We are big fans of the VUDU set-top box because of the quality of the SD content instant stream over a standard 1.5 mbps DSL line. While the set top box is for any movie fan, their new product, the VUDU XL2 is for the hardcore. The VUDU XL2 is designed for installation into rack-mounted home theater systems. It has 1 terabyte of space for storing up to 500 purchased standard definition movies and every output known to the modern man, including Component and HDMI. It has NetRemote capability along with remote control system integration. Cost for this kind of system? $1,200 USD.

Designed by Shinzi Katoah, the imported elephant serving tray is simple in design with a cream body and a white and lime (oh yeah! we love that) elephant pattern.

Found at Kir DeVries for $33 smackaroos.

Since living in a big city makes most of the stars fade away, I had forgotten about the dramatic theater above our heads. My cruise to the Caribbean reminded me of what I've been missing. I ran to the ship's library on my second night and picked up an astronomy book so I could identify the constellations. It was one of the most memorable events in that cruise. I only wished I had a telescope then.

I did some research for a beginner stargazer like myself and found the Bushnell 420x3" ALT-AZ Reflector Telescope 789669. It has all some cool features like, a Barlow lens, adjustable tripod with an accessory tray, a pinion focuser and even a built-in image erector for daytime viewing. If you are scratching your head, I didn't even know what that was either a few weeks ago, but it basically means this telescope has excellent features for a fair price -- only $80.

I encourage anyone with kids (or a kid's imagination) to go far away from civilization and stargaze.

Found at Optics Planet.

Polaroid camera lovers rejoice! Fujifilm feeds the need for instant photography in the digital age with their Fuji Instax Mini 7. The tiny lightweight compact camera prints credit card-sized instant color photos in a matter of minutes. The Instax Mini 7 uses Fujifilm's instax mini paper.

Found at Amazon for $75.

The Container Store has these handy portable pet bowls called Slurpabowls, which are made out of recycled paper. They are compact so they fit easily inside a pocket or purse and can hold up to 2 cups of food or water (beer too I suppose, but don't feed your dog that). A pack of six retail for $9.99.

This collection of vases are hand made in Peru where smoke from burning mango leaves and firewood give the vase its black color. The artist then polishes the piece by hand with river stones. What you get is a natural vase with a personal touch. The collection pieces are: Bulls Eye, Floral, and Stripe.

Designed by Ethnique Cultural Living and Design.
Found at Lama.

Austrial designers Blink Designs created this Owl Clock, which is printed on sexy durable plywood.

Found at Modamuse for $80 AU (approximately $53 USD).

Simple sometimes works best. An example of this is Tania Julian's porcelain Wall Tag. It measures only 2 inches by 2 inches and hangs by a leather lace so it is not imposing.

Find it at Beehive co-op.

Little Billie Wall Mural By Olli & Lime (record for the use of the letter L in that span of characters) is a gorgeous mural printed on heavy-duty vinyl that can be applied on top of a smooth wall with a mate color finish. The mural can be printed in different sizes, the smallest available being 8 feet for $700 and the largest at 16 feet will run you $1,300.

The Bacchus Table & Bedside Lamp at Pottery Barn is a jug-shaped lamp which has a top half that can be separated from the base of the lamp. This makes it easy to insert into the lamp a wide range of objects (one example shown above). You can probably already think of a thousand different things you can put in there. Go nuts.