There’s a Monster In My Pocket
Warm up your iPod.

Artist Jacqueline Myers-Cho gave birth to the very first iPod Monster Socks on a crisp November evening in 2004. Labor was difficult. The monsters would have squealed—if she had finished sewing on their mouths. The Monster Socks, with their jingle bells and safety pins for eyeballs, were a terrifying lot.

Fortunately, they turned out to be quite friendly. Despite their roughly-hewn exterior, all they really want to do is nuzzle around an iPod, listen to some sweet tunes and ride around in your pocket. You can forget trying to score twins though. These iPod Monster Socks are strictly one of a kind. Adopt an iPod Monster Sock at www.jmcdesigns.etsy.com.

Creature Feature
Faux fur never goes out of style.

Rachel Chow and Jason Carpenter have Creature cooties. The Los Angeles-based duo make Creature bags, Creature hats and snarky little Creature minis waiting to devour your pocket change. If that doesn’t satisfy your penchant for neon faux fur, they can also turn you into a head-to-toe Creature.

Drawing their inspiration from friends—real and imaginary—every Creature is lovingly handmade with the standard implements: fabric, scissors, thread, metal chopsticks and wooden spoons. The Creatures have even starred their first short film, Bunnies Don’t Cluck. Curious? Just don’t feed them; we’re not sure if they bite. Catch the latest Creatures at www.creatureco-op.com.

Heads Up
Little Lakas saves the day.

Firefoot has moves so hot his feet emit sparks; the Karaoke King has threads that rival Elvis; they both live in the Makibaka Hotel. All little Lakas wants to do is sing and dance with them, but something terrible has happened. Lakas’ new friends have 30 days to move out of their home.

Lakas and the Makibaka Hotel is based on the true story of the 2002 eviction of the tenants of Trinity Plaza Apartments in San Francisco. Poet and activist Anthony D. Robles and artist Carl Angel team up in this bilingual English-Tagalog story. It’s the perfect gift for a budding activist. Visit your local bookstore or www.childrensbookpress.org.

Lucky You
Stationery for the jet-set.

Forget about the envelope, Hello! Lucky makes cards so beautiful, you’ll want to lick the paper. Born to an American diplomat and the daughter of a Taiwanese admiral, sisters Eunice and Sabrina Moyle gathered inspiration for their stationery collections from their childhood travels. Songbirds and sock monkeys abound in this vintage-inspired line.

The very first cards were printed on a hand-cranked press in Eunice Moyle’s garage. While the digs may have changed, Hello! Lucky still prints all of their letterpress cards in their San Francisco studio. Wedding? Baby on the way? They offer custom printing services to celebrate any card-worthy occasion. Find Hello! Lucky at www.hellolucky.com or at Lola in San Francisco.

Photographer Mia Nakano