shopping :: more great gifts under $25

Everyone seems to be on a budget this Holiday season, but fortunately Kmart has unveiled a roster of over 25,000 items, all under $25.00 from such trusted brands as Craftsman, Christopher Radko, Martha Stewart, Fisher Price, Black & Decker, Kenmore , Hamilton Beach and more, that should take the pressure off your pocket this Christmas. I bet Santa will be making a pit stop there on Christmas Eve to fill up his sled. I found a few really great items to give as gift items there myself at the online Kmart website. Items such as : A chocolate fondue fountain for my friends who love to entertain - only 9.99, regular 34.99. A great gift for the hostess with the mostest on your list. I can't believe this one - a sewing machine for my daughter who is starting to design her own clothing. (Maybe I'll borrow it to whip up some Barbie clothes for little Calla too). Its the Euro-Pro Dressmaker Sewing Machine. Get this - $24.00! Can't beat that price. And of course I'll have to pick up a few Barbies too - all low priced of course. Go take a look - see for yourself. The Kmart website is easy to navigate, filled with great gifts, useful shopping tips, creative decorating ideas,exclusive offers and more. And don't forget their Layaway and all their in-store deals and online-only sales to get your moneys worth on all your Christmas shopping this season.

fashion :: zippy bling

When it comes to unusual jewelry, NY Designer Kate Cusack has it all zipped up. Literally. Look closely at her amazing creations using the common zipper. Coiled, configured and colorful zippers bloom into these innovative fashion accessories that are JUST COOL!

The bling and sparkle comes from the zippers shiny metal teeth - the jewel colors are the colored cotton strips. What an unusual use of a lowly sewing notion! You can purchase Kates zipper jewelry at her etsy shop starting at $85.

art :: it's fishy

There's some wonderfully fishy portraits by gnato over at deviant art. I like these ones especially...

animals :: fly penguins,fly!

Hmmm... I didn't know penguins could fly,did you??? And these penguins don't even need help!

art :: touching strangers

How do you ask complete strangers to pose with and touch each other? How do you do that in New York City of all places? Photographer Richard Renaldi managed to pull off this feat and his photos prove it. His images most often took the form of two or more strangers sitting on the same bench, waiting for a bus. Richard said, "It took some directing and orchestrating on my part, as people need to participate actively in the process of being photographed with a view camera ." After comtemplating the efforts it took to create his other "collections" his "...thoughts about that process led me to the idea of creating new photographs of strangers together, but pushing things a bit further by asking them to physically touch each other. Thus was born the idea of Touching Strangers.

In some of these, you'd never guess they were strangers - but in others body language says it all. These photos are JUST COOL!

via jmcolberg

black friday :: a deal you can't pass up!

Looking for some smokin' hot deals for black friday/cyber monday? I just found this one. Charter Communications is promoting their best offer yet, and just in time for Christmas! If you purchase any of their three services, singly or in a package, you will get a free gift card! Purchase their Ultimate Bundle for $165.97 a month and you get a $250.oo gift card. Imagine all you can buy with that, and at great stores like Macy's, Best Buy, CVS, Applebee's, KB Toys, TJ Maxx and more. With the purchase of Charter's three service package which includes phone, internet and cable for $99.97 a month you get a $150.00 gift card, and just purchasing one service like internet access for 24.99 you get a $25.00 gift certificate. Take advantage of these deals now until December 5th and you are eligible to enter for a chance to win an X-Box 360 game console.

This is one great deal, I think. If I was in a state that carried Charter Communications I would definitely be taking advantage of it . So why not order now and get the best price for 2009, a $250 gift card and maybe even win the X-Box!?! This offer won't last long and is JUST COOL!

thanksgiving :: turkeys celebrate their day

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And to the all the turkeys too. These lucky ones have the pleasure of eating their dinner instead of being it.

Check out these adoptable cuties, stuffing themselves!

Yup, instead of eating one you can adopt a turkey. Darn, now why did I have to go and make myself feel guilty about that bird I just took out of the oven. :(

These cute gobblers are lucky and JUST COOL!

via cuteoverload

design :: 1958 style

Take a look back into 1958 America and this tribute to American Stylists who design. If you love mid century modern and the futuristic concepts of that era - you're sure to love this video! Check out the red telephone in the beginning ... and all the rest of the neat jazz from furniture to kitchens - it's all JUST COOL!

