Monday, November 10, 2008

Middle-of-the-road cute


I love etsy and design blogs as much as the next girl, but deep down, I'm a mall shopper at heart. I get overwhelmed by all the exquisite prettiness and hardcore craftiness out there, so for comfort I turn to places where you have to dig to find the cute: big-box stores and junky malls. It must be the thrill of the hunt that calms my mind.

Needless to say, then, I am happy to start looking for some mainstream gift ideas for the grandparents to consider for my daughter. Melissa and Doug toys perfectly fit the bill: You can find them at your local Toys R Us, but they're not as depressing as the plentiful licensed-character stuff you'll find on the shelves next to them.

I can't quite articulate why this Melissa and Doug Deluxe Plus Prance-N-Play Stick Unicorn appeals to me. It's not particularly ironic, it doesn't bring up any memories or longings from my own childhood, and I don't even know if my daughter—who so far has exhibited no signs of having the princess and fairies gene—would like it. I just want one.

No comments: