Green and Gorgeous

Do you really want to be lugging around your groceries and other valuables in anything less than fabulous? I thought not! How about checking out our awesome selection of totes? At The Afternoon we would never settle for your ordinary, blah, run-of-the-mill bag when we had access to something as hip and adorable as our new Cookies shopper from Wu and Wu! Some of our staff took theirs to the farmer's market the other day, and received a slew of compliments! And why not! That *little* radish is the cutest thing ever!

Cherry Pi

OK - we're IN LOVE with all our new necklaces from Pick Up Sticks, but this delightful play on words may just take the cake - er, pie. Who knew that a bowl of cherries could be a delicious summertime treat, AND a complex math problem? Made in New Mexico, this is just one of many gorgeous (and reversible!) designs that we're head over heels about! Come on over to Mall of America to see them all!

Pick Your Poison

This flask is just screaming to be purchased. It is such a great item and has the ever popular skull and bones image that all pirates are proud to display. The flask comes with a clip to carry easily on your belt loop or on a bag. You could put Coke in it but it would be a heck of a lot more fun at a tail gate party to have your favorite liquid potion mixed up and ready to go. I know people that want to take this camping, boating and maybe even to work! OK, that might be pushing the limit a bit. . . but it is a cool looking flask and sure to be a hit at any event! The screw top lid also seals and prevents leaking.

Dynomite

Hey! Is that the "lost" homework that you claimed the dog ate? -sure looks like it! Or is it some crumpled up musing that you scrawled to yourself in the dark at 3:00 this morning? -could be! We bet you'd never guess that it's one of our fabulous new wallets from Dynomighty! What's so mighty about these, you ask? (We know, they really do look and feel like paper!) The secret is a super strong microfiber called Tyvek - nearly indestructible and completely recyclable. And don't worry - there are several styles (we like the comic book one!), so we WILL have the perfect one for you!

*p.s.- these little gems are also water resistant - great in case you accidentally get in the shower with your jeans still on!

Baa Baa Bakeware

Tired of traditional cookie shapes? New from Norpro: the antidote to humdrum hearts and lackluster stars. With shapes like sheep, ducks, and tulips, these heavy duty nonstick pans take the boring out of baking. Bake a cookie bouquet for a bride-to-be or a slop of pigs for your cookie-hog kid brother; either way be sure to save a few for yourself! Available in “Spring Cookie” and “Farm Cookie” themes, both pans can also be used as chocolate and gelatin molds. Come to the Omaha store and pick yours up today!

Weather Wars

Ever feel like you're at war with the weather? Sure it was bright and sunny when you woke up this morning, but just when you step outside in your new suede jacket there's a big rain cloud ready to soak your fantasies of a really great hair day! Well, thanks to our new Samurai Umbrella you now have a fighting chance at taking down any tiny drop that dares to sully your efforts to appear presentable! Furthermore, you'll look so formidable (and well, really cool, too!) that Mother Nature will be cowering with fear! Make one of these part of your daily ensemble and we guarantee that sunshine will be here to stay!

"Paper" Product Trompe L'Oeil

What is it? It’s Not Paper!

One Hundred 80 Degrees’ new line of picnic wear may look familiar--the modern styling of a paper plate, the comfort-grip ridges of the classic keg cup, even the pop-off top you‘ve come to expect from your morning Starbucks. But while these new products may LOOK like their disposable counterparts, these little beauties are dish washer safe and re-usable. The materials have been updated not only to make them better for the environment but to improve the function of the old staples. Pick up a four pack of sturdy plastic plates and watch them hold saucy pastas, heavy burgers, and anything else that would’ve left a paper plate folding and dripping into your lap. The acrylic cups produce far less condensation than the disposable ones you remember from college. Cardboard coffee cups burn your hands and their cheap plastic lids pinch your lips--our melamine version, with its pliant silicone lid, is gentle on you AND the planet. So pick up a set of this “Bachelor China” and start practicing some clever conservation!

Cuddle Sessions

I am getting married in August, and as the wedding fast approaches, I keep thinking of new items I MUST HAVE in my home. The Fagor Multi Cooker is definitely on my list, but on rainy days like today, I find myself craving the comfort of Chooty blankets more than anything. My friends at The Afternoon who own them (a stunning majority of the staff) tell me I need a Chooty blanket, and I can see why. Made from acrylic, they’re warm, durable, machine washable, and by far, the softest blankets I have ever felt in my entire life. Perfect for naps and cuddle sessions (and often big enough for two), I wonder how I’ve survived without one this long.

