Cool Stuff: LAMA Pillows and Throws on Sale

Good news: From now until March 19, every pillow and throw at the Oakland, California-based LAMA Designs (Latin America in the Modern Age) is 35 percent off.

My faves have got to be artist Tanya Aguiñiga's handmade felt "Animales" series (top), on sale for $78 apiece, and the graphic Caballito Pillow (above) from Argentina's Fauna Perez, on sale for $32.50.

Though these weatherproof Mexican oilcloth pillows (the medium size in yellow is on sale for just $17) are mighty tempting, too.

While you're there, be sure to check out a few other LAMA goodies:

Pop Flower Serving Tray, $70

Blue Guatemalan Hammock, on sale for $57

Knitted Cardón Cactus, $24

Teapot With a Cold, $120

Tiny Fruit Pot With Spoon, $24

Toile Laptop Case, $32

Owlino Tote, $60

Credit Card/Business Card Case, $11

Calco Cortina Paper, $9 per sheet

Corazon Love Birds Card, $3.50

Mariana Bandin Dolls and Softies, $38 to $40 each

See all of LAMA's Latin-flavored modern wares right here.

Objects of Lust: Missoni Throws

It's cold, wet, and dreary here today, so I'm craving color and coziness. These delicious wool throws from iconic Italian design house Missoni fit the bill perfectly. (Even in flush times, I can't see spending quite so much on a blanket, no matter how lovely -- buy hey, it doesn't cost a cent to feast the eyes, right? And if you're in the position to cough up some cash, one of these would make for a bold, colorful accent draped over the back of a chair or folded at the foot of a bed, even in warmer weather.) Above: Jamiro Throw, $410 from Bedding, Etc.

Humbert Cushions and Throws, $102 and $315 each from Bedding, Etc. (For those of us on a tight budget, IKEA's $20 Jorun Throw is a comparable -- though far less luxurious -- option.)

Kiruna Throw, $670 from Bedding, Etc.

Karlos Throw, $295 at Bedding, Etc.

Harpo Throw, $275 at Pillows and Throws

Cool Stuff: Publique Living

Maybe I'm longing for the winter we're not really having here in California, but I'd like nothing better than to wrap myself up in one of these yummy Boucle Alpaca Throws, $205 each from San Francisco design firm Publique Living. The company fuses simple, restrained design and high-quality, often sustainable materials to create quietly elegant accessories for the home.

More goodies from Publique's e-shop:

Boucle Alpaca Pillows, $135 each

Barley Wool Blankets, $195 each

Paper Votive Cuffs, $15 for four

Tree Cups and Saucers, $18 per set

Grafik180: City Art limited-edition prints inspired by the distinctive architecture of cities around the world, $200 each unframed or $390 framed

WoodArt: Rocks made from hand-cut and -stitched wood veneer, $420 each

See more Publique Living designs right here.

Cool Stuff: Summer at IKEA

I slipped, you guys. Despite my resolution to lay off the IKEA crap once and for all, I bought a whole bunch of stuff there yesterday.

I know it will all fall apart in a few months, and I suspect that it was probably made with toxic, non-sustainable materials by obscenely underpaid workers in Far East sweatshops. But I stopped in to pick up a bunch of Ribba frames so I could finally hang my growing collection of Etsy prints, because those are the only simple white frames I've found that I can afford to buy in mass quantities.

And, well, my resolve to drastically limit the amount of IKEA in my life fell away when I saw all the happy, super-cheap new summer stuff and other recent additions at my local Swedish superstore. (And yes, today I feel hung over with guilt -- but not so much so that I didn't spend most of the morning moving things around to make room for my new scores.)

Sommar Cushions, $8 each

Sommar Paper Tablecloth, $3. (There are so many different ways you could use this large roll of fairly durable laminated paper: wrapping a lampshade, lining dresser drawers, staple-gunning it over a worn table- or dressertop, mod-poging it to cabinet or closet doors ...)

Sommar Food Domes, on sale for $1 each

Sommar Cloth Bags (a little Orla-ish, no?), $8 each

Sommar Gardening Bags, $3 each

Sommar Hanging Planters, $13 each

Sommar Picnic Blanket, $30

Sommar Throws, $13 each

Greno Cushions (I like the yellow), $20 each

More Greno Cushions, $6 each

Hemon Rugs, $15 each

Flyn Ofelia Curtain Panels, $45 for three

Hjordis Fabric, $4 a yard

Knubbig Lamp, $17 or $9, depending on size

Pjatteryd Wall Art, $70

Tripp Storage Tins, $3 a set

Jutanas Decorative Figures, $20 for a set of five

Trollsta Sideboard, $349

Ange Chair, $129, and Hejka Chair, $139

Oh yeah, and they finally have that Egg-like Karlstad Swivel Chair ($329) that I lusted after last summer, when it was only available at overseas IKEAs. Not loving it so much in person.

I didn't actually buy all of this stuff, mind you -- but I bought some of it.

Damn you, IKEA.

(How do you all feel about the Blue Behemoth? Great for deals on fun, disposable decor -- or poor-quality environmental and economic scourge? Post a comment and let me know.)

Cool Stuff: Orla Kiely Housewares

I was poking around a bit this weekend on the freshly redesigned website for London-based designer Orla Kiely, and found several things for my ever-expanding and increasingly mythological Wish List. (I've said it before and I'll say it again: Damn the U.S. dollar for being so weak that it makes almost all of the loveliness coming out of the UK these days utterly out of my reach!)

Of course, Ms. Kiely is best known for her gorgeous bags and clothing -- but I tend to salivate over the home goods.

Take a look:

Patterned Notebooks, 16 to 20 pounds sterling (about $32 to $40) each

Flower Oval, Multi Flower Abacus, and Scribble Stem mugs, 10 pounds ($20) each

Multi Stem Shade, Flower Abacus Shade, and Flower Blossom Shade, 95 pounds ($190) each

Stem Print Blanket, 235 pounds ($470)

Stem Print Cushion, 165 pounds ($330)

Big Tulip and Rowan Tree wallpaper, 60 pounds ($120) a roll

My product lust was whipped up to such a degree, though, that I did finally bite the bullet and order a roll of Orla Kiely's Flower Blossom Wallpaper, which I'd been pining over for awhile. (I got it from Anthropologie, where it's a comparatively affordable $88 a roll.)

I'm going to showcase a few lengths of it with the Poster Hanger system from Rare Device, and I may back a trio of bookshelves in our living room with the paper as well. (Other ideas for using wallpaper in novel ways? Lemme know.)

Check out the Orla Kiely site -- and get your own mythological Wish List started -- right here.