misosouper, a shopping blog

What do you get when you combine a table tamp with ’70s retro appeal with a sheen of shimmery metallic finish? The Cindy Lamp from Kartell. I’m not sure if I love these lamps or am repulsed. I am drawn to their teardrop base shape and fun metallic chrome-like finish radiating an iridescent glow. I could see these paired with a minimalist room on an all black matte night stand that would make these babies pop. What do you think of these extremely shiny lamps?

This Cindy lamp by Kartell comes in three colors: Platinum, Bronze and Violet. $273 at Barneys New York.

Save on your purchases with Coupon Codes YLiving from TheFind.com’s new coupon site.

Happy holiday hangover, internets.  Are we tired and broke yet?

Two posts are up today, both featuring cheap and easy ways to ease the post-partyum.

From our smart friends at TheFind:

image via Real Simple

What to do with all of the greeting cards filled with holiday joy after Santa has come and gone? Rather than toss the cards into the recycling bin consider donating your holiday greeting cards to St. Jude’s Ranch. The 30-year tradition of the St. Jude’s Ranch recycled card program supports the efforts of the children who live at the ranch and that of donors who purchase the recycled “green” greeting cards. The program also educates children on the importance of recycling and they also receive payment for their work with the help of volunteers.

To donate cards send your all occasion cards from November 15, 2009 – February 28, 2010 to this address:

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street – Boulder City, NV 89005

The program accepts all types of cards including Thank You cards, Easter cards, and all occasion cards. I’ll be sending all of the greeting cards collected during my New Years home organization and cleaning projects!

Love this!

I was searching for a kitchen timer as a gift for my mom. Both she and I are huge Alessi fans and I wanted to contribute to her collection. She loves the “Salif” Philippe Stark designed juicer I gave her a years ago. You know the one, it looks like a long legged aluminum spider from outer space. It actually does a fine job of juicing and makes a nice job of adding a touch of whimsy to your counter top. I ended up buying the Michael Graves timer, but wish I would have went with the Josephine Banana design instead.

The Alessi Josephine Banana Kitchen Timer is an adorable little cheeky monkey from the OrienTales collection. OrienTales is an ongoing collaboration between designer Stefano Giovannoni and the National Palace Museum in Taiwan. The project brings the charm and wit of 18th century trinkets into products that are functional and contemporary. The kitchen timer features a mechanical timer and is made from hand decorated thermoplastic resin.

I’ve been searching for a personalized gift for the children on my holiday gift list.  I came across some personalized melamine plates and thought they would be perfect. What could make mealtime more fun than your very own plate?  It is also a good way to teach preschoolers how to spell their name.  They will see it emblazoned across their plate at every meal.  That is assuming they eat their food and uncover the design underneath!  These plates are the modern day version of the circular piece of paper I drew on as a kid and my mom sent it away to be laminated and returned to us.  It was special to eat on my own personalized plate and I loved to eat my meals on it.  I’ve found several personalized plates, a bit more sophisticated than the designs back in the day. You may even find some that coordinate with your home’s decor.  The letter to Santa plate can be customized with a custom letter from your kids. Sweet!  There are several sites which offer these plates and one place I always turn to again and again for personalized children’s items is Etsy.

Plates featured above: Pink Polka Dot plate, $22 at daninotes.etsy.com, Candy Cane Striped plate, $22 at daninotes.etsy.com, Letter to Santa plate, $22 at daninotes.etsy.com, Baseball plate, $24 at mollycarolinedesigns.etsy.com.

Save at Etsy with coupons from TheFind.com’s coupon site.

In my search for unique holiday handmade and eco-friendly gifts I found this adorable DIY rag rug kit. Made in Glastonbury, Somerset in the UK. The small bag of burlap contains all of the items needed to make your own mini rag rug. I love the bright modern colors of the fabric and the handmade drawstring sack. The wooden prodder is handmade by a woodturner in the UK using native wood. This is a beautiful object in its own right.

With rag rugging you can make fun fluffy rag rugs from old t-shirts. I love this heart design shown in the photo. Also included in this kit is a bag filled with French lavender grown without the use of pesticides or chemicals. It can be used to make a shaggy rag rug sachet. Complete handwritten and hand drawn instructions and diagrams are included. This kit is made with love and is sure to bring many smiles to the lucky recipient. Price is $30 at Rainbow Fairy Dust’s shop on Etsy.

Save at Etsy at TheFind.com’s coupon site.