toys :: stuffed e.coli the kids will love!

 

Got a cold? Or the flu? Or do you want to learn their secrets? These 4-inch plush critters look like the real microbes that put you under the weather, only about a million times actual size. GIANTmicrobes® , masterminded by creator Drew Oliver are furry characters that come with an image and information about the real microbe they represent. 

But common ailments aren't the only creatures that GIANT Microbes make. Their creative stuffed line runs the microbe gamut from Bed Bugs to dust mites, maggots, e.coli and even brain cells. When you think about it they're kind of icky but these cute and cuddly stuffed germs are great learning tools for the kids. Especially when they are sick. Check the huge cooties selection out at Giant Microbes . They are JUST COOL!

fashion :: shoes wanted: dead or alive

Well now... Taxidermy Footwear ... a bit bizarre... but anything is fair game when it comes to shoe design.

horse shoe by Iris Schieferstein

the moulded mole by Niels van Eijk/Mirjam van der Lubbe

porcupine pump by Alexander Fielden

Bizarre shoe designs that are JUST COOL!

via virtual shoe museum

architecture :: turned upside down

This strange house is upside down both inside and out! Located in Traseenheide Germany, architects Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastian Mikiciuk created this crazy architectural folly, calling it "The World Stands on its Head" ("Die Welt Steht Kopf") House on the Baltic Sea Island of Usedom.  Everything, right down to its interior fittings and furnishings, is upside down. Quite a complicated task to build I would imagine - and living it even more so!

Well..actually no one lives in it - it is a tourist attraction that opened last fall and is definitely JUST COOL!

via zimbio

pets :: lost and found with microchips

Did you know that this week is the American Humane Association’s Be Kind to Animals Week? You can make a difference in a homeless animals life, plus do a wonderful service to your own pet by having them microchipped with proper identification that cannot fall off or become impossible to read , through the Home Again Web Site .  Micro-chipping is a permanent form of identification that gives pets the best chance of being reunited with their owners when lost and Home Again has recovered over 500,00 pets this way. Now that's impressive! And the company doesn't stop there. It is also  a comprehensive national pet-recovery service that goes beyond microchipping. For an annual subscription fee, Home Again members have telephone access to pet recovery specialists and 24/7 emergency medical assistance . The program also includes medical pet insurance for lost pets and reimbursable travel expenses for pets found more than 500 miles from home. Go check out their website and to commemorate  the American Humane Association’s Be Kind to Animals Week for every pet registered to their microchip program  from  May 3-9, Home Again  will donate $1 to bringpetshome.com, a fundraising Web site specifically created to help shelter animals . Now that's JUST COOL and I'm sure that Poppy Petunia approves!

photos :: funny mugshots

Some funny mug shots ...

via hemmy

Swine Flu :: the Obama Answer

Got Swine Flu? Obamas got the answer.

via trendhunter

Mother's Day - an unusual gift

Mother's Day is this Sunday and I'm sure a lot of you are still wondering what the perfect gift for Mom will be. My kids are always asking me what I would like and frankly I usually can't think of a thing that would mean more to me then to just spend the day surrounded by my family having fun. There are lots of meaningful gifts that you could give to the mom's in your life and oh yeah, don't forget the "moms-to-be" too, this Mother's Day.

For the expectant Mom, an unusual but heartfelt and life changing gift could be something as thoughtful as Cord Blood Banking through Cryo-Cell. Cord Blood Banking is an insurance policy for a family's healthy future. The stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood are known to treat over 70 diseases, and have already been used in approximately 6,000 transplants worldwide. In addition to the value of these stem cells today, research is ongoing for a number of potential medical miracles in the future. Cord Blood Banks like Cryo-Cell U-Cord give families an opportunity to plan for a healthy future. Cryo-Cell Cord Bank began serving the public in 1992 helping over 175,000 families worldwide preserve their newborn's umbilical cord blood for potential use against many diseases. And today, along with cord blood banking, Cryo-Cell is also a pioneer in research to find more ways to preserve stem cells in a noncontroversial way. When shopping for a gift for the Mother-to-be in your life this Mother's Day, skip the flowers and give the thoughtful gift of Cord Blood Banking!

