April 2009 Archives

OK, all I can see here is Hannibal Lecter and his equally disturbed adoring fan.

But actually, the intended purpose of the item on this guy's face is not to prevent him from feasting on other humans, but instead to keep him from screwing up his goatee and ultimately having to shave the whole thing off. Hence the name: GoateeSaver.

As a woman, I have no personal experience in this arena, so I really have no idea how hard it is to maintain a goatee. Some fellas with shaky hands may in fact find this product useful. It is expandable, so you can adjust it to fit your style of goatee. But as far as I can tell, the piece doesn't bend to conform to the curves of your face, so if you've got a wider goatee, I'm thinking there's going to be a big ol' gap between the GoateeSaver and your face and therefore room for error.

Ultimately, though, no matter how handy a gadget it may turn out to be, I just can't get over the look of this product. For a shaving helper that's a little less intimidating, check out Vat19's Fogless Shower Mirror.

This cheese board is shaped like a wedge of Swiss Cheese (clever, clever) and swings open to reveal storage space for three small cheese tools. You'll get a stainless steal spreader, fork, and knife. All you need to do is supply the cheese!

If you need a hostess gift or will be hosting a party yourself, this is a perfect and complete set. The small size and storage space for the cheese tools makes it easy to bring along for a day out at the wineries.

This bracelet made out of multiple "cords" and 24K gold costs about $145. Are we for serious? It just looks like a bunch of hair rubber bands clasped together!

I like colorful bracelets and unique things, but this is completely overpriced. If you're looking for unique gifts at great prices, be sure to visit the Vat19.com store!

I am in love with this wallpaper. And that's kind of saying a lot, because I hate wallpaper in general. But seriously, this is one of the greatest ideas ever.

Initial thought: This would be perfect for a kid's room. They would always have something to color, draw, and paint on. The only trouble I see is that kids can only reach so high, so after a while they're bound to start dragging kitchen chairs or unstable boxes into their rooms to reach the higher frames. Solution? Do a chair rail around the room and only put the wallpaper on the bottom third of the wall.

Besides kid's rooms, though, this would also be great for teenagers so they can display all their funky photos in a more creative way and appealing way than, say, sticking them into a mirror or to a corkboard. And actually, this wallpaper might also be cool in a bathroom. As we've all experienced in public restrooms, people like to write and doodle on walls while they do their business, and their creations would give you something to look at / read while you're doing your business. Just be ready for some not-so-nice stuff, depending how how obscene your friends can get. That's what White-Out is for, I suppose.

This gorgeous vessel is an all-transparent two-passenger canoe/kayak from Clear Blue Hawaii, and omg, I want one. I also want to see that view every morning when I look out my window, but we can't always get what we want, can we?

But if you live anywhere with calm, clear waters just begging to be explored, and if you have an extra $1,800 or so lying around, this is the kayak for you. Made from the same polycarbonate material used in the production of bulletproof glass and fighter jet canopies, the kayak endured durability tests like intense crashing against rocky shorelines, 20-foot drops, hammer blows, and an ejection from a vehicle at 70mph. (Sounds like an average day at MythBusters, if you ask me.) However, the maker still recommends just using the vessel in calm conditions - no white water or surf kayaking. I suppose this means I could use it for floating the Midwestern rivers near me like the Mississippi, although I'm not sure I'd really see much through those muddy waters besides, well, mud.

If you're lucky enough to live near waters rich with aquatic life, though, this kayak is a great way to see it all without having to strap on bulky diving or snorkeling equipment.

There are plenty of products out there that are a play on words. Some of them work and come off as clever and cute, such as Monkey Key Covers. Others don't work, such as the Tooth Toothpick Holder.

How gross. I don't want to be reminded with a blatant visual that people are going to be using these toothpicks to dig out little food remnants from the crevices of their teeth. However, if you are into this kind of thing, you're in luck because there are also Tooth Piks, which are food picks that are shaped like a tooth. Mmmm, classy.

For some cool, non-gross gifts, check out our store - Vat19.com.

I can say from personal experience that the Giant Cupcake Cake Pan is one of the coolest cake pans I've ever seen and used. For looking so awesome, it isn't very difficult to bake and decorate, which is always a plus.

It would be neat to bake a giant cupcake cake in yellow or white cake, put it on a huge tray or platter, and then surround it with a bunch of regular sized chocolate cupcakes. That way everyone at the party can eat the kind of cake they like and everything still looks cute and cohesive. Love it.

For under $30 you can own this delicious piece of over-sized awesomeness. If you like giant-sized gifts, check out these ginormous goodies over at the Vat19.com store.

OK, so I get that this is a joke. And just in case I didn't, the manufacturer posted a nice note on the box: "REAL babies should NEVER smoke! Ceramic babies smoking, on the other hand, are strangely appealing."

Really? To who? Who finds ceramic smoking babies appealing? If I walked into someone's house and found a ceramic smoking baby on their mantel, I'd be freaked out. I mean, that's a pretty twisted sense of humor. It's one thing to just see the ceramic smoking baby and think it's funny, but it's another thing entirely to actually purchase it and then display it in your home or office.

