Chocolate Jug.

It's the perfect time of year for the chocolate jug. The manual blender mixes the chocolate (powder or crushed pieces) and milk producing just the right amount of frothiness. Sounds like chocolatey goodness to me.

Momspit.

Momspit (inspired by the original). Yup, you read that correctly. I'm not big on hand sanitizers, but this is too cool. It doesn't contain any alcohol (and isn't techinically a sanitizer) so it's safe to use anywhere - even your face. It even moisturizes which I think is my big pet peeve about most hand sanitizers - they dry my skin out like crazy. This I would buy for the name alone. Well, and to pull out when someone has something on their face ("Ooooh, let me get that, dear!). The scents seem amazing: fig/green tea, lemon/white tea and unscented.

On the Rocks: Blackberry Widow.

With this cocktail I'm introducing a new weekly post to Design Crush. On the Rocks will showcase a new drink each and every Wednesday. (You know, the point in the week where you definitely need to toss one back at the end of the day after work!) I'm constantly on the prowl for my next favorite and thought it might be fun to share and include you all in the fun. So now I give to you the Halloween appropriate Blackberry Widow.

Ingredients:
- 1 part vodka
- 2 parts dark grape juice
- 1 teaspoon of raw sugar
- 4 slices of fresh ginger
- 4 blackberries
Garnish: 2 blackberries

In a mixing glass, muddle together blackberries, ginger and sugar, add vodka and dark grape juice. Fill with ice, shake well, and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with 2 blackberries.

:: photo and recipe via Cocktail Times

Crackpot Weekly Calendar.

The 2008 Crackpot Calendar features a selection of awesome illustrations. Each calendar page showcases a new image – one per week from a total of fifty-six. There are two options for display - from the wall or propped on a desk. I love it because who wants to wait an entire month before changing the calendar? Lovely idea and execution.

:: NOTCOT

Candle Snuffer.

Love this candle snuffer by Kurz Kurz that functions like a set of tongs. The only well-designed candle snuffer I've ever seen.

Happy Halloween!

:: via Veer

Chapter 2.

Chapter 2 is a non-profit project of the Women's Alliance which uses sales revenue to help provide professional attire and career skills training to low-income women seeking employment in the Miami area. As if that's not enough, they also hope to give back to the community. They plan to do so by creating a store that is unlike any other resale and consignment store on the market today: with a modern and distinctive merchandising plan and a unique store layout, brand and atmosphere. Chapter 2 will be designed to look, feel and be different than any other out there. Click here if you're in the Miami area and want to know how to help out.

This is an incredible project in and of itself, but what makes it go above and beyond in my eyes is the astounding design put into it by Minneapolis design firm Mono. They successfully took a project, albeit done before, and turned it into something eye-catching and attention grabbing. And also versatile: the Chapter 2 logo stickers used for stationary, hang tags, etc can be placed anywhere to make every piece of Chapter 2 individual and distinct.

And Fork.

And Fork: 100 Designers, 10 Curators, 10 Good Designs presents 100 of the most exceptional product designers that have recently emerged on the scene, as well as 1,000 color illustrations of hundreds of innovative products created by them. Objects including chairs, lighting, footwear, kitchen accessories and electronics provide the newest developments in the design world. Recent trends in design are revealed, such as concerns with social responsibility and the ethics of design, new product design that caters to our increasing dependence on portable and personal technology, and a rise in collaboration between young designers. Each designer's work is displayed on four pages that include photographs, technical drawings and text written on why the designer's work has been chosen.

Creepy Crawly Cakes.

These Creepy Crawly Cakes from Megan at notmartha are to die for. They're chocolate cake filled with vanilla cream and raspberry coulis for lans sakes! And no, I've never used that term before in my life.

The Illusion of Thirst.

These Illusion wine glasses are genius! I love the use of negative space and being able to watch the floating wine glass slowly disappear as you drink.

No-Knit Scarf.

Confession time.
I have a scarf/hat/winter coat fetish.

So much so that when the cold weather finally recedes and it's time to store my Winter Wear it takes up an entire storage bin. Not including coats. Gulp. I can't help it! Every winter there's always some piece(s) that I just have to add to my arsenal against the elements.

So far this year there are two must-haves on my list. The Scoodie and now this No-Knit scarf. Maybe the No-Knit scarf doesn't even have to count, it being a craft project and all...

bread + butter.

