Archive   |   November, 2009

headboard or artwork? it’s up to you with the dreamgate wallband

wallband

While at first glance I didn’t love the Dreamgate Wallband, something about it made me take a second look. Now I’m trying to convince my boyfriend that we have to have it! The folks at Studio 1a.m. look at this piece as a reinterpretation of a headboard and consider the extra-long proportion inspiration for creative placement. The wallband is made of reinforced cork and comes with self-adhesive backing to make installation simple. —Erica P.

not just for kids: the art of fern bisel peat

cinderalla
winkinblinkin
puzzle
The zoo has long since lost its childhood magic for me. The work of Fern Bisel Peat, however, continues to captivate. She lived from 1893 to 1971 and while her illustrations appeared in books, magazines and paper doll collections and on tin toys and puzzles throughout the ’30s and ’40s, I can find little of her work after that. My favorite is still the first one I saw, “Cinderella,” published in 1943, which was my Mom’s growing up. The stepsisters look rotten enough to make your molars ache and Cinderella has lost none of her charm. You can find Cinderella, and other great examples of her work, at AbeBooks.com. One I’ve just discovered is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Tanglewood Tales, a retelling of the Greek myths for children, which show a different side of Peat’s work. Thankfully, it seems I’m not alone in thinking her work has lost nothing over time. Single-page folios from books, original watercolors, and this new puzzle can also be found on Esty and eBay. — Sarah L.

mail order delight: this charming candy

twilightpops
saltedcaramelpop

You’d think an adult wouldn’t be so excited over lollipops as a birthday gift, but that was definitely not the case when my husband received salted caramel lollipops made by This Charming Candy. The lollipops are handmade by two friends in Seattle and Sunnyvale, CA, respectively. The small batches mean they’re super-fresh, and the pure creativity means they’re exceedingly delicious — and I am not usually a huge fan of hard candy. Choose from flavors like tangerine-clove, pomegranate, even a Twilight-inspired selection. (I’ll allow it…I guess.) Most are $18 for for 12 lollipops. Remember, they’re handmade in small batches, so order early if you want to get some for the holidays. — Mary T.

Related: Fran’s Salted Caramels