Giraffe-carved salad servers from Kenya.  Black and white.  Hand painted on bone.

Ten Thousand Villages, $38

This deep orange cloth would be a simple but rich foundation for a Thanksgiving table setting.

From Bellingham, Washington-based artist margotbianca on Etsy.

Aren’t these coasters fabulous? Made and sold by Florida-based CarolinaCottage on Etsy.

There are two types of people: those whose hands are very often cold and those who are lucky.

Poor circulation, genes, whatever the reason- when your hands are cold, and have been since 5pm or last Saturday or 1993, it’s nice to hold something warm.

I love mugs without handles because I can wrap my fingers around them for maximum benefit.

These were handmade by my friend Ingrid. She insisted I use them, not just set them on my shelf. So I do use them, and I just love them. I even put them in our (mini-)dishwasher.

There are two types of people: those who have bought merchandise at Starbucks, and those who haven’t… yet.

For anyone who frequents Starbucks, it’s bound to happen sometime. You’re in line, or waiting for the barista, and something surprisingly pretty and perhaps even mildly functional catches your eye. And before you know it, you’ve bought it.

I have in fact bought a lot of merchandise at Starbucks over the years, from travel coffee mugs and ceramic teacups to milk frothers and picture frames. (Really? Did I really buy a picture frame at Starbucks?) Given the fact there’s a website with online ordering, I must not be the only one.

These mugs are all part of the current offering. I saw them in person and they’re nice. I did not buy them, though. Yet.

There are two types of people: people who like to buy things that are just like what everyone else has, and people who like to be different.

Don’t you just love this plate? And just wait until you check out the accompanying bowls, teacups and saucers on Amy Butler’s website.

Finding so many amazing artists and their products for the home makes me wish there could be sold through a single, well-known gift registry. I find Crate and Barrel to be classy, but boring. We registered for the Madison dinnerware sets and the Manaos II flatware. But I’d rather support smaller businesses and have unique furnishings.

There are two types of people: those who love symmetry, order, sameness and predictability in their dinnerware, and those who are totally confused by what I just said.

For people nodding from the start, I probaby don’t have to tell you that the photo is of Fiestaware. My sister loves it. When my grandma asked her what she would like as a high school graduation present, my sister- 17 years old- answers, “Fiestaware.”

Getting married this year, at age 27, her infatuation persists. Gift registries are amazing things. She finally got enough Fiestaware to entertain grand dinner parties and teach future children all of the rainbow’s colors.

Luckily she lives in Missoula, Montana, where I took the above photo. A shop downtown sells amazing quantities of the stuff. I can imagine that store could be good (or bad?) for an obsessive compulsive employee. You could spend all day re-stacking, re-organizing, re-aligning.