HAPPPPPPY Friday my friends! I am so excited because next week we leave for a long family vacation/ This summer has sure flown by, I can’t believe we are heading into August. My time off has been really fantastic though, and much needed. We’ll be visiting greg’s parents in South Carolina and then my parents in Michigan…and then after that, we head on down to San Diego for Tiki Oasis (we head there every year and it’s such a blast!). But before we leave, here are some fun links to some things that caught my eye the last two weeks.

1. NOW THIS IS A BOOKSTORE.

The Kid’s Republic book store in Japan is my kind of book store. Colorful and cozy.

2. TREE HOUSE OF MY DREAMS

You guys know I love a good tree house….and when Modern Kiddo reader Alice (of the magificent trip to Sweden) tipped me off to The Tree House HOTEL? Well yeah….I got a little excited.

“The Tree Hotel has four rooms and there are two more in plan. Take advantage of the peaceful surroundings and the fact that nothing can touch you as you are somewhere above the earth.”

3. WEAR THE RAINBOW WITH BONNIE & BUTTERMILK

If Kate Spade and Orla Kiely had a torrid affair in a crayola crayon box….well, you’d get Bonnie & Buttermilk. The always stylish Pilgrim tipped me off to this amazing German brand and I want one of everything!

4. BEAUTIFUL WELCOME SIGN

My friend Rachel (of Smile & Wave) is so wildly creative. Just look at this Welcome Home sign she dreamed up using glow bracelets. Sheer genius!

5. COOL RETRO STYLE HANGERS

We’ve posted about sweet storybook vintage children’s hangers before….we love them! The one downside, if you don’t find the ones with a metal hanger dealie, is that they can be a little small for today’s modern closet rod. Enter these Swedish repros from Fabulous Goose!

6. DARLING ILLUSTRATIONS TO MAKE YOU SMILE

I spied the whimsical work of Esther Aarte over at Charlottes Fancy….I especially love these birthday invitations.

7. LIKE APPLES AND ORANGES

Whoa. The knock-off industry in China has really stepped it up from faux handbags and jeans. Check out this fake Apple store. Crazy!

8. WHEN I WAS A KID ALL I HAD WAS A ROCK & A STICK

SO clever….this rubber handle from artist Naarma Agassi turns any stick into a swashbuckling sword!

9. CUTEST CELEB BABY EVERRRRR.

I stumbled upon this and was dying….little baby Julie Newmar. Kind of the cutest little girl ever!

10. THESE SPARKLE FLOORS ARE AMAZING

This is the coolest DIY ever. Who wouldn’t want to dance around their house every single day with glitter sparkle floors beneath your feet? From Kathy at One Crafty Chica.

HAPPY FRIDAY folks! Here are some super fun and groovy things that caught my eye this past week. They’ll make some fine browsin’ for you to check out today or over the weekend! Oooooh, and hands up, who’s going to see Harry Potter??? I know I am! K, let’s check out some cool stuff.

1. THE FRESHEST COLORING BOOK AROUND.

Nothing beats analog for kiddos, but I am definitely enjoying the creative apps being created for the young digi-set. HeyHey Colors is one of my new faves. The perfect combination of hip and childlike, HeyHey Colors brings the colorful world of street artist Bue the Warrior to a quirky cool iPad coloring book. Check it out here.

2. BROOKYN CIRCA 1974

I love looking at old photos and the ones from the 70s are always particularly groovy. This set of images from Brooklyn in 1974 is right up my ally. See more here (via ISO50 ).

3. KLT:WORKS MAKES SWEET DADDY & SON CARDIES

If you know me, you know I love a good cardigan. And these matching daddy and son (or daddy and daughter) cardigans from the super cool Kristin of klt:works are SO GREAT! Featuring her infamous owl, I think I will be ordering a set for Greg and Wolfie very very soon! (Hmmm, or maybe me and Wolfie! heh) Buy yours here.

4. SUPER ACTION PACKED

Dottie tipped me off to this awesome magazine for kiddos and I have to say it looks pretty cool folks. Action Pack is a fab Mini-Mag for kids that was created to inspire creativity and challenge their imagination. Each magazine is jam packed with 20+ pages of science experiments, easy and delicious recipes, simple craft projects that require minimal adult supervision and outdoor activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Best of all? NO ADS! Five bones ($5).

5. DIVYA IS DOPE.

I first met Divya Srinivasan several years ago through my work. She is a wonderfully talented illustrator and animator. You might know her if you have a copy of They Might Be Giants: Here Come the ABCs on DVD. (She did one of my favorites, “Go for G!”) Or if you have Sufjan Steven’s album Illinois. Or saw the film Waking Life. Yeah she’s pretty good.

The sweet Miss Divya is releasing her first children’s book. And it looks adorable. Here is a little “trailer” sneak peak!

6. FANCY LIDS.

OK. I am currently not biking much. But when and if I do, I think I really need one of these bike helmets from Yakkay. Have you ever seen anything SO CUTE?

7. CREEPY COOL DOGS.

These kind of creep me out, yet I think it’s pretty darn clever. You thread pasta through hot dogs (or veggie dogs!) before cooking and then they come out all wiggly and attached to the dogs. Kinda cool! You know, in a grody fun way. See more via quick-dish

8. SARAH JESSICA, HOMEMAKER.

I have a fondness for Sarah Jessica Parker. As over done as the whole Sex and the City thing was (and truly, that last movie? *shudder*) I thought Carrie Bradshaw was an amazingly cool character. Over 30! Chic! A hard working independent gal! I’m always intrigued by what SJP is up to and love Matthew Broderick. She is notoriously private, so I thought this spread in British Vogue was very interesting. Her twins are quite cute! See more photos here.

9. PRETTIEST LITTLE PIXELS.

Ex-Pixar animator creates beautiful e-book for children. ’nuff said. Just watch.

10. HARRY POTTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Harry. Our house is BUSTIN’ with excitement. This past year was a huge one for Wolfie as he discovered the wonderful world of Harry Potter. Both the books and the movies. Of course the books are the most magical but I do think the movies are every bit as wonderful. I think we have probably seen each one of them 10 times over the course of the year. I will say that we weren’t sure if they would be too scary for our little first grader. We started with the first and before you could say “expecto patronum!” he was utterly obsessed. We would finish one and he would beg to see the next one. I think watching the DVDs at home is much less scary—it’s not a dark movie theater, we can pause and discuss and of course cuddle up on the couch. Wolfie has been known to wander around mumbling spells, he loves it that much. We should probably do an entire post devoted to Pottermania, but for now, check out this fantastic collection of work done by artists celebrating their love of Harry Potter!

Have an amazing weekend my friends. Can’t wait to hear all about it!

1. A HAIR RAISING WAY TO PARK YOUR BIKE.

I love this big ol’ 70s pack pocket comb as a bike rack. So clever! It’s in Roanoke, Virginia, if yer close by.

2. UP, UP AND AWAY.

I reeeeally want to float away on this coach, with a juicy book. Doesn’t it look awesome??

3. BELLE AND SEBASTIAN LOOK AS PRETTY AS THEY SOUND.

Sure they’re known for their dreamy music, but this beautifully animated video by Lesley Barnes is almost prettier than the song. SO great.

Check out the full video here. So dreamy….

4. A KIDDO’S TOY IS HIS CASTLE.

The always awesome Robert Mahar of Junior Society has put together a collection of groovy kid’s play castles. I love a good castle. Take a look for your little knight or princess.

5. I’M PLOTZING OVER PLOC.

Awesome Kiddo reader Flannery O’Kafka tipped us off to this rad new magazine from the makers of the lovely Anorak Magazine. Their new project is called, PLOC: The Happy Mag For Little Ones. The best part is that they contacted one of my all time favorite vintage illustrators, Alain Grée (I featured him here). He is an incredible French artist who illustrated children’s books through the 60s and 70s. I can’t wait to see the first issue!

via bambino goodies

6. THE 20 BEST TREE HOUSES AROUND

I love tree houses. I’ve always wanted one. And these are especially inspiring.

