Can you believe it’s already August? It’s okay though, because that means my favorite season is almost here: FALL!! (The first day of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere this year is September 22 at 5:18 p.m.) In preparation for this crisp, bright, leafy, rainy, glorious time of year, I created an Autumn Essentials list, chockablock full of products (clocks, silverwear, apparel, art, etc.) to help get you in the spirit. In honor of Halloween, the list currently contains 31 items, but I’m sure there will be more as the autumn months get closer, so keep checking back! Cool stuff shown above (L-R): Puckered Canvas Bag, 23 Inch Roulette Clock, Narration Booties, Lipmann Collection Nail Color in Dark Side of The Moon, Gladiator Bird, Raven, Wire Spun Candelabra, Viceroy Velvet Curtain.

I’m a personal fan of the following types of products:

• anything that displays the word “homeboy” on it
• talking action figures
• anything un-politically correct

Throw Jesus into the mix and I’m in heaven! Based on the items in the Jesus is My Homeboy buyer’s guide, Jesus seems like he’d be a fun guy to party with. I’m pretty sure he was the life of every party back in the day. Check out my awesome miscellaneous Jesus finds and let me know what you think. This stuff makes for great friend presents come birthday or holiday season.

Above: Lookin’ Good For Jesus Mini Kit, Jesus Saves!…The Party T-Shirt, Grow Jesus Because He Is AWESOME, Hottie Jesus White T-Shirt, Jesus Talking 12 Inch Biblical Figure.

P.S.

It’s not too early to start thinking about two major June events that usually require some sort of thoughtfulness on your part: Father’s Day and Graduation. This is especially true if you’re shopping for a Dad or Grad gift online (need to factor in shipping time). I have created shopping guides to help you find the perfect gift to surprise your loved ones with this year. For Father’s Day ideas, take a look at my Father’s Day Gift Guide. For guy graduation presents, click on my Guy Grad Gift guide. And for graduation gifts for ladies, check out Girl Grad Gifts.

P.S. Father’s Day is on June 21st this year!

Shown (L-R): Dad/Father Frame, Fog-Free Mirror with AM/FM Radio, Graduation Caricature Print, USB Tulip Hub, Wake Up iPod Speaker and Alarm Clock, and Grad Guy Bobblehead.

SHOP FAIRIES HERE

My favorite theory on the origins of fairies comes from the author, J.M. Barrie, who wrote: “. . . when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.” I enjoy decorating my home and garden with unique and whimsical fairy figurines to remind me of these peaceful mythological creatures. I have added some wonderful fairy products to Kazowie, which you may view here. These items make great gifts for any collector of whimsical and wonderful fairies.

Shown, clockwise from left: Itsy Bitsy Petal Fairy Figure, Don’t Piss Off The Fairies Engraved Sign, A Fairy’s Secret Place Sculpture, The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies, and Fiona- the Flower Fairy Sculpture.

SHOP EASTER NOW

As a child, Easter was almost as exciting as Christmas. Mystical beings who bring gifts to good little children are always good in my book. And there was always lots of chocolate and candy involved on both holidays. Presents and chocolate. All good.

Except for the fact that the Easter Bunny left his presents out on the cold porch by the door and the wrapping paper was always see-through (cellophane leaves very little to the imagination), Easter was and is always a happy, springtime celebration. Dying, hunting, and eating hardboiled eggs is a pretty sweet tradition too. Yum. (Just don’t get me started on the Easter bonnets with elastic chin straps and the white ruffle socks we had to wear for church in the morning. Cute, looking back. Horrible at the time.)

Clockwise from top right: Ceramic Egg Hanging Planters, Egg Lanterns, Nyokki Egg Plant Pet, Sidewalk Chalk Eggs, NEW Godiva Easter Carrot, and Stripes the Long Eared Bunny.

To help you celebrate Easter this year, which is right around the corner by the way (April 12th), I shopped around for some cute gifts your friends and family might enjoy. I also found some festive holiday decor for your home, should you be hosting this year’s get-together. Check out my Easter Gifts and Decor shopper’s guide for more cute Easter ideas.

Happy Easter!

Tarina Tarantino has random taste! But so do most people.That’s why I really enjoy the designer’s jewelry line. She’s got a piece of jewelry to fit your every mood. If you’re feeling quirky, try the Labbit Hoop Earrings (part of the Kidrobot by Tarina Tarantino Collection). If you’re feeling romantic, bust out the Baroque Skull Multibead Necklace (as worn by Pink on the cover of Seventeen mag). If you’re feeling gangsta, throw on the Heart and Crystal ‘Things That Hurt’ Drop Earrings (also part of the Kidrobot Collection). Everything’s different, but it’s all girly, quirky, and fun! Totes cute! Check out my Necklaces and Earrings buyer’s guides, chockablockfull of my fave Tarina picks!

