bltd

At the risk of sounding like a pretentious wino, when you travel with wine, you want it to make sure it arrives unharmed. And when that wine is, say, a little expensive (why else would you travel with it) you’d do well to invest $4 in making sure it’s protected. This durable vinyl WineSkin has a double closure and an interior bubble pack that acts as an insulating shock absorber. It’s meant for one-time use (thumbs down), but it is recyclable (thumbs up), so you can hopefully shed any residual guilt from your conspicuous consumption.
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If you would like a more established tableware set (i.e. nicer than what you bought at IKEA), you could do a whole lot worse than this set from Heikki Orvola. If you’re a complete dinnerware-obsessed nutcase*, you might recognize the 24h series, which Orvola designed for his own use. While perhaps the collection didn’t necessarily need improvement, Finnish designer duo Helorinne & Kallio added a little pep and pizazz (for lack of a better term) with the blue brushstroke pattern.
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If you’re a minimalist that likes a little bit of decorative detail, perhaps you’ll like the Meeting collection from Sagaform. Subtle black stripes surround the base of a carafe and a couple of stacking glasses, making a nice set for having a drink (of water or something stronger) at home or the office.
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Still looking for a suitable commuter cup? Check out this recyclable KeepCup: it’s lightweight, has an interchangeable lid (if you get a couple of different sizes), and a silicone band to protect your hand. The 8 and 12 oz. sizes fit under espresso machines, so you can take it to your local coffee shop for a fill up. It’s dishwasher and microwave safe too. Also available in Gray + White and Black + Green.
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This might look like it’s been carefully dip-dyed, but it’s actually digitally printed, which explains the vibrant colors and perfect pattern. In fact, I’d say just try to do this at home, and if you replicate it successfully, I’ll send you a handmade ‘well done’ ribbon. Designed by Copenhagen-based textile and color designer Margrethe Odgaard, and created for Hay Denmark.

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If you’re still searching for a mug to keep your coffee or tea hot, take a look at this faux drinks can. Its double wall insulates your beverage and keeps your hand cool, and there’s a removable silicone lid to retain heat and keep drips and spills corralled. (I suppose it would also come in handy if you want to drink a soda without advertising what you’re drinking. Maybe.)

£9.95 from thabto.co.uk.

These aren’t the first Animal Wine Stoppers you’ve seen featured on BLTD, but these are perhaps the funniest. You could probably recreate these with a small saw, some glue and a little elbow grease (and plastic animals and simple wine stoppers), but for those of you less DIY, these are available for $30 from designboom shop.
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Update: Now on sale at 40% off at Plastica. Snap ’em up while available.

Marimekko’s ‘Socks Rolled Down’ glassware is simply lovely. Various shades of delicate color would be just the thing to match the spring weather that’s right around the corner.

Colored mouth-blown glass for cold drink use.
Dishwasher safe.

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These remind me of the Ink Blot series by Kathleen Walsh (which are no longer available as far as I can find) for obvious reasons. Inspired by the Rorschach test, you’re sure to have some interesting conversations based on what your friends and family see within the patterns. Figure 3 is clearly a giraffe’s face, don’t you think?

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Seeing as it’s the first day of the last month of summer, it’s worth reminding that you might as well take advantage of every moment outside if you’re experiencing nice weather*. There’s something about this bandana dinnerware that says ‘summer’ loud and clear. Sure, it’s got the red/white/blue theme, and a bandana design, but it’s also triple-weight melamine, which means durability.
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Will this wooden cutlery break? Possibly, if you press down too hard. Do they look cool/interesting? No doubt. These look very similar to some wooden cutlery I posted back in ’09, yet unfortunately the price is quite a bit more. I’ve included a few more wooden cutlery options below at lower price points.
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Tear away placemats and napkins sound pretty perfect for an outdoor lunch or dinner, and, as is the case with this collection by MYdrap, they’re re-usable and fully washable 100% cotton fabric. Come to think of it, these would be handy for lots of occasions, not just for outdoor meals.

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Chances are if you’re near a wooded lot and own a saw, you could make something similar to these coasters pretty easily. However, they probably wouldn’t be teak and you’d spend a few hours replicating 4 coasters that cost $12.

4.25″ approx diameter.
Set of 4.

Ah, who among us wouldn’t enjoy eating off of a face from the National Gallery’s collection? It’d be satisfactory to say the least. The plates are melamine, so no risk of breakage at picnics or parties, and there’s a selection of 4 dinner plates, 4 side plates and 1 large platter.
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Normally I wouldn’t advocate using paper placemats, but these become animals, and that changes the whole ballgame. These are obviously geared towards kids and I’m sure they’re perfect for encouraging little ones to clean up after dinner, but I think it would be fun to have these at a low-key dinner party with friends, as each guest would be able to fold up their placemat and have an animal to take home. Sure, it’s a bit silly, but sometimes a little silliness is nice to have in our seriously adult world.
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