Photo By Gail
Yes, I know it’s way too early for Christmas but I could not resist showing you these delicate, ice Pink Hamsa Hand tree ornaments by Cody Foster & Co, the same people who make the highly collectible David Bowie Ornaments that I wrote about last December. In the months between now and the holiday season, perhaps you can find other uses for them in your home decor, such as hanging one above a home alter?
Photographed at the NY Now Winter Market at Javits Center.
Photo By Gail
Ah, the cuteness. This super comfy smiling Shark Lounge Pillow was spotted at the recent NY Now Winter Market and we find it irresistible! A lounge pillow lets you effectively make a chair out of your bed, so you can read, watch TV, or mess around your electronic devices all day long! Made of soft, easy-care fleece with polyfiber fill, this pillow sells for $71.00 and is from I Scream products. You can purchase one for your shark-loving self on their website at This Link!
All Photos By Gail
The NY Now winter retail market and gift show is behind us, and I came home with a ton of photos of cool stuff to share with you here on The ‘Gig; including several excellent additions to our beloved Shark Attack series (one of which you saw right here just last week)!
These adorable felted booties are sold by The Silk Road Bazaar, a fair trade wholesale representative of marginalized artist groups located in Central Asia. These fiercely cute booties are part of their Zooties series of baby booties designed in the likeness of animals. Watch out for your little toes!
Shark Attack On Your Tiny, Baby Feet!
All Photos By Gail
Better be careful when reaching into this glazed ceramic bowl for a handful of chips or nuts, because you might be dipping your hand into the gaping maw of a big blue Shark!
Say Ahhhh!
Dubbed the ‘Shark Attack Snack Bowl‘ by me, this visually delightful and seriously functional bowl was spotted in the booth for Italian decorative glassware manufacturer Egizia 1949, which is based in Tuscany. Additional examples of their their glassware can be seen in the background of the first photo in this post.
Sadly, I was unable to locate the bowl on their website, so I can’t quote a price. This bowl is perfect for filling with the snack of your choice at your next Shark Week party, and of course it makes an ideal gift for your loved one who loves Sharks.
Shark Attack!
Photos By Gail
Nothing says ‘Have a Glam Holiday” like a couple of David Bowie ornaments on the tree. I spotted these beauties last summer at the NY Now gift show and have been holding onto them since then, just waiting for the seasonally appropriate time to share! The ornament above depicts Bowie in his “Life On Mars” Suit. Designed by Freddie Burretti, Bowie’s go-to fashion designer (as well as lover and protege) between 1970 and 1974, this turquoise “ice-blue” suit was featured in the music video for “Life On Mars” from the album Heroes in May, 1973. You can watch the video here. It’s a bit lame that the ornament’s designer has added the facial lightning bolt from Aladdin Sane to this piece, but I guess they were going for maximum icon appeal.
On the far left in the photo above, you’ll see another ornament that’s a bust-only attempt at a likeness of Bowie where he’s probably meant to be wearing the “Space Oddity” space suit, with its flared shoulder pads. Bowie wore that suit in the early days of the 1972–73 Ziggy Stardust tour. Once again, they added the lightning bolt adornment to Bowie’s face, which is historically inaccurate, but kind of necessary for identification purposes, since the face looks nothing like Bowie at all. These ornaments are available from Cody Foster & Co on Amazon Dot Com for $24.99 each.
All Photos By Gail
There is little doubt that a fashionable handbag can tie a look together like no other accessory, and in many cases it ends up being the conversation piece of an outfit. While “It Bags” from design houses like Hermes and Moschino can set you back thousands — or even tens-of-thousands — of dollars, it’s possible to own a super cute handbag that is truly a work of art for a very affordable price. Allow me to introduce you to the Signature Handbag collection from designer and artist, Kent Stetson.
Oyster Clutch $230; Donut Clutch $212
Kent Stetson creates functional, wearable art which he refers to as Art-To-Go! His handbag designs include popular themes like food, fashion, pets, flowers, cocktails, special interest hobbies, and his own abstract patterns, so there really is a bag to suit every taste. Assorted designs feature a novelty closure adornment, such as the faux oyster or donut seen on the bags in the above photo. Stetson’s bags are so visually exciting, you may not be able to resist the urge to own more than one!
