Today's Kool Idea: Dynamic Frames Lil Davinci Art Cabinet

Every school year, we are faced with the same dilemma of every nursery/preschool parent...just how much of our child's artwork is it okay to throw out? If we asked our son, his answer would be passionately and unequivocally, "None." Don't judge us, and please, please don't tell him, but as a rule, we haven't kept more than five of his masterpieces from year to year. We just have to wait until he's out of the house to get rid of the others, and even then, we have to be careful to bury it waaaay down in the garbage so he doesn't find out what we did. Pretty sneaky, huh? Seriously though, we just cannot understand how some parents do it (our Mom did)...if we kept every piece of artwork our four year old came home with, we'd have no room to walk.

Well, thanks to the Dynamic Frames company, we have the perfect solution to handle all of our son's artwork. Check out this Lil Davinci Art Cabinet. Simply put, it's a slim art cabinet that looks like a frame, but stores like an album. The spring-loaded corners make it possible to hold up to 50...yes, you heard us right, 50 pages to archive all of a child's creativity. There's a discreet hinge to open the front of the Lil Davinci Art Cabinet and easily update the display, with older creations stored safely behind.

We love, love love this idea! The Lil Davinci Art Cabinet boasts an ultra-thin profile (just over 1 inch thick), and a single bevel cut acid-free mat. Each frame is made from wood and is offered in a choice of black, white or cherry finish. Since our son comes home with more construction paper type drawings and paintings than any other size, we selected the 9" x 12" Lil Davinci Art Cabinet to start out the school year. Dynamic Frames does offer other sizes, though. Plus, it comes with everything we need, including mounting hardware and a hanging template with a horizontal or vertical option. The table stand is a nice touch...we have more empty wall space than table space though, so we won't be using it.

Let's face it...children grow up before we know it. As parents, we want to keep as many of our children's treasures as possible. Dynamic Frames makes it easy to protect their artistic masterpieces. The Lil Davinci Art Cabinet is a unique and wonderful way to showcase masterpieces and store mementos at the same time, all while boosting our child's self-esteem with their proud display. The best part? No more refrigerator clutter. What a "kool" gift for anyone with a young child. Our covert trash moves are officially over.

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Today's Kool Idea: Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tiles - Imprinted Invitations

The Daily Kool recently received a wedding invitation for a business associate. We've been having some trouble coming up with a gift idea, though. Apparently, they've also been living together for a while, so they probably have many of the essentials. Plus, the couple hasn't registered anywhere, so we're clueless as to what they really need...sigh. Way to make it tough on your guests, guys! Sure, money is always an option, but our egos can't handle such a generic gift...we need to stand out, be remembered and yes, get kudos for our creativity. Okay, so we're a little self-absorbed.

Weddings are a sentimental business, so we've been thinking it might be a good idea to give the couple a gift to reflect the joy of the event itself. We recently came across the Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tiles website....hmmm. We just may have hit the jackpot with this one. This family-owned Louisiana business specializes in imprinting invitations on their hand-crafted keepsake tiles. In case you're wondering, the company uses an age-old process called sand casting, creating a lovely antique white patina. Plus, it seems incredibly easy to order...simply fill out the order page, download (or email, or even snail mail) the invitation, and the Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tile company handles the rest. Pretty "kool," huh?

There are so many things we love about the idea of giving a Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tile as a wedding gift for our business associate. The etching of the invitation in stone is permanent, creating an everlasting memory that is not only unique, but certainly elegant enough to display in their home. We also appreciate how reasonably priced the Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tile is. Assuming we decide to purchase the tile, plus the display easel they offer, everything (including the $10 shipping cost) would come out just under $75...this price falls within the spending range recommended by wedding etiquette experts.

Sadie Ryan obviously takes great pride in customer satisfaction...these keepsake tiles are offered in two sizes (8.75" x 7" or 10.75" x 6.5"), yet the company keeps the price the same, preferring to allow customers to pick the most appropriate size for their invitation. The company claims they can create a keepsake tile from just about any invitation or card. Plus, it's nice to have the option of including (or excluding) graphics, initials, emblem and even reception information. And, considering each Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tile is personally created at the time of order, a two week turnaround seems more than reasonable.

