mipmup.

earth-friendly party kit.

i like the idea of this biodegradable party kit for a few reasons:

1. made from renewable materials, including bagasse (residue from sugar cane stalks), that you can recycle or compost
2. comes with compostable bags for easy clean-up
3. includes everything you need for 50 people - unbleached, sturdy cutlery, hot + cold cups, plates, bowls, platters, napkins
4. under $50

it's perfect for taking to an outdoor concert, beach day or picnic at the park.

image credit: branch.

funny: anonymous twitter tee.

the folks at thinkgeek always have a little something special for the nerd in all of us. in my inbox today: the anonymous twitter tee. i love it.

from $15.99.

image credit: thinkgeek.

a good find: eco-friendly pocket books.

i have sort of an unhealthy obsession with chip board, kraft paper and the like. i just love the natural look and texture it brings to my designs. i was pretty excited to receive a press release from pinball publishing touting their pocket-sized scout books, "a sustainable, and customizable alternative to moleskine notebooks," as they put it.

the kind folks sent me some samples to check out and they are adorable. i love the rounded corners and sweet size. they just beg to be taken on a picnic or down to the beach for a quick sketch or brainstorming session.

what's better? they are made from 100% recycled paper and are printed using soy ink in the us of a. even more, they cost only 70 cents each based on a quantity of 1000. that's a sweet deal.

if you're a consumer, you can find scout books by a variety of artists, including one of my favorites, jill bliss.

designers can find more info and order samples here.

image credit: aaron schmidt.

i want this: miffy audio player.

i really love all things miffy by dutch artist dick bruna and i'm extremely happy to see that the line is expanding into all kinds of cute gadgetry! just look at this digital audio player. it may be enough to pry me away from my nano!

and in case you were wondering, yes, i am 12.

via slipperybrick.

image credit: akihabara news.

food finds at la's farmers' markets.

i'm always more than a little pleased when farmers' markets in my area (other than the grand dame, santa monica) are given some warm fuzzies by the mainstream press. this article by la times food writers russ parsons and betty hallock offers a nice rundown of some local eats found at our markets. my recs from their list include the aebleskivers in torrance on saturdays and the ubiquitous, and still delicious, corn maiden tamales.

image credit: jamie rector.

cute addition to your desk (and cats will thank you).

my cats love cat grass, especially when i don't kill it. however, i don't like the plastic container it comes in and i can never find the right spot for it anyway. since charlie is allergic to pretty much everything, i can't leave it out where he can get to it. therefore, i was happy to find these little critters called nyokki pets today in my inbox. i think they would be fantastic on my desk, where the cats like to hang out anyway. and since "nyokki" means grow in japanese, maybe they can help with my black thumb, too.
$23, set of two with seeds.

image credit: wrapables.com.