Now Starring....

...your baby! I ran across these adorable baby posters yesterday at 5starbaby.com. When I saw these, ideas for movie-themed birthday parties and showers for all my expectant friends danced through my head.

And they just don't restrict their posters to babies, you can order posters for engagements, weddings, and child-adult birthday parties. 5starbaby makes announcements and posters for just about any theme.

Prices are reasonable, a 7.5 x 12 poster will only set you back $25.oo and 5 x 8 announcements start at $3.50 per card.

Etsy Round Up --- Calendars

Ah ... there's no better way to begin a New Year at your office than by unwrapping a new calendar and starting off on Day 1 (or 2 or 3, depending on when you went back to work and/or remembered to bring in your new calendar, like myself). And nothing says New Year like these calendars from Etsy --- get 'em while there's still time!


I love this hand-drawn calendar from Laundrypop, specifically the hand-writted Months and dates. It's very playful. $12.00





The calendar that looks like a calendar but reads like a post card --- the 2008 happify calendar! This set of 12 note cards can be posted on your cube wall or sent out with a note to friends. Vomit enducing idea! Send your significant other a note card every month with the reasons why you love him or her...I can feel the chunks rising already. $12.00 at Happify.



Of course, if you are tired of running out to purchase a calendar every year, you could always pick up this perpetual wooden block calendar from Queenvanna Creations. There are three month blocks and two date blocks, plus the wooden base.

Gift-list

For those of us who find inspiration for gift giving everywhere, here is the Little Gift Giving Book at Good on Paper. Now you can write down what your thinking whenever you have those light bulb gift moments, instead of wandering around the mall aimlessly the night before your mom's birthday. ($7.00, via Poppytalk)

Back to School Bonanza

Ah, the first day back to school. It always seems to be filled with mixed emotions: sadness for the end of freedom, of late nights roaming the neighborhood, and of no jacket and no socks needed; but also excitement to see old friends, to have new classes, and to be one year closer to never having to go to school again (bad idea kids, take it from me). Why not give a back-to-schooler a small gift to start his or her day on the right side of the bed?

How about. . .

• an updated lunchbox?

Let them build their own lunchbox. This kit is from lunchboxes.com and comes with a stickerbook for decorating ($13.95). No two lunchboxes are alike!

Or, what about one of these cute, over-the-shoulder lunchbags from Land's End ($35.00)? This bag would be great for a middle- or high-schooler.

This lunch/snack bag, which can be personalized, is available from embroideryandmore at Etsy ($15.00). I love the zebra print shown here, and you can even choose the style of embroidery.

• a pencil bag/box?

This pencil box comes in pink and blue ($14.50) and is available at limited too (I love unintentional rhymes, don't you?).

When I was in high school, I had a Union Jack obsession. Union Jack t-shirts, Union Jack stickers, Union Jack rugs and posters...the list goes on. So, it goes without saying that if someone had given me this Union Jack Pencil Sack available at Karmaloop, I would have cherished it...that is, of course, until my next phase came along ($22.00).

• or, the obvious, a hip bookbag?

It seems like the messenger bag is the only way to carry books these days. This puma bag on ebags.com is a definite keeper ($70.00).

This penguin pack from morriluggage.com is obviously meant for a certain age group (or maybe not), but just think of all the great pics you can get and use for those embarrassing photo album sessions 10 years down the line ($34.99)!

I had a Timbuk2 bag when I was in school (in fact, I still own it---those bags are tough!). This bag isn't cheap ($165.00) but it will last for your schooler's entire career, assuming they don't leave it in the bus. Bonus: This bag is made of HEMP. . . gnarly!