This set of four melamine plates is kind of psychedelic. Each plate has a different pattern, but they all have a turquoise, avocado, and brown floral theme. All of the plates seem very happy and festive. I think they'd be good for serving birthday cake. With flower frosting, of course.

$40.00, Loft Party

These melamine mixing spoons are awesome. They almost beckon you to bake something yummy and lick the spoon. If all kitchen stuff were this cheery I might cook more often. Might. They come in three colors.

$6.00 each, Urban Outfitters

There's something kind of charming about fancy schmancy plastic plates. This set of four melamine dinner plates, measuring 10-inches diameter, comes in various brocade wallpaper patterns. I think they'd make nice serving dishes for party snacks. They quietly remind guests that this is a classy joint, so don't leave Cheetos on the floor.

$40.00, Loft Party

Who wants heart-shaped cupcakes? I do! I do! I'm not really sure how these things work. I guess you fill them up with batter and put them on a baking pan or something. Maybe someone else could take care of that part while I go buy frosting and heart-shaped sprinkles.

$14.95 for eight, Williams-Sonoma

A lot of Tupperware-esque containers make me feel mentally challenged. I get one side sealed and then the other side pops back up. I actually threw away one bowl because it was making me so angry. But these stacking containers are pretty nifty. You just push down a button in the middle of the lid to seal or unseal one. Here's a video of how it works.

$6.95 to $16.95 each, Crate & Barrel

These hand-blown glass pitchers, which are made in Turkey, have a beautiful shape. You can buy one that's either nine inches or 11.75 inches tall. They look gorgeous as a water pitcher or as a vase.

$16.95 or $26.95 each, Crate & Barrel

Here's reason #174 to bake a lot of cupcakes. So you can put them in this cool display. The pretty lacquered steel stand holds two dozen of your frosted gems. And it still looks pretty even if a couple of the cupcakes don't quite make it to the serving stand. You know, because of "defects" or whatever.

$36.95, Crate & Barrel

Talk about a recipe for fun... If anything makes me want to bake a cake or something, it's this flock of four nesting geese measuring cups. They're made of bone china, and it's safe to pop them in the microwave or dishwasher. Now someone needs to create measuring spoons that look like chicks.

$28.00, Anthropologie

Plain old toast seems pretty boring after you've seen this toaster. It comes with six insertable plates to burn various shapes onto your toast, such as a happy face, hearts, or a flower. Plus, you get five markers with edible ink, so you can doodle all over your toast before you slather it in butter and down it.

$39.99, Target

One thing I find impractical about environmentally-friendly shopping bags is that there aren't enough of them. One of them stuffed into my day bag isn't enough to accomodate a spontaneous shopping spree or even a trip to the grocery store on an empty stomach. This set gives you five big totes, which are a little more than 19 by 16 inches, that fold into a small 9 by 6 inch carrying pouch. Each bag is decorated in a stylish black and white pattern.

$35.00, Wishingfish.com