Fist bump

I'm in love with this photo.

Young students close their hands in anticipation of "fist-bumping" President Obama after he spoke at the Islamic Society of Baltimore. | (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

THE WEEK | The week's best photojournalism

The Angelica Doll: A natural hair doll for young girls by Angelica Sweeting — Kickstarter

I am a grown woman, and I bought a doll. My favorite part? Feature #3 below. Yay, Angelica!

From the founder, Angelica Sweeting: 

Like most young girls with kinky/curly hair, my daughter Sophia was not happy with her kinks and curls because of the doll I was putting in her hands every day. Sophia wanted long straight hair, and she even started expressing a strong dislike for her facial features and skin tone. With the help of my daughters, we created “The Angelica Doll” — the first natural hair 18-inch doll for young girls.

Features

1. Style and wash the doll’s kinky/curly hair just as natural hair.  YES! My daughters and I tested the hair for eight months! We twisted, bantu knotted, combed, brushed, blew out, curl wanded and re-washed the hair. We did this over and over to ensure this doll would be able to withstand a young girls curiosity about taking care of and having fun with kinky/curly hair! No more tangled doll hair!
2. Facial features true to women of color!  Say goodbye to spray-painted brown Barbie dolls! The Angelica Doll has the face of a beautiful brown girl including a full nose, fuller lips, beautiful check bones, and brown eyes!
3. Exposure to new paths and careers.  Let’s not just tell the next generation of women that they can do anything. LET’S SHOW THEM! The Angelica Doll and future dolls will have new and interesting careers that will expose young girls to what is happening in the world now and the many possibilities they have in the future. The Angelica Doll is a courageous, bold entrepreneur full of self belief, natural beauty, and perseverance. For future dolls we will introduce careers such as engineering, journalism, software development, public relations, etc.

The Angelica Doll: A natural hair doll for young girls by Angelica Sweeting — Kickstarter

Modern Coffee Table. Or Dollhouse. Or Robotarium.

Sure, little kids'll love this dual purpose coffee table for dolls or action figures. But my tiny robots could live here, too.

 
Modern Coffee Table Doubles As Barbie's Dreamhouse or G.I. Joe's HQ

(Thanks for the ace find, Mr. Hambone!)

Space Oddity children's book.

This is just WICKED cool.





Download it from Andrew Kolb's site: Kolbisneat.com | David Bowie Children's Book

(via Zap2it)

Uglydoll wind ups.

I would like all of them, please.


Uglydoll Wind Ups have landed at Ningyoushi.com. Now you can own all your favorite Uglydoll characters as Wind Up toys. Watch Babo do flips, Peaco swim, Big Toe sneak away, Ice-Bat hop and jump for joy with Trunko!

Ningyoushi.com - Cool Toys For The Savvy Collector!

(via Ningyoushi News)

‪I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. ‬‏

I do love a good book trailer.

Harry Potter Tribute Exhibition & Blog - Nucleus | Art Gallery and Store

I would LOVE to see this exhibit at the fabulous Nucleus in Alhambra, CA - July 9, 2011 - August 1, 2011. If you have a chance, go for me, okay?


Harry Potter Tribute Exhibition & Blog - Nucleus | Art Gallery and Store

The most heartbreaking thing I've ever read.

I normally wouldn't do this because my blog is unabashedly about designy, funny, joyful things, but I CANNOT stop thinking about this. Let me start by saying I don't actually know Melissa Bissing. I saw a tweet by a friend of hers, linked to Mel's twitter account (@mbissing) and started reading her blog. She's a local woman who's been keeping a blog about her triplets since they were born.

In the last week, her blog has become of the most brutally honest, terrifying, heartbreaking things I've ever read.




Mel and Doug, her husband, have been in the hospital the last six days, following an (as yet unidentified) illness or accident. Owen, one of the triplets, has been in a coma and will not recover.

Mel's "mommy blog" has suddenly become an online journal, and it's beautiful and gut wrenching.

The question of what to do (organ donation), how to stay strong for her other little ones, how much of Owen's siblings' identity is tied up in being triplets, how she will react when someone mentions how cute her "twins" are – hundreds of questions I'd never even think to ask – she's writing about it all. Her writing style is so lovely, and her attitude so incredible, that reading it is an exercise in humanity.

Even if you can't bear to read her blog, if you have a moment, you might want to stop by to offer condolences or share a kind word. This is a strong, amazing young woman, but I think every tiny bit of kindness will help in the coming days.

Three Times the Fun | I don't suffer from insanity … I enjoy every minute of it!

Brinca Dada Emerson House Dollhouse.

WOW. This is one helleva dollhouse.





Emerson House Dollhouse from Creative Kidstuff

p.s. It's crazy expensive, but it's on sale for $350 (including the mid-century modern furniture, which is normally around $250 alone - yikes) over at theFoundary.com (free subscription req.) if you must have it.

Fractions Puzzle.

Simple, lovely and useful.

Update: Thanks to Ashley, here's a link to a much cheaper version on Amazon.com. Thank you, Ashley!


A perfectly presented fraction puzzle, which reminds us of school and also pies and cakes! Made from wood and painted in lovely primary red and blue. Great for little or big ones because it looks so darned good. 12x9"

Present&Correct - Fraction Puzzle

The evolution of toys.

Sometimes our leaps in technology just sort of mesmerize me.

1970s:


Today:



Mattel See 'n Say vintage toy photo by j_pidgeon.

Speak, Piggy! app by A Modern Eden.

"Where Did I Come From?"

Such a fun "School House Rock" kind of illustration for this 70s children's book. It made me laugh.


Where Did I Come From?
written by Peter Mayle
Illustrated by Arthur Robins
Designed by Paul Walter
Lyle Stuart, 1973

Books My Kid Loves:"Where Did I Come From"

(via this isn't happiness)

Timo Handmade toys.

Kids have it so good these days.



Timo Handmade by timor on Etsy

6 Essentials to Pack in your Child's School Lunch Box.

HOW much do I want someone to pack lunches like this for me? Thousands, that's how much. Damn.




6 Essentials to Pack in your Child's School Lunch Box | Inhabitots

Chalkboard table.

If I had a little kid, I'd be all over this. Unfortunately, I don't think my cats would do much with it except lick the chalk.


Instructables: Chalkboard Table

piggy.

A lovely concept well executed.


Piggy is a set of two savings banks that nest together. The larger “momma” bank is for a child’s personal savings, and the smaller bank is for the child's charitable savings.

shop piggy.

(via the always-fab Design Milk)

Ninjabreadmen!

These are coooool.


NINJABREAD MEN COOKIE CUTTERS

Hygge & West wallpaper.

These new kiddie wallpapers at Design Public are gorgeous.




Design Public: Hygge & West

Kitteh coloring book.

This would pretty much fall smack dab in the middle of my cute/kitten Venn diagram, if I had one.


"What Kitties Feel" Coloring & Activity Book from KittyBabyLove | moderncat

Mila's Daydreams.

Lovely and funny and gorgeous.

This blog is my maternity leave hobby. While my baby is taking her nap, I create a scene around her and take quick snap photos.




I use only few minutes per picture, including creating idea, implementation and editing, 'cause I don't want to disturb her sleeping and most of my time is for my family. My camera is small and inexpensive Canon IXUS 750.

Mila's Daydreams

(Thanks to my new pal, Mary, for the tip!)