I've noticed a huge trend for hunting trophies on walls over the past few years.  Like the "Keep Calm" poster in it many variations, it's a trend I keep expecting to die but which keeps hanging on.  You know none of these people actually went out and  killed any of these animals themselves, so I have to wonder what the attraction is.  The trend has now crossed the pond and is showing up Stateside.  Anthropologie are offering a sanitised papier mache version of wild animals (picture after the jump) which are so non-threatening that they could be used in kids' rooms.  The Anthropologie versions are also handmade in Haiti and are therefore supposed to benefit the people of that country.

More heads after the jump.

Image: island*atelier

The one thing you don't see much around here is graffiti. This country is unusually clean and tidy and tags and graffiti marks are very rarely seen. A couple of months ago I noticed these little gnomes popping up in various places around the island. It appears to be a stencil and is always done very circumspectly and neatly which is why I think they have largely been left untouched. I wonder who is behind them? It's quite fun to think we have our very own Banksy here.

Images: Marie Gardeski

These hand soaps by Marie Gardeski, which are modelled to look like dolls' hands, may appear to some to be cute and adorable but the effect is creepily off-putting to me.

Image: island*atelier

Image: R Walker

The boys from Street Ettiquette have done it again.  In their newest post about shawl-collared sweaters, Travis Gumbs was featured wearing a pair of "gaiters", pictured above on his feet and worn over a pair of desert boots.  I have never seen nor heard of such things but they look fantastic.  I could google it, but I hope they do a piece on the history and use of them soon. 

You can read the entire post here.

I have to say that walking around the big city the other day it was like my blog had come to life. I was able to visit so many stores and see firsthand items that I have featured on this blog and seen on others. Even though you can see everything online, it’s so much better to be able to pick up, feel and turn over an item or feel the material of a dress through your fingers.

One of the stores I loved was Jonathan Adler's shop featuring his home wares, ceramics and books. The store isn’t large, but was stuffed to the gills with tsotchkes and things to see. There were lots of creatively designed vignettes (they were in the middle of re-arranging when I arrived) and I loved the bright colours and patterns. It was like walking into a candy store for grownups and of course I couldn't leave without a treat.

We have a few bookstores here but they don't offer the same variety you find in stores in big cities around the world. That's to be expected; there just isn’t the market for that sort of thing. But the other day when I was travelling I spent several hours in a big bookstore chain just browsing both books and the magazine options on sale. I especially love to flip through the different types of magazines that you don't normally see and in the smaller bookstores where I live. These are the really specialist magazines which I'm happy to see are still being printed in this day of online media and second-gen Internet. I mean I love the Internet as much as the next guy but there’s something about the tactile experience of flipping through a paper-based magazine that an electronic version, in my opinion, will never be able to replicate. There’s just so much inspiration to be absorbed at once. Because I’m not used to it, sometimes I find it a bit overwhelming and I can only take it in short doses.

Image: Tory Burch

Tory Burch has once again unashamedly mined tribal cultures for inspiration and produced this strikingly interesting shell bracelet.  I am a lover of statement pieces and bracelets, so it is right up my alley.

Behold parents who are lovers of mid-century modern design, I present to you the most spectacular children's dollhouse that have come across. This dollhouse by Brinca Dada comes complete with beautifully designed furniture, two fireplaces, what appears to be a rooftop swimming pool and views from every window. The house is environmentally-conscious and even has solar panels (powering recessed LED lights) and is made with non-toxic, lead-free paints. 

Is it possible to be envious of the dolls house? I think so. This beauty will set you back a pretty penny and I wonder who will have more fun playing with it: you or your child.

Not sure I'm liking what I see so far.