If you haven't yet seen the amazing work of Carol, Deb and Kelly at bread + butter you're definitely missing out. Their letterpress is amazing, but I'm incredibly attracted (yes, you can be attracted to paper products) to their embossed white-on-white cards. The fronts are adorned with simple phrases such as I'm sorry and WTF which pleasingly pop off the background. Sometimes simple says it best of all.

Lucky Half Necklace.

Like a lot of people, my grandmother and I used to have a tradition every Thanksgiving and Christmas where the two of us would break the wishbone. In retrospect it's a little disgusting (breaking animal bones for luck??). But none the less great memories indeed.

Maybe that's one reason I'm so infatuated with the Lucky Half necklace by designer Alexis Canter. Who doesn't want to be a perpetual winner? Although I do hope Alexis decides to create a white gold or platinum version for those of us who don't wear yellow gold.

verē.

verē (pronounced "very") is the most sophisticated pure chocolate imaginable. Rich in cocoa, low in sugar, totally natural and a taste that could go to head to head with the world's best. By starting with the very best ingredients available - sustainably grown, persicide-free cocoa beans - and sweetening them only slightly to bring out their flavor, verē presents its chocolate in the purest form possible.

I'm ga-ga over verē's packaging, too. I'll say it again and again white space is highly under-rated. By using it in this case, verē really is able to show off the beautiful craftsmanship and quality of their product and let it speak for itself.

Wall Cleat.

I'm a big fan of the Wall Cleat from Oboiler. And I desperately need one for my bathroom! Between hair dryer, straightener and electric toothbrush I'm one outlet short of electrical bliss. The Wall Cleat would cleverly keep me from stepping on the stray cord and impaling my foot on the prongs (which I've done before). Technology is great, but keep it out of my way!

Artist Crush: Yee-Haw Industries.

Yee-Haw Industries has made my Monday morning - and don't we all need something to do that?

YHI specializes in original art-like products - from letterpress posters promoting special events, music acts and theatre shows to handmade, woodcut, fine art prints. All of their work is custom-to-order, designed, set, and pressed by hand.

They've also managed to feed my obsession with calendars which is never a bad thing in my eyes.




:: via CasaSugar

Monday Goodness: Talk Less Do More.

The Perfect Storm.

It's been really cold this past week by Oklahoma standards which calls for some sort of autumn beverage - it's too warm for hot buttered rum and too cold for beer at the moment. I came across The Perfect Storm cocktail in Blueprint this past month and think it's going to be a Must Try for Halloween parties this weekend. Vanilla, apple cider, ginger brew and dark rum would go down prettily easily I'm guessing...

Lemon and Raspberry Cake.

This look absolutely amazing - I think there may be some drool on my keyboard. I may have to buy Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan for this recipe alone. *drool*

:: via Cafe Fernando

Artist Crush: Helen Dardik.

Thanks to print & pattern I've discovered the wonderful world of Lilla Rogers Studio and Helen Dardik. This lady's work is incredible. While everything has a fun undertone and uses a bright color palettee, her style is extremely versatile. I've been really into big color fields lately and Helen knows how to use them as well as anyone.

Periodic Table of Sentiments.

Now you can pass along your sentiments in the geekiest of ways while still being your every day cool self. The Periodic Table of Sentiments from Pink Loves Brown covers cards for six occassions: birthday, thank you, happy anniversary, congratulations, new baby and I'm sorry.

Death & Co.

Yet another reason why New York is one awesome city. I love the idea of Death & Co. The lounge's identity is also really well done.

In 1919 the Volstead Act brought a swift end to nightlife, and the refined craft of the American bartender was outlawed. It was thought that to drink alcohol was to live a life shadowed by death. It was thought by some that these were death and company. It's taken us nearly a century to restore flavor to the drink and class to the specialty cocktails. In our time, a night to celebrate life's simple pleasures with fine wine, exquisitely crafted cocktails, beautifully prepared food, and impeccable sipping spirits is a rare gift. To those who shun the night, we tip our hat. To those who shine after dusk, we offer a warm embrace. Welcome to the golden age. Welcome to Death & Co.

Revolving Ashtray.

Okay, so I don't smoke. And, happily, I don't even have many friends who do the dirty deed anymore. But if I were all cool and European-like I would definitely need to own the revolving ashtray by Arne Jacobsen. One minute you see the ashes, then with a twist of the finger - voila! - they're gone. So Scandinavian chic.

SusyJack Holiday.

