Special Effects for Funky Photos

Item: BeFunky Photo Effects

Price: Free

Where to Try: BeFunky.com

Review: Add professional-looking special effects to your favorite photos in seconds -- no artistic skills required.

With nine options (including the "Warholizer" and the "Cartoonizer") there's hours of photorific fun at BeFunky.com. For example, see what "Charcola" did to the image above.

The site is free -- you don't even have to register to try it out -- and after uploading your photo, your new funkified image is displayed in seconds. What you do with the image is up to you-- you can purchase the image on shirts, mugs, magnets, keychains, stickers and more right on the site.

Renegade Craft Fair: Indie Art at Hard-to-Beat Prices

I heard about the Brooklyn stop of the Renegade Craft Fair completely by chance, through a small notice on the New York Times online. But it didn't take long to decide that I would attend.

It took a bit longer to convince my husband to accompany me. But he had almost as much fun perusing the witty t-shirts as I did combing through the jewelry, bags and clothing.

The Renegade Craft Fair brings together "indie crafters"-- more than 300 at the Brooklyn event -- for a one-stop-shop of all things homemade.

And happily, visitors on a budget have plenty to choose from. I picked up a necklace for $15 and could easily have spent 10x that and left McCarren Park with a full bag of loot. I hope to feature on this site some of the unique items I saw for sale, but until then you can read about my experience at the Brooklyn Renegade Craft Fair.

I'll certainly be at the 2010 fair, and I only wish I could attend the upcoming Renegade Craft Fairs yet this year:

Los Angeles
California Market Center
July 11-12

San Francisco
Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion
July 18-19

Chicago
Division Street between Damen & Hermitage
Sept. 12-13

Headphones Hat

Item: Headphones Hat

Price: $24.99 - $29.99

Where to Buy: Tooks Hats

Review: Hate cold weather? Love your iPod? Make peace with both with a Tooks hat with built-in headphones.

The removable headphones come with the hat, making this one functional, fashionable gift.

The headphones hat seems to be practical not only for the music lover, but also for the person who actually wants to stay warm. If you're like me and won't even buy a hat with a fleece band to keep your ears nice and toasty, you're in luck.

The hats are available in a variety of colors and styles. Whether you opt for the beanie, the bomber or the classic knit, the headphones hat is one way to keep your head as hot as your music.

Yeah, I can see you rolling your eyes over that last sentence. I couldn't resist.

Image from: krunker.com

Reading is Sexy shirt

Item: Reading is Sexy shirt

Price: $16.95

Where to Buy: BuyOlympia.com

Review: The written word is not dead. At least, not yet.

I loved this logo as soon as I saw it on a bumper sticker given to me by a member of my old book club. When I heard about the shirt, I knew it had to be mine.

Readers get a bad reputation. No, my nose doesn't rotate from the middle of a book to waving high in the air. No, I don't go around shushing people in libraries- nor do I want to. Readers can be just as witty and sassy as any illiterate in the bunch!

OK, well maybe we are just the tiniest bit snooty.

In any case, readers of the world can unite behind this sexy tee.

Image from: BuyOlympia.com