Although we admit that the fleur-de-lis & scroll antique finish that Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tiles offers looks stunning, keep in mind that it is the only style that is available. Also, all color ink is converted to black. Don't get us wrong...black is perfectly fine, especially since there are so many colors that would be unlikely to show up on the stone. However, a nice dark brown would possibly give the tile a softer look and be a viable option the company might want to consider offering their customers.

There is definitely something to be said for taking pride in doing one thing and doing it well. Sadie Ryan Keepsake Tiles are quite possibly one of the most unusual and timeless wedding presents we have ever come across. This is one gift that would undoubtedly become a treasured heirloom for any couple. We're definitely keeping this "kool" idea in mind for our colleague and his new bride.

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Today's Kool Idea: Photo Collage for Mother's Day

Pictures of the kids or grandchildren seems to be a popular gift choice for Mother's Day. But, who says you have to give Mom just an ordinary photograph?

Picture if you will (ha, ha...sorry), a professionally printed image of your pride and joy, meticulously composed of all your favorite shots. The Daily Kool came across this "kool" idea for a photo collage from a company called Picture Evolution. Picture Evolution will take a primary photograph of your choice, and create a composite by cutting and joining a number of other photographs (also provided by you).

We at The Daily Kool love this gift idea. If you are at all like us, you probably have hundreds of digital pictures of your kids. With Picture Evolution, all you have to do is upload and submit at least 50 of your favorites and they'll take care of the rest. Don't be skimpy on the pictures though...Picture Evolution needs enough variation in color and contrast to accurately recreate the main photo, so the more you give them, the better (there is no limit). As you can see from our example, the photo collage results are astounding.

We like the convenience that comes with uploading our selected images to Picture Evolution to create the photo collage. Don't worry, though. The company assures us that all photographs are handled with complete care, respect and confidentiality. Imagine the look on Mom's face when you present her with this beautiful piece of art. A photo collage is the ultimate expression of your special memories and a truly unique Mother's Day gift idea that will undoubtedly surprise and delight the special woman in your life.

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Today's Kool Idea: Hercules Hook Wall Hooks

Our children, like most others, are extremely proud when they create beautiful pieces of art. If you have been reading our blog, you are probably aware of our parental obsession with technology-free activities that foster socialization and creative expression. Our kids love them all...sand art, mosaics, string along, latch hook projects, etc. Of course, our children demand that their creations be displayed. Rightfully so, of course, but there's only one problem...where on earth are we going to find room for all of them?

Shelves...we need more shelves (yes, and probably a bigger home). We are constantly taking out the hammer and nails to install shelves and hang artwork in various rooms...at least we were until a friend told us we had to check out the Hercules Hook wall hooks. So, we picked them up at our local Bed Bath and Beyond (gotta love the 20% coupon) and brought them home.

There are a lot of things that we really like about the Hercules Hooks. They can hold a lot of weight (up to 150 lbs), and were relatively easy to use, once we got the hang (yep, pun intended) of it. Installing the Hercules Hooks took a little more muscle than we expected, but once we got them in, they really worked like a charm. We admittedly went a little hanging happy, but these hooks are a lot of fun to use....and they really hold everything beautifully.

This is a much sturdier product than we expected. We really love how small the holes in our wall are. Of course, we must admit that the heavier the item, the larger the hole gets, but it's still much smaller than most nails...just a little touch up paint makes them completely invisible...no spackle necessary! Our biggest problem? Hercules Hooks are completely useless wherever there are studs in the wall. They are so long, there is no way to maneuver them around or in front of the studs. Unfortunately, the studs tend to be placed in the most centered areas on the walls, so we often have to go back to traditional picture hooks in certain spots.

Overall, Hercules Hook wall hooks are really great to have around the house. More convenient than picture hooks for framed art? Perhaps not, but again, only because of the wall studs. They are absolutely worth using for shelving installation or for heavier pieces that require an anchor and screw. Now we have plenty of places to store our kids' masterpieces and no excuse to shop around for a bigger house...darn it!

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