The lovely, hip SusyJack is ready for the holidays at her Etsy shop! Check out her beautiful Joy cards and Merry and Bright Holiday Gift Clips.

Wallpaper* City Guides.

I want to own these. Yes, of course I'd love to visit all of these cities. But more than anything I just want to look at them on a daily basis because they're so damn graphically pleasing. If you are in it for the travel the Wallpaper* City Guides are pocket-sized and discreet which won't make you feel like you're walking around wearing a fanny pack and a camera around your neck. Forty guides are out right now and you expect ten more later this year as well as in 2008.

Chimo Fireplace.

I love the idea of being able to put a fireplace wherever you feel like. Especially if you're a renter or someone who owns a first floor condo. That said, the Chimo firplace rocks. It installs in minutes to any wall and has no need for any sort of chimney. The secret is Ethanol which is a safe, clean burning fuel that is completely organic and made from renewable resources like corn, potatoes, wheat and other vegetables. And it's green since it's not a fossil-fuel and burning it does not increase the greenhouse effect like other fuels. Three different shapes and sizes of fireplace are available to mesh with your lifestyle.

Proof of Purchase.

Proof of Purchase is a blog written and compiled by Riley Harmon, a junior studying media arts at the University of Oklahoma (my alma mater!). The project hovers somewhere between a voyeuristic art project and an uncomfortably personal diary where Harmon documents life through his receipts. It came about when he noticed the large number of receipts accumulating in his backseat every week. After analyzing each purchase and what it meant to his life, he began writing his thoughts on the pieces of paper and posting them online daily. I must say, it's really addictive reading.

Christmas Arrives at Fabulous Stationary.

I keep going back for more at Fabulous Stationary - I just can't get enough of their mod designs a striking color palettes. And now they have a huge selection of holiday cards to go along with all the other awesomeness they offer.

Lizard Press.

I love some good vintage type and that's just what you'll find at Lizard Press. Every piece is designed and handprinted with wood, lead and polymer plates on recycled cotton paper. Everything is a limited edition, too, which makes infinitly more special to own. And I just noticed some newly added block-print Christmas cards that are both graphic and lovely.

Halloween Candy Bars at CHOW.

I'm not knocking the store bought stuff by any means because we've gotten through some tough times together, but holy crap do these homemade candy bars from CHOW look so, so good. Not only are these rockstars sharing their recipes for PB Cups, almond jay, TWIXT and Snickles, they're also giving us a PDF wrapper to download for each one. A fun and well-designed one at that.

Brocade Home Gifts.

With the holidays right around the corner Brocade Home has launched a new Gift section of their web site. The perfect place to hit up for that hard to find gift for the design-savvy friend/co-worker/relative!

Halloween Crow.

Seven days to go and counting...

This Halloween crow chip board postcard from Ink + Wit is awesome. I'd love for it to show up in my mailbox. Snail mail is so underrated these days...

Revolution Tea.

It's freezing in our office today. Everyone has their doors closed so as to retain the heat their own body is producing. For once sharing an office is paying off! Two for the price of one. But still cold. We're right at that point of switching over from AC to heat which is a time of year I usually love. Except in Oklahoma. Here we don't have seasons per se, spring and fall seem to last a week or two between the extremes of hot and cold.

However, it being so cold does make it a perfect day for hot tea. I'm a big fan of Reveolution Tea. It's made from really high-quality leaves, but it's sold at Target among other places so it's affordable. Right now I've been hot for their White Pear Tea. (White tea is the highest in antioxidants as a bonus.) You can get it in lots of forms - loose, boxed, single bag, etc. I have the silk tea bags which you can easily use two times each. So many flavors to choose from, so liitle time.

And did I mention the packaging? Their logo is fantastic as well as the simple, clean design everything is packaged and boxed up in.

Flavor Paper.

Thanks to founder Ted - and some young designers who saved the company days before the designs and equipment were to be destroyed - we have Flavor Paper, a small hand screened wallpaper company located in the Bywater District of New Orleans. To support their printing process, the Flavor Lab houses a darkroom, screen etching equipment, and an ink room where they custom mix all colors. I think it would be so much fun to choose a wall in one room of my home and wallpaper away with the boldest, most graphic paper they design!

Notepolish Paperie.

The little touches, the final thoughts, are what make any event or occassion something really special. Things that will (hopefully) make it stand out in your memory for years to come. Notepolish Paperie seems to be experts in just that. Love their cupcake flags and favor cones.