Online sample sales

If you like nabbing up good buys on high-end brands, you're going to love the new online sample sale craze! I'm completely addicted to these little gems and check many of them every weekday for new sales on brands like Puma, Gucci, Vera Wang, and more (they also carry children's and men's brand as well as home decor)! Could I ever afford most of these brands without a little help? No. Would I be willing to try them with a little discount? Of course! Here are the main sites I check out each day:

HauteLook (click on the name to visit their site)
My favorite online sample sale spot! I’ve now made two purchases with them and am very happy with the company.

GoMatta Girls
Great finds, usually under $50!

GiltGroupe and GiltFuse
Gilt Groupe itself is a little too pricey for me. I just can't get excited about a Prada dress that normally retail for $1,500 and is now available for a mere $600! However, they have a new site, GiltFuse, that carries only items less than $150. Recent brands included Juicy Couture.

Not related to this great stores is the fact that I haven't exactly been posting on a regular schedule since the spring. This is not an accident. Mr. Bean and I moved cross country. He started studying for the bar exam and I started looking for a job, and now we're both working new jobs that keep us happy but busy. I had a lot of fun creating The Sweet Jelly Bean blog this spring and hope that you had just as good of a time reading it. I hope we can meet again before too long.

Huephoria - hand painted stemware and glass

HuePhoria artists Jen and Lisa first met at their daughters' preschool "Mom's Coffee" in 1998. They quickly found common interests: throwing parties (fun & spontaneous), painting everything (even toilet seats), and wanting to make some extra pocket change. After selling their hand painted goods at local fundraisers and through word of mouth, they were no longer able to keep up with demand.

In Fall of 2004, HuePhoria and has been having a "ball" ever since! Check out their website for some deliciously girly glasses, salt and pepper shakers, and ornaments!

PlumParty.com - gift ideas galore!

Whenever I'm stumped on what to get a friend, I head over to a site like Plum Party for some inspiration. They actually tout themselves as a party supply webstore, but I have found so many good ideas for stocking stuffers and last minute hostess gifts! Some of my favorites:

Peace, Love, Happiness Quick Change Watch, $21

Bag of Happiness Pocket Charms, $10

Tacoma Flower Box with 4 Plates, $16

ThinkGeek.com

Geek Week here at The Bean continues with a truly nerdy (but in a good way) website: ThinkGeek.com. I continue to see items from this little web shop highlighted again and again in magazines and online resources, so I thought I'd share with you. As for how it go started, the website explains:

ThinkGeek started as an idea. A simple idea to create and sell stuff that would appeal to the thousands of people out there who were on the front line and in the trenches as the Internet was forged. ThinkGeek started as a way to serve a market that was passionate about technology, from programmers, engineers, students, lovers of open source, to the masses that helped create the behind-the-scenes Internet culture.

This website has a little bit of everything. From beaker shaped coffee mugs to runaway alarm clocks, you can pretty much find anything here you never knew you needed. Some of my personal favorites:

Super Mario Bros. Wall Graphics, $69. Oh Lord, please do not let me ever have a son. If I do, Mr. Bean will probably insist we nerdify him early by decorating his nursery in this!

Titanium Spork, $8.99. When a white plastic just won't do for all those sporking wars you are busy with during office hours.

Monty Python Holy Grail Killer Rabbit Slippers, $34.99. Sometimes Isotoners just won't cut it.

Emitations Jewelry

Go Glam Week continues here at The Sweet Jelly Bean with the introduction of an online jewelry shop I’ve had my eye on for a while. I possess neither the money nor the desire (aka I am lazy) to try and imitate celebrity style very often. However, every now and then I’ll run across a pair of earrings a movie star is wearing that make me want to say, “Hey, I want those!”

Enter Emitations Jewelry, a place for cubic zirconia and sterling silver jewelry for those of us who haven’t quite made our first $10M just yet. This shop boasts affordable versions of the latest celebrity and movie trends along with rings, earrings, necklaces, and men’s jewelry in just about any color or style! Some of my favorites:

Star Necklace, $34.95 (inspired by The Hills) - I can’t say I ever have watched this show, but I love this little starfish!

Mother of Pearl Ring, $99.00 (inspired by Alice on Twilight) – I try to keep my mostly-in-the-past Twilight obsession to myself, but this ring sure brings back the memories!

Dogwood Flower Earrings, $54.95 (inspired by Hayden Panettiere, Kate Winslet, and Penelope Cruz) – Adorable yet elegant little studs would perk up any outfit!