But hey, if this is your thing, far be it from me to deny you the details. The 2-3/4"-tall Smoking Baby comes with 10 "Li'l Smokes", which are actually just unscented incense wrapped in paper.

Is it me, or is "unscented incense" an oxymoron?

If this isn't geek chic, I don't know what is.

Since it's introduction to the world in 1990, Adobe's Photoshop program has made its way into everyday American pop culture, to the point where the word "photoshop" itself has become a regular part of our vocabulary, as in "Oh my God, that picture of Mariah Carey is totally photoshopped!" It's even in Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. But that's just not enough, is it? We need more Photoshop in our everyday lives. More!

Well, now Photoshop geeks, freaks, and wannabes everywhere can proclaim their love for the software with the "Invisible" T-shirt from artist Reece Ward. The design features the standard Photoshop toolbar with part of the background (in this case, you) erased.

At a totally reasonable price of $24.00, this would make a great gift for any graphic designer, photographer, web designer...basically anyone you know who works with digital images. And while the existence and powers of Photoshop are widely known, there are still a great amount of people out there who would be totally confused by this shirt, which makes it that much more awesome. It's like an inside joke that a heck of a lot of people are in on. Goodtimes!

Does an outdoor table get any cooler than this? The center of the table can be a regular fire pit, a gas grill, or an ice bucket. During the summer you can put a patio umbrella in the center instead. Talk about versatile!

Bar height tables probably aren't the norm for outdoor furniture, but I like it. It makes it easy for people to sit at the table on bar stools or stand at the table and not make the people standing feel awkward. The granite makes it look very nice and also makes it very expensive. The base price is $2,359.00! This table is cool, but not that cool.

Not into the bar height? Check out this dining height granite table with a fire pit.

Well, we finally caved in and created a Vat19.com page on FaceSpace.

Check out our new Facebook page! You'll be able to see our newest and most popular product videos, find out about new products, and whatever other awesome randomness we decide to share with our "friends"!

Does the world really need more fart sounds? Whether the sound is real or fake, I think not. I'd obviously rather spend $7.99 on something else. Kids, don't spend your allowance on this stupid toy.

About a month ago, I was taking a tour a at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery here in St. Louis, and some kid (I don't know why a kid was there. Kids don't want to hear about beechwood aging and hops.) walked by a group of us and played a fart machine while his friend walked by about 10 feet behind him laughing. Good one, kids. Like that one's never been done before.

This idiot of a kid didn't use a Gas-O-Matic, but I imagine he probably has one at home. He probably also stocked up on the extra sphincters. Yes, those are available.

The manufacturer says that "this realistic-sounding flatulence imtitator makes people think you really let one fly." Well isn't that wonderful news? By the way, that spelling error for "imitator" is actually on their webpage like that. Nice job, fake fart toy website creators.

OK, so I totally had no idea that the Radio Flyer people made anything besides the classic red wagon. But they do. Check out their Retro Rocket:

My original impression of this was that it was big enough for the child to sit inside the rocket, which I thought was super cool. But then I saw a different picture and realized it was just a seat that you sit on top of, which disappointed me a little. However, the Retro Rocket has a whole slew of special effects that still make it a really awesome gift for the little boy, or little tomboy, in your life. It has a 3-2-1 blast-off count and a vibrating motor action to simulate take-off, plus "astronaut and space" sounds, working lights, and a clicking cone. There is also a storage compartment under the seat, which I think kids love. It's like their own secret hiding place. Plus, it's just a cool-looking toy - all shiny and red and retro-like.

Radio Flyer also offers the Little Red Roadster, which doesn't have as many features as the rocket, but it still has that awesome retro vibe. And for the kids who love cars, there's the Sport Coupe. What's great about this one is that a child can actually open the car door and sit inside. And, when they get tired of pushing themselves all around, they can put up their feet in the "stow away" footrest and get pushed around by mom or dad using the telescoping handle.

I know there are a lot of other "cooler" cars for kids out there, like $350 Jeeps and Mustangs that have actual working foot pedals and AM/FM radios. But those just seem so blingy. I love the simple, classic look and feel of the Radio Flyer vehicles. It's refreshing.

I would've begged and begged for this TV if it would've been around when I was a kid! A small TV that looks like a crab is just plain awesome. In fact, I dare say it is 100% Curiously Awesome.

At the moment, it doesn't look like the Plush Crab TV is available. The manufacturer, Hannspree, also has other really neat TVs in unique shapes. They make TVs surrounded by an apple, firetruck, monkey, baseball, and more. Geniuses.

This here is the Hip-T. It's marketed as a "layering accessory for your hips", and is basically a $20.00 band of fabric that you put around your hips - over your jeans and under your too-short shirt - to camouflage your muffin top and/or prevent the embarrassment of butt/thong exposure when you sit or bend over. Why not just wear a cami under your shirt like normal people? Well, say the Hip-T creators, whole shirts under other shirts cause an annoying "t-shirt tangle" that simply must be avoided.