gifts :: something special for her

Not just your ordinary gift shop website, Ooh la la Cadeau specializes in gifts for women that address every occasion, with an emphasis on elegant presentation and exquisite wrapping. After all, how a gift is presented is just as important as what is inside. It shows the thought and care that went into choosing the gift and if it is presented beautifully, will always be a fond memory for the recipient and make them feel truly special. I've always adored a thoughtfully wrapped gift. It makes me feel like a little girl, giddy with the excitement and anticipation of what wonderful treasure will be found within. I love the gift selections Ooh la la Cadeau has to offer, from small yet luxurious gifts to beautifully coordinated boxed gift sets. A gift that I would like to give this Christmas would be the Frangapani Tiare collection. For about $60, it is a lavish duo of 17th century decadence and includes an MOR Frangapani Bar Soap - triple-milled, a generous 7.2 oz. and MOR Frangapani Body Butter. My sister Stephanie would be thrilled to receive this and I see that it is an "O" list favorite too.

For that traveling daughter of mine, Rebecca, the File Style - Bluebird is perfect! For 23.50 it includes the Decorative “Bluebird” File Folder Set, the “Bluebird” Journal with lined pages and an elastic closure all beautifully gift wrapped in her favorite color, chartreuse.

These thoughtful little gifts will be treasured by the special people on my list - they're decidedly different and really JUST COOL!

art :: a shoe that cooks

A shoe that honors all those cooks who slave for hours over a hot stove to make the quintessential Thanskgiving Day dinner. It's a shoe made from what else but...

Pots! Take a close look and what you see will surprise you. Paris born artist, Joana Vasconcelos has created this sculpture from stainless steel pots and lids and a little cement for glue. The giant shoe installation, titled Carman Miranda 2008, measures 430 centimeters long and 270 centimeters high and is on exhibit at Atalier Joana Vasconcelos, Lisbon Portugal.

Pots have never looked more JUST COOL than this!

cool product :: tea bag funeral

Hmmm...you just made yourself a lovely cup of tea. Now, just what the heck should you do with that nasty wet tea bag. Seriously - who likes having a soggy tea bag hanging out on their saucer while drinking their tea? Not me. Well take a looky! Problem solved with this clever cup and saucer combination.

The Tea Bag Coffin by Jonas Trampedach keeps it tucked neatly out of the way, buried under the cup. Sort of a "tea bag cemetery" so to speak.

What a neat idea - It's JUST COOL!

via likecool

pets :: dog dos gone bad

Poppy Petunia warns anyone reading this: Do not try this at home!

Sandy Paws Beauty Shop is not your normal beauty parlor by any means. When you order a cut, color and curl it isn't for you. It's for your dog! This award winning groomer, styling the furry likes of Fido, Rover and Butch is located in Yucca Valley, California and her unique styles take typical doggie hairdos to the next level. Check these out!

A Ninja Turtle

Peacock Pooch

A camel fro


A chicken.

Puff the Magic Dragon


Flower Power Pup

The groomer, Barkleigh's tool box consists of Glitter, Feathers, Pompoms, Pipe Cleaners, Plastic Flowers, Felt, Hair Gel, and Glitter Glue along with the usual beauty supplies like artist chalk, blo-pens, semi-permanent hair color , henna and food coloring. But I wouldn't try this at home, although she does give you some creative tips on her website. My Poppy Petunia has no desire to go pink and poofy anytime soon. But still I think these canine coifs are JUST COOL! Don't you?

giving :: heroes at home wish registry

The holidays are all about giving and Sears has come up with a great program to do just that. The Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry is a great opportunity for us to honor our troops by donating Sears products to their families here at home that are very much in need. You can visit the website and read the stories of these needy families who's husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters have been deployed overseas to fight for our country, leaving their loved ones home and alone this Holiday Season.

I read a few of them and they are very inspiring. One Staff Sergeant writes :

" Hello, I'm a Staff Sergeant in the military currently stationed overseas. This my second tour, but not my only tour away from the family. Each time I spend a long time away from my family. So needless to say family time is important. I've missed countless birthdays, anniversaries, and more holidays I can count. It would be a most humbling experience to receive this honor. Many people don't wish to wear this uniform, and some don't understand the price we pay for our service to the country. I have told my kids many times about how serving is a noble cause, and that I wear this uniform so they may never have to. I'm proud of what I do, I always will be. I appreciate your recognition for what I do, and that's all I needed.

