If you’ve been following my tweet’s you’ll know that I have been traveling for the last couple of days. Yesterday in a long lull of boredom, I took on the challenge of finding something that I would actually buy from the Skymall catalogue. I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled across the Skuut bike. It is a simple wooden bicycle with no pedals to get in the way. A perfect first bike for a little kid. I hear rumor that my son has been rocking the tricycle this last week while I’ve been gone, maybe he’ll be skuuting too before long.

Available from Skymall or direct from Skuut for $89.

I found this fence over at Apartment Therapy, and it has me thinking about fences in a whole new way. I love the simplicity of it.

While prefab just doesn’t seem like it’s cutting the proverbial mustard for houses, it may have a chance with dog houses. This great design by Jason Valalik is creating some good buzz around the internet, and for good reason. The design is nice and clean, and the materials, a mix of hardie board and Ipe, are great for standing up to a lot of abuse. The design is simple enough that assembly would be easy. So far I don’t think he has a kit for sale, but stay tuned.

Here at Grassrootsmodern we are big fans of mid-century modern design and also big fans of Curbly. So you can imagine when the two come together we are all over it. Chris Job made a great how to video on making a mid-century modern style birdhouse. The video is great (watch it after the jump) and along with the article over at Curbly it’s got great instructions on how to make your own. He does use some slightly more advanced woodworking techniques (dado’s) but points out that they are not really necessary. This would be a great weekend project.
Check out the article over at Curbly.
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Whether you are a jetset junkie, or you just like going on picnics every chance you get, an insulated bag is a great way to keep your food cold (or hot). I’ve bought simple plastic ones from Rockhill Creamery at our farmers market to keep things cool, and they worked great. If you are looking for something a little more stylish however, definitely check out the canvas cooler bags by Sagaform. Unica home has them in stock in black or khaki, with the small size starting at only $29.

Available from Unica Home $29 - $ 69.

I am totally in love with these Case Study Planters from Modernica. Available in Sage, White, or Charcoal these great mid-century planters would look equally great indoors or outdoors. The wooden base is really what makes the pots look great. At $149 for a small, and $189 for a large they are not cheap, but they are a pretty reasonable size. The small sits at 19″ high and has a 12″ diameter, while the large is 21″ high and 14″ diameter.

Available from Modernica starting at $149

I was perusing Overstock for some good modern outdoor furniture and I came across two decent pieces. Both are made of ABS plastic and available in a variety of colors. The Prism table is very contemporary and is almost a little far out there for me. Depending on the space however, it could look great. At $50 it’s 50% off of the original price.
The Uforia Chairs are a little more conservative, and thanks to the ABS that they are made of they would be a great little outdoor chair. You can pick up a set of two for $119. My only worry about it are those skinny little legs. No leaning back on those.

Available from Overstock.com Prism table $50, Uforia chairs 2 for $119.

Our new house has a much bigger yard than we are used to, and luckily for us it comes with all sorts of birds. There are some old bird feeders that are left behind from the previous owner, but we are in need of some new ones. Most of the ones that I like are way too expensive, so I think that eventually I will just make my own. I did run across these plastic birdfeeders from DWR that are a pretty good deal. For $25 you get three bird feeders (red, black and clear) and a pack of insect flavored bird seek. While insect flavored birdseed doesn’t sound too good, I do like the simplicity of the feeders. Plus if you ever decided to get rid of them, they are recyclable.
Popoutz bird-feeders available from DWR for $25

Memorial day has come and gone, and even though the weather wasn’t exactly conducive to an outdoor celebration, the time for outdoor gatherings is upon us. Whether you are at an outdoor or indoor party, when there are more people than seating, there is always the problem of what to do with your drink. Setting it down may mean losing it, but you still need one free hand to eat with. These clever plates and glasses by Stark have got you covered. Each plate has a small spike built into it where you can set your glass, freeing up one hand and still keeping your drink close by. The plasticware is washable (or disposable for the less frugal) and available from the Conran Shop. Plates come in either round or square and are 6 for $12. Glasses are 10 for $6.
Available from the Conran Shop.

While we are really pretty happy with our grill, this one from The Gadgetshop is pretty darn cool. It weighs in at just over 8 lbs and is able to fold up amazingly small for a grill. This would be a perfect grill for apartment dwellers who don’t have a lot of space, or for people who like to take a grill with them for picnics but don’t want to lug something heavy around with them. Foldable or not, it’s a very good looking grill. Since it’s a charcoal grill, you would still have to dispose of the used up charcoal before you could pack it up.
Via Apartment Therapy

Available from Gadgetshop for $38.