Emitations is featuring a couple of deals to help your wallet out. Get $0.99 shipping on any order through 12pm on Thursday, April 2, by entering coupon code M991.

Not ready to buy just yet? Join Emitations’ email list and get $5 off your first order (to do so, scroll down to the bottom of their website home page and jot down your email address).

Happy shopping! We are all movie stars at heart, right? :-)

Heart shaped tea from SBS Teas

I've recently fallen in love with a unique concept from SBS Teas, an online company that specializes in custom blended loose leaf teas, coffee, and accessories. Introducing the heart formed tea, a loose leaf tea pressed into the shape of a heart. These tiny hearts are adorable and each one makes enough for one delicious cup of your choice of green or black tea. They would make an excellent gift for a tea lover, and could even serve as adorable favors for a wedding or bridal/baby shower. Try these little hearts out today! $2.95/5 hearts.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm sure I'm not the only one wishing you a Happy Leprechaun Day on this March 17th, but who cares?! Have a great day! Drinks lots of Guinness, wear lots of green, and pinch lots of non-believers! Here's a Polyvore collage of my favorite green finds for your viewing pleasure. Click on the image for more info on any of the items.

St. Patrick's Day - by thesweetjellybean on Polyvore.com

Hot Rock - would you like some volcano to go with your steak?

Yesterday was our second wedding anniversary! Mr. Bean snuck out of class a bit early and we went to dinner at a place called Rok Bistro (near San Jose, CA for you locals). It was so much fun! Think of a fondue restaurant but with a twist. You get a salad to start with and then a cheese fondue to share. But then your main entree comes out on a square volcanic rock that has been heated to 700 degrees. You cut your meat into small pieces and let it cook to your liking on the rock, then move it to your plate and enjoy. Mr. Bean had lamb and I had a buffalo steak (I'd only ever had a buffalo burger). Both were delicious!

Today I found out that you can get a consumer/at-home version of these rocks to use on your own! They are made a company called Hot Rock (Rok Bistro gets the commercial version of these from there, too). As the website says:

Discover the speed, ease, sensational taste, uniqueness and healthy aspects of Hot Rock meals. Any meat tastes better when cooked on a Hot Rock. Cater to the health conscious by creating low-fat, low-carb meals with “sizzle.“ Amaze your family and guests with fun, festive, and delicious meals they will never forget. Preparation time is minimal. Simply heat a rock for several minutes on the stove and take it to the table where the diner grills their own meat on a volcanic rock—an unbelievable experience. Side dishes can be prepared in advance or simply purchased ready-made from your local delicatessen. Preparing and enjoying meals has never been easier or more fun. Hot Rock gets hotter and retains its heat longer than other products and does not require messy or dangerous heating sources at the table. The rock maintains effective cooking temperature for approximately 25 minutes.

Hot Rock is the perfect solution for …..

• Health conscious diners who don’t want to sacrifice time, taste or quality


• People who entertain but don’t have time to prepare fancy meals


• People on the go who don’t have time to cook


• Children who complain about dinner—they won’t complain about Hot Rock!


• Year round dining—Hot Rock can be served in the dining room or on the patio The home, office or dormitory—all you need is a Hot Rock cooking set and portable stovetop

Hot Rocks for the home come in two price levels: the $49.99 rock and the $79.99 rock. You'd need one for each person eating, so Mr. Bean and I would have to get two. This is actually a pretty good idea for us to buy (if it weren't for that pesky recession) because he likes his steak one way and I like mine a totally different way.

Not related to the volcanic rock components, but I love chocolate and have to share: we concluded the meal with a to-die-for dark chocolate coconut almond dessert fondue with lots of little treats to dip. It was spectacular! We had a great time, and hadn't eaten outside of the house for 10 days to save money, so this was a real treat!

MP3 Player: $40 for Cool (Samsung S2 Pebble)

Looking for a cheaper alternative to the iPod? Need an extra MP3 player to keep in your gym bag or office? If so, check out the S2 Pebble MP3 Player from Samsung. As the name implies, it's small and shaped like a smooth riverstone, and comes in five metallic colors! Features include:

-Comes in five hot colors: black, white, red, green, and purple.

-Easy-to-use controls are embedded on the back face of the device, with the earphone jack on the side.

-Samsung S2 supports MP3, WMA, and Ogg audio formats so you can listen to your favorite tunes in high-quality audio.

-Easy-to-use controls are embedded on the back face, including play/pause, volume, and playback options (standard, random, repeat).