via babble

7. PAST MEETS PRESENT PHOTOS TAKE OFF!

The Dear Photograph blog is making the rounds and I think the concept is so lovely. Take a picture of a photo from the past in the present. I must boast here and say we actually posted about this idea two months before Dear Photograph launched (ahem, hee) but the blog is definitely a terrific idea. See my original post here for lots of great photos and then pop by Dear Photograph too!

image: katie artzner

8 THE CRAZY CUTENESS OF RAINBOW CITY, NYC
Oh my. New Yorkers you have until July 5 to check out this extraordinary forty piece installation by FriendsWithYou. ‘Rainbow City’ is a vibrant collection of air-filled sculptures which make this ‘city’ a very happy place to be indeed! Located at the lot on 30th Street in the Chelsea art district.

via LMNOP

9 AHHHH, GILT FREE SHOPPING
Have you heard of Gilt Groupe? It’s a terrific site that lets you buy schmancy label goodies for your kiddos without breaking yer pocketbook! They call it “insider access to deals” and I’m a girlie who loves a good deal. In addition to gorgeous clothing you’ll also find cool toys and gear. The line up changes all the time and this week is especially good!

How adorable, right?? They have really cute boy things too. Like that awesome frenchy lookin’ stripey tee from American Apparel down there? Five bucks! And that awesome Tea Collection Wolf shirt? $12 smackers! You can sign up for free here. Head on over!

10 PEANUT BUTTER BACON COOKIES ROCK MY WORLD.

How does one type a droooooool? Earlier this week I met up with my friends James (of bleubird vintage) and Tracy (of Shutterbean). Tracy made these cookies. And I admit was a skeptical….but the lesson is, NEVER DOUBT THE BEAN! MAN WERE THEY SHUMMY! Tracy is an excellent maker of foods. And these cookies kick booty. Get the recipe here.

That’s all folks! Have a super duper lovely weekend.

Soooooo I’m a day late on this one, but I think you’ll still have fun checking these linkies out! And for all the daddy’s in the house….HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

1. MANLY BOUQUET FOR DADDY

I’m not sure what a cod box is, but the smart folks at design*sponge created a very clever guy “bouquet” for father’s day out of one.

{via design*sponge}

2. STUCK ON YOU

As an Instagram addict, I think this iPhone camera sticker is pretty fab.

{via babble}

3. THE GIRL WITH THE MOST CAKE

Words fail me….this is quite simply the prettiest cake ever! And I bet it tastes just as delicious.

{via poppytalk}

4. LITTLE MAN DUDS

These little dudes are cute. Sharon from the fun blog, NYC Taught Me posted her fun tips for dressing toddler boys. I will say that not every kiddo is so agreeable to suspenders (Hello? Wolfie? Yes I’m talkin’ to YOU) but I will also say that when Wolfie was in kindergarten I totally bought him a pair of girl’s Paper, Denim Cloth black jean leggings (cotton not denim) from TJ Maxx and he rocked the heck out of ’em….never knowing they were from the girl’s dept. They just looked like rad rocker jeans. But on the suspender tip, American Apparel makes some great ones for kiddos in bright colors.

{via Say Yes to Hoboken}

5. I WANT TO RIDE THIS BICYCLE
I think this crazy charming Alexander Girard bicycle might even get my big ol’ booty exersizing.

6. SHE’S BEAN THERE

Our friend Tracy knows food. And her kiddo Cooper eats like a champ. Check out her tips for feeding kids. Now if only I can get her to work on Wolfie…

7. POLKA DOTTY DREAMS

I don’t have a little girl but if I did, I sure would buy her these amazing (AMAZING!) polka dot flamenco mary janes. Fab with dressies but genius with little rolled up jeans! Made in Spain, available from gestipt.

{via bloesem kids}

8. MUST HAVE MOCKS

For all you sassy ladies who are in search of stylish but comfy shoes, I think these mocassins are the cutest thing ever!! I just I might need to buy a pair.

