Cool Stuff: Pandora Deluxe Cutlery

Are there picnics and barbecues in your future this holiday weekend? Too bad you don't have a set of these uber-fancy plastic utensils. After all, you don't want to dig into that potato salad with just any old supermarket spork, do you?

Next time, be prepared with these chic forks, knives, and spoons from Italy's Pandora Design, which take the form of fine silver cutlery but come in a variety of poppy plastic hues. Bonus: The lightweight utensils are dishwasher safe, so they'll serve you well for many al fresco meals to come.

Right now, they're on sale for $18.90 per four-piece set from Rose and Radish.

Objects of Lust: Anna Sykora Ceramics

The minute I saw these, I fell hard. I mean, yum.

Handcrafted by Berlin ceramist Anna Sykora from Limoges porcelain, each piece is covered in a fine layer of earth-based terra sigillata clay that Sykora mixes herself before being inscribed with a delicate pattern and fired at ultra-high temperature.

Available in a variety of colors and patterns, the bowls are 40 to 44 euros (about $56 to $62), the vases are 198 euros ($278), and the platters are 120 to 190 euros ($169 to $267) from Craft2Eu.

See more of Sykora's work here.

Cool Stuff: Stain Cups

British designer Bethan Laura Wood's clever Stain Cups are designed to become more beautiful with each use. Wood treats the inside of each porcelain teacup so that, over time, certain areas pick up more stain than others. "The more the cups are used, the more the pattern is revealed," she explains.

The cups are £35 (about $50) each. Contact Wood directly to order, and check out more of the young designer's innovative wares right here.

(Via CribCandy.)

Etsy Find of the Day: Genevieve Dionne Ceramics

More fox love from Vancouver, British Columbia ceramist and Etsy seller Genevieve Dionne. Each piece is hand-thrown and ornamented with Dionne's hand-cut stencil designs. Above: Smoking Fox Mug, $25

Tall Fox Mug, $25

Fox Mug, $25

And in non-fox-related news, I also really like this Ghost Cup, $25, and Ghost Vase, $30.

See all of Dionne's Etsy offerings right here -- and while you're at it, be sure to check out her very cool wood burn, illustration, and collage work here.

Deal of the Day: 15% Off Place Settings at Heath Ceramics

How drool-worthy are these new place settings from Heath Ceramics? I'll take service for twelve ...

To celebrate the launch of this new dinnerware collection, Heath is offering 15 percent off the regular price ($78 to $164 per set) until the end of February. Simply type in SETS at checkout to take advantage of the discount.

And if you're in the Bay Area, stop by the Heath Factory Store in Sausalito this weekend (Friday, February 6 through Sunday, February 8) for tours, open studios, giveaways, and 10 percent off everything.

Cool Stuff: Aida Dirse Ceramic Bowls

So yesterday was my birthday. (And no, I'm not going to tell you which one. OK, fine: 29. ;-)

I told my mother not to get me anything, because she was taking us all out to a nice dinner (here, for any of you locals reading). She's an inveterate shopper, though, and I secretly knew there was really no stopping her. But what kills me is that she drove an hour into San Francisco to go to a little shop I'd once mentioned in passing that I liked, and picked up something there that I'd been pining over for months but probably never would have splurged on for myself.

This petite bowl, hand-built in Lithuania by ceramic artist Aida Dirse, is just exquisite. I adore its texture and imperfection and its cheerful pattern. But most of all, I love that it's now mine. Thank you, Mom!

(If you're tempted to get one of your own, they're $72 to $87 from Rare Device.)

Mark Your Calendar: Open Studios at Heath Ceramics

I'm a huge fan of Heath Ceramics, the 60-year-old pottery that Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic stumbled upon near their home in Sausalito, California five years ago and rescued from decline. (I'm also completely in awe of Catherine and Robin's amazing house.)

Believe it or not, though, I've never been to the Heath factory, despite the fact that it's only a few miles from where I live. (How lame is that? I'm embarrassed.) But that's going to change this weekend, when Heath holds its annual open studio and sale. Heath artisans will be manning their wheels and kilns during hourly factory tours, and everything in the Heath Factory Store will be 20 percent off -- including not just Heath's wonderful tableware and tile, but also gorgeous textiles and housewares from a small group of talented independent designers that Bailey and Petravic admire. There will be food from San Francisco's Green Chile Kitchen, and a hands-on tile glazing activity, too.

Below is a sneak peek of Heath's skilled craftsmen and -women at work (you can see the entire online tour here). I can't wait to watch them in action and to learn more about the process used to create this beautiful, timeless pottery

Heath's open studio and factory tours happen Saturday, November 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, November 23, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The annual sale starts Friday, November 21 in the Factory Store, and ends Sunday, November 30.

If you're not in the area, you can visit Heath online right here.

Cool Stuff: Lealand Eve

I just got an email from Nathan King, who along with his partner, artist and Pratt grad Lealand Eve, recently opened a small boutique and online shop in Sayville, New York. The Lealand Eve Boutique features wares (such as the Turf Tealight Holder, above, $35) from small manufacturers and artisans, and cultivates a look that's "organic and clean, taking cues from the natural environment and adding a whimsical, fairy tale touch."

Take a look:

Lily Hand Vase, $35

Blue Buffet Lamp, $400

Diamond Scallop Mirror, $219

Burl Dippers, $35 each

Tord Boontje Table Stories Glass, $14.50

Sapling Silverware Set, $79

Gold Plate Set, $58

Lace Votive Set, $35

Peruse all of Lealand Eve's lovely goods right here.

Cool Stuff: Heath Ceramics Winter Collection

Currently drooling over: Heath Ceramics' new Winter Collection in rich shades of red, burgundy, and plum.

The handmade pieces in the limited-edition collection range from $25 to $101, and are available right here.

Cool Stuff: Brooklyn Tableware from Fishs Eddy

My husband and I are both California natives, and have spent most of our lives here. But although Oakland is home now, Brooklyn will always hold a special place in our hearts. Our daughter born there, for one -- that's her below on the stoop of the apartment building where she entered the world. (Yes, she was born at home -- by accident. It's a long story.) And building snowmen in the schoolyard across the street and climbing onto the bus for the ride to playgroup in Park Slope are some of our son's very first memories. We also made several amazing and, I hope, lifelong friends during our stint in the brownstone-filled borough.

So when a pal reminded me yesterday of Fishs Eddy, the incredible New York dishware outlet that we used to frequent in our NYC days, I popped over to the company's website to see what was on offer, and was delighted to discover this line of whimsical Brooklyn-themed items.

Clockwise from top left: Glass, Square Plate, Tote, Mug, Small Tray, Cereal Bowl. Prices range from just $4 to about $14 per piece. Check out the entire collection right here.

P.S. If you find yourself in New York, don't pass up a chance to visit the flagship Fishs Eddy on Broadway at 19th. In addition to the company's own signature wares, you'll find a mindblowing collection of unique table- and servingware salvaged from hotels and restaurants across the country.

Cool Stuff: Ceramic Pedestal Bowls

So pretty ... so versatile ... so totally mine.

The set of three ceramic tripod bowls is $79 from VivaTerra.

Bonus Etsy Find of the Day: Skinny Laminx Egg Cups

Also loving this foray into ceramic transfer from another Cape Town textile designer and illustrator, the incomparable Skinny Laminx. (Mmmm ... eggs.)

Top: Bracken Eggcups

Spindley Eggcups

Flowery Eggcups

Dots Eggcups

They're just $15 per set. Check 'em out right here.