My yoga bag is really old and doesn’t really fit my black mat, but instead of a replacement I’ve ended up with a string around it.  Up until now it’s been fine, but I would like to carry straps and notes and other bits all together.  After a look around, the Prana Carry All is it for me, the colour won’t show dust or dirt when you put your bag down in public places, and it has room to carry more than your mat. Get it here for US$70 (about NZ$90), plus shipping.

Oye Modern is an Australian, online jewellery shop filled with groovy, funky pieces.  There are so many I love, but if I had to choose a favourite it would be the measuring tape ‘I Heart’ necklace.  Right now, they have a competition on that finishes August 15, so go get something cool and take a picture of your beautiful self;  best bit, they ship worldwide and their pieces start at about NZ$80.

Fabric flowers always catch my eye and B.Poetic‘s over at Etsy are feminine and perfect for a special occasion. I have wanted to try making my own, but Miss 1 is taking up the ‘craft’ time at present.  These romantic flowers go from loose rose shape, to chunky ranunculus and work in hair, on tables, clothes or shoes and they range in price from US$20-$45, plus shipping.  I would love one of the belts to brighten up a winter outfit.

Why do I like this shoe…all those facets, it’s a bit like jewellery; and for sure, people will notice these babies on your feet.  Also they look waterproof, which is great in rainy Auckland.  United Nude is a ‘brand at the intersection between design and fashion’, making for some crazy looking footwear – go take a look here.  If you desire any of these fantastic pieces of art, they ship down-under for NZ$45…and the heels above (called Lo Res) are NZ$335.00.  Otherwise, here is the link to stockists in Auckland, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Taupo, Timaru and Warkworth.   Oo, might have to call and see if they stock these, but probably are ridiculously priced here.

These rings are gorgeous and mod and different.  Some of my precious stone rings are my favourite pieces of jewellery and I sometimes get lovely compliments on them.  Now, I don’t own any of the above, but one day would like to.  Seventy Six Design is based here in Auckland, and you can view some of their rings online here or go and visit their store.  They can also design something just for you.

I love the thong (or ‘jandel’) necklace in the Pink Lou Lou necklace collection.  The range is a little Aussie inspired and is the creation of Skye Campbell.  You can purchase any of the pieces online and have them shipped to your door – prices start at about AUD$128.00.  These would make a great Christmas present for someone special this year.

image [Pink Lou Lou]

As it’s warming up down-under, I had a look through Etro’s 2010 ready to wear collection and fell in love with these dresses. Can’t wait till it’s warm enough here to drag out my dresses – I really want that dress on the left, and can I just say [ahem] that it’s perfect for breastfeeding.

images [style.com]

Here’s a handbag that will keep any dodgy person from coming close…and are apparently very cool in Europe.  In NZ it is illegal to carry a gun but perhaps the small purse on the left would be great for your makeup or coins!  Actually, you don’t even have to carry your gun…the outline on these Guardian Bags is all you need!  You can get the Vlieger & Vandam bags here in Auckland and Nelson, and most major cities in Australia, just click on the stockists link to find a store closest to you or shop online and they ship to your door. Prices range from NZ$80 to NZ$450.

Here is a great skirt for little girls that I found over at The Long Thread.  It is reversible, and you could make it with different fabric on the inside.  If they spill anything on one side – whip in inside out and voila! – they have a clean skirt for the rest of the day!  You can buy the pattern over at their Etsy store; it downloads as a PDF pattern with all the instructions.  Sizes range from 4 through 6 yrs and it costs only NZ$12.  

Now if only they had a reversible pants pattern for boys, I would sure find them handy for those hot chocolates at the cafe.

When I visited Manhattan, I had my map almost glued to my fingers trying to navigate.  This piece of handy jewellery would have been so helpful (and kept my hands free for shopping bags)! The New York City Metro Cuff shows you numbers, streets and subway lines in Manhattan!  You can get it at Design Hype for US$23 and they ship only in the US.  It would be a great gift for travelers.

via [NotCot.org]

Recently I had a shopping spree at the cool new store We’Ar Yoga Clothing.   I start teaching again after 8wks off with Miss New Born and it was a treat to get something special to kick it off.  They stock groovy, funky functional exercise clothes for men and women, and put them into a cotton yoga-mat bag that you can re-use.  With stores in Hong Kong, Bali, Canada and California, we are all pretty much covered, or you can shop online and they ship worldwide.  Go take a look at their range here.

Oohh err….I love the look of the new Sony Ericsson Satio.  Before I got my iphone, I had a Sony Ericsson and really liked it, and this one with a great size screen and a 12 megapixel camera is so handy for phone calls and pics of the kids when they get up to cute things.  It’s got tonnes of features (see here for more) and I like the fact it has a qwerty keyboard.  Not sure when it arrives here in NZ or in Australia, but keep your eyes open when you walk past the mobile phone stores…could be worth a look!

Yes, I have an addiction – it is the store Anthropologie, and although we don’t have it down-under, I still swoon over the seasonal ranges online.  They do ship across Europe and North America, but sadly, down here in Oz and NZ we are forgotten once again; which is actually a good thing or I would really give the credit card a beating!  If you aren’t familiar with their store (everything from clothes and shoes to kitchen and bedroom) go take a look and fall in love with….well…..everything!

I discovered some more helmets out there for adults and kids by Nutcase.   I always keep an eye out for cool helmets, as Master Four will need a bigger size next year for his big boy bike!  His favourite is the Caution Helmet, which is from the Little Nutty range.  The company launched in the US in 2005 and the range is now sold in Canada, Europe, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.   You can purchase online from the Australian site and they ship to NZ, so go take a look at their range here.

After I purchased my first colourful striped laptop sleeve from BUILT, it disappeared.  I discovered my husband had coveted it for his laptop and so left me wanting…..Now they have some cool new items for us to ooh and aah over in cool colours, shapes and cuts.  I love the look of the new bottle totes, the diaper (nappy) bags; which of course I need – and the new bumper laptop sleeve.  Go take a look at their range here.  You can shop online but they ship only within the US.  If you do a google search though, you will find a few stores that sell down-under.  

Aren’t these the cutest little bloomers ever –  I love the frills and colourful fabric.  Made in Australia, they cost about AU$20 and shipping is cheap at between $1 and $3 depending where in the world they are going. You can get them in sizes from newborn to 2 years.  Go have a look at the pretty range right here.

This is a groovy new way to see what average people do on an average day.  Called The Average Day Watch it divides your time into routines with the outside loop representing AM and the inner loop the PM.  Mr Jones Watches ship worldwide and this model costs about NZ$290.  

via [LikeCool]

I want to go to London, to Portobello Road, to the store called From Somewhere. The clothing is recycled from offcuts, end-of-lines and surplus high end fabric. Their pieces are colourful and poetic, and have a little bit of whimsy in them all.  I am not sure if you can get the skirt above right (which made me fall in love with their clothing) but the other pieces are from their last two seasons.  It’s not cheap, and there are some stockists online where it’s available, or you could just flip through the quirky look book.

This made me want to get out my left over fabrics and sew something cute up.  If you’re not a sewer but looking for a great little bag, then get it right here for US$30. 

images [Itty Bitty Ladybug]

Wow, this girl is just churning out the goodies for our Christmas period to be filled with home crafts over the holidays.  The Daisy Chain is super pretty and girly.  Its quilting and fashion weight, so it’s perfectly light and breezy to sew a top or skirt for our summer down here in NZ and Australia.  There are several stores that stock her fabric down-under, click here for a list of stockists.

images [Amy Butler Design]