Skylark LTD. Laptop Bag by Red Camper

Ahh, memories of yesteryear abound with this hip laptop bag from Red Camper. Not only is it made from recycled materials, it’s cool and functional too. Each piece is handmade and comes with it’s very own serial number, so yours is definitely one of a kind.

Fits 15″ or smaller laptops in the padded compartment (vertical fit). Adjustable strap, magnetic closure, and multiple pockets. Made with vintage 1970’s car upholstery, airplane seatbelt clips, seatbelt webbing, and authentic vacation slides.

Skateboards in the Office

There’s a new trend in my ‘hood.  My daughter and all of her friends are suddenly obsessed with skateboarding.  They’ve mastered the scooter and bikes are so old school.  They’re seeking new thrills and they’ve decided skateboarding is way cooler than those old heelys they’ve outgrown.

I’m not that cool… I rejected the whole skateboard idea immediately, envisioning trips to the emergency room.  My hubby, of course, wasn’t so quick to reject the notion.  He loved skateboarding in his younger years and never ended up in the hospital from those adventures.  After months of pleading, I finally gave in with the caveat that she must ALWAYS wear her protective gear. No, I didn’t wrap her up in bubble wrap, though the thought is tempting.  She has a helmet and wrist/elbow/kneepads.

Needless to say, the dads in the ‘hood are having a great time.  They’re showing the kids their old moves and relishing memories of their youth.  I must admit, I do enjoy watching them together.

Bringing the fun and personality from your home life to the office always makes for great conversation and makes you feel better about spending so much time there.  With that in mind, I’ve searched out some skateboard designs for the office.

I love the Skatelab Retro Bookshelf:

I think this skate bench would be right at home in my hubby’s concrete design showroom:

This skateboard shelf from Walmart is quite affordable and will blend nicely into most any decor:

My absolute favorite skateboard products are designed by Skate Study House.  Check out these cool designs:

“The Nova Lamp is a free standing floor lamp, made of 3 decks, metal structure and light fixture.”

“The Astro Clock created with 12 skateboard wheels and bearings.”

There are plenty of unique skateboard designs to perk up your office.  I’m not a skateboard fanatic, but I’m still wishing I had the Astro Clock.  Now you also have some ideas for what to do with your kid’s skateboard, if it lands them in the emergency room.

National Boss’s Day – October 16th

Today is the day for sucking up to the boss.  It’s officially National Boss’s Day.  If you didn’t know, there’s still time.  You don’t have time to fret over an appropriate gift, so follow the KISS principle.

You know what’s rare today?  Handwritten sentiment.  I recommend you head on over to your local stationery store (the one that sells lots of letterpress cards and invitations).  Pick out a simple, elegant card and write a nice, personal note about what makes your boss great.  That will mean a lot more than a gift and it’s pretty easy on the wallet too.  If you feel a need to give a little gift, stop at your local starbucks and get a gift card or choose a nice pen at the stationery store.

Hint: While you’re picking out your card, pick up a box of cards to keep in your desk for the next holiday or birthday you’re a little late in remembering.

If you’re in Portland, Oregon, I highly recommend Oblation Papers & Press.  You’ll find a great card and plenty of unique gift choices.

Fun Office Stuff for Twilight Fans

I visited Forks, Washington last week on my trip around the Olympic National Forest.  I haven’t seen Twilight, but I quickly learned that Forks is home to Twilight (it’s on almost every sign there… a little hard to miss).  My daughter was super excited and we had to visit a couple of shops that were dedicated to Twilight paraphernalia.

I searched for some cool office supplies for the dedicated Twilight fans, but didn’t find anything worth writing about.  Upon searching Etsy, I found a few things that are worthy of your desktop.

If you want to be a little discreet with your Twilight obsession, foreverdazzled has a few Twilight inspired pens.

Perhaps some magnets for your message board?  Lanier Creations has a few to choose from.

This paperweight by HouseHoldWords would be a great addition to any Twilight fanatic’s desk:

Need a little more Twilight inspiration?  Check out the Twilight community at Dazzled by Twilight.

Telephone Nostalgia

I don’t know what it is about rotary style telephones, but they make me feel warm and fuzzy for the good old days. I’m not THAT old, but it was a simpler day when a rolodex sat next to the phone and we couldn’t just push a button or say a name to be immediately connected to the person of our choice.

