Tom Bihn, local maker of laptop and messenger bags, called on the readers and editors of Knitty magazine to help design the ultimate functional knitting bag. The result is the $70 "Swift," a sturdy, feature-filled ballistic nylon tote, a bag so popular that five of the seven available colors sold out within days of the bag's Oct. 12 debut.
By Marika McElroy Cain | November 6, 2007
If your kids turn up their noses at their boring brown-bag lunches, you might try wrapping their noontime fare in a more compelling package. A PB&J takes on a whole new luster when it rides inside a flashy tiger tote or another of Built NY's Munchler lunch boxes.
By Marika McElroy Cain | November 8, 2007
There are so many ways these days to show off your love for friends and family members: photo coffee mugs, engraved jewelry, license plate frames, MySpace comments. But Vancouver, Wash., company Simply Silhouettes offers a more classic approach.
By Marika McElroy Cain | November 13, 2007
Happy Green Bee, the Raleigh-based brainchild of Burt's Bees cofounder Roxanne Quimby, produces organic cotton clothes for infants and toddlers in vibrant colors that outshine the pastel palette popular with most baby clothiers. What's more, their environmental pedigree trumps that of most mass-produced baby clothes.
By Marika McElroy Cain | November 15, 2007
When Red salon and spa owner Angela Bern Castagnola began developing her new Castagnola product line two years ago, she launched an international search for the best laboratory around. The winner: a Canadian contender that uses eco-friendly ingredients such as sustainably sourced essential oils and other botanicals, and adheres to regulations even stricter than those of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
By Marika McElroy Cain | November 20, 2007
The décor at new women's shop So Much Fun Sporty Chic mirrors the candy colors of its Wallingford Center neighbor, Trophy Cupcakes. The new boutique's ethos is similarly fun-loving, with pink M&Ms for the taking and handbags interspersed with running bras.
By Marika McElroy Cain | November 29, 2007
Brand new in Greenwood is an exclusive boutique with a modern outlook, a social conscience and a designer denim wall. Sorry grown-ups, this one is just for kids. Twig eschews the Babies R Us look in favor of a well-considered selection of apparel for the under-five set.
By Marika McElroy Cain | November 27, 2007
Housed in an airy storefront with baby-blue walls and cheery wood floors, Buggy boutique has wheeled affordable style for kids onto Beacon Hill. The new shop carries a carefully chosen array of used clothing for children up to 6 years old, as well as some new shoes, silk-screened shirts and gifts.
By Marika McElroy Cain | December 4, 2007
If you're looking for the perfect gift this holiday season for the budding van Goghs and Kahlos in your life, pick up a selection of Eye Can Art's projects-in-a-can. The Seattle company's crafty new diversions teach kids ages 3 to 8 about traditional art forms.
By Marika McElroy Cain | December 12, 2007
