News from BelleRinger PR

UNIQUE DECOR FOR THE KIDS' ROOMS Ready to update your child's room? Looking for something personalized to match the decor and bring a smile to the little one's face? Custom Banneramas from Gifts Define are unique wall art that will tickle your fancy. The hand stitched animals have letters attached and are strung from a satin or leather cord. Spell out your child's name on one side - reverse it to say something special on the other. There are 12 colorful animals to choose from, including monkeys, elephants, and more. Take a look at Irma's site to see her Tooth Guardian Angels , Conversation Birds and more cute stuff.

UNIQUE - AND ECO-FRIENDLY - GIFTS Ever wonder what happens to those discarded bottles you see on the side of the highway? If they're found by Nicole at Paloma Pottery they're destined to become art. By fusing recycled and crushed glass into pottery she creates jewelry (the pendant on the left is my favorite piece), candleholders, tiles - and much more. Nicole gives shoppers over 30 products to choose from - each available in a choice of eight colors. Two of her best-sellers - these ring holders make perfect birthday or shower gifts. And the price is very friendly - only $26.75 (it's also available in a smaller size for $23.00).

THE LOST POST You're looking at a picture of me searching for the post I spent an hour composing. My tears aren't visible from the back but I'm sure you can visualize them. The beautifully written post disappeared when I tried to publish it. Enough said - no more whining from me today. Rather than rewrite the entry I'll just summarize it for you. It was an eloquent piece about some of the excellent blogs I read daily. A shout-out to some great bloggers. So here's an annotated version. I start my day with a cup of coffee and Dooce , Heather Armstrong's ramblings about her interesting life. I then do some virtual browsing at Design*Sponge , Modish and Cuteable . Then I go to A Girl's Gotta Spa , SheFinds and Cool Mom Picks for savvy product reviews. Trust me, readers, the original post was eloquent, humorous and insightful. All things that this one is not. But the blogs I've named are outstanding. The authors are all great writers and creative thinker...

WISHING FOR WARM WEATHER . . . I started dreaming about Spring the moment I saw this cute little birdie by indie designer/artist Chika. Her felt animals and creatures are more unique and detailed than the other offerings I've seen. The colors and shapes will help fight the cold weather blues. You can see all of the darlings at Chikagraphy . My favorites are the dachshunds - what's yours?

NOT YOUR TYPICAL FAUX FRUIT I've never been a fan of artificial fruit or vegetables - no matter how nice the presentation. (Though the glass pumpkins I blogged about on 10/7/06 almost changed my mind.) However, these stunning hand-crafted clay pomegranates by Canadian artist Silvia Dotto will make some of us re-evaluate our preferences. She is known worldwide for exquisite serving pieces which feature highly-detailed clay medallions on functional pewter bowls, trays, and platters. Silvia's signature work is used and collected by afficionados world-wide. It certainly qualifies as art and must be seen to be fully appreciated.