Snakeskin Clutch $212.00
The Signature Handbag collection has a fascinating origin story, which Stetson shares on his website; “In 2003, after the disappointment of dismantling an exhibition of my paintings where nothing sold, I started cutting up the canvas pieces and sewing them into bags.” Kent found that these fun and unique handbags sold immediately.
American Express Clutch, Price N/A
His story continues, “Raised on a farm, watching my mother repair and maintain the harnesses for the horses, I gathered a sense of the craft of leatherwork. I had the tools that I needed, I simply had to connect the dots to my paintings. It turns out that I did not need a wall to display my art, and that a bag was a perfect way to package it.”
Splash Clutch $198; Buddha Clutch $208
Originally, the bags were a framing device but they since have become his medium. Stetson’s designs are an instantly-recognizable wardrobe staple enjoyed by celebrities and collectors worldwide. These signature clutch bags are made from luxury-quality coated canvas, and range in style from traditionally artistic to kitsch. You can see that these designs are a great way to spark a fun conversation that breaks the ice and turns everyday adventures into an opportunity to make new friends.
Lipstick Clutch $208
Succulents Clutch $212
The designer employs a team of highly-skilled technicians who work alongside him to produce each piece, and his Rhode Island-based workshop has a high bar for excellence, having earned many awards. There are nearly 50 steps in making each signature bag and all pieces are produced to order, making each one specially for the recipient.
Christmas Lights Clutch, Price NA
Stetson never loses sight of the fact that he had to fail hard in order to become a success. “Whether you are one of our early first patrons, or a new collector,” he offers, “it is an honor for me to make something that I know you will enjoy using. Thank you for helping me turn what was a disappointing start to my career as an artist into something more wonderful than I could have ever imagined!”
Macaroon Clutch $212
Mary Jane Clutch $208
All handbags come with a removable cross-body chain, a logo dust bag, a clear vinyl inner pocket, and each is individually signed. All prices include shipping. Shop Online for Kent Stetson’s Signature Collection at This Link!
All Photos Taken at NY Now Summer 2019 at the Javits Center.
Vitra Booth Display (All Photos By Gail)
Do you like shopping? I sure do. Imagine that you own a store, maybe one that sells neat things like those you find on this blog, and you had to shop for cool inventory to sell in your store. Where would you go to find those neat things? Well, one place you can go for your one-stop shop shopping is the Retail Renaissance NY Now wholesale gift trade show, which features thousands of handmade, home, and lifestyle gift items all under one roof. NY Now takes place at the Javits Center twice annually, in the winter and summer, and it gets exponentially better with each passing seasonal edition. I always have a fun time at NY Now, but the Summer show that just happened in August was mind-blowingly great. Really. Wow.
I tend not to recap my visits to NY Now because it’s massive, and I just end up blogging about a handful of the coolest items spotted on the show floor. But because I had so many great photos this time, I feel compelled to share them with you. Don’t expect much commentary, because this post is mainly about taking you on a little visual journey, but if you have questions about anything in this piece please speak up in the comments and I’ll be sure to address your inquiries!
Glazed ceramic Pink Venus Demilo Statue. Yes, Please!
Exhibitors flaunting their Humorous-Saying Coffee Mugs can be found around the show floor in abundance.
Or maybe, rather than a snarky-saying-emblazoned mug, you prefer a mug with the mug of a famous person on it? Well, here you go then: check out these awesome designs by The Found, Gifts and More!
The Cat Pals Collection by Miya Japanese Tableware features assorted Cat-Shaped Dishes with cats on them. These make the purrfect gift for the cat fancier who has other cat-shaped stuff with cats on it, but not this exact stuff.
Who else besides me can totally relate to this funny greeting card from Pretty Alright Goods? #SleepingRules!
“Speaker of The House” — HAHA! Check out this hilarious Baby Onesie by Love Bubby, a brand that is unique because everything they design is unisex and is available only in the colors Black, White and Gray. Clothes for the modern baby! Yay!
This is no mere six-feet high Illuminated Bunny Lamp: Meet Miffy, the Dutch storybook-character-turned-pop-culture-icon, created by Dick Bruna. You know you want to own him.
