Rare Bird Finds

Lady Bug Helmet

Such a pretty work of art - a WWII helmet transformed into a ladybug. Love it! $88 at Home & Planet.

Banana Nut Muffin Soaps

Mmm - I love foodie-type bath products, and these banana nut muffin soaps look delish! But don't eat them - they're for your body. Made with ground almonds, honey and goats milk. Would be super cute in your guest bathroom. $7.50 for two.

Secret Squirrel Dog Treats

So cute (and healthy!) - squirrel dog treats flavored with sweet potato and chicken. They are freshly baked and made to order with certified organic ingredients. Yum! (Or at least that's what I'm sure my doggies would bark). $8 for 12 at The Chocolate Lab.

Allison Strine Magnets

I love the whimsical and witty pendants at Allison Strine and now you can get magnets too! For a short time they are even on sale. $5 each or on sale for 5 for $20

Grey and Red Scarflette

I have to admit that I am a scarflette virgin. I have always admired them but just never taken the plunge. All the cute scarflettes at Urban Knit may have just convinced me to go ahead and try one out. $35 at Urban Knit

Black Birds Fly Tea Pot

I love everything at Little Flower Designs and this new Black Birds Fly tea pot is no exception. So cute! $155 at Little Flower Designs

Scion's Craft My Ride Contest

I am posting about Scion's Craft My Ride contest because I know we have a lot of crafty, talented readers. All you have to do is handmake a cool car accessory (for inside or outside the car), send in a pic, and write a description. If chosen, you win a 2008 Scion! Deadline is October 22, 2007.

Thanks to Coquito Designs for bringing this to our attention!

Update: Edited to fix deadline date - thanks Juri!

Organic Fusion Contest

Our Contests are Back! Woohoo!

Organic Fusion is offering one of their deluxe body kits. The Organic Fusion kit contains: 6.5 oz. bar soap, 6.0 oz. liquid soap, 6.0 oz. lotion, 4.0 oz. body butter and comes in three essential oil blends: Karmic Goodness, Lavender Grace and Geranium Tranquility.

Organic Fusion products are designed to meet your bathing and body care needs in a simple, meaningful way without harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances or colors. They have designed our skin care products to be kind to your body and kind to the environment

To enter:

• Go to Organic Fusion and find their phone number.
• Then come back to Rare Bird Finds, and leave a blog comment for this post with their phone number and your email address (your comment will remain unpublished and therefore confidential).
• How do you leave a comment for this post? Below this post you'll see the word "Comments (0)" (yep, it's blue). Click on that link.
• Do not send emails to Organic Fusion to enter.

Winner will be chosen on September 30th.

Big Holiday News *Please Read*

COMING SOON...We are putting together an amazing 2007 holiday guide for you - yay! The 2007 holiday guide will feature gift ideas for all those hard-to-shop-for people in your life. Look for it (we promise it'll be AMAZING!) on October 15. Unlike many other holiday guides, our guide will feature items that we genuinely love and were personally handpicked by us. No one pays to be featured, and ads will be clearly marked.

If you're a designer or shopkeeper, we have sponsorship opportunities available - just contact us at:

Fab 5 Fridays, Issue 17 - Blythe Claire

Today's guest is Blythe Clair, the uber-stylish Vice President of PR for She Unlimited. She Unlimited recently merged with Daily Confection, so be sure to check them out for a “real, no bull dim-witted journalism” approach in a variety of non-homogenized topics, including glamour, photo shoots of models and celebrities, commercials, interviews, and more! Blythe currently lives in NYC (but Seattle is in the horizon!).

Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew - $14.93
I love the simplicity of this book. The tone is fun and conversational and the patterns are easy to understand. It wasn’t intimidating for someone like me who has NEVER sewn. It inspired me to buy a sewing machine.

Alma Tank - $75
Gail Schneider Designs Gail is a fantastic up-and-coming designer. She has created a line of couture tank tops. The funky designs and patterns transform the tanks from a wardrobe staple to a show stopper. Think subtle leopard prints, ruffles, and lots of class. I love the fem style of Alma, black because it goes with utterly everything, and the satin bows that drape every so girly. It was prefect when I was headed out to an event that was neither casual or dress.