And as you can imagine, there are countless more stories to be told. It's easy to donate to the Registry too. You can donate to the family of your choice - it even has a list of items these families are wishing for and I was surprised to see that the number one item wished for was shoes! How humble. So check it out, read their stories and even if you can't make a donation, post a message of support for them. It will be much appreciated by them and their families. I can't imagine how awful it would be to be separated from my family and especially during the Holiday Season. It's nice to see Sears taking the initiative to establish a program such as this - to see how far a wish can go.

interior :: air stairs

Me and my floating stairs. I love these - Designed by Florence architect Guido Ciompi for The Gray Hotel in Milan, Italy. They're JUST COOL!

via cubeme

green :: swimming above a sunken city

Imagine swimming above a submerged city. Global warming and rising sea levels haven't buried us yet, but HSBC Bank decided to raise awareness of the environmental threat by hiring Indian ad agency Ogilvy & Mather Mumbai ad agency to give it some media exposure. The ingenious ad agency delivered by gluing an aerial photo of a city’s skyscrapers to the base of a swimming pool. Result? A surreal sci-fi shot that mimics a submerged cityscape and hopefully makes us think a bit more about our planet and what we can do to save it.

It makes me think that I'd like to take a swim in this JUST COOL swimming pool...

via neatorama

architecture :: cavemen working in james bond style

This extraordinary "office building" was originally an underground bunker that was tranformed into a far out, James Bondesque headquarters for a high-security data center run by one of Sweden’s largest ISPs. The Pionen Data Center was named after its code name when it was a Cold War bunker and nuclear shelter; "Pionen White Mountains". It is located beneath 30 meters of granite, sealed off from the world by entrance doors that are 16 inches thick. It boasts a list of cool design features including simulated daylight, greenhouses, waterfalls, German submarine engines and a huge 2600-liter salt water fish tank and looks like a design out of a James Bond movie set. The structure is so secure that it can withstand a hydrogen bomb hit with no problem. Add to those impressive statistics, that it is just a spectacularly beautiful and innovative transformation - and you've got JUST COOL design!

About the design, Jon Karlung, CEO at Bahnhof (the ISP behind Pionen), said, “Since we got hold of this unique nuclear bunker in central Stockholm deep below the rock, we just couldn’t build it like a traditional – more boring – hosting center,” he said. “We wanted to make something different. The place itself needed something far out in design and science fiction was the natural source of inspiration in this case – plus of course some solid experience from having been a hosting provider for more than a decade.”

Underground but definitely far out ...

via archdaily

shopping :: great gifts from a cool shop

I found some cool gift items for the cook in your life over at Merchant 4 for under $50.00! This shop has some beautifully functional kitchen accessories that look great in the kitchen, add a modern twist and make whipping up a meal fun too. I love the little "hand soaps" too - won't they be a surprise in the guest bathroom! ;)

Acacia Wood Measuring Spoons

This gorgeous measuring spoon set from ChaBaTree is the perfect gift for that special someone who loves to cook. Using both metric and imperial measurements, these acacia (monkey pod wood) spoons are also easy to maintain by cleaning in warm soapy water. $24.00

Marinetopia Wood Cake Stand

This striking Acacia wood cake stand is a unique display for your baking creations. Mid-century modern lovers will appreciate the lines of this piece. Make your treats the center of attention! $50.00

Hand Soap Pairs

Our favorite artist, Marie Gardeski, is at it again with her new Hand Soap Pair. These whimsical soaps are the size of a bar of soap and created with goats milk glycerin. Available in three shades. We've still got her Hand Soap sets, which contain 10-12 mini-hands per bag..both adorable! $21.00

Honey I'm Home Magnetic Key Catcher

Designer, Arik Levy always makes us smile. His Honey, I'm Home magnetic key 'catcher' simply fastens to the wall next to your door so you'll never lose your keys again. No gift is better than a gift that improves your peace of mind! $39.00

Merchant 4 is JUST COOL!

shopping :: deals now

I was at it again last night, checking online sales, gearing up for all those specials that Black Friday brings. There are alot of them out there!

But don't wait until Friday to shop because right now I see that there are some cool deals going on. For instance at Kmart, all through December they have 10 % off in all departments when you purchase online. Items such as - womens plus sleepwear, womens attention brand, girls tops, ALL juniors, boys tops, mens shirts and bottoms, big mens shirts and bottoms, and infant and toddler bedding. Plus I found these two great buys - Attention Women's Kimono Wrap Sweater Extra 10% off online only (search ID# 70198911) and the Abbey Hill bedding Medallion Dream bedding collection – Extra 30% online only (search ID# 96096112), but if you go to buy these, remember the online discount ends November 26th (thats tomorrow!) and the sale price will show up in your shopping cart and not on the product page.

Oh, and while your shopping at Kmart.com, don't forget to look for the hidden ornaments which will get you even more savings. Every week through to Christmas, that hidden ornament that you find will give you extra savings on already great prices with a secret coupon code! Wow, Kmart sure does have some cool promotions going on don't they? I guess they have to - in this crazy economy!