Sleep On It

You know, I have to agree with Matte Stephens on this one--the above painting is my idea of camping, too.

Of the underrated pleasures of life, few can argue that there is anything better than the feeling of waking up after a good night's sleep. You wake easily, you feel refreshed/energized and you are ready to face whatever it is that you've got to put up with for the next sixteen hours or so.

But--as we all know--sometimes a good night's sleep is not so easy to attain. Sometimes this is because of things that are out of our control (dog in the neighborhood that won't stop barking, a block party taking place a block away, a night train rumbling through a mere forty feet from your bedroom, etc.) but most of the time, it's something we can do something about. Like, for instance, maybe we just need to make to make the room a little darker, which would be why we have things like sleep masks.

And just because I believe deeply in the necessity of a good night's sleep, here's a selection of sleep masks for you to consider.

For those of you who read/watched Coraline and weren't completely creeped out by the Other Mother, perhaps I could interest you in a button-eyed sleep mask.

However, I take no responsibility for whether it or not it creeps out anyone else, so don't even to try to blame that on me.

...As my case for Owls Being Ubiquitous continues, I continue to keep racking up evidence. This sleep mask is just The People's Exhibit # Ninety-Eleven Kerbillion.

Now these next two sleep masks are made by Jennicakes, but I think they do a pretty good job of illustrating the two extremes of How People Request Peace And Quiet.

You've got the polite method...

...and you've got the, um, more direct approach. But either way, I think either one would be highly beneficial towards getting people to let you sleep.

And just because nothing caps off a good night's rest like a yummy breakfast, here's a sleep mask with a smiley bacon and eggs design:

And on that note, see you Wednesday!

The 'Stache Cache

Q: What is the quickest way to class up a flask?

A: Judging by whimsy & ink, just add a mustache. And a phrase in French. Both help, though.

Today's post is probably going to sound like an old Seinfeld stand-up routine, but I can't help it. I have a question--a burning, pressing question--that I desperately need answered, and since it's based in the trivial and banal, it's liable to sound kinda funny. But in order to get the answer, I have to ask, so here goes: what's with all the mustaches?

Seriously, Internets, I just don't get it. I get that trends happen, and nine times times out of ten they're silly things that just fun and gone faster than a fart on the wind, but why mustaches? And speaking of mustaches, why does the majority of them seem to be Snidely Whiplash's mustache? Y'know, the villain from the Dudley Do-Right shorts? What is that about?

Really, I just don't get it. But apparently they now make hats featuring mustaches, so I might as well do a post about them.

First up, we've got a mustache hat that is precisely what it says on the tin; it's a hat with a mustache. Pretty cut and dry, really.

But if there's something I've learned about searching for hats, it's that--even with a theme in mind--they can vary pretty dang widely, as this mustache hood amply proves.

And speaking of varying, here's two examples of how mustaches can give off two completely different vibes:

When paired with a monocle, it gives off a tea-and-crumpet, stiff-upper-lip sort of ambiance. The high-button booties just add to affect.

Then again, if you add a viking helmet, then the effect is more along the lines of "I'm gonna drink a lot of mead and sail in my longboat" kind of thing. You have to supply your own impish grin, though.

All in all, it looks like the mustache trend is going to be around for a bit. And while I may not understand this particular facial-hair fascination, far be it from me to hate on it too much. Considering how much I dig beards, it'd be hypocritical of me to say otherwise.

But let's just say that it's unlikely that I'm going to be getting a hat like this anytime soon:

See you next week!

Warm Those Arms

Interesting superimposing of Leonardo da Vinci's Study of Arms and Hands onto a page of from a dictionary by Collage-O-Rama.

Due to a lack of omniscience, I have no idea really what the weather's like where you are, but we seem to be experiencing a mid-winter thaw here. The snow that once was laid thick and firm on the roof like deep-pile carpeting is now sliding off from the warmth, landing on the ground with at irregular intervals with a very undignified *thud*. It's probably not going to last, but the warm-up is nice.

However, the one not-so-nice thing about it is that this heat wave (relatively speaking) is playing havoc with my wardrobe. See, it feels warm enough to get by with just a short-sleeved T-shirt, but as I have often been told, feelings are not the same as facts. The fact is that it's still not quite warm enough for that, so I end up giving up on the short sleeves and reaching for the longer-sleeved ones instead.

