RATE IT! Pizza Pocket & Friends

I would have loved these foodie pockets as a kid. Truth be told, I kinda like them now too!


Stash your cash and all your treasures in a rogue cookie, pizza slice, taco or pita. Can you imagine the looks shot your way if you carted one of these things into a business meeting? 


Very cute... not sure how practical but I'll give them the thumbs up for just being unique and making me hungry. 

RATE IT! Caffeine Dish Towel

If the title of this blog entry didn't hook you, the image sure will.


BlueQ is at it again with this funny take on our dependence on the dreaded gotta-have-it NOW! fix of...caffeine. 


I'm not a coffee or tea drinker, so I'll blame my addiction to chocolate for my fondness for this kitchen dish towel. 


A vitamin, yes indeed. 

RATE IT! Gypsy Chandelier

"You gotta get a chandelier!"

You gotta love a silly SNL sketch (thanks, Fred Armisen & Scarlett Johansson) that just won't budge from your brain... scary too, as this laugh-riot dates back at least two years! Time to clean out the attic!

Regardless of my ridiculous brain clutter, I can't help but have a fondness for this candy-hued lighting fixture, a Gypsy Chandelier available from Urban Outfitters. Sure, it's kinda cheesy and perhaps not the type of lighting accoutrement found in a proper "grown up" home but I like it. I also like DQ Blizzards, Snoopy cartoons and ugly dolls so yes, my actual age is probably around 12.

RATE IT! Comfy Boombox

Having just written a freelance piece for Vervegirl.com on Kawaii items, I couldn't help but notice this little smiley fella... the mini boombox throw pillow from Shanalogic. 


I won't lie to you (gee, I sound like Nessa from 'Gavin & Stacey'!), I often hunt down little cute treasures like this one - they just make the day a little brighter and less serious. A good reason in my books.


This boombox pillow pal has all the mod cons, even the battery compartment on the back. How's that for realistic!

RATE IT! World Cup Accessories

Only one more month to go! The 2010 World Cup tourney kicks off in South Africa ONE MONTH from today!




Yes, the most watched sporting event on the planet -- sorry, Super Bowl & Olympics -- will soon be in full swing. Don't be surprised if between June 11 - July 11 if many of your co-workers suddenly vanish from the office. Better start to create your excuses for missing work now, peeps. The more creative, the better. 

As for me, I work for myself and my boss is a huge football fan so I've got nothing to worry about on that score. I'll be camped out at the nearby pub with my Rooney kit and Brit hubby in tow cheering unabashedly for England. I would also LOVE to have any of these funny accessories available now from Accessorize in the UK. Head bopper complete with sparkles, or England toilet paper, anyone? 

RATE IT!/HATE IT! Pop Quiz Clock

Attention, students! It's time for a pop quiz... and NOT the good kind. 


No, there won't be any questions about 'Glee', Lady Gaga or Sandra Bullock -- sadly. No, this pop quiz is that sweat-inducing surprise math test kind that your evil high school teacher gladly announces to his weary, unsuspecting pupils. I shudder at the memory...


I have issues with this math clock - clearly. I should really "rate it" because it's just so clever, but my fear and avoidance of all things mathematics urges me to "hate it."


And it has fractions...the horror...

RATE IT! My Mother's Clothes

Recently while I was procrastinating about work & taking refuge in Facebook, a friend happened to mention a new book that she found fascinating & incredibly moving...and I did too.

'My Mother's Clothes: An Album of Memories' lovingly written & compiled by Jeannette Montgomery Barron (published by Welcome Books) is a treasure trove of prized clothing, shoes and accessories -- the wardrobe of a lifetime, all belonging to Montgomery Barron's dear Mother, Eleanor. 

The project began as a way for Montgomery Barron to share her Mother's memories, recollections that were fading as her Mom's ability to remember began to fail. Each piece of clothing sparked a story, a feeling, a timeless account -- and as her photographs captured for posterity her Mother's fashions, Montgomery Barron discovered more & more intriguing anecdotes about her Mother's life. 

In time, Eleanor's memory loss slipped fully into Alzheimer's, a disease that claimed her life in 2007. With the love that only a daughter can offer, Montgomery Barron continued her project to honour her beloved Mother, and today her incredible book allows the rest of the world to meet the amazing woman ~ Eleanor Morgan Montgomery Atuk ~ who was her Mother.

The book is a wonderful memoir, a gorgeous tribute to someone so loved. I heartily recommend it - even though I find that I cannot crack it open without a box of tissues close by. I located my copy at Anthropologie but "My Mother's Clothes" can be purchased from most booksellers, and online as well. 

It's my pleasure to post this video of Jeannette Montgomery Barron describing her beautiful enterprise: 

Thanks to Ziggy for finding this gem of a book in the first place. :)