art :: amazing pink chewing gum sculptures

For over ten years, Italian artist Maurizio Savini has dared to go where no other artist has gone before - into his own mouth, chewing little squishy squares of double bubble gum (and other brands) and transforming the chewed wads into life size sculptures. The pink bazooka figures have taken off too - some selling for as much as $55,000 in the US. From prickly porcupines to terrified businessmen, Savini's amazing chewing gum  figures have enjoyed high praise from art critics and gum chewers alike,  in exhibitions throughout the world.

Amazing what you can do with an innocent stick of pink chewing gum - it's JUST COOL!

via hemmy

bacon :: bacon bling

Oh yeah. I told you bacon is everywhere! Confess your love for this salty treat by wearing it.

Photographic image is transferred to plastic to create this uber realistic looking JUST COOL bracelet. Mmmmmm Baaacon. Handmade by Diffraction over at Etsy - only $18.00.

furniture :: bean bags on legs

The bean bag is back, only this time it's on legs and looking a little more sophisticated! That wise old phrase, "comfort is more important then beauty" clearly relates to this new line of comfy looking polystyrene bead filled seating which was  presented  at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan last week when Dutch brand "Montis" unveiled it's “beanbag on legs” styled by designer Bertjan Pot. The squishy modern seating line called "Lazy Bastard" combines the casualness of a beanbag with the comfort of a lounge chair.

Looks alluringly comfy, doesn't it? It's JUST COOL!

via dezeen

Travel :: an amazing underwater world

Planning a vacation soon? Well guess what? SeaWorld's newest attraction, Manta, is opening on May 22nd and SeaWorld is running an awesome contest where you could win a "Front-of-the-line" pass to experience it all. Experience the thrill of spinning, gliding and flying  like a giant ray when you ride the only flying roller coaster of its kind in the world.  Manta unveils an incredible underwater world filled with tropical fish and rays, many seldom seen by the human eye. Floor-to-ceiling aquariums are filled with rare leafy sea dragons and schools of colorful fish, and if you climb into the unusual pop up aquarium, you can get an awesome 360-degree view of all this watery  wonderment that will surround you!  Want to find out more  about the Manta and have a chance at earning a "go to the head of the line" pass for this extraordinary attraction?  Just go to SeaWorld's Manta site, register for free and you're ready to get started!  Use your existing Twitter account or sign up for a free account and follow @RealShamu on Twitter for insider tips, plus find answers for the Manta quiz throughout the website. Then when you think you know the answers, take the quiz and be a winner! SeaWorld and the Manta - it's all about the fun!

gardening ::watch your garden grow!

If you love gardening and watching the seeds you planted turn from tiny two leafed babies to lush and robust plants over the course of the summer then THIS you'll like! I found it in one of my favorite catalogs, Hammacher Schlemmer, which btw always seems to have the coolest gadgets. It's called the The Timelapse Garden Video Camera and will take a series of time lapse shots of your garden and save them as an avi movie!

"This is the camera that makes a timelapse video of your garden to show you the development of individual specimens or entire areas over a period of time. It can focus as close as 20" away to illustrate petal growth or, with its wide 54° field of view, it can capture perennials as they grow to conceal your spent spring bulb foliage (play the video). The camera takes a picture at one of six pre-determined intervals (five seconds to 24 hours) and combines them into a single 1280 x 1024 resolution AVI movie file for easy playback on a computer. It has a light sensor that turns off the camera at dusk and back on at dawn, allowing for continued video capture each day. Movies are timestamped and stored on the camera's removable 2GB USB flash drive, which can take up to 18,000 pictures. The camera's weather-resistant exterior enables operation between 122° F and 14° F."

It's only 159.99 over at Hammacher Schlemmer so check it out!

photo via ohgizmo