As if there weren’t already enough scrumptiously addicting online sales I recently received an invite to Guilt Groupe. Guilt Group is “a private online community, providing members with access to coveted fashion and luxury lifestyle brands at sample sale prices.” While they do have a strong emphasis on mens and womens fashion, what I am really excited about is the small but quality home section which has goodies with prices marked down as much as 70%. For example today at noon they have a bunch of stuff from Areaware that goes on sale. Everything is first come first serve but they are kind enough to let you know when certain things are going on sale so you can mark your calendar. If you want to check it out for yourself you can create an account through my invite page http://www.gilt.com/invite/creede It is invite only, but all members have unlimited invites. Plus if you invite a friend and they buy something you get at $25 credit. Not too shabby.

Get an account at Gilt Groupe to check out all the deals.

Let us know in the comments what you think.

“April showers bring May flowers” and right now I could use a little protection from those blasted rain drops. Not that I’m complaining. I love rain. I just haven’t owned an umbrella in over 10 years and I think that seems kind of silly. Perhaps I should change that with one of these awesome umbrellas from Tray 6 or Marimekko! My favorite is the Petrooli Umbrella by Marimekko. Which one do you fancy?

Tray 6 Umbrellas from 2Modern: $49 - $59
Marimekko Umbrellas from AlwaysMod: $30 - $40

Stainless steel and concrete are usually reserved for more utilitarian uses, but KONZUK changes that notion with their clean, minimalist jewelry line. I’m especially fond of their powder-coated pieces, which come in 9 bold colors. Check out their great line of cufflinks and rings for men as well as their pendants and earrings for the ladies.

More about KONZUK:
Combining materials like stainless steel, concrete and powder-coated enamel with processes like laser cutting, CNC machining and photo engraving, the KONZUK collection embraces materials and methods that reflect the design-centric philosophy of its wearers. KONZUK crafts each piece as an expression of individual style–a modern design object of strength, durability, color and beauty.


Modern jewelry by KONZUK available from 2modern from $90 - $325

A lot of us try to “go modern” with most aspects of our lives, from our baby’s bottle to our eyeglasses. It only makes sense to want the things that surround us to be consciously designed. That’s why Danish eyewear company, ProDesign, is so freaking fantastic! It’s like wearing a great piece of Danish modern furniture on your face. I’m not joking. Their tagline says it all: ProDesign - the essence of Danish design in eyewear for the world. The ProDesign product line is quite large, with an incredible range of styles and materials to suit any discerning design nerd. I personally have several pairs floating around my own home!

Browse the complete ProDesign collection here!

If you’re in Utah, check out:
Sugar House Vision Clinic
2178 S 900 E Ste 4
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
Phone: (801) 484-2020
[They offer a large selection of designer frames, including ProDesign, and will special order frames for you if they don't have the ones you want in stock. Nice.]

I’m a big fan of watches, especially obscure ones. Tokyo Flash seems to have that market pegged. While their site is full of obscure watches that really make you think to tell time, it’s only every once in a while that they come out with one that looks simple enough that I would really want it. The Heko is one of those watches that will look good with any outfit, and it sure to get plenty of comments. The way you tell time with it doesn’t look nearly as simple as the styling, but I have learned from my old Tokyo Flash watch that you get used to it pretty quick.

Heko watch available from Tokyo Flash for $109

I came across Nervous System a while ago and was instantly intrigued and awed by their designs. Based on complex forms found in nature, such as the morphology of orchids or the aggregate growth of coral, Nervous System has developed a wide range of jewelry designs. They combine nontraditional materials like silicone rubber and stainless steel with rapid prototyping methods to create incredibly innovative products. Their methods allow for the creation of completely distinct designs, which can be personalized with interactive applets.

A little more about Nervous System: Our products are designed to be affordably and ethically made. We use manufacturing methods that do not require large facilities or massive manual labor. Often we employ rapid prototyping methods by which all unique pieces can be manufactured at the same cost as cookie cutter ones. We use inexpensive materials and believe that the value of our designs comes from an intelligent and beautiful marriage of form and function, not the current price of currency standards.

How do they do it? PLAY + LEARN

Jewelry for the nerdy, the quizzical, or the easily intrigued by Nervous System from $30 - $150.

Tokyo Flash has long been one of my favorite sites for unique watches. The recently have broadened their product range to include bags, clocks, hats, jewelry, t-shirts, lighting and design goods. With all those new different categories it seems like it would be hard to have a line as original as their watches, yet they seem to pull it off quite well. While the “fashion” items don’t get me too excited, all the design goods show off the classic simple japanese style. While some items like the Juke Tower look like they could be right out of a Muji store, others like the Erect calculator have a certain craziness that make it a classic Tokyo Flash piece. Due to the weak dollar pricing ranges between $50 - $200 on most items. It’s going to cost you if you want to be the cool kid on the block.

Available from Tokyo Flash from $50+

We got our dog last September and since then I’ve become a little obsessed with modern pet products, something that Etsy has in abundance. Here are a few of my favorite shops that any lover of pets and modern design would appreciate.

Like Kittysville

This shop features custom pet beds for cats and small dogs. I love the retro shape and fabrics! Wood base - $69 / Acrylic base - $82. Custom orders welcome!

Lucky Fiona

This shop uses reproduction and vintage fabrics to create one of a kind collars and accessories, available from $9.99 - $15.99. Check out the Lucky Fiona blog for a chance to win one for free!

The Mod Dog

This shop custom makes each collar to your pet’s own measurements, allowing you to pick and choose each aspect of the design. Plus, 10% of all sales goes directly to animal rescue efforts. From $10 - $20.

Naked Decor

Clever decorative accessories for the animal lover. I’m a fan of the dachshund clock. From $40 - $45.

I am in love, LOVE, with the beautiful 8-bit/pixel art by Craig D. Adams, aka superbrothers. It’s a refreshing contrast to the current hyper-real, 3-D, CGI aesthetic. Adams, who works out of Toronto, has created lovely little pixel illustrations for such clients as WIRED Magazine, ESPN, and the New York Times, to name a few. Watch as his blocky figures come to life in this video for musician Jim Guthrie:

If you’re feeling a twinge of nostalgia, stop by Adams’ website to get your 8-bit kick and then head over to his shop for prints and tees!

Pixel art with heart available from $17 - $30.

One of the major accessories every new parent needs is a good diaper bag. If you remember, when we had Arri we splurged a little for a Petunia Pickle Bottom bag. It wasn’t cheap, but looking back I think it was totally worth it. I am a huge fan of Petunia Pickle Bottom, and think that most of their bag designs are pretty nice, but they have completely outdone themselves with their new Journey Packs. This beautiful bag is made of felt, and has a classic style that will always look great. Looking at it makes me think that it’s hands down the best looking diaper bag I’ve ever seen. The only downsides are the size (it looks a little small) and the price (which isn’t small). Available in Gray, Olive Green, Black felt, and leather.
Available from Design Public for $140.