Explore//Nature
Last week while visiting the California Academy of Sciences planetarium for the sixth time I learned some exciting new information about the red dwarf star Gliese 581. It seems that a resent discover of exoplanet Gliese 581e changed the gravitational pull of the outmost planet Gliese 581d bringing it well inside of the habitable zone it was thought to be skimming.

This is exactly what I love about science. How large and small discoveries can so alter the world we inhabit as we imagine the possible fish swimming around 20.5 light years away from our own bright star.

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Home//Family
Being hopelessly in love with all forms of design I spend a lot of time imagining the perfect this and the perfect that and then reimagining it all over again. But some things give pretty stiff competition to the next thing. Enter my latest table setting by My China! The Emperor Rim hits several soft spots on my favorites list. Birds? Check. Gold? Check. Florals? Check. But more than the obvious details I really enjoy the low and wide cup design that is filled with gold, and the restraint used on the dinner and pasta plates. Because I do prefer my dinner served on white plates. 

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Craft//DIY
Immediately I was taken a back by how charming these Toe-Up Toe Socks by Zeph Knits are. The combination of a fishnet pattern with playful toes has my mind bouncing between starlets and muppets. A place where little girls are glamorous and far from Lolitas, channeling my inner pretty princess, my mind fantasizes about shoeless tea parties in the grass with loads of lace and peonies.

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Fashion//Beauty
KO Flatte Black by Mike Potter brings back fond memories of painting my nails with a sharpie in the back of history class. With even better results (if one can imagine such a thing) and significantly easier clean up.

Knock Out has done you one better by adding new favorites such as Ox, Powder and Concrete to the mix. Perhaps now that bottle of White Out in your desk can be retired.

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Fashion//Beauty
There is something seriously sexy about Lee Angel's fringe seedbead necklace. As if devined from Josephine Baker's closet it looks like good times and dancing. I can already hear the jazz and taste the gin as I save up my pennies from heaven for this one.

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Fashion//Beauty
If pressed I would have to admit to you that I have a weakness for flocking, gilding, sequins and any other embellishment. Heck I even enjoy the occasional white lie if it makes for a better story.

So in all honesty Roberta Freymann fits right in on my lust list. Her Wine Drop Necklace calls to me and asks, would earrings be too much?

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Technology
You might have heard that everyone is buying a new Tv for 2009. Although my digital cable box will keep my RCA from fishtankdom for years I do keep an eye out for any tempting options on the horizon. The Brionvega Alpha LCD television is definitely a shiny bring orange possibility.

An LCD TV set with built-in DVD player, characterized by a design which screams Italy in the Thirties. Alpha is composed of two slender elements joint by a frame in chrome tube. Even the remote control has been rethought and lovely designed.

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Fashion//Beauty
Independent West Coast and Hawaiian businesses sell their wears at Destee-Nation Shirt Co. Which is great because I can gather up all the Seattle logo tees I can handle and still dabble in some California classics. May I suggest you get yourself a Cupcake Royale tee?

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Technology
Like most things I crave the Bandai Luminodot is only available in Japan. But I'll be sure to pick one up for the both of us the next time I'm there. Obviously a super deluxe Lite-Brite, this 70 by 50 pixelated board is supported by a bright LED backlight. With 1600 bulbs in 12 different colors. Featuring software that helps the user to create and preview the image. Luminodot is designed with a removable front panel, which also allows the user to place the printed image underneath. So now all your dreams of modern art stardom can be realized.

Watch it in action at Luminodot.jp

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