Attention! Here’s the winner of the kitschiest item on the site contest! Of course there was no such contest, but if there would be one, I’m sure this item would be amongst the finalists. I’m sorry if it’s a bit too much for some of you, but I’ve been a bit more gooey lately. Maybe it’s already the christmas mood.

This is the part of a very cute table decoration. But the place mat is only really loveable with its matching coaster.

Just one thing: be considerate about who has to eat off this one. Not sure your male guests would love it as much as I do.

We always have an urge to open things that are closed. For example, boxes. Or letters. Or suitcases. But we never find anything really interesting in them. (Although I did once, on the bottom of an old box, but I’d rather not talk about it.)

Jenni Pokryvailo had a great idea, and she did pack something into a suitcase for us to find.

Our childhood dreams just came true.

Let’s talk about christmas again. We don’t want to bore our readers, but we can’t ignore it either. If it has to come, let it come in good designed accessories.

The swedish PID, meaning Personal Interior Design does what it’s best at: helps you create your dream home.

I’m sure we will feature many items from them, but this time, let us introduce you Grinda, their christmas lights.

It is modern, but not too rebellious, so noone in your extended family will notice that you managed to bring a bit of contemporary amongst the boring and too-well-known decorations.

And I promise, I’m not talking about Grandma.

We all know how very unfairly long or short an hour, a week, a month can be. Time is relative - the biggest cliché of all times. But let’s just see how things would change, if we wouldn’t adjust ourselves to time, but adjusted time to ourselves.

Lousie Klinker and Anab Jain were interested in designing for our perception of time and especially trying to alter or comment on that perception. They aim to do this by introducing time into unexpected relationships with objects.

This last one is my favorite. It looks useful in cutting down on work and increase our time for relaxing and sleeping. Oh, if only!

(source: designboom.com)

If you need a scotchtape, use this. One day you might even believe it. Alternatively, use it on presents, and make someone smile.

(source: pan-dan.blogspot.com)

If we had more than 24 hours a day, we wouldn’t need to use all possible free time with sleeping. Like those hours spent on public transport, or trains and airplanes. I would do it myself, if the idea of my head falling in every possible direction wouldn’t put me off. In the second you doze off, you’re bound to make a fool of yourself.

Matthew Gale, like me, refuses to keep a pillow at hand just in case. Instead, he designed the Excubo jacket.

It looks like an ordinary jacket, but with a few moves it transforms into a firm and protective shell around the user.

We’re hoping it won’t stay a concept, and that a female version will follow as well.

(source: joshspear.com)

Since when is it OK to give a drying rack as a present? Exactly since designers thought they would make a decoration item out of it!

If i got this for Christmas, I’d make sure that the nicest plates get to dry on the bunny. The designer is Chris Coens, and it is available at Dutch By Design.

Berlin became an absolute cult city. And unlike Paris and London, it is well loved by the inhabitants as well. For example, there’s the Claasen + Partner group, whose new series of light bulbs are bearing city landscapes, and the debut presents Berlin.

Of course among others, a Paris bulb is on the way.

(source: core77.com)

This is not the first time that we regret dropping out of the knitting course during primary school. We will never be able to knit an Audrey Hepburn doll!

In the book, Knitted Icons, you find the knitting patterns to knit your own dolls of Madonna, Che Guevara, and 22 other celebrities. Before buying, try yourself out with a free pattern of Audrey available from Urban Outfitters.

You can buy your copy in our webshop.

(source: retrotogo.com)

Photos: IJM

(source: style-files.com)

So it’s time to fall into line, and come up with christmas gift ideas. The first one is the obvious choice: chocolate. The problem with giving chocolate is that normally it is too impersonal. But not with this one from the german Typolade.

I don’t speak a word german, but I still understand that it’s delicious, it’s nice, and it can be costumised, thus making it personal.

(source: swissmiss.com)

We might have lost one, but we won another! This is how balance in the world preserved.

Thanks to whoever nominated us, and for the creators of the website!

Chris Kabel was already featured once on the site with his Pin Light design. Now here’s another weird idea from him. If not even weirder.

“A bag tailored to the shape of a chair is filled with sand and put in an oven under pressure. After some baking the sand is taken out leaving a hollow superstrong chair made out of only polypropylene.”

I wouldn’t actually put it in my room, but it is unique.

If you still couldn’t get over your childhood and you want to build a castle out of building blocks, here’s an accessory for you.

The first bit of your castle could be Aki, an umberella stand.

The designer is Roberto Bonetto. Aki is available fro 149 dollars, in five different colours.

There’s only one thing that is more humiliating than using a napkin: not using it and having the food / drink poured all over us. Of course we always knew that someone would sooner or later come up with the solution, apart from the obvious “mouth to the spoon, not spoon to the mouth” advice. The german design studio, Ett La Benn has the answer.

“This shirt collar with buttoned napkin works as a protector. The system is completed by a further napkin attached to the cuff.” So you not only keep your elegance, but you can keep that good old habit of wiping your mouth with your shirt.

Even though it’s closing in a few hours, I only noticed now that I was nominated for the Best European Blog (Non UK) at . I’m losing big time, but if you have the time, please click over and cast your vote!

Guess: what’s on the picture?

The painfully delicious looking cake wonders aren’t edible. Although my dog used to love to munch on sponges. Yes, these are simply washcloths, from Fred Flare, with love.

This bedside table is recommended to the femme fatales. I don’t think I’m one of those, however, I’m still loving the japanned surface, the black and pink colouring, and the weird twisted structure.

The designer is Johnny Egg from the UK.

Ripped nails can do many bad things, can cause many unwanted accidents, we all know that. Of course, we always have our nail-file with us, except when we need it.

This nail-file, cleverly disguised as a ring has ’solution’ written all over it.

The ring was made of stainless steel, with a partial sapphire rasp coating.

It is available from Miss & Lady’ Boutique in three sizes, only for 59 euros.