I'm in Love with Allison Strine Designs.

Check out this brilliant artist's collection of pendants, prints, cards, and necklaces.

Lost and Foundling

I just found this wonderful Etsy page for Foundling, an accessories line inspired by and created from discarded things. Betsy Carr is the artist behind Foundling. Check it out!

Green Goes To Dinner

Check out these Totally Bamboo dinner plates
from Green Culture dot com.

Who says green is ugly?

Danger! A Book for Boys.

UPDATED: That's right, there's yet another giveaway. Check it out below.

I've almost positive I've never been described as dangerous. Even when I spent my formative years on a ranch in Texas...outside with boy cousins and my very outdoorsy brother, covered in mud, collecting cool bugs, fishing things, shooting things, barefoot with skinned knees and lightening bugs. We ran as a pack, and the fact that I was a girl never occurred to any of us to make a bit of difference. But still. I've always thought being wild, free, and outdoors was my nurture, but maybe not my nature.

So as things go and because that was approximatly 17 lives ago, I'm not really that adventurous, outdoorsy type anymore. Kind of like when Peter Pan grows up to be Robin Williams as a lawyer. Only with less law and more martinis.

And then I had a little boy.

And the adventure began again.

Because my little boy would rather be outside than look at you. In fact, the first thing he does each morning is moan, very sleepily get out of bed, aimlessly and shoelessly patter around, slowly realize he's awake and (gasp!) inside, and bang on the back door with the intensity of an inmate to please for the love of God be let out. This entire process, from bed to backyard, takes approximatly 45 seconds to complete.

Because he's athletic, he's adventurous, he's mechanical, he's outdoorsy, and he's stereotypically all boy.

And I'm the opposite. Plus, I'm downright bookish.

So thank the goodness there's a book to help me.

The Dangerous Book for Boys
by Gonn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden

The Parent Bloggers Network sent it for me to review, and I honestly can not give this book enough praise. It's so chock full of goodness, I don't know where to start. Except at the begining with a quote from Sir Frederick Treves.

"Be loyal. Be kind. Remember that the hardest thing to acquire is the faculty of being unselfish. As a quality, it is one of the finest attirbutes of manliness."

Then the authors start.

"In this age of video games and cell phones, there must still be a place for knots, treehouses, and stories of incredible courage."

And they keep going.

With extraordinary stories of courage and determination. And tips on Morse code. How to make crystals. The rules of rugby. History lessons on famous battles. First aid. Navigation. Coin tricks. Commom trees. Timers and tripwires. Juggling. Cloud formations. Girls. Even understanding grammar, sampling Shakespeare, and poems every boy should know (and they aren't limericks). Awesome!

So, right. That makes sense. Being a boy isn't just about being outside, it's about being excellent.

And being adventurous has nothing to do with extreme sports or coordination. It's about the learning, the growing, and the discovering. I'd forgotten. In my air conditioned, wifi world, where adventure happens on a TV island, I'd forgotten.

Now if the book just had something on how to go on slides without tearing your suit pants.

Because obviously I need this book too. I have a lot to learn. And I have a lot to remember. There are so many reasons that I'm thankful I've been blessed with a little boy in my life. And learning how to discover outside again is one of them.

So Here's What I Really Thought: I love this book. I'm not kidding. The content is amazing. The binding is beautiful. It's smart. It's brilliant. In fact, I honestly think it's a must have for anyone who is a boy, who is dating a boy, is married to a boy, or knows a boy. It's also the most fantastic birthday present for boys of all ages. I just took a copy to a 37-year-old birthday party, and it was a huge hit. You absolutely should look into this book. You will not be disappointed.

In fact, I think this book is so great that I firmly believe someone needs to win one. So leave a comment here, and the Hurricane will draw. Comments will be open until 10 p.m. PST on Monday, May 21. You seriously better hope you win. Or, if you want to be sure you get your hands on a copy of this book, you can buy one here.

OR. Here's an update. Visit Parent Bloggers Network and share your own childhood memories in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a Vector 22 Two-Man Tent from The North Face! Winner to be announced in our Round-Up Review on May 22.

Update: Marenmadsen, you won! Email me.

I Love This Bag.

And it's only $19.99 at Target. Hurry.

Baking Cookies Bites

Okay, baking cookies is actually fun. Especially when you're baking ABC (as in already been chewed, duh) cookies from Perpetiual Kid.

Awesome.

Maybe the Coolest Doormat Ever

This would only be better to own if your name was actually Matt.
From Stacks and Stacks.

The Vue From Here.

The good people at the Parent Bloggers Network asked if I'd review a hybrid car. I said, sure. And then I reminded them that I'm from Texas. And that we love to drive our gigantic enormous gas guzzling cars at top speeds so that we can more effectively run over endangered species so they won’t get in our way when we cut down trees to drill for oil in our backyards. You’ve heard that, right? Still want me to review your fancy, smancy Jetsons car? They said yes. So here we go.I drove the new green (literally, it was green) Saturn Vue Green Line for a week. But instead of ranting and raving and going on and on about the radio and the cupholders and the stuff I usually care about, I'm going to boil it down to what I think was most important.

