Oh, Scotch Tape! What Have You Done?

This landed in my inbox this morning. What is it? Well, it's a promotional tape dispenser shaped like a high heeled shoe, of course! I'm stunned. Scotch is a brand I've always respected--a classy company that makes tough, practical products. What on earth makes them think I'll collect shoe dispensers from them?

I also don't get the timing of the promotion. Maybe this is a Mother's Day push that got stuck on the boat. That's the only vague tie I can find to validate a high heeled dispenser. Even then, I really question if this is in line with Scotch Brand consumers--this dispenser is huge, must be out on a table, can't fit in a drawer, looks awkward to actually use, and would require regular dusting.

Those aren't product characteristics I think moms are screaming for. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong--perhaps tape dispenser collecting is the next big wave in scrap-booking.

Baby Roll Asleep

I'm flabbergasted. Does it seem to work? Yes. Did Baby Roll Asleep miss an incredible opportunity to cross-promote with Swiffer? Maybe.

Ritz Packaging Fail

There was a surprise in our Ritz box today--the box looked a little more . . . er . . . pregnant, than usual. This is why. The final tube somehow folded in half as it entered the box on the assembly line, and ended up smashed into 50% of the space it usually gets. And it fit. So, I guess Ritz are at least 50% air. Which makes me glad I used a coupon.

Sephora + Pantone = Cool?

Billed as a "breakthrough partnership" between two giants in the world of color trends, Sephora and Pantone have launched an exclusive color of the year campaign. Pantone's marketing of color trends is undeniably sexy, down to the name for the color of the year: Tangerine Tango.

Are average consumers familiar enough with Pantone's brand for the collaboration to matter? It may not matter, because so far the marketing strategies and visuals are compelling and cool. Passerby may wonder what the heck a "pantone" is, but in the end all they made need is the juicy colors and assurance that these colors are exclusive to buy in.

 Promotion for the collaboration includes an undeniably cool pop-up shop(featuring pantone's trademark color palettes in super scale), which was just in Chelsea in March, and can be viewed at The Grove in LA from April 18-22.

Sushi Lovers Rejoice!

Part of what's so appealing about eating sushi is it's appearance. I crave the cute little compact, colorful bites of deliciousness, and now with Rice Cube, I can make food have a similar appeal at home! Jazzed to try this one out! If you have, let us know how it went.

Reason #100 to Love a Dyson Animal

If you have a pet, and you do not have a Dyson Animal vacuum, let me share this with you: it is really worth all that money. Yes, the vacuum is over SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS. But, really, I have never seen a more intuitive, durable, or functional machine.

This morning after eradicating the ten tons of dog hair from my house, I noticed a slight decrease in suction. What? A decrease in suction? Surely not! Dyson says I'll never lose suction! I listened to the vacuum and thought, that sounds like something's blocked.

Turned it off, looked at where the attachment hose meets to machine, followed the purple tabs, and voila! The hose trap popped off the bottom, revealing a small Lego man trapped inside. Now, if Dyson hadn't made such a wonderful machine that really, honestly requires no user manual, my house would never be this clean again -- and that poor little Lego man would've been trapped for eternity in dog hair.

Snobject: Nike Thermo-molded Shoes. For Real.

"Seamless, one-piece vacuum-packed upper construction" of three of Nike's most iconic shoes -- the Air Force 1, Dunk, and Air Max 90. No stitches. I wonder what they feel like! Press releases say they'll be out later this year.

Want Lemon with that Seltzer?

I love this Sombrero Lemon Juicer from Umbra. Unfortunately it seems to be mysteriously out of stock everywhere . . . wonder if there was a patent conflict. When I find out where you can still get one, I'll add it to the comments. But for now, just appreciate the simple beauty of the solution to: How can I add fresh squeezed juice directly to my seltzer? Like this, friends.

Yeah, That's Halloween Awesomeness.

I am a Halloween fiend. We built the freaking Chamber of Secrets in our basement this year. I love this.

The World's Leading Creative Class Countries

The Worlds Leading Creative Class Countries

"The United States does quite a bit worse on this measure than on innovation and technology – ranking 27th in the world, just behind Slovakia.
At the top of the list is Singapore (47.3 percent), followed by the Netherlands (46.3 percent), Switzerland (44.8 percent), Australia (44.5 percent) Sweden (43.9 percent), Belgium (43.8 percent), Denmark (43.7 percent), Finland (43.4 percent), Norway (42.1 percent), and Germany (41.7 percent).
One BRIC nation, Russia ranks higher than the U.S. at 20th (38.6 percent). Brazil is 57th (18.5 percent), and China 75th (7.4 percent).
Many studies have shown that a key factor in American competitiveness and prosperity was its once world-leading system for developing and deploying human talent. That edge has clearly eroded. And not just in terms of educational attainment and performance, but in the share of its workforce in high-skill, high-wage Creative Class jobs. While the U.S. still holds a substantial lead over China, many other nations have caught up and surpassed it on this score. But America is a big country and my own research shows that the distribution of Creative Class jobs is geographically concentrated, with certain regions like Silicon Valley, greater Washington, D.C. and college towns like Boulder, Colorado scoring as high as the leading nations. While such creative concentration may be enough to underpin continued clusters of technological innovation and entrepreneurial business formation, it means a larger share of Americans toil in lower-skill, lower wage jobs—a key factor in the nation’s deep and widening socioeconomic inequality. While I am not as pessimistic as the declinists—there is still time for the nation to reverse course—many of “the rest” have clearly caught up and jumped ahead on this score. Given the deep divides that vex this country, it may be an issue that is particularly difficult to address."