Angels in the Mall

You might not believe this, but here at Mall of America we do have a softer side! I know we're always going on and on about skulls, devils, and Edward Gorey (and yes, our favorite psycho shower curtain is hanging in our window as we speak), but recently one of us realized that we've never really let our inner cherubs out! This stunning collection represents a few of our angelic favorites, including some stars from our collection of Sid Dickens tiles. We hope you'll come by soon and check out our glorious "wall of Sid", and see if you can find any other angel types lurking about (well, that is if you aren't blinded by all of our halos!)....

Wall Art

We’ve all seen it. The graphic neon bubbly letters written across bridges, rail-cars, and abandoned buildings. Society finds it disgusting and just flat out disrespectful. But what about graffiti that goes beyond the lewd, crude, and rude stereotype? What if we viewed graffiti from an artistic standpoint? WHAT?…..Could it BE? GRAFITTI WITH MEANING?!?!?!…*GASP*!! Yes ladies and gentlemen fear it, loathe it, and LOVE IT and let us open our eyes to the mysterious yet witty world of BANKSY. From the New York MET to the disheveled streets of Palestine Banksy has made his/her/their provocative mark known world wide. What makes this/these Banksy person(s) so MIND BLOWINGLY COMPELLING is that no one knows who creates these feisty stenciled characters. Still to this day the identity of this artist remains mysteriously unknown DOM DOM DOM! AND THAT’S NOT EVEN THE COOLEST PART!! Picture the Mona Lisa propping a rocket launcher on her shoulder with that little smirk written across her face or a man in a riot throwing a bouquet of flowers. This book will push you out of that “frame” mindset that is traditional art and make you take a look at the BIG PICTURE…or in this case THE BIG SPRAYPAINT STENCILED FIGURE of the queen of England with the face of a chimp.

Cranial Cravings

So -after we've written down all of our various witty ponderings in our lovely pink skull journal, and seasoned our dinners with these adorable salt and pepper shaker skulls (seriously, the pink bow is TOO CUTE!), we may wash our hands with a bar of our favorite Tokyo Milk soap (although we can't bear to throw out the packaging - it's too cool), or perhaps enjoy a cocktail, sipped from our pink poison flask, relishing being the absolute envy of the neighborhood (at least in our minds, anyway).....Yes, sometimes we can be girly-girls here at Mall of America, but we'll never totally let go of our rebellious spirits!! The Afternoon is the only place we know where we can have it all, and that's why we can never leave!!

Admission of Infusion Omission, with Apologies

How have we never blogged about this amazing product before? Internet, I have done you a disservice. I own it, I love it, I recommend the Prodyne Fruit Infusion Pitcher to everyone who walks into the store; and yet I have kept it from you. That was wrong and I am sorry.

I can not praise this handy little pitcher enough. The design is beautifully made of clear, high quality plastic and would be worth buying just as a regular water pitcher--but it is NOT your regular pitcher. It is so, so much more. This pitcher comes with a removable infusion rod that, when filled with sliced fruit, infuses the liquid within with flavor. My personal favorite is simply lemon infused water, but you can also infuse iced tea with raspberries or strawberries or make your own sangria using a bottle of cheap red wine and leftover fruits. After a while you’ll be experimenting with different flavors--my husband made up a batch of cucumber-mint water that was surprisingly refreshing and delicious.

Best of all, the fruit infusion pitcher is as economical as it is useful. Fruit can be used for up to 10 days, meaning that you can refill your pitcher as you go and get four or five pitchers out of one lemon. Owning this pitcher helped me kick my three soda a day habit, which helps save my money and my waistline.

If I gush too much about this pitcher it is only because I use it, I LOVE IT, and I know you will too!

Smitten

Although I have always liked salt and pepper shakers, I have never had the slightest inclination to collect them…until now. The Afternoon in Omaha just received new designs by Onehundred80degrees, and I am absolutely enamored with all of them. There are beady-eyed ninjas and skulls with hair-bows, even a dog and fire hydrant combo! There are also great summer-specific designs: a giant red fire ant and realistic opening charcoal grill. But my favorite may be the sweet peas nestled together in their ceramic green pod, blushing and looking for all the world as smitten with each other as I am with them.