1. It's a hybrid SUV. There aren't all that many of them out there. I've always liked hybrids in theory more than in practice because of this fact. You see, I'm a fan of the SUV for several reasons. One, that's what our family fits in. Two, I was hit by a very drunk driver a few years ago, and if I hadn't been in an SUV, I'd be seriously dead now. So, right or wrong, I'm convinced they're safer around here. But I also like the idea of the good green hybrid juju cancelling out my SUV driving juju. So, my next car will definitely be a hybrid SUV. I've been thinking this for a while, and now I'm convinced. Here's a chart of the few hybrid SUVs on the market, and the Saturn Vue Green Line scores very well. It's also much less expensive than others, but we'll get to that in a minute.

2. You don't have to fill up your tank as often. As I might have mentioned, I live in Texas. In the most SUV-driving state in all the land. (Probably.) I also live in a city where there are a lot of people who drive a heck of a lot. And I mean a lot. I actually don’t happen to be one of those drive-a-lot people since I work approximately nine and half blocks from my house. But, I did manage to do a little more than normal this week without even trying. With work events, a birthday party across town, etc., I drove 101 miles in the Vue. And I didn’t even get to the half-tank mark. What does this mean? The information I have reports that the hybrid VUE gets 20% better gas mileage than the regular Vue…27 city and 32 highway. Also here’s what I can tell you, I drove much more than I normally do this week, and I didn’t have to fill up once…not even close. This is good for the environment and good for my extra spending. (That's right, that means more to Manzini.)

3. It's really quiet. I love this. And I love the fact that the engine shuts off when you stop at a stop sign, stop light, you know, wherever. It's the coolest thing. It helps with gas efficiency, and it magically starts up again when the brake pedal is released. You might feel like you're in a spaceship. In a good way.

4. It's affordable. In fact, it's so affordably priced (starting at $23K) that I can't even believe it. (Truth be told, when I went online and built the Vue of my dreams...leather, XM radio, you know...it was more like $26,500, but still WAY less with all the bells and whistles that the others' base.) And OnStar plus one year of OnStar service is standard, which I love. So, as they say, with the Saturn Vue, you can go green without going broke.

5. The car is cool. In fact, it's so cool that even planet-hating Texans were taking notice. In even more fact, while I was out and about in the VUE, I had a ton of conversations with people who are ready to buy a hybrid. And actually, driving a hybrid seems to be a great way to meet people. (Seriously, if you want to make new friends, just buy a hybrid. I'm telling you. It's better than one of those sororities or dating servies.) Pretty much everywhere I went…the grocery store, the Hurricane’s school, restaurants, stop lights (I’m not kidding), people asked me about the car I was driving. Also, you should know, I run with a fancy-car driving crowd. Especially this last week. I went to four big social events for work, and as I was in the valet line dropping off and picking up, I had people ask me about the hybrid everytime. I felt like Leonardo DiCaprio.

Also, after driving this for a week, I felt like, more than ever, there are a lot of us out here on the same page. We want to be green, to do our parts, to do more, to do better. All of it. And now we have more options to do so. I love that. I’m glad car companies are finally getting a variety of hybrids out there (The Vue Green Line is one of 12 that GM is launching). And I really like that we are starting to see some affordable options. And some larger vehicle options for those of us with larger families. And for those of us from Texas.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing is going to get better. It's not."

— Dr. Seuss, from The Lorax

For Those of You Who Need Options

What a cool sectional, right?

Well get this, it can be arranged in nine other ways.
Dr. Pitt knows the value of options.
Check it.

Thanks to the Padrino for finding this.

It's Not Your Bag, Baby.

For some reason, having one of these luggage tags from Pamela Barsky on my bags makes standing around the luggage turnstile a little more fun. Aren't they cool? I found them at Mighty Goods.

These are D.A.Y.S. to remember.

This Turquoise Flower Necklace from the D.A.Y.S. Collection by Stepania is featured at The Succulent Wife. It's a bit of a splurge...but with Mother's Day right around the corner, I think it's totally splurgeworthy. Am I right?

Bookplates Are Great.

I've always been a lover of the bookplates. And these from Felix Doolittle look like something I'd want in my books. The site has great stationery too. Check it out.

Thanks Kristin!

Dahlia Sushi Set

This darling Dahlia sushi set from Little Flower Designs really makes me want to eat a Sunshine Roll. Although, pretty much anything makes me want to eat a Sunshine Roll.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

If you're celebrating like we are (with beergaritas), then you'll be needing some glasses. I much prefer my margs in a martini glass (not a plastic Solo cup a la Padrino). And here's the one I wish I had today from The Royal from the Martini Company.
It has a cool 70's vibe going on, don't you think?

Also, Jenny's famous Beergarita recipe is here. And for all my non-alcoholic friends, here are some fab no alkie marg recipes for ya.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Cheers!

And Another Thing!

This Homecoming silkscreen by Jaime Zollars would look great in the new room.
I'm just saying.

Coolness Cubed.

I'm loving these cubes from West Elm for lots of reasons. Although, I'm almost positive bringing these into our home will result in a more than one Hurricane ER visit. Because he firmly believes that furniture is made for climbing. And jumping.

See the entire room I'm loving at the Queso.

Memory Within Reach

From Design Within Reach: Maharam, a pioneer in commercial fabric designs since 1902, offers stunning patterned materials to the trade. For those of us who long for Maharam designs but don't plan to reupholster the apartment, Maharam patterns are now available through the Maharam Memory Game. Like the classic memory game, players turn over two cards at a time and try to match the patterns. Consisting of 72 cards on heavy stock, richly colored and printed in Germany, the game features 36 different patterns, everything from "I Morosi Alla Finestra" by Gio Ponti (1930) to "Optik" by Verner Panton (1969).

Cool huh?