{via a beautiful mess}

9. SHE WORE BLUE VINTAGE
Coral Vintage has quite possibly one of the best vintage collections around! The prices are rather high, but the garments are all spectacular. And it doesn’t hurt that proprietress Christine is drop dead gorgeous as she models all the dressies! Miss Jenny tracked the lovely Christine and got the skinny on how she started her shop! It’s a fascinating read.

{via: frecklewonder}

10. JORDAN FERNEY RULES

You have til Monday to get thee over to Oh Happy Day to enter this genius contest! If you’ve never read it, Jordan’s blog is tres magnifique! She is a fellow San Francisco girlie, but she and her sweet family are living in France for the year. And because she rules, she is celebrating her Five Year Blog-a-versary by giving away a free trip to Paris to her readers. Enter it here: http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris! Bon chance!

image: 3 Ring Circus Vintage

Ahh it’s Friday! Wow there were sooo many cool things that caught my eye this week. It was hard to limit it to 10! But hey, it means I already have a jump start on next week right?

1. GROUND CONTROL TO MAJOR DOLL

Ahh, nothing says fun like a droll paperdoll! Dottie sent me this link and we were both cracking up. Not sure which i like better, the Grey Gardens doll or the David Bowie? Hmmm, decisions decisions.

Little Edie/Grey Gardens Paperdoll {note: these aren’t practical paper dolls for playing with, they’re meant to be framed like a piece of art…although you could cut ’em up if you wanted to, I suppose!}

David Bowie Paperdoll

2. CAMPER VAN COOL
The VW camper is the ultimate in iconic cool. Now check out this rad  VW Camping Tent. HAH! I love it.

3. CHITS AND GIGGLES

If you’re like most sassy women, then you probably think Zooey Deschanel is the bees knees. Well little Miss Zooey is now hitting the blogging work. It’s called Hello Giggles and is packed with fun stuff. Founded with her friends, producer Sophia Rossi and writer/Internet personality Molly McAleer, Hello Giggles is the ultimate entertainment destination for smart, independent and creative females. “Everything hosted on the site will be lady-friendly, so visitors need not worry about finding the standard Boys Club content that makes many entertainment sites unappealing to so many of us.” Sounds good to me!

4. SUPER 8 IS SUPER GREAT
I’m a huge fan of the camera apps on my iPhone. (I’m hooked on instagram!) My latest fave is the 8mm App that allows you to film with the wonderful quality of an old 8mm camera. See a sample here, here and here. It’s only $1.99 in the app store!

5. HOW DOES YOUR GROOVY GARDEN GROW?
My friend James, of bleubird, is a fabulous mama. She recently posted about a gardening project she is doing with her kiddos and I’m TOTALLY intrigued!  I think these gro-PODs are super cool. The gro-POD is a “revolutionary yet simple raised bed gardening system” which seems perfect for city folk like us. Imma have to give them a try!

6. SHAKE IT LIKE A POLAROID POSTCARD

These are clever little thangs. Take a photo, insert it into the polaroid postcard sleeve and VOILA! You have a postcard that looks like an old skool photo. You can buy them at 25 to go. The site is cool although it’s all in Japanese and I can’t figure out how to order.

7. SECRET MESSAGE ENVELOPES

While we’re on the topic of letter writing, how charming are these envelopes? The secret message is revealed when youhold it up to a window or light. Sweet.

From Sweetie Pie Press

8. EASY PILL TO SWALLOW

My lovely friend  Virginie is super creative. We featured her awesome nursery a year or so ago. She recently launched a shop with the cutest, coolest little crocheted critters she calls The Pills….I’m really loving this Mr. T!! Those chains are brilliant! We’ll have more from Virginie next week, but for now head over to her shop to see more!

9. YOU LOOK MAHVELOUS

These wee little “Instant Comfort” boxes by Kim Welling are so cute. Matchbox size and filled with sayings like “everything will be ok”, “you look wonderful today” or “you can do it!” they would make a sweet little gift.  Available at her Etsy shop.
{Found via my lovely  friend Toria from the fun blog, Tiny-Reads}

10. FAMOUSLY CASUAL

Ain’t nothing better than Awesome People Hanging Out Together. Well ok. It’s better if they’re famous. This site rules.

Have a super happy weekend my friends!