gifts – Page 6 – everydaysparks

Ethical Eco Enviro Elephants

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Cate

By now, I think you will have gathered that I like quirky stuff and love to give quirky gifts. But the downside is that they are all too often made without care for the people who produce them or the environment around them. And we people who have waaay too much stuff say, “Aww, cute” and then shortly thereafter say, “Aww, landfill”.

But we have to give something to that little kid / colleague / neighbour / friend to mark a special occasion, right? And a card telling them that you bought a chicken for a family in South America instead of a present for them doesn’t always go down too well. So I was excited to find these guys on the very cool Australian site Ethical Gifts.

They are animals made in Africa out of recycled flip flops (or thongs, or jandals). Apparently, this idea started back in 1997, when women and children started to collect all of the rubber shoes washing up on the beaches off the northeast coast of Kenya. They turned them into toys, buoys and cushion stuffing. The FlipFlop Project was born.

In 2005, the UniquEco brand was created to expand on the FlipFlop Project and support the local people to clean up their beaches, recycle the rubber, earn an income, and produce fantastic animal friends (and jewellery, keyrings etc) to share with the world.

You can check out the range of gifts at Ethical Gifts here and read more

about the story behind UniquEco and the FlipFlop Project here.

Willy Wonka’s World

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Cate

What a wonderful world that would be, right? With Mr Wonka’s passion for all things sweet and magical, it could be a kid’s dream come true. Not that you’d necessarily want your home or office decorated by Mr Wonka, but if some Wonka-like touches here and there appeal, you might want to check these out…

Ice cream lamps. Sure, why not? They come in a delicious range of colours and are over two feet high. They come with a bulb, but you will need to resist the urge to lick the giant soft-serve (even if the cone is marked ‘Safe-T Cup’) as I don’t want you getting zapped.

Or how about a cupcake cushion? With coloured sprinkles. It looks really cool in this picture, but I should warn you that there was another picture of it on a lounge…where it looked like a squished old piece of cupcake, rather than a fresh and tasty treat. You’ve been warned.

And if you want to listen to some sweet tunes while reclining on your cupcake on a lazy Sunday, you might like these Gummy Bear Earbuds. They’re scented. Uh huh. It does seem a little bit wrong, especially if your Grandma ever told you not to stick jellies in your ears. Although these are attached to a cord, so I guess it’s ok.

This one isn’t in keeping with the dessert theme, but Willy was a fan of messing with people’s heads via distorted sizes and shapes, so I think he’d approve. And I am tipping he liked his caffeine (amongst other things) to keep him so perky. For you, or perhaps to prop up that guy in the office who always seems to be sleeping, I present the giant coffee cup. It can hold 20 cups of coffee. But I am not suggesting that you drink them all at once. (Unless you record it and put it on You Tube.)

Whether you’re looking for a gift or something to make your home a little bit Wonka, you can check out all of these things, and a bzillion more, at fredflare.

Arty sparks, Sparky gifts

Tree of Life

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Cate

I like trees. Especially at this time of year in Australia, when the leaves are turning red or gold and falling to the ground. So we can jump around and crunch through piles of them. Or slip on them when it’s raining, trying to look cool while struggling to stay upright. Yes, good times indeed.

I also like this tree, which I noticed recently on etsy. Designed by Maria in Amsterdam, this tree looks pretty funky just as it is. But, like a lot of things in Amsterdam – don’t be fooled by appearances. This tree is a photo album. Uh huh.

You can add photos of the family for a cute present to welcome a new baby. Or perhaps pics of the kids in the class for a nice end-of-year gift for the teacher. Or snaps of your smiling face for your beloved (or ex-beloved, if you want to make them feel bad). Or faces of workmates for a departing colleague. Or maybe a tree full of happy images – like, say, chocolate, red wine, Liam Neeson, freesias, homegrown tomatoes, sunset, cherry pie, popcorn – to give you a lift on those days that you’re not feeling so chirpy.

Endless possibilities for your little tree of life. And I think I’ll finish on that profound note, so that you can ponder that thought. (While you’re checking out the range of trees at the FemkeMaria etsy shop.)

Fashion Sparks, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Geek Chic

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Cate

I first saw a version of these amazing Keyboard Slippers on the Inventor Spot site and thought they were pretty cool. Well, cool mightn’t be quite the right word. The original slippers are made by Kito in Thailand and you can get lots of different coloured foot straps: black, yellow, red, orange, brown or dark blue (depending on which of your geek chic outfits you want to match). Launched early last year, the Kito originals cost about $30 and are shipped worldwide from Thailand.

But, as with most good ideas, there is another version of keyboard sandals that are, no surprise, made in China (by a company with a very cool name: A-Yaya). They are priced at under $2 per pair. Which I guess might mean that the Enter key will stick and Ctrl-Alt-Delete won’t actually work. But I’m sure that you can still lose crumbs and eyelashes and cups of coffee between the keys, just like the real thing.

I don’t know your politics on global markets, so whether you want to check out the pricier (but original and brighter coloured) Kito shoes or the Chinese knock-offs, I’m sure that both types will massage your feet as you walk around. Which is more than you can say for your keyboard at work. If you are after the perfect gift for the nerd in your life (especially if that nerd is you), the Kito retailer is here.

Arty sparks, Sparky gifts, WWWhat?

Book ’em, Danno

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Cate

I love books. And when I saw a headline for ‘an eclectic collection of books’ by Melville House featured on Fab.com recently, my curiosity was piqued. An eclectic collection indeed. You can keep your alleged classics like War and Peace or Ulysses, I’ll take How to Sharpen Pencils by David Rees, a master in “the age-old art of manual pencil sharpening”. According to the hardcover of this 224 page book, it’s perfect for flange turners, anglesmiths and civil servants. I don’t know any of them folk, but I do know some contractors and apparently it’ll be right up their street too. (On another note, if you do know a flange turner or anglesmith, please let me know. And tell me what they do.)

Or maybe Drunk is more your thing. (No judgement.) Written by word nut Paul Dickson, it’s basically a list of 2,964 synonyms for ‘drunk’ (including such classics as roasted, whazood, whiskey frisky and Boris Yeltsinned). So now you know.

But the choice doesn’t end there – oh no. How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive or I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me or the beautifully covered (yes, I know the old saying, but I’m shallow) Rotis – Roasts for every day of the week (including slightly off-putting pictures of cute animal faces).

So, whether you’re an avid reader, love a pretty bookshelf or you’re a flange turner looking for a helpful tome, this collection could be eclectic enough to suit!