Do you enjoy being bilingual? Then you might want to own these fun and colorful Tea Towels by Valentine Viannay that help to augment your Spanish vocabulary while you wipe your hands or dry your dishes! #Multitasking!
If you dig the late Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, you can find her lovely image on everything including jewelry, bags, pouches, scarves, ornaments, mugs and so much more.The products above are by fair trade accessories company Lumily. Frida Lives!
These fabulous beaded Flamngoes, Palm Tree and Penguin are from Beadworx by Extol Accessories, Ltd. I wanted to use the photo, because it’s cool., but their representative was rude to me when I was in their booth, so I am not hyperlinking them. #SorryNotSorry!
Tissue UP Girl tissue box cover by Spextrum — for the girl who has everything!
Rite Lite is a Wholesale Judaica company with a great sense of humor!
Do the holidays remind you of Bacon? No matter what type of crazy and obscure ornaments you wish hang on your Christmas Tree, you will no doubt discover that the things you love are all made by Cody Foster & Co..
Ornament From World Treasure Trading
I love these Letter-Shaped Candy Dishes by Inspired Generations.
This colorful lucite Jumbling Tower (Jenga knock-off) game and lucite Chess Set are by Sunny Life Lucite Collection of puzzles and games!
Graziani is a very well-known Italian luxury candlemaker looking to expand their business in the US. Aren’t they simply gorgeous? Available in the full spectrum of colors, these long-burning, lacquered orbs — called Meloria — are white on the inside and they burn hollow (rather than melting downward) to cast a warm, colorful glow in your home. Graziani candles are always hand-finished, for a bespoke touch. The Meloria line is currently available only in Italy, but thanks to the exposure garnered at NY Now I am sure we will be seeing them in stores stateside by the end of the year.
Before I wrap this up, I really want to give a shout out to a selection of my favorite displays at the show, because visual marketing is everything!
Favreau Design by Steven Favreau (aka Favreaulous Factory) went all out for their booth, incorporating a vintage Carousel Seat into their whimsically-themed display! Simply Favreaulous!
Artist and Designer Jason Naylor live-panted this Passion mural onsite to promote his public and site-specific artwork, which you can see all over the country, including NYC’s Pier 17 at South Street Seaport.
What’s in here? OMG! Two’s Company Home Design recreated an entire store with multiple storefronts right on the show floor.
Too glam to give a damn, indeed!
Who wouldn’t want to shop there? I want to live there!
Thanks For The Inspiration, NY Now! See You Next Year!
All Photos By Gail
There is no delicate way to put this: when you share a home with other people, maintaining the quality of the bathroom “atmosphere” is an ongoing consideration. It’s easy enough to light a match or spray some room fresher into the air, but when a solution that’s both discrete and longer-lasting is desired, I’ve got just the thing for the occasional malodorous situation: POTTYMINTS.
I discovered POTTYMINTS at the recent New York Now home show, when I was trawling the aisles fro free stuff and was charmed by their attention-grabbing booth display, featuring an
extra tall toilet with an extravagant bouquet of flowers extending from its bowl to the ceiling. Very impressive! I stopped to talk to POTTYMINTS representative, Matthew Grobman, whose sister and business partner Suzanna Grobman, invented the product after taking a vacation (my guess is they went to Mexico) with her then-boyfriend-now-husband. You can read an abridged version of what I assure you is an hilarious story here.
Matthew gave me a few sample packets of POTTYMINTSto try at home and here is what happened next.
Behold, the POTTYMINTS displayed on the seat of my toilet! Please note that correct use of the POTTYMINT involves waiting until after the flush (#theafterflush)!
After flushing, drop one POTTYMINT into the clean water and watch it go!
The POTTYMINT will effervesce and dissolve, leaving the air sweet smelling for, not even kidding, a few days! POTTYMINTS are sold in assorted sizes, including a small packet perfect for traveling or just keeping in your purse or bag. All packaging embraces a minimal-yet-elegant design aesthetic — like something you would find in the bathroom at a very fancy hotel and want to take home with you! POTTYMINTS come in two very appealing fragrances: Arancia di Capri (Citrus) and La Fleur (Light Floral). These varieties are effective and impart a fresh and enduring scent without becoming cloying, as some sprays or atomizers can be.
Find out more about POTTYMINTS, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase, at This Link!
