These make me happy. They’re yummy. I’d even go so far as to say they’re “nummy,” except I’m just not into babyspeak. Now, I’m in a pretty good mood, but browsing all of the neat Marimekko stuff at Finn Style just puts me in a BETTER mood. I’m positively beaming.

If you’re not familiar with Marimekko, it’s a Finnish textile company best known for its bold patterns and playful designs. It was introduced to the American audience in the 1950s, but the popularity of the patterns surged after a 1960s Sports Illustrated cover featuring First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in a Marimekko cotton dress. Those patterns are now back in vogue and all over all sorts of things, from kitchenware to clothing. You can even buy the fabric on its own and make your own original designs!

Whoa, what is it with me and drinks lately? First the margarita pitcher post, then the bar-on-a-wall post, and now this! If you haven’t already guessed, it’s still hot here on the east coast, and it just so happens that a cool beverage is an easy way to beat the heat. How one keeps said beverage cool is a matter of personal preference.

Here are four options you may or may not fancy:

Am I the only one who thinks these look vaguely dirty? Just count yourself lucky that the ice boobies mold was all sold out. I know, you’re crushed, as was I. Apparently ice kebobs add “a cOoOol touch” to your summertime parties…what does that even mean? Is there a ghost in the ice?

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How’s this for a slick little set-up? A certain Leah and her husband Will created this chill kitchenside bar using a bunch of bits of shelving. That’s actually all I know — were the pieces meant to be used this way? Beats me!

Who cares? It works, and it’s replicable. You want to talk about an easy DIY project? Hit up Target, score some shelving, and line up your booze. Voila! Your liquor is conveniently out of the way, and you can brag to your peeps that you have built yourself a bar in your closet-sized apartment.

Ah, summertime, when a young gal’s thoughts turn to margarita parties. Or is that just me? As soon as the weather gets warm — or, as is the case in my neck of the woods, horribly and unbearably hot — visions of backyard parties start dancing in my head. Sure, I could just line any old container with a trash bag and fill it up with ice to keep the beers cold, but where’s the fun in that?

I thought that my parties were poised to be colorized when I happened upon the MacBeth Collection, a set of fun storage solutions designed by Margaret Josephs.

Then I decided to check out the prices, thinking that a tub couldn’t possibly be that expensive. Boy was I wrong! Seventy-five bucks for a container slightly less than two feet wide? Seventy bucks for a pitcher?! I don’t care how stylish they are — I’d rather earmark that money for some nice tequila.

The site’s About Us page reads:

The MacBeth Collection has spread its custom-designed creations to almost every home product and accessory including: storage bins, baby pails, picture frames, flower vases, umbrella holders, clip boards, etc. – all with the mission of transforming the mundane into a stylish expression of personal style.

For now, I think I’ll express my personal style by getting a few metal tubs from the Home Depot and decorating them myself.

This is where I get all squee-ish and say things like, “OMG teh cuteness!” The gist of it is this: I get one (the girl one, probably) and The Beard gets one (likely the boy one), and we drink coffee all day and think about each other. At least I gather that’s what is supposed to happen, based on boldLOFT‘s description.

More probable, however, is that we lose one half of the set, and he’s drinking out of the girl mug and I’m drinking out of the dollar store mug with “X for xylophone” on it. That’s all right by me!

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My grandmother on my mother’s side has a special tea cup she uses. The rest of us use Russian tea glasses while she drinks her blend from a dainty bone china cup and saucer covered in colorful flowers. It’s really a rather lovely thing to see on the table in the cold winter months because it’s so evocative of springtime.

Were I to choose a special cup of my very own, it would probably be a coffee cup and I’d more than likely pick the Chirp cup from Lenox. What can I say? I’m a total sucker for bluebirds…too bad I have a little trouble justifying the $25 price tag.

For now I’ll have to settle for my oddly-balanced yet beloved jade glass cup and saucer I bought at a Cracker Barrel store ages and ages ago. Do you have a special cup or mug or bowl or plate?

Amsterdam based designer Monique Goossens creates playful, homey art pieces that are delightful in their unexpectedness.

Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find out much about Ms. Goossens. Her web site is nothing more than a placeholder for what I imagine will be some wonderful content. For now, I’ve placed some photos of her lovely stuff below the cut.

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I have a case of the Monday blahs, and the promise of plenty of pretty things to look at was what eventually got me out of bed. As lovely and sunny as it is outside, it’s still hellsa cold. I’m in the process of redecorating my kitchen and it’s beginning to look more and more like the demented altar of a crazed sun worshiper. Hey, I can’t help it if I’m desperate for springtime to get here!

These are just what the doctor ordered, and I love them. The cheery pieces above hail from Villeroy & Boch’s Wonderful World line. I think they’re worth every penny when the wintertime doldrums are threatening to sap my motivation, but whether or not you consider $17 a reasonable price to pay for a bread plate is up to you. If I had my way — and a great deal more money than I do — I’d pair my little Wonderful World collection with something like this:

When I look at this stove, I can’t help doing the Homer Simpson “UGGHHHGHHH” thing.