This is why I should really invest in arm warmers. Particularly the fingerless ones. Then I could get away with wearing a T-shirt and I wouldn't have to spend so much time rubbing warmth back into my forearms. And it stands to reason that if I'm thinking that arm warmers might be a good thing, others might think so, too.

And we all know that means, so let's get to it, shall we?

C'mon--just look at how thick these arm warmers are. You can't tell me that they wouldn't keep your arms warm.

Of course, if you don't like your arm warmers that thick, you could always go with something a little thinner like these. They're prettily embroidered, too.

I'm not sure what it is I like more about these arm warmers; the colors or the buttons. But I will say that both them together really make them absolutely lovely.

Okay, alright--these aren't arm warmers; they're fingerless mittens. But I like 'em, so ON THE BLOG THEY GO.

But to make up for them, I would like to put forward these awesome little cupcake arm warmers:

Yes, I may be a sucker for cupcakes, but you gottta admit, they are really, really cute.

See you Friday!

Shake Your Pom Poms

Pretty paper pom poms by Party Poms.

Say what you want, but to my mind one of the worst things a person can do is take stuff for granted. There's something about not giving that which we find to be most awesome its due that is just not cool, and I don't like it. This is mostly because--at least in my experience--when you start taking things for granted, that's roughly around the time they up and vanish on you, leaving you embarrassingly desperate for their return.

If you don't believe me, think back on the last time you lost electricity because of a storm (particularly if it was a nasty storm, and you were without power for several days,) and I think you'll begin to see my point. And so it is with this in mind that today, it's hats featuring that fluffy bit of fanciness that most of us wouldn't think twice about: the pom pom.

...Okay, comparatively speaking, life without a major utility would suck much harder than life without pom poms, but let's face it--it also wouldn't be nearly as fun. So let's get to it, shall we?

Ever heard the phrase "more is better"? It certainly applies to this double pom pom hat.

Of course, it could equally apply to this ginormous pom pom hat. I mean, sheesh--you could probably knock a person unconscious with that thing, or at least leave them with a sizable welt.

How could a double pom pom hat be made more awesome? Add skull and crossbones, of course.

Admittedly, this one is pretty run-of-the-mill, but I like the colors, so ON THE BLOG IT GOES.

What do you call a hat that features not only a pom pom on top, but also has ear flaps that have their own pom poms?

...Honestly, I have no idea. But it's pretty dang snazzy, I'll say that much.

And now, because I haven't posted anything in a while that might come across as animal cruelty, here's a dog wearing a hat with a pom pom:

Hey--at least there's holes for the dog's ears. And you must admit, it is really, really cute.

See you Wednesday!

Felt It

This felted creature is apparently called an oeufling, and they're what happens to lost Easter Eggs. If you're not buying it, take it up with everyeskimo; s/he makes them.

You remember how Justin Timberlake brought sexy back? Your mileage may vary on musical tastes, but we can all agree that was at least financially successful for Mr. Timberlake and, well, I'd like to take a stab at bringing something back, too.

Of course, the trouble with bringing something back is that not only is it subjective, but there are so many worthy candidates. Think about it; rack your brains for all the things you deeply and truly loved that aren't around/getting as much play as they deserve, and pick the one you think is most important. It's like Sophie's Choice: The Material Version.

So it was after some time spent deep in thought (meaning, about as long as it took to nuke a burrito in the microwave) that I decided there was only one true candidate for Being Brought Back: felt.

Now, before you start arguing, Internets, think about it; when was the last time you owned anything made out of felt? Wool, cotton, fleece, maybe even a few poly blends, but I'm willing to bet that felt isn't really represented in your wardrobe. I'll admit that it isn't in mine, and that's sad, because felt is an awesome fabric.

Don't believe me? Let me show my work.

First up, there's this darling carnation fascinator, which I think is pretty dang neat. I particularly like the way the lace was incorporated for added texture.

Confession Time: I am a sucker for cutwork stuff. So it probably comes as no surprise that I fell more than just a little for this felt headband.

I've said it before and I'll say it again; I never realized how much of a market there was out there for owl-themed head gear. Consider this owl fascinator as more added proof.

I like the "simple yet not really all that simple" construction of this fascinator. Yeah, it's just circles, but the layering of the circles is what makes it more complicated than previously thought.

And just because I like to contrast "simple" with "holy cheech, that had to take a while to make," here's a truly fabulous fascinator made of felt:

See? I told you it was fabulous.

Well, I believe that helped make my case for bringing felt back. And on that note, I'll see you next week!