Antik Denim Wide Leg - $195
The price tag is kind of hefty but I justify it by wearing them constantly. Even to work. The construction and quality cannot be beat. Denim is such an important part of most women’s wardrobes now that it makes sense to invest in some good pieces. I did it again, I wore them to work with my Alma Tank Girl tank, I looked casually couture.

Tide Handbag - $288
These handbags are very urban in function and design. The designer’s father custom makes the hardware that are put on the bags. Nothing’s better than a father-daughter design duo! Tide is my favorite, as I tend to adorn myself with ruffle shirts, this give a Balance to my wardrobe, unique but it has enough fancifulness of couture.

Boysenberry Socks - $21, sale
The length of these makes them an alternative to tights under a longer skirt. I’m dying to pair some with my 1940s style orange and brown bib mini-dress for an eclectic schoolgirl look. I simply love the boysenberry; I was actually able to pull it off, but so well that my clever attempt to look young had me accused for using a fake I.D. at a downtown club...and I'm in my 30`s!

Plain Jane Scarf

My Favorite find that you found is the Plain Jane scarf, because I have a scarf fetish. As a NYC city gal, you bet I will find many months to show these off; sadly I found out I was moving to the West Coast, but there are many cold months in Seattle.

Want to submit your top picks for Fab 5 Friday? Read the our submission policy here.

To view past Fridays, click the Fab 5 Friday link.

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Underwood Necklace

I love the ghostly feel of the Underwood necklace, but I think what I love best is that it's a reminder for us writers that we should be typing that next screenplay or novel or poem instead of dilly-dallying. $36 at Ach Ach Liebling.

Crocheted Sea Creatures

Imagine soft cuddly octopuses, squids and sea horses, and that's what you get in this wonderful little shop full of crocheted sea creatures that are perfect for children with underwater imaginations. So much better than the crocheted socks grandma used to make. $16 at Ruby Submarine.

Goody2Chews

I have a major sweet tooth and sometimes it's a bit scary how much sugar I can down in one sitting. I seriously have been trying to cut out sweets, but by mid-afternoon I am going crazy. I have found the perfect way to satisfy my sweet craving without ruining my health. Goody2Chews is soft, chewy and sweet from a center made of dates and raisins (just say no to high fructose corn syrup). Plus, it's gluten free, trans fats free, cholestrol free, high in fiber, high in iron and a good source of energy with 10 grams of protein in a bag.

Okay, you must be thinking, Something that good for you must not taste that great, and that's the surprising part - it's YUMMY! Flavors include yogurt, chocolate and caramel. Although I'm a total chocolate-girl, my favorite was yogurt - mmmmm! - but all three flavors are really good! Seriously, it totally cut my sweet cravings and cut hunger pangs. $16.48 for a pack of 12 at Amazon, or you can check out the Goody2Chews site for retail locations in the U.S. and Canada. Great snack for kids, too!

Fisticuffs Necklace

Girl fight!  And boy, do these girls mean business. 16" necklace.  $62 at Stars and Infinite Darkness.

Anne Taintor Tote Bag

Oh Anne Tainter you crack me up!  I don't have a garden or a green thumb but I want this "My Garden Kicks Ass" tote.  $34.95 at Quincy

Love Thy Neighbor Belt Buckle

A brass knuckle belt buckle for your bad ass boyfriend (or husband but it doesn't have the same ring to it).  $50 at Indie Shopper 

What Would an Angry Scotsman Do? Spin Folder

Yes this is silly but I bet you know someone who would get a kick out of the What Would an Angry Scotsman Do decision spinner?  $4.95 at Archie McPhee

Cafemug Pear by Shinzi Katoh

This is the perfect midnight snack mug.  Enjoy a drink and a tasty snack with this mug and mini dish set.  $18 at Two Potato Four