Category: design

Good Idea

Salvor Kiosk is a store that’s entirely stocked by the merchants travels. Right now, everything in the store is from Japan, but from the end of February to the end of May, it will contain only objects from Sweden.

Their about page says, We opened Salvor Kiosk to offer an antidote to over-design. We consider the objects we stock to be humble, straight forward and beautiful for their simplicity and directness. Often they are traditional goods that have been developed over generations or anonymous design found in general stores, DIYs and kiosks: products designed not around one personality but the result of local aesthetics and needs. Their beauty is sometimes hard to see in today’s over-saturated / over-hyped market; our motivation to start Salvor Kiosk was to shed some light on their quiet perfection.

Neat, huh? I thought so too.

Mad Gift Guides

In case you haven’t been reading Mighty Goods lately, this month has been a out of control. I posted a luxury gift guide, a prudent gift guide, and just put up my 2006 calendar guide. You can see them all by viewing the December archives, and you’ll also find them in article format over at The Morning News.

Happy panic shopping.

Fingers Crossed

You guys, that completely worked. Are you as floored as I am? Mighty Goods is currently shaking it all over eBay and Amazon in the Business Week Poll, shaking it like a Chihuahua in the Arctic Circle, shaking it like Charo on speed! And it’s all thanks to you. If you were here right now, I’d be forcing tequila shots on you. Thanks so much.

(Extra-action thanks to the hilarious Matthew Baldwin, who is nominated in the humor category, and who gave Mighty Goods a hefty plug. Also to Peggy Cusack who told the entire convention staff, and my husband who told everyone else we know. You are sweeties.)

Go Team, Go

Holy crap! Business Week has nominated Mighty Goods in the Shopping category of its Best of Web. As if that isn’t enough of a score, eBay and Amazon are among the other nominees. Ulp.

As you might have guessed, the Goliaths are kicking ass, but I think that’s mostly because they have staffs in the hundreds, all of whom change out of pajamas and wash the Cheet-o powder from their faces before they go to work.

However only 500 people have voted, and I think there may be close to 502 of you, possibly even 503. So please help me take ’em, dear readers. You can do that by going to Business Week, looking for the “Play” header, clicking on shopping and voting for Mighty Goods. Easy as pie.

Thanks for your help. You guys rock.

Mighty Goods

I’m doing something neat! Please come look. Together with Douglas Bowman of Stopdesign, I’m excited to announce the launch of Mighty Goods. (Trumpets sound, flags unfurl, cue the sexy dancing girls!) It’s a shopping blog full of good stuff, and we’ve been working on it for quite some time. I just love it. I hope you will also love it, because, as you know, your approval sustains me. Hooray for stuff!

Cultural Tuesday

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has free admission on the first Tuesday of every month. This is your chance to see a lot of little kids in an overtly adult environment and overhear great stuff like, “MOM? That’s enough of my museum.” Right now, they’re having a photography exhibit by Diane Arbus. These are a few of my favorite photos:

Untitled (6): The best thing about this picture is the way the little girl on the right is cracking up.

Girl in a Shiny Dress: This woman has a lovely collarbone.

Masked Woman in a Wheelchair: This reminds me of my friend, Alli.

Boy with a Straw Hat Waiting to March in a Pro-War Parade: If you look closely at the smaller button on his lapel, it reads, “Bomb Hanoi.”