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.

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.

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.