First World Livin’

Originally uploaded by MaggieMason.
That gaping void you’ve been feeling in your soul? It can be filled with this $165 Sterling Silver Bubble Wand from Tiffanys. The bubble wand is the answer.

Enema Jewelry

Originally uploaded by MaggieMason.
You know what I wish I had? A small butt with attached enema bag fashioned from metal. Something I could wear decoratively, like on my lapel you know?

Wait a minute…

Here’s how I know my ovaries are working: I find these clothespin dolls from The Small Object a little magical. I want to be a kid again so I can own several of them without being the odd chick who collects clothespin-doll art and eats too much chocolate.

Products I want, but can’t find.

– Evany had an idea for a bracelet that looks like an ID bracelet, but has a window where the inscription would ordinarily be. The window would be perfectly sized to fit a cookie fortune, and you’d just slide in your favorite one.

– Old-school bunny slippers that are cute, but Martha Stewart cute, not Precious Moments cute. Like these, only with eyes and a nose, and in a size that fits real people.

-A large jewelry box that has a modernist, sleek exterior, maybe it’s even lacquered on the outside, but when you open it, a little ballerina pops up and begins rotating to a music box rendition of “Son of a Preacher Man.” Also, it is lined in quilted pink silk.

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.

A lovely exhibition of unique rings over at Velvet da Vinci. Click the ring photo and you’ll come across a “view all images” link.

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.”

I’ve been craving art lately, our walls are big and bare. I went window shopping/daydreaming online, and found a few pieces by local artists whose work I’d like to see more regularly. Every morning when I make myself a cup of tea, for example.

Nate VanDyke’s “Beth“.

Tiffany Larsen was the art director of my college newspaper. She’s in Seattle now, but she’s still a Bay Area artist to me. I adore “Anchor.”

Catherine Ryan’s “Grandparents on the Couch“.

(You’ll have to scroll partway down the page to see some of these.) Diane Feissel’s self-portrait funny faces, which would look fantastic hung triptych style. Her angel (again with the scrolling, last one on the page), her girl in the window, and pair of feet (eighth and thirteenth ones down, respectively).

Kirstie Tweed’s photos are amazing, most especially “Diner Waitress,” which you can find by going to her site and clicking on Orange Girl. It’s in the top row, second over from the left. Many thanks to Andrea Scher for the tip. Speaking of which:

I love Andrea’s #1 and #10 paintings, which you can find by going to Superhero Designs and clicking on Paintings, Enter, hitting the blue button, then clicking View Work. (Whew!)

Camille Porter’s line drawings are so much fun. I especially like the last two in the top row, the girlfriends and the yearning girl. (Click on Line Drawings, then click to enlarge.)