design

If there's one good angle to this lingering winter, it's knowing that the best of spring is still yet to come. Get yourself ready to make the most of impromptu picnics (in just about any condition) with this water-resistant blanket that unfolds from a tote bag in a single zip.

Sometimes it takes a trip to a faraway land to discover what's been right in front of you all along. In this case, we have a recent visit to Paris' artsy-cool homewares and clothing store Merci to, uh, thank, for our introduction to table linens, rolls of perforated tear-away napkins and placemats that are in fact sold at home and design stores throughout the U.S.

For the true aesthete, these sharp-looking baking stamps in classic houndstooth and herringbone patterns will give cookies, biscuits, shortbread and even crackers, the look of a fancy dress suit. Photo slideshow and more info, after the jump.