However, whole shirts, with their arm and neck holes, are guaranteed to stay put on your frame. I have a feeling these Hip-Ts would roll down or shimmy up - especially on those of us who have those unfortunate muffin tops or tummy rolls - causing us to be smoothing or tugging at it all day long. And really, I find it hard to believe that it does anything about corralling in the muffin top anyway; it just looks too thin.

Plus, I have fears about other ways people might use this item. Tube top? Headband? Skirt? Good God, I can see the Paris Hilton wannabe now.

While I will admit the layering effect is cute, I just don't see the point of spending $20.00 on a band of fabric when I could have a whole shirt for the same price. And actually, I think most of the gals rocking the super-low jeans are kind of wanting that extra exposure, so there goes half of Hip-T's target audience.

I did enjoy checking out their Press section, though, in which the celebrities posing with the Hip-T include various D-listers such as Karina and Lacey from "Dancing with the Stars", Bobby Brown, and "celebs" we haven't seen in 20 years. Note to MyHip-T.com editors: It's ANSON Williams from "Happy Days", not Ansel. Poor Potsie gets no respect.

You'd think the energy drink trend would be played out by now, but it's not.

For just $2.99 you can score yourself a can of Pac-Man Power Up Energy Drink. I get that people love retro stuff and like to try weird drinks, but Pac-Man doesn't seem like the type of video game that should be associated with an energy drink. For World of Warcraft, sure. But not for Pac-Man.

You can also get a can of Donkey Kong Jungle Juice Energy Drink for $2.49. Apparently Donkey Kong can't command the $2.99 price like Pac-Man can.

If you're looking for a useful and unique Pac-Man gift that doesn't have the douchebag factor associated with energy drinks, check out the Pac-Man Pot Holder.

Who hasn't stuck photos of friends or family into the edges of their bedroom mirror? I guess the idea is that it's quick, easy, and you're bound to see the photos at least once a day (more if you're narcissistic). The View Mirror by Jellio takes this idea a step further by building the photo frames into the mirror. Behold:

Design look a little familiar? That's right, the View Mirror is modeled after a ViewMaster reel, which I, as a child of the 80s, find completely awesome. The mirror is 24" in diameter and has 14 slots for images, just like the original ViewMaster reels. Retailing for $150.00, it's a tad steep, but I think it would make a great mirror for a child or teenager's room, or even a cool accent piece in a modern home ... or a home dedicated to 80s classics.

I am outraged.

Baby Bangs! HAIR+bands are basically headbands with faux hair attached for babies from 0-9 months. This tot-sized toupee, as the website states, was created "for baby girl's [sic], with little or no hair at all, to enhance their natural beauty." Here is a before-and-after:

Is anyone else ticked off by this? The world already puts enough pressure on young girls to look a certain way; we do NOT need to start "enhancing beauty" before the kid even hits 1! Let them enjoy their lack of hair (and frankly, their freedom) while they can! They have plenty of years ahead full of the hassles of blow-drying, teasing, and highlighting.

As far as I can tell, the main reason this product was created was to spare mothers (and/or fathers) the embarrassment of their baby girl being mistaken for a boy. I have a feeling that any parent that would be seriously annoyed or hurt by this innocent mistake would be the type that dresses their baby in extremely girly outfits, full of pink hearts and purple ruffles, therefore totally eliminating any possibility that the child could be mistaken for a boy in the first place. So, why burden the kid with a hairpiece?

Furthermore, what baby is going to allow this thing to be perched atop her head? I've held and babysat my share of babies, and in my experience, they squirm a lot. No wonder the makers of this product had to use a baby doll to illustrate the six-step process (six steps!) to secure and style the band on your baby's head. I take issue with steps 2, 4, and 6, specifically. Steps 2 and 4 require the use of a rattail comb, and step 6 suggests hairspray. HAIRSPRAY! As I said, babies move a lot. Their heads wobble, and they've got those soft spots that I'm always so paranoid about. I'm not about to go wielding a pointy comb and a can of hairspray around their fragile and still-developing heads.

If you ask me, the only time a Baby Bangs! HAIR+band is appropriate is if it's on top of a Cabbage Patch Doll's head, or mopping your floor.

Bald is beautiful, people, especially on babies. Embrace it!

Did you know that neon food coloring existed? I had no idea! I want neon icing on a delicious baked good, and I want it now.

I always love a nicely decorated and colorful cake, cookie, cupcake, brownie...you name it. Sometimes it seems pretty much impossible to get the exact color of icing you want when all you have to work with is red, yellow, green, and blue dyes that come in standard food coloring sets. Good luck if you want bright pink or brown.

The McCormick Neon Food Colors & Egg Dye come with pink, purple, green, and blue. I haven't tried these (yet!), but from the looks of this picture, the colors are definitely bright.

If you're not a fan of colored icing, you could use the food coloring to dye the cake batter and make really cool looking rainbow cupcakes.

Although we loved the topics that we were covering, it was time for us here at the Vat19.com blog to focus more on what we're good at: uncovering the most curiously awesome products around the world.

So, welcome to the new and improved blog of Vat19.com. Enjoy!