-1 GB of internal flash memory provides enough storage space for approximately 13 hours of audio.

Sells for $39.99 on Amazon.com, so stop by and check these out!

Monsters!!!

Mr. Bean and I are what I like to politely refer to as "weird." We're a little goofy and sometimes our friends just shake their heads at us and laugh, but we have a great time and we don't hurt anyone with our oddness (at least I haven't received any requests to appear in court about anything yet). With that intro, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Bean's new office doodad, the British Lawyer Timid Monster:

Mr. Bean is always complaining that Etsy doesn't have enough "stuff" for guys (he wasn't nearly nearly as impressed as I was with the masculine scented bath fizzies I bought him), so I decided to go hunting for something for him. He's almost done with law school (graduation date = 5/10/09!), so I wanted to get him something attorney-esque. When we stumbled across the Etsy shop Trupinys, we knew we'd found "the one." We commissioned the seller to create a one-of-a-kind British lawyer Monster! We are not British, but figured that a British version of an attorney would look more lawyer-ish than just a monster in a business suit (which is what we thought of when we considered the American version). Check this guy out! Yellow legal pad, leather brief case, judge's robes, and a powdered wig! The details are incredible.

Although Trupinys also carries jewelry, crocheted items, and paper crafts, the Timid Monsters are what really drew us in. As seller Patricia describes, "Timid Monsters are fast becoming my most popular category. Strangely, they originated in an attempt to use up remainder clay. Now, I am constantly evolving their looks and personalities in an attempt to keep them fresh, new and unique. All my Monsters are baked clay and come with little handwritten biography cards so you get their little story with your order."

I did a search for "monster" in this shop and came up with 76 items! Prices start at just $2.25 so everyone can nab a little Timid Monster of their own (or you can commission Patricia to do a custom piece like I did). They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors (be sure to check out her sold items for previous Monsters, too!). Some of my favorites:

Did you notice that the last monster is St. Patrick's Day themed?! Be sure to check this shop out soon!

The Bean's Pick: Patina

Sorry I haven't posted yet today. I saw this 1/2 vintage, 1/2 mod glass vase in a magazine and had to hunt down the website behind it: Patina. Unfortunately I got sucked into their vortex of product goodness and forgot all about sharing this store with you!

Patina has a little bit of everything. They have more than 30 shopping categories ranging from standards like "At Home" and "Necklaces" to more unique areas such as "Ticky Tacky Fun" and "Momiji." Some of my favorite things I found:

1. Bohemian Tea Towel, $6.95
2. Salt and "Peeper" Shaker, $10.95
3. Dream Journal, $16.95
4. Fringe Dot Vase, $48.00

Okay, off to go drool over their goods some more.

Tea time

Yesterday afternoon the book club I'm in had its monthly book club meeting. Each month we try to pick somewhere new (many of us have tiny apartments that aren't large enough to host large groups), and this time we chose a tea room. There were over 100 teas to choose from and they actually had crummpets! We all had a great time, and the afternoon inspired me to tell you a little bit about one of my favorite tea shop, Teavana.

Since it's a national chain of stores, you may have seen one in your local mall (there are currently over 80 locations across the United States). Teavana specializes in loose leaf teas available in practically any variety you can think of: white, green, black, oolong, herbal, and more. Their philosophy is that you get a better tea from allowing the leaves to actually have contact with the hot water rather than just bleeding flavor through a tea bag. I was never really a fan of loose leaf teas until I found this place. I thought that they were too hard to use, strain, etc. Teavana offers a number of products, including their signature Perfect Tea Maker, that allow you to create heavenly tea from fresh leaves.


Teavana's real stars, however, are the teas themselves. My current two favorite varieties are Almond Biscotti black tea ("with the scrumptious "cookie-like" flavor of almonds and cinnamon bits, especially tempting sweetened with rock cane sugar and a splash of milk") and Snow Geisha, a delicate white tea. Not only can you get delicious teas in dozens of varieties, but Teavana also specializes in custom blends. When summer comes, for example, I might want to brighten up my Snow Geisha with a bit of fruity flavor, so I might try their Snowy Peach Geisha Tea Blend, a combination Geisha and Rooibos Peach. Yum!

I am no tea snob - for example, I'm drinking a green tea this morning that costs $1.49 for 20 bags. However, if I'm in the mood to splurge, I visit my nearby Teavana or their website (they ship across the world). Next time you're in the mood for a "spot" of tea, I recommend that you pop over to Teavana and give them a try.

I'm a winner!

I've never really won much of anything. Once when I was 10 years old my mom let me pick Lotto numbers for her. We won $3.00. Then I once won a CD at a Best Buy grand opening when I was in middle school. I was feeling pretty good about it until I walked by the promo section and saw they were $4.99. That's...about...it.

And then I started blogging and reading everyone's blogs obsessively and entered several of your giveaways. This year I have won three (3!) contests! As an additional way of saying thank you to both the blog owners and the shops that sponsored the giveaways, here is a lineup of the treats I've won:

Truffle Button Magnets from Etsy seller Romantic Treasures, giveaway hosted by Simple Finds - these are adorable (they help keep me from caving into real chocolate ALL THE TIME and I like that they help me organize my scatterbrained fridge)!



Sweetheart Orange Apron from Carolyn's Kitchen, giveaway hosted by Cookie Girl Creations - somehow this apron manages to look sweet and sexy! I like to wear it when I'm making sweet treats for my Etsy shop.







Amethyst and Sterling Earrings from Etsy seller Oh2122, giveaway hosted on Oh2122's blog - I just found out that I won these earlier this week. I love purple and cannot wait to show them off to the other ladies at work - hopefully I can send them to Oh's shop.

Please visit these fantastic shops and blogs, and many thanks to you all for your generosity!

Figments Studio, a place for journals

Wow, did I miss posting on Friday? Where did that day go? It started with me getting wisdom teeth stitches out (and approval to use straws again!), then a busy day at work, then baking for most of the afternoon to fill Etsy orders. Whew! And here I am to make up for bloggy neglect.

My pick for today is Figments Studio, an online shop that specializes in "Enchanted Handcrafted Journals for collecting your thoughts, memories, hopes, and dreams." As the website states, The Figments Studio Collection is designed by Jill Marie Crvich. Inspired by medieval books, Grimm's fairy tales and antique toys, Jill sculpts each original design. Fascinated by the aged leather covers of old books, Jill developed a sculpting and painting process to simulate just that. Her vintage journals and accessories have the rich, luxurious look and feel of old, gilded leather. She hopes her unique collection inspires you and kindles your figments of imagination.
I kept a few journals and diaries here and there as a child, but really never got into it on a regular basis and really wish I had. Nowadays I am too lazy to keep up with writing in a treasure such as one of these, but I do know people who commit to doing it and I envy them. I think that these would make a beautiful gift for a mom-to-be (a journal for her future child), a new graduate, or maybe just a (slightly expensive) conversation piece. For $60, I better have some REALLY good thoughts to put in there!

Sampler Boxes

As I previously mentioned, my new obsession is sampler boxes. After getting three of them (Out of the Box Sampler, Get Eurofied Sampler, and Pets Jubilee Sampler), I decided to go digging through Google to see if I could find more and...jackpot! Here are some that I'm dying to try out!

Lemming Central Sampler Boxes, $20 for USA with free shipping, includes beauty and candle products

The Little Black Box, $20 with free shipping, US only, includes jewelry, bath and body, candles, bookmarks, keychains, buttons, magnets, luggage handle wraps, silk scarves, pet treats, stationery, photography, tissue cozies and more

Snowberry Creek, $22.95 for USA with free shipping (also ships internationally), includes soaps, candles, ornaments, woodcrafts, coffees, teas, bath and body items

The Sampler, $8 and up plus shipping, various themed sampler boxes

Crafty Cubes/Aroma Cubes, $19.99 with free shipping, soaps, toiletries, candles, some jewelry and stationery

Pink Ribbon Sampler, $22.50 and up with free shipping, you get to CHOOSE your samples, 25% of proceeds go to fighting breast cancer

So the question now is, "Which one should I try first?"

Ugly Dolls

Mr. Bean was in New York City last week on business. Every day he would call me and say he was going to bring me a special treat, but that he couldn't decide what to get me (he didn't really go for my idea, which was, "If you can't decide, why not buy me lots of things?" Har har). After he arrived back in California, Mr. Bean handed me an FAO Schwarz bag with a soft, odd-shaped noggin poking out of it. I reached inside the bag and out popped...before I continue, Ladies, you may think your man has spoiled you with stuffed teddy bears and Chia Pets, but I am here to let you know that you haven't been truly loved until he has given you an Ugly Doll!

