Cutesy Little Designs

Because every day needs a little bit of spunk, we’ve picked out our favorite oddities of the moment to share. Functional or not, there’s no reason design shouldn’t make you smile once in awhile. Here are our top four cutesies of the moment.
Cutesy 1) Emotibles has the most unique iPod accessory we’ve seen so far. These little doohickies look like a caps key crossed with a bag of tropical Skittles. Do they have a function? Sure they do (if fashion accessory counts as a function). They’re Emotibuds, plastic charms that grip your iPod headphones. At $4 a pair, they come in a huge array of stylish colors, and each one has a strange little face based on emoticons. With names like Frisky, Starry-eyed, Brilliant, and Befuddled, there are at least 16 little personalities to jazz up your pod. Also at Emotibles, check out the tees, free wallpaper, and custom ichat avatars.

Cutesy 2) If you ever thought geeks have no style, you’ve obviously never seen Mimo Bots. Perhaps marketed towards those of us who can’t live without storage sticks or perhaps geared towards those who just like nifty looking gagets (USB what?), the Mimo Bot has more personality than anything you’ve ever plugged in. Designed by toy studio vs consumer electronics brand Mimoco, these are USB flash drives with soul and style. The Mimo Bots run the full gamut from fairy to monster, depending on what mood your electronics normally take. Data storage has never had such attitude.
Cutesy 3) This might be the least functional of the batch, but who could resist? It’s Mr Tofu Robot! Apparently served fresh in a sealed package, Mr Tofu Robot comes from a favorite store of ours, Spicy Brown. Although we primarily like Spicy for their apparel, if you’re in the market for tofu gone gizmo, they’ve got you covered.
Cutesy 4) And finally, if you don’t Google, you should. Yes, iGoogle. The web dominators have several options for those search savvy followers who may get bored with the monotony of white day after day. We like the seasonal theme for our iGoogle. If office work has you down, give it a try. Functional? Yes. Efficient? Not so much. Office work is now more distracting than ever with customizable news bars, tips, horoscopes, and jokes. However, short of a coffee break, that may be exactly what you need.

Sassy Finds from Solsis Designs

We have loved Solsis Designs ever since we first discovered the little fashion line several years ago. Since we’re forever envious of the bright colorful clothing, it seemed appropriate to highlight this unique designer while the weather’s still hot and the beaches are cool. Solsis Designs are inspired by the spirit, movement, and energy of life. Each item of clothing is unique and handcrafted for the woman with an active sexy lifestyle.

Solsis brings the Brazilian beat to her creations, incorporating the world of dance, rhythm, and laughter into her work. Each item is free flowing, perfect for hot nights in the dance club or long days at the oceanside. Colorful and creative, these pieces are surefire headturners.
Pictured here are the best-selling New Orleans Crescent Dress ($78) and the Yemanja Blouse ($62). The dress, shown in two different fabric swatches, is a limited edition and a very popular style. The high waist gives the dress a slimming effect and the fabric is stretchy enough to hug all your curves in just the right way. The blouse is a new design brought back from Brazil and inspired by the funky seaside culture. Check out other styles at Solsis Designs.

The Orchid Handmade or Fair Trade

The orchid always adds an element of the exotic to any room. Elegant and graceful, these flowers are an excellent decoration for a living room, bedroom, or office space, especially if you want to bring a little paradise and tranquility to your hectic daily life. Delicate and beautiful, the flowers come in many astounding colors. Capture the essence of the orchid’s beauty with these great finds.
Alicia Brock has a lovely baby blue orchid photo. The first print in her “Through the Viewfinder” series, this piece is $30.Moondrop Clothiers has a 22K gold necklace handcrafted in Thailand by Danai Leosawathiphong. This piece of fair trade jewelry is a real Dendrobium orchid preserved in the gold plate and sells for $34.99.
Hanami also offers a pink Cattelya orchid necklace, mounted on a suede cord with glass beads for $63.
The Cattleya was captured in print by Mark Mittleman. This print of a Black Momilani Rainbow orchid is $15.

Purple Passion: This Fall's Top Color

As a color once reserved only for the rich and powerful, purple has again hit it big in the fashion world. A regular favorite in the fall season color lineup, purple has been plucked out as the “it” hue for this fall’s fashion trends. The rich, deep, plume shade has always been a hit when crisper weather arrives. Purple integrates well with earth tones, shades of brown, and a more neutral schema. Plum, dusky lavender, and deep wine shades look bold but not glaring when integrated with dark denim, black, burgundy, and chocolate brown. When shopping for the perfect piece, be sure to choose an article of clothing with rich undertones, like a deep velvet violet or a shade of rich purple wine.

These go best with an understated palette and can be combined with other shades like mustard, ochre, or dusky cobalt for an exciting color combination. As a jewel tone, purple is an excellent choice for eveningwear or accessories. Look for brighter shoes, shiny purses, and sequin tops for a night out and about. For more help coordinating colors, check out this season's color chart

Purple is a creative color, and because it was so expensive to come by (in the ancient times, purple dye came from a mollusk), purple is known throughout art and history as the color most associated with kings, emperors, and wisemen. Check out these indie designers for more fashion inspiration.

Empire Gown by AngelRox at Unsung Designers $228
Old Friends hand screen printed top from Little by Jenny $34
Georgette Top by Scott Gibson N.Y.C. at Unsung Designers $220
Purple Marsh T-Shirt by The Red Prairie Press $25
Flashdance Top by Robot Arms at Unsung Designers $60

Go Global! Nomad Fashion from Independent Designers

Feeling inspired by this fall’s nomad fashion trend? Ready to wear some bold ethnic prints, layered textures, and free flowing fabrics? If you like the eclectic and adventurous look of this season’s global fashion exchange but don’t want to pay top dollars for the premium designer brand, check out works by these independent designers.

Venni Caprice offers custom handmade-to-order pieces based on her red carpet designs. This empire waist dress features a tribal African design and her batik dress is just right for fading from summer into fall. For more information, check out her Etsy store or her blog.

There’s a summer sale going on right now at Asian iCandy, an online boutique store offering Asian ethnic inspired fashion from artists worldwide. The shop offers authentic and unique apparel and gifts for those who would like to blend a little Asian inspiration into their day. Also on Etsy, check out the wide leg linen Capri pants for easy movement in an earthy brick red color or the all-natural linen mermaid skirt for a free flowing bottom with a bold decorative pattern.