Design Shopping: Placewares.com
The next time we're near Gualala, we'll drop into Placewares. "Lu and Maynard Lyndon met in 1971 at Design Research (Design Research: The Store That Brought Modern Living to American Homes by Jane Thompson, Alexandra Lange)
the store many consider to have been the first modern design store in America. They soon developed a close working (and then personal) relationship which has carried forward to the present day. They are a good team — combining design and business talents with a shared vision of appreciating things done well."
For children, Shapescapes: Developed by a sculptor this set of free-form shapes interlocks to create hundreds of interesting shapes. Pieces snap together to hold their shape. Brightly colored washable plastic. Over 90 pieces to a carton. Moulin Roty Nini Mouse from La Grande Famille of stuffed animals from France Price. And how about a Marimekko Boo Boo bib, Colorful cars, trucks and busses parade across this little bib to delight at mealtime. PVC coating is easy to clean; velcro closure.
Consider an architectural model of Charles Dickens' House, London, made from British gypsum plaster.
Or the Baggalini Urban Backpack: Developed by two retired Delta Airlines flight attendants, this versatile bag converts from a shoulder bag to backpack by unzipping and rehooking the shoulder strap. Interior has numerous compartments for items you normally carry in your wallet plus slots for your cell phone and pen and zippered spaces for coins and cosmetics. Two exterior pockets zip shut. Magnetic catch at top of bag conceals the zipper ends of main compartment. And there's still room for a small book and a bottle of water. Light-weight water-resistant crinkle nylon fabric.
This is another site that carries the sturdy and colorful goods from Marimekko, including T-shirts and a wonderful red tablecloth to lift spirits. JosephJoseph Hands On Salad Bowl: This family-size salad bowl has integrated servers which hook onto the side of the bowl for easy serving and storage. Then there's the Menu-Soap-Brush: Save detergent but get your dishes scrubbed up with this handy washing brush. Put a few drops of detergent into the rubber base and add some water. Stainless steel plate on metal spring fits into base and provides a platform for the domed scrub brush.
For Games players: The latest version of TableTopics, this set asks provocative questions that can apply to any book you have recently read. Great for book clubs but also to use yourself to gain a better understanding of the book you are reading. 135 questions. We saw Table Topics mentioned on a recent episode of Parenthood.
Finally, how about a HUG ceramic salt and pepper pair ... for Valentine's Day?
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