (Cat) by K Studio

Made of 100% organically grown cotton

Handmade in Grand Rapids MI $108.

Childrens Chair by Daniel Michalik

100% pure cork cast with non-toxic binders

Handmade in Brooklyn $238.

Simply Silhouettes is a great concept. They create custom products using images you give them to create great products for your home, including stationery, dishes, mugs, mouse pads, room decor, pillows and t-shirts.  Its all just so adorable and sounds like the perfect gift for grandparents or just to add a little something special around the house.

Here are a few more examples of their work:

Simply Sihlouettes

Amigos Kangaroo

Amigo Dog

I don’t know much about the company Vacavaliente, other than they make really great sculptural toys from leather. Each toy is handmade in Argentina from eco-friendly reconstituted leather. Each one also serves a useful purpose, such as pen holders or piggy banks. Love it!

Only in stores - Barney’s bronze piggy 

Living in the city, I have a greater appreciation for gardening that when I had a lawn. When all you have is a balcony, every container pot is important. I have learned a lot over the last few years about container pots and the plants I like to use. The most important thing is that the plants do not have to be expensive to be beautiful. Plant flowers in groupings for greater impact. Also, use grasses liberally; they are tall, cheap and make the whole arrangement look really put together.

I said a big “awww” when I saw this adorable gardening set at the Paper Source. Not the place I would normally expect to see gardening supplies, I was really impressed with its high cute factor. Made for the Victoria and Albert Museum in Lonton, these tools have an arts and crafts era floral wallpaper design by William Morris. Lightweight and made from aluminum, you can purchase the garden tool set, the pruners, or even just this cute water bottle.  This great pink color is called ”cray” and a lovely blue print “anemone” is also available.

V&A Garden Tool Set ($16-$38/50)

It took me a second to figure out these “lamps”. They are a tricky littke design actually - made from a black vinyl sticker. Light source consists of an Ikea-type cord and bulb lighting system (hmmmph…not included???)  Anyway, if you dare to be trendy, get yours at designboom.com for $89.

Lamp Sticker by Alice Rosignoli from Italy

I wondered if I made a post about cleaning products would that mean I am slipping. But then I realized how much I really love this stuff and use it for everything, so what the heck! Besides, these products are natural and biodegradable which is a really good thing. Caldrea has a lot more than cleaning products. They have really great soaps, lotions and candles too.

I am obsessed with Caldrea’s Ginger Pomelo scent. I am obsessed with all of their scents. So naturally I got excited when I saw the brand new watercress wild lily scent for spring. What could be more cute than one of these petite sink sets with the little mesh basket? Besides puppy dogs and rainbows, of course.

Caldrea Watercress Wild Lily

Sorry to all of my readers that I have been missing in action over the last several days. I went home to visit my family over the weekend and helped me sister with her new apartment. Ahh, the possibilities.

Anyway, with all of the apartment talk, I have home decorating on the mind. My favorite european store, Vincon, has these great new tapas themed placemats. I purchased the matching tapas papers, but would have loved to have a few of these sunny, fun placemats.

These placemats are original designs by Cha-Cha and come in a variety of designs, in red, yellow, green and white-red-black combinations. Una fiesta! They cost just 9 euros each, which unfortunately if you are in America, is about $18! Ay caramba!

Conservas La Guapa Placemat

I’ve had my eye on this forever and it is so cute I might just have to cave in and get it once and for all. If your organizational skills are anything like mine, you have necklaces are stored on a few bathrobe hooks in the closet, getting more and more tangled each day. And the necklaces that aren’t fortunate enough to make it onto the hook live in a drawer getting even more tangled. Its time to get civilized! $32 from Urban Outfitters.

Owl Necklace Stand 

Finally, a product that lets us do what we really want to do, and get away with it! Its called the Batter Finger spatula by Fred and Friends. Go ahead, lick your finger. ($8)

Batter Finger

Look at the ultra tall back of this loveseat, even further elongated by the gorgeous black, white, tan and olive striping. Its narrowness also makes it so functional that it would fit nicely against any wall and make it a new, favorite spot. Made in the USA of solid hardwood and 100% cotton canvas cover. ($900)

Briar Loveseat from CB2