Teething Toys

We're at a phase now where everything Harrison gets his hands on goes straight to his mouth -- so we may as well give him something cute to gnaw on. These teethers from Little Sapling Toys are handcrafted from maple, naturally anti-bacterial, and I love the simple, modern look.

Pull Up a Chair

I tend to be drawn to color in almost all cases, but when it comes to dining chairs, I'm not so sure. I love each of these shades, but I wonder if colorful chairs in bulk are too much of a statement. What do you think? Is it better to go with neutrals in the dining room?

[spotted here: yellow; blue; coral; mint]

Pretty Playing Cards

I don't give much thought to decks of cards. They're one of those things that I don't remember buying, but I always have stashed away somewhere in a junk drawer. But these two beautiful decks designed by Karla Pruitt put other cards to shame. I'm already inspired to play solitaire and host poker nights more often.

Cord Case

I'm always in need of more organization in my life, which is why I like the idea of the cordito. Instead of finding tangled headphones at the bottom of my bag, they could be neatly organized alongside all my other electronic accoutrement and rolled up in a handy leather burrito.

By the Bar

When I'm shopping, I generally go for the liquid soap, but apparently bar packaging is where it's at. Some pretty paper, a subtle scent and you've suddenly won me over.

[found here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Time and Lace

I've been spying all sorts of lace-inspired items lately, which bring a little modernity to the old-fashioned material. If I were in advertising, I'd come up with something like, "Lace: it's not just for your underwear drawer."

[spotted here: throw; hanging vase; frame; place cards; server and serving board; phone case]

Tabletop Water Tower

Etsy shop 2of2 features all kinds of impressive, small-scale architecture, but this miniature water tower is the piece that really caught my eye. Made from birch, aluminum and steel rivets, it would bring a charming little touch of NYC to a mantel or bookshelf.

Portable Potables

A bar cart is one of those pieces of furniture I aspire to own, but I have yet to take the leap. I love the idea of using one to display my prettiest bottles and barware, and with so many stylish options available right now, it could be hard to resist much longer.

[spotted at: West Elm, Nannie Inez, Etsy, Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie]

Thanks, Baby

The UPS guy and I have grown quite close thanks to my lengthy list of prepare-for-baby purchases. One thing that was easy to decide on was this pack of custom thank you cards from Minted. I like the non-traditional color palette and the sweet little details of this design, and I didn't even have to leave the couch to buy them -- something that's become increasingly difficult lately.

Hudson River Valley House

Fall is certainly the time of year that I miss New York the most -- the apple-picking day trips, the changing leaves and perfect sweater weather. So when I came across this modern, sustainable home in the Hudson River Valley, it made me want to pick up and move back north -- at least for the next three months.

[spotted on: Onekindesign; photos by: Lang Architecture]

Home Making

We're still looking for a house here in Austin. Last weekend, we made an offer on a home only to find ourselves in competition with four other buyers and outbid. It's enough to make me say, "Forget the whole thing. Let's hit the road." Something about this overhauled Airstream, a little cabin on wheels, seems particularly appealing.

[spotted on: Design Sponge]

Coffee Time

This concept for a coffee-making alarm clock reminds me of The Office episode where Michael burns his foot on his George Foreman grill because he likes waking up to the smell of bacon in bed. I think it's safe to say this prototype is a little more thought-out. Called the Barisieur, it was created by industrial designer Joshua Renouf and uses induction to heat the water and has a drawer for coffee grounds and sugar and a vial for milk. Now if only it were sold at Target.

[spotted on: laughing squid]

The Coolest

Have you seen this cooler on Kickstarter yet? It's already far surpassed its fundraising goal, probably because it's so awesome. It features a rechargeable blender, bluetooth speaker, USB charger, lid light, cutting board, bottle opener and more, and I love the retro design. It's just the sort of thing that would make camping a more acceptable experience for me.