R is for Robot Hats

Like this cute little robot wearing a hat? Check out lubu, where there are tons more like it. Except, y'know, different. But they're still robots.

Not sure how your day is going, but mine seems to be dominated by rain, and it's sapping my ability to focus on anything. You know how rainy days just make you feel unmotivated and lazy? That's pretty much where I'm at. And normally this wouldn't be such a big hairy stinkin' deal, but I need to slap together a blog post, and laziness/unmotivatedness is kinda anathema to that.

So what does this mean for you, Internets? It means robot hats. Because I haven't done those this year yet, and we're almost into February. It's like I'm slacking or something.

First up, there's this stripy little number, complete with a suitably stern-looking robot on it.

Personally, I like the little beaded thingamajig on the robot's forehead. Don't know why; it just tickles me.

Of course, if you prefer your robots to look a little more on the cheerful side of things, there's a hat for you, too.

But frankly, if you want something that more accurately reflects what it's going to look like when the robots rise up and take over, this might just be the best hat for the job.

It's the zig-zaggy mouth that really sells "rage," if you ask me.

Now I'll admit that the majority of robot hats out there are generally made for those who identify as male, which is a bit of a downer. Luckily, The Fuzzy Robot is looking out for the rest of us, as this hat proves.

Okay--it's proving it by putting a big honkin' bow on a robot's head, but it's a start.

This is not actually a robot hat. It's actually a felted robot pin attached to a hat, but I really, really like it.

But just as a way of making up for that last not-hat-related bit, here's a robot hat that should smooth things over just a bit:

Ta-da! It's a Wall-E hat! It's everything that is cute and adorable about robots in hat form! Forgive me now? I figured you would.

See you Friday!

Best of Both Worlds

Sometimes, it's nice to have a little original art, like this lacy scarf painting by Gabriella Soraci. You should check out more of her stuff--it's prettiful.

If you ask me, some of the best words in the world are those that are classified as portmanteaus. For those who are too lazy to click that helpful little link, they're basically two words that were mixed together to make a new one. In that sense, they're a lot like contractions, but they generally don't have an apostrophe and are much cooler.

Think about it; all the words that are best (EX. spork, turducken, liger, etc.) are portmanteaus. And after the Internet search I just did, I would like to add another word to that lovely list: scoodies.

What's a scoodie, you ask? Well, scroll on and find out!

First up, for those of us who dearly miss our old cassette players, here's a scoodie that pays homage to the the most important button on that mug: Play/Pause.

Y'know, with as often that I post some really wild hats, it's occasionally nice to go with something a little more conventional like this scoodie.

Well, as conventional as a scoodie can be, anyway.

Nothing quite says you're a nature-lover like an upcycled scoodie with a big honkin' leaf on it.

Seeing as I have already posted a monster hoodie, it only makes sense that I post a monster scoodie. Y'know, for fairness and balance or something like that.

And just because I can, here's the best dang scoodie I have ever seen: a kraken scoodie.

See? You can't even argue with that statement, because this scoodie is that freakin' awesome. Just like the word "scoodie" itself, really.

And on that note, see you Wednesday!

Grin & Bear It

Like this print? Then you might wanna head on over to Iota Illustration and snap it up with the quickness, because it's a limited edition. Just sayin'.

And yes, this is the second time this week I've made a horrific pun out of the title of the post. What can I say? I'm on a roll.

In any event, it occurred to me recently that it's been well over a year since I last posted bear hats (seriously; the last time I posted bear hats was back in 2009.) That strikes me as a grievous oversight which I will now endeavor to remedy, because bears are awesome and so are bear hats--no matter what Stephen Colbert might say.

For those of you out there wondering how a bear hat could be get cuter, I have two words for you: ear fluff.

Of course, there's something to be said for having a winning expression, like this hat. Although I think what really sells it is that the model has a matching expression.

For those who like bear hats and know how to knit, perhaps I could interest you in this charming little pattern. Then you could customize the crap out of it, make it your own and maybe send me a picture of it for the blog.

Hey--you can't blame me for trying to get out of scanning Etsy all the time, can you?

For those of you who like to live la vida verde, here's an adorable little upcycled bear hat to drool over.

And last but not least, there's...well, there's this hat:

The only thing I can think to say about this hat is that it looks like the result of crossing a bear hat with Insanity Wolf (which, by the way, is so NSFW that it's hardly funny. Wait until you get home before clicking that link.) The resemblance is all in the eyes, I'm telling you.

And on that note, that's it for this week. See you Monday!