Word to the wise: It seems as if most of the Tarina pieces look smaller in pictures than they actually are. For example, the Long Peal Munny Necklace (Kidrobot Collection) looks tiny on its own, but on a model, it’s HUGE! Same with the Hello Kitty Mascot Drop Earrings. Don’t get me wrong. I love this!!! The bigger, the better! You know me! Just be warned.

Also, be aware that some of the Tarina jewelry is meant to be a surprise when you receive it. Meaning that while you (maybe) have the option to choose the color of your earrings, you’re not able to choose which charms will dangle from them (this is the case with the Things That Hurt earrings).

The Labbit Hoop Earrings, like the toys, are sold completely “blind,” a.k.a., you get no say in the matter at all. You get whatever color rabbits you get and that’s supposed to be “part of the fun!” I’m not too sure how I feel about this surprise factor when I’m dropping $120 on a pair of cigarette-smoking rabbit hoops. What do you think: Is the surprise fun or whack? VOTE NOW!

Marc Jacobs and Bloomingdales have teamed up to offer this super cute t-shirt that features MJ’s signature character, Miss Marc, and the saying “Fight like a girl…to beat breast cancer”. 50% of sales go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and they’re going to stop selling them in April (if they don’t run out first!) Check out the list, Girly Tops, for some other cute finds.

Inspired by St. Patrick’s Day and the arrival of Spring and the fact that it’s hip to Go Green, I thought I’d focus on things green and grassy. Grass can be used in a household just like a plant to liven up a room. Take, for example, the Daisy Grass Mats - what a great way to freshen up a tabletop, bookshelf or coffee table- the flowers are removable! Embellish your wall with the über modern Piece of Grass Sod Photographic Print or Deer Standing in Grass Print- it comes on recycled card stock with water-based ink. For the bathroom, the Grassy Green Toothbrush Holder cleverly designed to hold almost anything, but really cute for the toothbrush/toothpaste combo.

For outside the home, wear the unique  Grassy Meadow Glam Dress or carry the travel size Grass Umbrella, recently featured in High School Musical.  Just be sure not to mix them on the same day!! Check out some other green products The Grass is Always Greener

Everyone always likes to pretend that a bridesmaid dress can be worn again. I, and most of the women that I know, can attest to the fact that, This Is Not True. I got to wear one dress more than once and this was only due to the fact that a friend of mine allowed all of her bridesmaids to pick their own dress, as long as they were within a certain color palette. She just happened to pick the color of a dress that I had already had in my wardrobe. It worked out perfectly because they were different sets of friends, so nobody had seen it before. Perf!

My wedding is in November of this year and I’m beginning the search for dresses for my ladies. Luckily, they are all incredibly easy-going people and I’m sure that there’s going to be no problemo whatsoever finding the perfect dresses to for them when they accompany me on my wedding day. But, to o be honest, I’m really bored with most of what I see in bridal magazines. Check it out- The “It” bridesmaid dress of the moment:

Picture that dress offered in about 7,000 colors with names like: Cornflower, Wasabi, Pumpkin, and Blush. I’m not saying that the dress wouldn’t make a wonderful accessory to the bride, I just find it a little predictable. Especially if the bride is going for a strapless look also.

Because my vision for my wedding has a bit of a 1920’s style to it, I’m on the hunt for something a little more Clara Bow or Louise Brooks, but updated. That means the hemline will have to be a little bit on the tea-length side (not until the late 20’s was the super short Charleston style dress in style) and I’ll have to work with soft fluid fabrics and a simple silhouette. I’m still trying to pick out wedding colors, so we’ll have to deal with that later.

You’ll have to use your imagination and picture these dresses with amazing accessories* and hair to give them the final touches (left to right): Donna Ricco Split Neck Sheath Dress, Silk Tricotine Robin Short Dress by J. Crew,  Jones New York Sweetheart Shutter Pleat Dress. Check out the rest of my dress finds at Amazing Bridesmaid Dresses.

*Wedding Accessories list in progress!

When I was 14, I battled the elements walking with the rest of my grammar school cheerleading squad in the rainy San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day parade in a hooded green garbage bag-esque “raincoat.” Not cute. From that experience, I learned that rain and Aqua Net hairspray do not mix.

I’ve since made up for the lack of merriment I had that St. Paddy’s Day by dressing in green, applying temporary “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” tattoos, and hanging out with friends in the annual celebration of all things Irish. (Last year, we scored our temp tattoos from a trio of green-bearded “little people” walking down the streets of San Francisco’s Little Italy. Talk about gold!) In my Kiss Me, I’m Irish! Green Things for Girls and St. Patrick’s Day Stuff for Guys shopper’s guides, I’ve found lots of cute/funny green shirts, leprechaun costumes, and glittery shamrocky stuff for you to sport on March 17^th. Get pumped, it’s coming up!