Our annual online sale starts now and last only a couple days, ends on 12/7/2011. Some items up to 50% off. Go!

First up: Paris.
We love the pace of life in Paris, the joie de vivre.

Don’t even get us started on the food. Bakeries with pastries fresh from the oven and a heavenly cup of coffee. Getting sandwiches to go while walking around this beautiful city. Buying hot out of the oven baguettes. Paris was lovely. We’d love to spend more time there.

Seoul
Angie: This is where I spent my childhood and I feel so at home there. I love the food, the people, and going back and discovering all the changes is fun and exciting.

We ate it all!

There are also so many great designers coming out of Korea. It’s totally inspiring to meet and talk with them, including our partners, MMMG and Eco Party Mearry.

Bangkok
We love Bangkok’s crazy spicy food though the weather can be really hot and humid.

When they say Thailand is a land of thousand smiles, they’re not kidding. People here are kind and friendly, such an easy great place to travel. And, the street food is so good!

If you tire of the hustle and bustle in Bangkok, go South and see white sand beaches and clear blue water where you can swim with the tropical fish or head North to the beautiful mountains.

Tokyo
This is a city filled with inspiration. We love the frenetic pace of the city and we get so much design inspiration there just by going to different shops and walking around.

A great friend of ours, Miki, one of Poketo’s early artists, lives in the residential part of Shibuya, one of the busiest shopping centers in Tokyo, but her place is tucked in the quiet residential part. You’ll never guess a 5-minute walk will take you to the sea of people at the famous Shibuya Crossing.

A short train ride away is a quaint little town called Hakone, full of hot springs and ryokans(small inns) where they feed your breakfast and dinner and soak in nice hot baths.

Last, but definitely not least, Big Sur.
This is one place where you can really unplug and just be in the present. No mobile signals here. When you see and hear the huge waves crashing onto the cliffs, you feel so alive.

We love going camping and this is a place we go at least once a year. And while you’re there, you must go for a midnight soak at Esalan Institute‘s hot spring.

If you ever need a something to get you out of a slump, traveling is our recommended cure. Traveling takes us out of our daily routine and our senses become so alive with all the new things to see, taste, and feel. It’s a great time to just… be.

Where have you found inspiration?

Top to bottom, left to right: Music Balloon. Clover Planner. Perfect Laptop Case. Diamond Ring, Ruby.

Top to bottom, left to right: Yarn and needle plate set. Polar bear pen. Slim Angel wide-angle camera. Icon clock.

Top to bottom, left to right: Canvas backpack. Blackbird fly twin lens camera. Primary bangle. Daily color planner.

It’ll be a surprise which shirts you will receive, but they will all be super rad fan favorites. This is a prime deal for the upcoming gift-giving season, so don’t miss out! Click here to get to the goods!

All Women’s small shirts are up to 70% OFF!

Crayon Rings!

Made from washable crayons, these rings come in blue, red, orange, and yellow. Mix and match the rings according to your significant other’s taste! And for anyone who appreciates good design from start to finish, the packaging on these crayons add a very personal, and do-it-yourself touch.

“Loving You” His <3 Her T-Shirts

What better way to show your love than wear it! Part of our SPACETIME series, designed by Cody Hudson, the bold design is perfectly in sync with the bold statement. Warning: For “cool” couples only.

We Art Not Two We Are One Silkscreen Poster

Designed by Chris Bettig, this limited edition silkscreened poster will belong to 50 lucky people. So let your loved one be that person! Based on the song “The Strangers” by The Kinks, this poster is perfect for classic rock aficionado’s, art lovers, and the like!

Bird Hand Brooch

Handcrafted by Australian designer Beci Orpin, this wooden brooch is delicate, charming, and wonderfully affordable. Wear it on your chest as a badge of love, or pin them to bags and scarves as accent pieces.

Cactus Boy, Tree Girl Card

Designed by Poketo x Leah Chun, the Cactus Boy, Tree Girl cards are perfect for any occasion, but particularly more relevant this year because of the need for Green! Printed on 100% recycled paper with soy inks, add the final touch to your gift with these simple, and eco-friendly cards.

5-Minute Candles

Sometimes, Valentine’s Day calls for spontaneous candle light. The 5-minute Candles will come to your rescue! Once you whip one of these out, you will instantly transform any moment into a super romantic ambience.

The Silver Diamond Ring

Alas, the creme de la creme to top off your already amazing Valentine’s Day. Ditch the cubic zirconia ring, and impress her with this simple and instantly recognizable silver ring.

For these and other products, please visit: www.poketo.com/shop/Valentines

There’s a huge movement taking place right now in Los Angeles in the arts. Very slowly but very surely is this city starting to gain credibility in the international art scene– autonomous from the once prevalent stereotype of Hollywood glamor. So 2010′s L.A. Arts Month is particularly important for the city because it is a chance for L.A. to join together through a creative lens and not through the Lakers. Through the coming together of different cultures, and not through disparity.

There is a ton of interesting programming happening, but here are the ones that stood out:

1. 1/14: The 19th Annual International Los Angeles Photographic Art Expo
2. 1/14: Culver City Art Walk
3. 1/16: Miracle Mile Art Walk
4. 1/16: Urban Interventions
5. 1/22: Between Science and Magic @ SMMOA
6. 1/25: VIA/LAND Gonzalo Lebrija/ Sunset Boulevard VideoTRONS
7. 1/30: Art Circles at the Getty

Things I want to look out for is how art is integrated into the city, what kinds of people these events will attract, and what the attendees reactions are to art. So close your eyes, take a deep breath, and free your minds!

More information can be found: www.laartsmonth.org

(P.S. Wells Fargo customers get discounts!)

Ever wondered what the post office does with all those letters to Santa? It turns out that these letters do in fact, have a destination and are signed, sealed, and delivered by Santa himself! Operation Santa, founded by Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock in 1912, allowed local postmasters to read and reply to letters addressed to the North Pole. Today, anyone can volunteer at their nearest, participating post office to read letters to Santa with a special post-marked stamp from the North Pole! Charitable organizations like beanelf.org have taken it a step further with volunteers reading letters and sending gifts to the neediest children:

Because of the bad economy and lack of resources, many cities this year won’t be participating in Operation Santa (sorry Los Angeles). Creepers beware! Strict guidelines have been set to prevent potential harm to children like the one in 2008.

What would Operation Santa look like in 2020? Will children start emailing Santa in the coming years? Could very well be…Santa already has a blog and a twitter!

Merry X-mas everyone!