Anyway, in the bag was my very own Abima, an Ugly Doll whose tag reads, "Abima is out of control! He's got his hand in the cookie jar, and his mind on the next adventure, which is probably going to involve bouncing off the walls and knocking over expensive stuff. He only knocks over the expensive stuff. Not to worry though. Abima is very protective and would always watch out for you. Are you scared of the dark? So is Abima! Oh. Anyway, Abima loves to visit his favorite cousin Wage. They look like they could be related, right? Maybe he's your cousin too."

(photo: Abima watching TV and drinking all of my Diet 7-Up) Ugly Dolls were born from the minds of two artists in love, David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim, as a drawing of a playful orange character known as Wage. In 2001, when David's soon-to-be wife and creative partner Sun-Min had to return to Korea, he sent her many "I miss you" letters with his little Wage character drawn at the bottom. Sun-Min sewed Wage into a plush doll and sent him to David as a surprise gift. David asked Sun-Min to sew a couple more for the Giant Robot store in Los Angeles and they sold out in one day! A very excited Sun-Min sewed many more and those sold just as fast! Sun-Min and David then began to pull more characters from the Uglyverse, and today these award-winning characters are available in a variety of sizes and styles!

I am not the only one taken with Ugly Dolls. One of America's First Daughters, Sasha Obama, also likes her Uglies! To learn more about these lovelies, visit their website.

V-Day Alternative: Bittersweets

Although I consider myself to be a cheesy person full of cheesy sentiments for Mr. Bean (and equally cheesy tastes for the ways he spoils me), I also have a great appreciation for all things sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek. In celebration of this streak and of anti-Valentine's Day, I give you Bittersweets, a new product from Depair, Inc. Their description was so on the mark that I have shared it word-for-word below. Enjoy (and click the photos to enlarge)!

For most, there is no crueler day of the calendar year than that of Valentine's Day. While a tiny fraction of the population can look forward to a holiday of wine and roses, poetry and song, the vast majority of us can anticipate a day of nausea and grimacing, trauma and grief. A day in which minutes seem like hours, and hours like days, as we reflect sorrowfully on yesteryear's romantic indignities, today's loneliness, and the unknowable but certain heartbreak that will be visited upon us repeatedly in the years to come.

When cruelty and holidays collide, the weak-willed find solace in self-pity and comfort foods. And now, Despair Inc. is pleased to announce that we've combined BOTH into a radical new offering.

Introducing Bittersweets® - The Valentine's Candy for the Rest of Us.Like the ubiquitous candy conversation hearts, Bittersweets® are made of flavored, chalky-tasting sugar and sport a message on their face. But unlike other candy hearts, ours are stamped with bitter musings and mockeries perfectly suited to the dejected spirits of those who will spend the holiday alone, or wishing they were.

Messages recalling an almost forgotten, unbearably painful memory of being dumped. Or perhaps of a dysfunctional, psychotic ex-girlfriend or boyfriend. Or of that cruel-hearted girl (or boy) in elementary school who rejected your valentine solicitations, informing you that Jake (or Holly) was "so totally way hotter."Now available in THREE unique collections- "Dejected," "Dysfunctional," and "Dumped"- with each featuring up to 37 unique sayings each!

"Dejected" sayings include: I MISS MY EX PEAKED AT 17 MAIL ORDER TABLE FOR 1I CRY ON Q U C MY BLOG? LOSS LEADER A FINE WHINE MOMMY ISSUES DIGNITY FREE DORK MAGNET PURE NAUSEA WE HAD PLANS MAIL ORDER SETTLE 4LESS I'M HOT INSIDE

"Dysfunctional" sayings include: ANNULMENT I BEEN CREEPIN HE CAN LISTEN GAME ON TV CALL A 900# P.S. I LUV ME DO MY DISHES BOOTY INFL8N PAROLE IS UP! AWFUL INLAWS SUB PRIME I WANT HALFRETURN 2 PIT NO FIX 4 DUMB RATHER DRINK MUTUAL DISGUST

"Dumped" sayings include: I GOT SOBER HE FIT U FAT U LEFT SEATUP USED U 4 FUN JUST A FRIEND BACK 2 KENNEL DORKA PHOBIC U HAVE A BLOGRUSSIAN BRIDE CELEB8 THX2U DOG IS CUTER TRADIN YOU INFORGET WE MET KISS A FROG SHE IS 22! HE HAS A JOB

Truly, Bittersweets® are the perfect gift for you OR for someone you love, especially if that special someone is one who doesn't want to hurt your feelings but just doesn't feel that way about you but still wants to be friends so they can torment you with stories about their crushes on someone who doesn't appreciate them like you do, can't love them like you can, and actually takes pleasure in corralling a herd of fawning "just friends" behind themselves as they indulge in one self-destructive relationship after another, with no hope of ever finding true love, despite an army of souls eager to lavish it upon them. (You know what we're talking about.)

