uggh. i’m still in the land of thanksgiving and sleeping in late. so, in honor of the truly lazy (and i mean lazy in a good way), i’ve decided to start doing a little best of the online design shopping world…for those of us who still need to shop and don’t have time to go store to store for the perfect gift. so, let the clicking and buying begin!

this week: urbanoutfitters.com. yes, you can actually find cool things there. see below for proof. really, it’s not all overpriced hipster crap (ok, there’s A LOT of that, but trust me, it can be cool). and that’s saying a lot for someone who lives and breathes independent design. sometimes the big guys aren’t so bad.

KNOCK OFFS FOR EVERYONE [fake nelson clock*urbanoutfitters.com] yeah, i know this is sacrilegious, seeing as i work for the original one’s manufacturer….but i’m poor and i like it!

TOASTY [toaster*uo.com] cutest toaster i’ve ever seen. ever! i want one of these. it RULES.

PIXEL THIS [pixel blocks*uo.com] for the builder in your life. could this be any cooler?

DOTTY DOT DOT [dot light*uo.com] cute. nuff said. would be nice outside….

BUBBLE TROUBLE [wall storage*uo.com] some people wanna put fish in these. that’s just wrong. but accessories are cute…flowers, too

EVERY DAY I WRITE THE BOOK [photo album*uo.com] classy but cute

SPUTNIK [sputnik lamp*uo.com] looks great on exposed brick…

GLUG GLUG [circle flask*uo.com] classy way to guzzle…

GIRLY GLUG [heart flask*uo.com] girly way to guzzle…

DRINKY DRINKY [wine glasses*uo.com] for your party friends…

COMP QUACK [duck usb memory holder*uo.com] for the tech people in your crew…so cute. guess they need to be girly tech people, huh?

KISS ME [kiss lamp*uo.com] the one on the right, not the left. bottom looks like a hershey’s kiss, get it? great for new home owners…

on a site where i continually wax poetic about material posessions, i wanted to stop for a minute and be thankful for all the things that make me smile in my life. i’m eternally thankful for my family, my wonderful wonderful arc, my dear friends (especially those who put up with my apparent inability to return phone calls- sorry bry), my cat, the fact that i’m lucky enough to have food, shelter and clothing AND a place where i can cover myself in my favorite thing and have people share that with me (that’s here!). i hope everyone has all the same and more. here’s wishing that you all have a happy, healthy and bountiful holiday with your loved ones.

so, in light of my absence for the next five days (makin the trek to va tomorrow…), i thought i’d pass along some more things i’m thankful for: my fellow brooklynites who work so hard to churn out interesting, thought-provoking designs every day. here’s to people like matt dilling, lorena barrezeuta, redstr/collective, bettencourt wood, the future perfect and some new kids: 3 square, design can, aswoon, nikolai moderbacher and the ladies of decoradar.

after their showings at brooklyn designs (minus decoradar), the first three companies have really gotten some great attention that i hope to add to. located on dwight street in my home borough, 3square makes some really really beautiful wooden furniture. the pictures really say it all. i’m rather fond of their custom projects and the wood used on the desks, but you can’t go wrong with any of it. check out their website here for more info.

with a showroom in dumbo, aswoon as really got some great stuff going on. with a whole host of artists working for them, aswoon’s designs are as interesting as they are practical. well, all except for the couch i chose to show. it’s cool (even if it is bent ply…) but i really wonder how comfortable it could be. either way, if you’ve got some time this holiday weekend check them out.

the design can has been covered a fair amount, but you can never have too much coverage, right? man, pr starts to rub off on you after awhile…eesh. anyway, i love love love their achoo table. too cute. if you happen to have fallen for someone with a snuffy nose, like me, then you’ll get just how cool this is. check em out here.

i saw nikolai moderbacher’s tear candle holders awhile ago at the future perfect. they’re still cool. and just now i discovered his rustic flower vase and i think it’s worth checkin out. so, have a browse here.

last but not least, the ladies of decoradar are doing something entirely different than the aforementioned brooklynites. they make insanely cool murals for homes, stores, etc. jen passed their work on to me and i think it’s pretty cool. if you’ve got something that needs mural-izing, give em a call. or at the very least, check out their site!

so, with that said, i’ll be taking a wee blogging break over the holidays, but promise to be back monday afternoon, refreshed and ready to go. i hope you all have a wonderful holiday and remember- if you’re sick of watching the parade, take a look at some of these designers’ websites! they’re worth the trip! besides, it’s better than passing out in a tryptophan-induced haze front of some football game….

happy t(of)urkey day! xoxoxo,

design*sponge

GAWGEOUS [custom table*3square design] christmas is coming up…can i have this, pleeease?

I LOVE IT (AND HIM) [arc cabinet*3square design]

STRIPEY STRIPEY [stripe table*3square design] can’t get much cooler than this.

CUSTOM AGENT [custom cabinet*3square]

BENDY [bent ply couch*aswoon] no comment on my feelings about bent ply. but well, it is kinda slick lookin…

BLESS YOU! [achoo table*the design can]

POINTLESS BUT FUN [superfluous candelabrum*the design can] so what, it’s cool. form doesn’t always follow function, you know…

HOLY MOLEY [holy tears*nikolai moderbacher] i’m sure he’s nothing like him, but i keep thinking about ruth’s boyfriend nikolai on six feet under. it’s fun to imagine he now makes furniture in brooklyn…hahaha. man i crack myself up….

SIMPLICITY DEFINED [flowers*nikolai moderbacher]

MURAL-IFIC [the next place*decoradar]

PARK PLEASE [park mural*decoradar]

CLOSE UP [close up shot*decoradar] reminds me of wes anderson’s brother’s drawings for the royal tenenbaums….

OH DEER [lorimer deer*decoradar] i like this because, well, i like deer. so there. i said it.

CORK SEATS [cork family*jasper morrison] morrison’s collection for vitra at home is full of rather, well, predictable furniture. however, his cute little cork family is comprised of three small units that can be used as stools or side tables. i like their raw material look and the simple design. perfect for kids or your brand new loft. check out this link for a quick peak at what’s in store with vitra at home…not all of this is coming to the states (don’t ask me why, cause i don’t know)…but if you have any questions you can email me (remember? day job?).

ON THE FLY [side table*sam johnson] nothin like a sidetable that makes you smile. sam johnson’s is a beauty…(more info on sam to come soon..this is his previous work in the link)

HOVER CRAFT [hover spoons*susana shaw] i love love love these spoons. susana’s designs are so graceful and elegant. her website is under construction, but bookmark it for later…

TICK TOCK [digital stag*fly-pitcher design] from 100% design, fly-pitcher’s cool modern take on the cuckoo clock. reminds me of the cabin project from motherbrand….

BOOKIN’ [books to go*rose cobb] ms. cobb is a moving girl’s saving grace. what a brilliant idea! it seems to hold only time books and come in this one size, but hell, it’s a cool idea. would love to see her expand on this idea…