I particularly enjoy these vintage phones from The Curiosity Shoppe. These are way cooler than the black rotary dial phones of my childhood.  I’m not likely to shell out $210 for a rotary phone, but if I found one of these under the Christmas tree this year, I’d be a very happy girl.

Etsy Pick of the Week: Janine King Laptop Sleeves

Janine King Designs has some beautiful laptop sleeves listed on Etsy.  I have a sleeve for my macbook, but it’s boring by comparison.  I haven’t seen another sleeve with a handle; that’s a clever and useful addition.  Now my only problem is choosing which design I like best.

About Janine King Design (From Etsy Profile):

Janine King is an established independent designer of fine quality, fun and unique fabric handbags. Located in scenic central New York, Janine King Designs is owned and operated by husband and wife team Donald and Janine King. In business since 1992, they are true experts at their craft.

Upscale in design and construction, Janine King bags come in an amazing array of prints and patterns. Each and every bag is lovingly made by hand with great care and attention to detail.

2 for 1 USB Drive

Tired of dragging around multiple USB drives?  Like to keep your work and personal computer files separate?  Check out the Split Stick at Quirky.  Each end of this drive contains a 2gb retractable usb drive.  You don’t have to worry about confusing which side is which; they have graphics on both sides. Etching options include: Love/Hate, Plus/Minus, Dots/Solid dots, Home/Work, or Look/Lock.

Review: iFrogz Luxe Case for iPhone 3G

I recently upgraded to an iPhone 3G and needed a new case to keep it protected. I picked up an iFrogz Luxe Case and loved it, at first.

I was surprised to find the iFrogz Luxe case comes with a screen protector.  I had one on my previous iPhone and was in the market for one anyway.  It may have been operator error, since I’m not all that patient with applying screen protectors.  However, I couldn’t get this protector to adhere properly.  It seemed more flimsy than previous protectors I have used.  I never got all of the air bubbles out.  Within a few days, there were so many air bubbles I had to remove the protector.  Oh well, it was “free”; I wasn’t expecting the world’s best screen protector.

As for the case itself, I LOVED the look and feel of the case.  Since it’s a two part case, there is a “button” on the back to hold the two pieces together.  Some people complain because the phone won’t lay flat due to the “button”.  This was not a concern for me and I quite liked the look of the two tone case.

My problem with the case was the added bulk of the case and the way the two pieces fit together.  I like to listen to music while I work and use my Logitech Pure-Fi Speakerswith my iPhone daily.  My iPhone doesn’t fit into the Logitech dock with the iFrogz case on, so I had to remove it each time I wanted to use my speakers (daily).  The case is easy enough to remove, but the continual removing of the case has caused the plastic pieces that connect together to wear a bit.  After only a few weeks, the case comes apart VERY easily.  I had the phone in my pocket the other day and attempted to quickly remove it to answer.  The case came apart, half in my pocket, half in my hand with the ringing phone.  Clearly, this is not an ideal situation.

This case might work for you if you plan to always leave it in the case.  I don’t know, since that’s not how I use my case.  I do know that after approximately 20 removals, the fittings seem much looser than when I purchased it.  Currently, my iPhone is unprotected while I search out other options.

Who knew a ruler could be pretty?

f,l,o,w,e,r,s by Norihiko Terayama

I love this ruler by by Japanese designer Norihiko Terayama of Studio Note. According to the Lushlee blog, “each acrylic ruler consists of 28 dried flowers with red-dyed stems, meticulously placed 1 cm apart from each other by the designer himself.” I love that it’s handmade, so each one is unique. I think I would have to display it on the wall in my office. This is one ruler I would never lose.

You can buy it at Generate Design; it’s priced at $189.

Recycled Circuit Board Office Products

I’m a fan of office goods made from recycled products.  Circuit boards are being recycled into many types of interesting office products.  You can help keep circuit boards out of landfills and make your closest computer geek happy at the same time. Here are some of my favorites:

These business card holders by Motherboard Gifts are available in 3 colors and hold up to 15 business cards.

Organizers often recommend hanging clipboards to keep your important information in plain view, but off your desk. Thanks to ThinkGeek.com you can hang clipboards with personality.

My favorite circuit board office products are the pencil boxes Debby Arem produces.

More circuit board products can be found at: Amazon, ThinkGeek.com and Etsy.