Yesterday, in a cruelly teasing mood, Mother Nature rose the temps into the 60’s in the Chicago area. So, we all divested our heavy winter layers but still, there was a chill in the air. That’s what spring is all about… warm, cold, hot, warm, cold, hot…
Perfect solution to one -up the Mam Nature: The Shoul. It’s a simple yet brilliant variation of the shawl, or wrap, except much smarter. Why is it such a great accessory? As opposed to large bulky wraps, this one stays on your shoulders. You know, as opposed to the points of a normal wrap [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Contributing Editor
One of my favorite toys growing up was my dollhouse. I spent many hours playing make-believe with it. It was a very basic square construction made of wood, with no stain or paint finish. My doll furniture was a mix of mismatched plastic pieces with a few wooden handmade ones my father had lovingly crafted for me. My dolls were a variety of stuffed animals, Barbies and an assortment of different figurines.
On a search to recreate my own childhood memories for my daughters, I came across a sophisticated and oh-so-stylish version of my own basic [...]

This “toy” or, shall we say craft, line got our attention because we thought it was the perfect manifestation of the combined ideals of teaching creativity and environmental awareness. The Castaway Kits are the invention of the Trash for Teaching (T4T) group. They collect all sorts of manufacturing cast-off materials that were destined for the landfill. Things like cardboard cones and tubes and die-cut chips and fabric scraps… All with various colors, shapes and textures. What a great way to inspire imagination and to enforce spatial development while also teaching our kids that fun & play does not need to [...]

So simple, yet we needed Whitelines® paper to show us how the paper we’ve been writing on all these years is actually… distracting. We never thought about it this way, but the dark lines + the dark ink that we write with fight for attention on the white paper. Whitelines “re-engineered” the paper so that it becomes white lines on a toned paper. See?

With the “old” way, the clashes of the ink on the dark lines reduce our concentration. This “interference” doesn’t happen with Whitelines which also boasts of other benefits of using their paper: it produces less glare in [...]

Know someone who’s not so lucky with her amorous relationships? That wants to forget all about Valentine’s Day and instead vent a little? Or a lot. Here’s a cute gift line for those who live with many of the “didn’t put the cover back on the toothpaste” type of annoyances.
The Would It Kill Him® line features the edgy yet vulnerable Miranda June character. She is Laura Brucato’s creation and artistic outlet, used to unleash frustrations gained during a series of unfortunate romantic relationships. Actually, Miranda is very much Laura’s alter ego. Miranda is the one who fully expresses the extent [...]

Note: Ladies, please feel free to forward this to the men in your lives that need gift ideas and inspiration this Valentine’s Day.
The “picture is worth a thousand words” cliché is enduring for a reason: because it’s so true. Which is quite a relief for those not so poetic because now, simply handing over one of these little jewelry pieces should say it all. Well, actually, some pieces here conjure images that can be left to interpretation, which interpretation should really be left to the gift recipient, after all…

My Friend Roze has molded and cast bubble wrap to produce these [...]

I’ve seen Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi’s ceramics at a couple of art fairs in the Chicago area and find her work completely charming. Given the time of year, I wanted to mention her ceramic hearts as perfect Valentine’s Day gifts. Whimsical, colorful and utterly delightful representations of the Valentine’s Day symbol. And, as a décor item to be displayed in permanence, just one of Laurie’s colorful ceramic hearts can exude the expression of lovely feelings all year round.
You can read about Laurie Pollpeter Eskenazi’s training as an artist here and shop for her ceramic hearts (and her other inspired ceramic work) [...]

Need to stir things up a little this Valentine’s Day? You might want to pop in any DVDs from the Intimacy Spa collection and see what happens…
Taking a tasteful approach that features real life couples, the Intimacy Spa DVD series proposes six different titles aimed to boost a couple’s intimacy. ‘Cause it’s a well known fact that increased intimacy makes for healthier, more satisfying relationships. The titles include the almost sedate variety like Sensual Massage for Couples, Sensual Yoga for Couples, Sensual Fitness for Couples (I’m trying to imagine the exercise routine) and Sensual Thai Massage. And then, for good [...]

By Audrey van Petegem, Contributing Editor

Just before Christmas I went to Chicago to visit my friend Anne-Marie.  She took me to the One-of-a-Kind show, which features artists from all over the States and Canada.  It was quite a show and discovered all sorts of neat things and met some very interesting people. One of the people I met was  Annie Duggan. She and her sister, Mary, started a company called the  DugganSisters that helps people transform their lives.
After both women recovered from various illnesses and injuries, they decided to share their amazing transformation stories and to dedicate themselves to helping [...]

I have been following Courtney Laine’s work for a number of years now, always in dreamy adoration of her Passementerie line and now of the Laine collection (Laine houses Courtney’s latest line, higher-end one-of-kind collectible pieces while Passementerie features Courtney’s classic designs).

You would never guess it but Courtney is completely self-taught, except for a few metalsmithing classes and graduate gemology classes that she has enrolled in to get a better understanding of the precious gems that are used in her designs.
I am entirely self taught, which has allowed me to take my time, to truly explore the materials that I [...]

Rain can be so romantic, but never more so than with this adorable heart shaped umbrella. It’s available in 12 other colors (like white if you don’t want to wear your heart on your sleeve so extravagantly!) through the fab Russian design site Art Lebedev. They ship from Europe but you should get it in time for Valentine’s Day if you order it real soon.
I think you’d be warming the cockles of every passerby’s heart as you walk through the rain with this.

By Audrey van Petegem, Contributing Editor
We all know about the benefits of aromatherapy in the bath but what about the shower?
Hydra, a San Francisco bath products company, first created the Chill Pill, aromatherapy bath fizzes and have now created Chill Pill Shower Steamers, aromatherapy for the shower. Since most of us don’t have time for a luxurious bath soak on a daily basis, the fragrant Shower Steamers – made with 100% essential oils, all natural – are a great way to still experience the benefits of aromatherapy. Plus they create a spa like feel in the shower.
Just place the Shower [...]