Hey Little Birdie | Shopping Blog

I may have an almost two year old, but I’ve never had to think much about baby proofing or toy storage. Until now. My little Claire Bear has learned to do multiple rolls across the floor (yippee!) and is amassing quite a collection of therapy toys. It makes me smile. And feel somewhat like a normal mom.

These welcome changes are creating a need for kid friendly, easily accessible bins that I can hide crap in (to be blunt). I hate clutter and I hate ugly plastic kid stuff almost as much. When it’s not in use, I want it out of sight and there is no way in h. e. double hockey sticks that I am storing it all in those primary color, plastic monstrosities you find in most stores. I know that Pottery Barn Kids has a few canvas options but they are all mostly in pastel shades and a little more than I would like to spend. My favorite solution so far is these stylish fabric bins from SewingMomma on etsy. With 58 fabric choices, I am bound to find a perfect fit for my living room. I think I just may have to get one for Lily’s dog toys too. And if you really think about it, you could use them everywhere around the house- to store TP, magazines, craft supplies, closet organization, you name it!

I don’t know why but I am crushing on faux bois (that’s fake wood en francais) designs lately. Maybe it’s the lack of greenery in the Phoenix desert this time of year or maybe the 112 temps are getting to my head, but whatever it is I want to take faux bois on a date and buy it a nice steak dinner. I’ve spotted gorgeous faux bois pottery on my beloved Martha Show, pretty faux bois fabrics in boutiques and even faux bois sterling silver jewelry. The funnest (yes I said funnest. not most fun. I don’t care if it is not technically a word. It should be. I like it)  application of woodgrain I have stumbled upon is this laptop decal on etsy.

I think it would make my macbook smile. I am torn between the pink and green versions. But I would probably default to green so my husband wouldn’t be too ashamed to use it if needed. Only $12 too, yippee!

Faux bois bonus for your furbaby: these darling collars on etsy. Cuteness!

Not only is there a game…

there is also an action figure:

I have not yet had the privilege of meeting an actual Crazy Cat Lady but I am thinking these are pretty accurate depictions? Just kidding. However, I do think they would make great gag gifts for the cat lovers in your life. As long as they are not, you know, real Crazy Cat Ladies. Then you might get a cat thrown at you.

I want to do a little happy dance after discovering this etsy shop, Central Bark Designs. I have been on the hunt for a new placemat for Lily’s feeding area FOREVER. My two main problems are that the clear one I have now gets super grimy fast and it eventually yellows (yuck) and all the other ones I see in the pet stores are of the cheeseball, cartoon variety. And hokey decor is at the top of my no-no list. So imagine my relief when I spotted items like these:

These designs are handpainted, original works of art on canvas that is treated to be nontoxic, waterproof and wipeable. They can also customize the colors to fit your decor as well or add your pet’s name. I think Lily definitely deserves one of these cheerful, stylish mats to dine on!

Currently, Lily’s dog food is hiding in a big plastic bin in the pantry. But if I had these gorgeous steel buckets from Harry Barker:

I can guarantee they would be on full display! (Bonus- they are 33% off right now!) I am in the process of collecting decor items that will bring a more white, vintage, and modern feel to my casa and needless to say these lithographed lovelies would be perfect for my new scheme. (oh and for you cat people- there is a kitty option. sorry for always ignoring your feline friends but my allergy makes me a little biased! haha.)

Who loves those name tags they make you slap on at every work conference? Not me. (Two reasons- my hair sticks in them and they force people to stare at a region of the female body that makes me a slightly uncomfortable.) But… turn that annoying tag into a cheeky version of the pet ID tag and I’m sold!

Cuteness! The colors, font and filled in name are all up to you. And on the back all of the essential info (including real name) is printed. What would you order for your pet? Bad Dog, Good Dog, their given name or a silly nickname? I might have to get one saying Miss Hairy for Lily since that is our endearing moniker for her. I’m serious- The Furminator has yet to tame her. But we love her anyway.

Molly Mutt, the stylish, eco friendly purveyor of dog bed duvets has a few new fabrics for this spring season. This one makes me smile:

First of all, it’s named “Pictures of You” which makes me want to belt out The Cure song of the same name. And in my opinion having a Cure tune stuck in your head is always a good thing. Secondly, silhouettes. I think we have already established the fact that I swoon for them. Lastly, who doesn’t love the idea behind Molly Mutt’s duvets? They are a washable, durable, fashionable way to repurpose an old dog bed or reuse  old clothes and linens that are not donation worthy. As my sister-in-law, Yasmine, would say- rocket science.

If you’re like me, your pet’s eating area consists of two mis-matched bowls on top of a crummy placemat. Boring. And so void of any interior design aesthetic that I hold dear. It is my  mission to beautify that ignored corner of my kitchen pronto. I stumbled upon these handcrafted elevated pet feeders and think they would be a stylish solution. They come in a variety of sizes to suit your cat or dog and a variety of styles to suit your decor. For my Miss Hairy I am liking a classic black look like this one:

or a modern feeder like this:

or a sleek wall mounted version like this:

Feeders range in price from $25-$100 depending on size and number of bowls needed. And the metal bowls conveniently pop out for easy cleaning and food/water replenishing. I love these and am so determined to purchase one for my home ASAP!

Random question- what is your pet’s favorite food? Lily will eat ANYTHING but she is a popcorn fanatic. She knows when it is popping in the microwave and will not leave you alone until you toss her a piece. Awhile back, we filmed a video of her wildest dream come true- watch it here.

I just discovered Fire Hydrant Press and my dog loving heart is smitten. From retro cool custom silhouette prints like this:

to dog park necessities like this:

to refrigerator worthy magnets like this:

Don’t you love it all?! Fire Hydrant Press has numerous breed and color choices to customize your purchase and donates a potion from every sale to a non-profit animal organization. Check them out!

Looking for an adorable way to make your doggy feel pretty? I spotted these fabric flowers over at BowWow Couture and instantly fell in love with them. We all know wearing fabric flower accessories is “in” for humans currently, so why not pass that trend down to our furry best friends? There are an array of fabric options and sizes for every dog breed. The flowers are constructed to be durable for doggy use and are super easy to securely velcro over any collar. I think the “Go Green, Baby” flower above would look beautiful on a brown collar!

My silly, snuggly golden retriever, Lily, would LOVE these. She has a bit of a strange infatuation with playing dress up. Yes, I know the norm is tiny chihuahuas donning tutus or something… but tell me, what is so wrong with a giant, hairy girl wanting to look a bit more fashionable? No, I don’t let her wear “clothes” throughout the year, only for special occasions. I’m not THAT weird. But she would probably want to wear something everyday if I let her. Let’s be honest, she is weird. She loves her jingle bell holiday collar, sports her ASU Sun Devil pride during football games and is giddy with excitement getting into her annual Halloween costume. So I know these subtle collar flowers would be right up her alley!