Art T-shirts, by Antistrot

Presented by Dutch art collective: ANTISTROT

After years of selling limited art t-shirt designs and other goodies to a small in-crowd, straight out of backpacks, plastic bags and the trunks of borrowed cars, Dutch art collective ANTISTROT is proud to announce its brand new webstore.

Some popular designs have around 2-14 pieces currently left in stock. For silkscreen orders, each item is signed and numbered. T-shirts are 25 euro postage paid within Europe, and 30 euro postage paid to the rest of the world.

There's a section where you can obtain some Antistrot notorious, original artwork. If you're gonna go broke shopping, you might as well do it in style ;).

The members of Antistrot found each other while studying illustration at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. They bonded over a shared dislike of both their professor (Professor Strot--hence the name, Anti Strot) and of the restrictive view of art making they saw as being too widespread.

Ten years later, Antistrot still draw and paint as a group. They do so around a table, by "attacking" the canvas from all sides. They often incorporate images from obscure comics, fashion magazines, and other sources. Each member's distinct style is incorporated. They discuss current events, pop culture, things that piss them off--anything that interests them--which unexpectedly become part of what they are creating. Therein lies the magic of Antistrot.

Antistrot has shown extensively throughout Europe and Japan, including exhibitions at Boijmans van Beuningen (Rotterdam), Centre of Contemporary Art (Prague), Hugh Lane Gallery (Dublin), and others.

More Info:
Official Website
Sara Tecchia Roma New York

Shakespeare's Den

Smart Gifts for Intelligent People

I absolutely love this huge website (their storefront header is spiffy too!).

Shakespeare's Den can easily boast about having the largest collection of Shakespeare related gifts and merchandise, available on the internet.

Classics and hot favourites include The Shakespeare’s Quips, Cusses, and Curses Quiz Deck, and in fact, there's an entire section of products devoted to Shakepeare's Insults.

Here are some of the insults featured on the Shakespeare's Insults T-shirt:

* You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian!
* False of heart, light of ear, bloody of hand
* Idol of idiot-worshippers
* I do desire we may be better strangers

The food products (like mints and teas) come in very attractive, charming packaging that any Shakespeare fan would appreciate.

You can even search for gifts based on the plays - Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, King Lear, and so on.

Gifts like the hilarious "To Pee, or Not To Pee" baby bodysuit is a simplified version of the epic quotation, suitably so for the much younger crowds.

The Polkadot Platypus

The Polkadot Platypus is run by Bethany Balsis. The maternity products (maternity clothes, diaper bags, tiny shoes, etc.) featured on the website are a choice collection of products that are practical, fun and unique. Her passion for motherhood shows through in the business, both being true labors of love.

The picture above shows a baby kimono, made from certified 100% organic cotton. It's good for baby, and good for the environment too. The baby kimono fits a size of 0-6 months.

Unique features of the garment:

* Wraps around baby instead of going over the head
* Fits loosely to protect the sensitive umbilical cord area
* Seams and tags on outside to protect baby's sensitive skin
* Allows easy access for diaper changes

There are also contests with prizes to be won at the blog!

Kooky CartoonStock

'We, the Jury, find Michael Jackson kooky, eccentric and flamboyant.'
Copyright owned by the original artist / www.CartoonStock.com

Any of the cartoons on the Kooky Gifts page from CartoonStock, can be bought as prints/originals or printed on a range of available merchandise on the website. Latest merchandise items include: jigsaws, aprons, umbrellas and car sunscreens!

The prints are professional quality fine-art Giclee prints. They are printed using light-fast pigments on acid-free 315gsm soft-textured fine-art board. Out of direct sunlight, these prints should remain sharp and bright for at least 70-80 years.

All mugs, mouse mats and t-shirts are sublimation printed. The difference is that these items are high quality "one-offs", and are superior to the traditional "transfer" printing process. With sublimation printing, the ink is actually absorbed into the surface of the item being printed. This gives a much more durable result than transfer printing with no plastic sheet of transfer on the surface of the item--which crack, chip and peel off over time.

Fashion from Spain, Bizarre Accessories...

Outfits by Carlos Diez during the Spring/Summer 2008 Pasarela Cibeles fashion show in Madrid September 21, 2007

I just saw this on Yahoo! News. I wouldn't exactly like to walk around with that hanging all over my face. Also, check out the close-up of photo number 2 above. Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of viewing pairs of rather sickly-looking, unhappy knees. To be healthy is a better fashion statement.



Photo #3 here shows an "outfit" which I'm not really sure is what. Photo #4 has the same model looking like he's enduring the discomfort. The accessory is covering up that male model's attractive facial features and toned torso, which in my opinion is most certainly a fashion no-no. Don't ever cover up what can be flaunted.

I know fashion is a creative industry, but these accessories don't just border on the line of silliness, they cross it by milestones.

PS: The accessories thing could have ticked me off from the start, but Photo #111 on page 14, shows a model in a voluminous dress with that billowy silhouette type of look.



I find it very difficult to find that honestly attractive. When volume and lots of excess space are in, I'm always waiting to witness the humbler, cheaper, and much more durable potato sack becoming the ultimate fashion statement.

Victoria's Secret Pink: V-string

The beautiful Adriana Lima for Victoria's Secret

This was the first time I bought something from Victoria's Secret (from VSPink, to be exact, a sub-brand of VS).

And I can say that the V-string is a good buy! Some background info on this product.

• The V-string is a variant of the G-string.
• The original G-string has less material between the legs and buttocks, with a string-like appearance (and minimal tan lines).
• The V-string is a thong with a triangle "v" of cloth at the top of the rear.

Apparently, the V-string was created/named, to separate it from the somewhat trashy (to some people) association with the G-string. Well, I think people should be free to wear whatever they like and want to, as long as there's no harm done to anyone in the process :).

I forgot whose quote this is. I think the person was a model: "A good G-string just sits there." So yes, the V-string does just that.

Needless to say, VSPink has many, many gorgeous prints and patterns for their undies.



Sexy and comfortable is a good combination. And these are cotton with no lace so they're pretty practical too. I admit that's quite subjective to my personal preference. So far, I've preferred looking at lace lingerie (which are very pretty), as opposed to wearing them.

In the meantime, I look forward to trying the rest of VS's product lines.

NIKEiD - Custom Designs

Nike IDs is an online service that allows you to design your own custom sneakers, bags, apparel, and accessories (watches and wristbands). You are free to apply your own choice of colors and materials to a broad range of equipment.

The favorite Nike models are there (Air Max, Nike Shox, Nike+), all from the comfort of your own home/computer. The Air Zoom Moire models (Women's>Running) can even be designed with the latest snazzy iPod colors.



The website interface is incredibly user-friendly. The Nike ID site is completely Flash-driven, so the shopping experience is unique and interactive. The webpages load quickly which is always a plus point for convenient online shopping. The main appeal lies in the freedom of personal expression by designing your own product.

There are color options for lace, midsole, and the iconic swoosh. Even the accent of the shoe can be tweaked (from a maximum range of 16 different colors), to give the product a truly personalized look and feel.

As a company, Nike has established a long-term commitment to eco-friendly organic cotton. Nike has set a goal of using organic fibers for at least 5 percent of its cotton-based garments by 2010. That means more than five million pounds of organic cotton a year. For the sake of our planet, I hope other brands will be more than encouraged to follow suit.