The official blog of Vat19.com

Treasure: Christmas at the White House book

2009-11-20T15:46:21Z

I'm sure the White House is impressive enough on a regular day, but during Christmas it must be particularly amazing to see all of the elegant holiday decorations. In Christmas at the White House by Jennifer B. Pickens, you can check out 500 photos taken from 9 different administrations.

This would be an awesome "coffee table book" to give someone (like me!) for the holidays. It's pretty pricey at $75.00, but it has over 400 pages of decorating perfection. Not wanting to flip through this book would be un-American. Just kidding! But still, I think it would be really interesting to see how different administrations decorated the same house differently.

Trash: Bread Shoes

2009-11-18T15:09:58Z

These Bread Shoes have been all over the blogosphere lately, and a lot of people think they are totally awesome. In fact, they're selling out on the manufacturer's website. And I ask, "Why?"

People, these are loaves of bread that have a chunk cut off the back and part of the insides pulled out of the "toe" area. Anyone could do this. Actually, my 5-year-old cousin did nearly the same thing with dinner rolls this past weekend. Why are people paying 62 euros, or roughly $93, for a pair of bread shoes that you can't even wear? The website itself says, "Not wearable on feet". And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be able to eat them, either, as they do not appear to be packaged in an airtight container. So, you get a pair of stale bread shoes that you ... display on your mantle?

I'm bummed, man. This is a total waste of a perfectly delicious loaf of bread.

Vat19.com's Cyber Monday Mega Giveaway!

2009-11-13T10:58:48Z

Want to win the 5-pound World's Largest Gummy Bear along with 18 other "curiously awesome" products from Vat19.com? Sure you do!

All you have to do to enter Vat19.com's Cyber Monday Mega Giveaway (worth over $325!) is sign up for our twice monthly newsletter. You can sign up here.

The giveaway includes the following 19 products. You know, because we're Vat19!

World's Largest Gummy Bear (Blue Raspberry)
Giant Gummy Bear...on a Stick (Green Apple)
The Original Slush Mug (Red)
Morris the Memo Holder (Charcoal)
Hershey's Syrup Chocolate Scented Candle
L'il DaVinci Store & Display Art Cabinet (8.5x11)
Cassette Tape 4-Port USB Hub
Crayon Coffee Mug (Custard Yellow)
Nuscup Adjustable Measuring Cup & Scoop (Mini)
Nuscup Adjustable Measuring Cup & Scoop (Standard)
Money Clamp Front Pocket Wallet (Geneva Mesh)
Guitar String Bracelet (Silver)
TelePen Telescoping Keychain Pen
Graviti Battery-Powered Pepper Mill
Ambient Fire: The Ultimate Video Fireplace DVD
Talking Photo Album
BuckyBalls Magnetic Toy
Operation Classic Game Pen
Cash Stash Keychain Capsule

One email address will be chosen at random from all of the email addresses signed up for Vat19.com's newsletter. The drawing will take place at 5:00 PM CST on Cyber Monday (November 30, 2009). This giveaway is open to US shipping addresses only.

If you are already signed up for Vat19.com's newsletter, then you're already entered!

Trash: On the Cuff Wrist Sponges

2009-11-11T14:56:48Z

Seriously guys? Really?

The creators of On the Cuff feel that they are solving a horrid problem that plagues so many of us when we wash our dishes, faces, and cars - water running down our arms. Dun dun DUN! I know, such a problem, right? Thank goodness they've come up with these sponge bracelets that you wear to catch those awful drops of water. And I'm so glad they're selling them for the bargain price of $7.99 per pair. Yes folks, you are only $8.00 away from a couple of sponge rings that will spare you the slight annoyance of water droplets on your forearms. Awesome! And totally worth it!

Whew. All that sarcasm wore me out.

Trash: Sexy Girl Doorstop

2009-11-09T11:05:35Z

This "sexy girl" doorstop is so trashy! I don't need to explain why, as I figure the outline of a girl in the doggie-style position makes it pretty obvious. Would the type of person that would like this even use a doorstop?

After showing you this stupid doorstop, I'd like to redeem myself and show you a pretty darn cool (non "sexy") doorstop. Check out the Golfer's Doorstop! It comes with a golf ball so you can start practicing your putting skills immediately...while keeping a door propped open.

Treasure: Floating Ducks

2009-11-06T12:14:36Z

I know that nothing can ever compare to the traditional Rubber Ducky as the perfect tub toy. However, these Floating Ducks are a cute alternative for those who prefer something a little more modern and designer-y. Yes, that's a word.

Besides being a fun floating bath toy for your kids, they can also function as room decor. The baby rests on the mom's back (so cute), and they gently rock together, exuding a calm, almost Zen-like feel. Adorable!

By the way, for those of you who just can never get enough ducks, check out the ducky selection at Vat19. We love our feathered friends!

Treasure: Cinnamon Swirl Marshmallows

2009-11-04T11:21:51Z

As if a Cinnamon Swirl Marshmallow didn't already sound delicious enough, these are also topped with candied pecans. Yum! These are about 2" square, which is a pretty good size for a marshmallow. You get 8 pieces for $14.00, which I think is reasonable for something with a unique flavor (I haven't actually tried these, but for a marshmallow I think this is a unique flavor!) and that is handmade by Vintage Confections.