Supplies are limited. But the pain that accompanies them may not be.

Available in six different flavors, including: Banana Chalk, Grape Dust, Nappy-Citric, You-Call-This-Lime?, Pink Sand and Fossilized Antacid.

These little jewels are available for $9.95 each, or buy the set and enjoy them all for $19.95!

GetinHerHead.com - a free online service for the gift giving impaired

Mr. Bean always says that I'm hard to shop for, but I've never understood why. There are so many things I've found online that I like that I started this blog just to cover them! For him, however, it's making sure that 1) it's something that I really like and 2) it's something that I like enough not to return.

I recently located something that can help gents decipher some of the so-called pseudo-hints that we females so delicately drop (apparently they prefer that we just write what we want in Sharpie marker across our foreheads). It is called GetinHerHead.com, a free online service designed to take the guesswork out of gift giving, and includes:

The List - Keep a running gift wish list for them to view any time.
This provides a look into your partner's brain so that you can instantly know what they want and where to get it. Now you can get the perfect gift without having to pry. It doesn't take the fun out of romance or gift giving, it just makes it better.

The Cheat Sheet - Spa treatments to sleeve length, everything they need to know when doing something for you.
The Cheat Sheet puts an end to guesswork on the little details by letting you and your partner list everything from clothing sizes and favorite brands, to favored flowers and sports teams. Fill it out and throw away the receipt, we guarantee you won’t have to visit the Return Counter again. Includes everything from your shoe size to your favorite flower to your favorite place to buy jeans

Heads Up! email reminders - Receive email reminders when you want them and never forget an important date.
Get your black belt in remembering by creating a shared calendar with important dates such as anniversaries, birthdays, and more. We’ll send each of you email reminders as frequently or infrequently as you would like. You’ll never forget a meaningful date again. a reminder service for upcoming anniversaries, birthdays, and more.

Out of the Blue - Act spontaneous, even if you're not. It's the unexpected things that go a long way.
Sign up to receive random “Out of the Blue” emails with suggestions on the little things you can do for your other half. Whether it’s sending her flowers for no reason or picking up his favorite microbrew, you don’t always need a reason to show your partner that you care.

The great thing about this service is that it still allows your significant other to be spontaneous without you having to return the gifts he chooses. Mr. Bean tries so hard, but until now how was he supposed to know my pajama bottom size unless he went pilfering through my panty drawer?

So...results in my experience? None yet, but V-Day is only a week away, so we'll see. There is also a GetinHisHead.com, which is where you can get guys to fill out things that they want - this, however, has not yet happened in my household yet.

Shopping Pick: FredFlare.com

If you are looking for a single store that carries several trinkets you never knew you wanted until now, visit Fred Flare, a New York-based store that started in 1998 when the creators started selling a single product off the back of a bike in SoHo. Their products have been featured in magazines like Elle, Marie Claire, and People, and include everything from accessories to clothing to things that are...well, kind of out there. A few things that caught my eye:

Who doesn't need a toast shaped wallet? $15

Frozen Smiles Ice Cube Tray, $10 - My question: Whose teeth did they use as a model?

Pickle Bandages, $9 - also available in steak, pirate flags, and more!

Pet's Eye View Camera, $50 - I am a total pet nut and am actually intrigued by this gizmo! You attach it to your pet's collar when you leave for work and it will take pictures every 1, 5, or 15 minutes for up to 40 images. So you can stalk your pet! Excellent!

Bacon Floss, $9 - YUM?

They also have a few pseudo-normal items that are worth taking a look at, including an extensively quirky gift selection. This weekend Fred Flare is having a free shipping sale on any size purchase (normally $7.95 unless you're spending $75+), so stop by their store and check it out!

In Vitro Orchid - a novel alternative to your everyday bouquet

Valentine's Day is coming up - have you noticed stores already stocking extra bouquets and plants? Anyone can send flowers, but they only last so long (and that's if you don't kill them like I do). Why not send something that will last a little longer, all without the needs of a houseplant? Enter the In Vitro Orchid, a tiny infant plant that lives in a test tube. A nutrient-rich gel supplies all that this orchid needs to grow in its sterilized test tube. No water or maintenance necessary - biotechnology does the work for you. When the plant reaches the top of the tube simply transfer to potting soil (not included - this is the part where I would kill the little guy). $30 at Uncommon Goods.