attention city market goers!

a quick newsflash for those of you who find yourselves downtown on saturday mornings -- starting this saturday, may 31, we'll be opening an hour earlier at 10:00! to aid you in your shopping for fresh greens, sweet strawberries, and all manner of flora, we've got a few suggestions for reusable market totes.


here's our lovely aaron sporting one of the best market bags around, the gecko traders wave tote. gecko traders uses fair trade practices in the production of these recycled rice bags that are virtually indestructible. these will hold a tremendous amount of weight while still fitting over your shoulder, and the material allows them to be wiped clean quickly, always a good thing when you're toting plants and produce.


another store favorite is this super compact shopper by australian company envirosax. envirosax are completely self-contained -- when you aren't using it you roll it up, snap the snap (you can see it here in the lower left corner of the bag), and toss it in your purse or your car. in the end the bag folds up to be about the size of a piece of sushi, 4 x 1.5 inches, but when open can hold about twice as much as the standard plastic grocery bag. these are great gifts, and we encourage our customers to use them not only at the market but when you come to o'suz as well!


reisenthel is a german company that makes some amazingly cute and practical products. the market tote above has hand and shoulder straps, interior pockets and pouches, and six outside pockets to hold bottles of wine! great for getting your goods from the market to the party.


also by reisenthel is the super popular market basket. (we carry this in black, red, turquoise, and pink, as well as the new mini version, which is great for lunches or kids' toys!) the basket is collapsible, and the comfy padded handle can be folded down on either side for easy loading and emptying. not only do i use my basket at the market and grocery, but also for toting paperwork and files to and fro, taking food and wine to parties, and containing craft projects. the possibilities are endless, really.

hopefully we'll see you a little earlier in the coming saturdays -- grab your coffee and a few of those to die for doughnuts, and come show us what you snagged at the market! ciao for now, j.

bla bla love

one of lines we sell that is amazing in all ways is bla bla kids. i can attest to this personally! bla bla makes dolls, rattles, finger puppets, backpacks, blankets, mobiles, hats, booties and clothes for babies and kids. bla bla goodies are knitted by peruvian artists from natural fibers. they are bright and friendly and put a smile on faces of all ages. red (my son) already has 3 rattles, 1 doll, and many outfits. he loves it all, i am sure of it. his favorite is his giraffe rattle, evidenced now by its shape and color (we wash him often). he also lives in the bla bla elastic waist pants. they come in solids and stripes ranging from 6 months to 4T. when he was smaller we just rolled them up a wee bit so they would fit longer. he also has a giraffe animobile ridden by a blue kitty over his crib and a huge bla bla doll named verdi that lives in his crib (until he is joined by red when he is older). anyhoo, there is so much to say about bla bla. everyone has a favorite. what's yours?

red's crib with jumbo verdi, waiting oh so patiently, the most amazing quilt ever, made by aaron as our baby gift, and the ever fun animobile by bla bla, there to keep red company. also pictured are tree decals by dvider, available at o'suz.

mini bla bla dolls: bubbles & gigi

rose

tiger lily & clementine

(new this spring)

mini versions of:

charles & prudence

wink & billy

cumulus, inoo-lala & etcetera

"the best of friends"

redford, mesmerized by his first view of the ocean, sits quietly with his elephant rattle (whose shorts come off, funny) and musette, his bird rattle, new this spring.

new twisty treasures!

hello hello, peeps! right now we're really excited about one of the new lines we picked up in february, modern-twist. they make these incredible fabric boxes, based on a vintage japanese design, that twist open and closed.


not only are the mechanics of these little boxes amazing, but the patterns are pretty sweet, too. i love the pebble pattern pictured above, and the squirrel has been a big hit. (he's available in orange as well.)


to make them even cooler, there's a little sachet in the bottom of each twist! they're good for storing jewelry, medicine, and many other tiny treasures. i love seeing mine sitting on my dresser everyday -- it's an example of an amazingly executed but simple design.

while the itty-bitty hide boxes have been a fast favorite, we also carry the larger hide box II, a great jewelry box with a more straightforward box & lid approach, and the pj pocket pillow in a fun orange elephant all-over pattern.


beyond the boxes, modern-twist also makes some super cool coaster sets that we just got in. these babies have been flying off our shelves! they are made from silicone, and you can actually write on them with ballpoint pen and erase, so they're handy as informal placecards or for keeping track of your drink.


we love that modern-twist integrates old and new design, organic motifs, and a commitment to responsible manufacturing practices. and they're beautiful to boot! ciao for now, j.

memorial day hours

so i promised we would let peeps know if and when we are closed or have amended hours and low and behold, memorial weekend snuck up on us! we will be open sunday hours tomorrow, memorial day. so 12-5 it is. come see us if your plans include a downtown stroll or if you have the day off, as many do, and just feel a need to shop it up. whatever your day holds in store, enjoy it!

round 2 of holly aiken clutches

not too long ago we received our follow up order of holly aiken blast clutches including some new color combos for us: red and black, sand and brown and purple and green. the cool thing about these clutches is how simple they are. two snaps, no fuss and strong as all get out. holly's bags are also super cool so come check ‘em all out. made in raleigh, nc from naugahyde in lots-o-color combos.

new foxy and winston harvest mice!

to say that i love foxy and winston is only partially true. i really, really love foxy and winston. we've carried jane's cards, baby tees, and onesies for a few years now, and she just keeps doing amazing work in her brooklyn studio. luckily suzannah usually gets us girls extra special holiday treats, so i am the proud owner of a porcupine tshirt and a hedgie silkscreen print. (and a delightful guinea pig print from my sister.) here in the store we just got a big batch of foxy and winston's newest cards, the harvest mice series. have you ever seen anything so cute? my guess is that the only honest answer you can give is a resounding no.


i encourage my reader to carefully examine the details of these nicely rotund little creatures with bespeckled little bellies and clad in the occasional party hat or boatneck sailor shirt. we have just crossed over into "painfully cute" territory, and i plan on staying for awhile.



not only are these mice sure to brighten the day of any of your correspondents, but they're also hand screen printed on 100% recycled paper. now we know why our pal on the left is sporting a "yay!" sign. stop in and visit the harvest mice (and their other foxy and winston pals) soon! ciao for now, j.