It's November (already!) and has already started to get pretty cold at night here in St. Louis, which is perfect campfire and s'mores making weather. I wouldn't melt these gourmet marshmallows though. I'd just get some regular jumbo marshmallows!

Treasure: Bike Tire Belt with Cog Buckle

2009-11-02T19:33:07Z

I'm so glad there are insanely creative people out there who can re-purpose what most of us would call "trash" into something useful and one-of-a-kind. Many times you may not even realize that a "new" product has been made out of "old" recycled products.

Take this belt, for example. If I hadn't told you so in the title of this post, would you have ever guessed that the belt is made from a bike tire and the buckle from a bike cog? OK, maybe you cycling aficionados would, but to the rest of our naked eyes, it just looks like a really cool and edgy belt. Those who wear it are not only making a style statement, but an "I care about the earth" statement too!

There are tons and tons of other re-purposed products out there (for example, Vat19's LP Record Coasters), and I encourage you to check them out. Maybe you'll find some inspiration to create your own re-purposed goods!

Trash: Pedi-Tan Foot Tanner

2009-10-30T10:25:55Z

I understand that having tan lines on your feet from socks and sandals isn't the coolest look, but do people really need to own their own foot tanner? Is this that big of a problem? If it is for you, check out the Pedi-Tan. "Pedi-Tan, No Tans' complete until you tan your feet!"

Luckily this device features a 20 minute safety timer. Otherwise, I think lots of people would be sitting there tanning their feet and forget about them!

Treasure: Teddy Bear Hat with Earflaps

2009-10-28T14:53:16Z

OK, this is so adorable that it's a little overwhelming.

There are babies popping up all over the place in my family, and I am very tempted to purchase this hand knit teddy bear hat for all of them. Not only is it cute, but it looks very well made and super warm. I love the details of the braided ties and little bow (although I'm not sure if the bow is included). It also helps that they have a very sweet little baby modeling it. I could pinch those cheeks!

Anyway... at $26.00, it would make a great gift for your favorite little one that they could hold on to as a keepsake as they get older.

Treasure: Foosball Coffee Table

2009-10-26T10:57:30Z

The Foosball Coffee Table might not be the most sophisticated coffee table I've ever seen, but it definitely is one of the neatest. Foosball is fun and not everyone has a game room or a finished basement to store the table in, so this is a way to have a foosball table if you don't have a lot of extra space in your house.

Coffee tables aren't tall, so I understand why this isn't tall. But crouching down to play foosball is not ideal. Nonetheless, this table is still pretty awesome. At $499 with free shipping, that isn't a bad deal. Nice coffee tables without foosball playing capability can cost at least that much!

Trash: Curling Iron Ear Cuffs

2009-10-23T10:00:00Z

Holy smokes, these are hilarious.

I know there's a potential need for Curling Iron Ear Cuffs; I myself have burned the top of my ear with a curling iron before. But come on, these are ridiculous. Not EVERY little problem in life requires a silly little solution like this one. She looks like Shrek!

Plus, these look like they should cost maybe $1.00 per pair. But no, they're $5.00. Really? You might as well just put a pair of your socks over your ears and save that $5.00 for something much more useful and awesome like, oh I don't know, a Classic Game Pen, a couple of Farm Animal LED Keychains, or some ToastIt Toaster Bags from Vat19.

Treasure: Shopping Cart Chair

2009-10-21T10:47:33Z

This chair that looks like a shopping cart is a miniature model (for $379.00 - yikes), but it would be awesome if it was full scale. Although it might not be a very comfortable chair, it is definitely very unique. It'd be quite a conversation piece and I think guests would tolerate sitting in it for a while just because it's neat.

We don't sell shopping cart chairs at Vat19.com, but we do sell a Mini Shopping Cart Caddy that is perfect for holding office supplies, candy and snacks, or letting Barbie push around. Best of all, it looks just like its full-sized counterpart and even has a working seat.

Treasure: Sonic Fabric Neckties

2009-10-19T13:43:32Z

At first glance, they may look like regular old neckties. But in fact, the "fabric" used to make these Sonic Fabric ties is 50% recorded audio cassette tape. Yeah, I don't know how the heck they do it, but they've taken old mixed tapes and woven them into ties.

If that isn't awesome enough for you, these ties can actually be "played". Because the magnetic quality is maintained through the weaving process, you can still "hear" your tie by running a tape head over it. (A tape head is that little thing inside cassette tapes that touches the tape.) The designer says that when you do this, you're actually playing 4 or 5 strands of tape at once, or 16 to 20 tracks, so it kind of sounds like scratching a record backwards or radio static.

Needless to say, these are the coolest ties EVER, and the man in your life would totally love one. And if you don't have $90 to spare, fear not. The man in your life would also love any of these awesome gifts.

Trash: Phone Fingers

2009-10-16T21:29:46Z

I feel like I've been trashing a lot of products lately, but I could not pass these up.

They are called Phone Fingers, and you're supposed to wear them when using your touch screen phone in order to keep the precious screen fingerprint-free. Now I don't have a touch screen phone, so maybe I can't fully understand how necessary these are. But really, is a smudge-free screen important enough that you walk around with rubber protectors on your fingers? Who has the time to roll these suckers on every time they need to make a phone call or send a text?

If you want to keep your touch screen nice and shiny, I suggest investing in a pair of Ultimate Cloths. They clean tons of surfaces with ease and you won't look lame using them.