Liquid Treat

You dream about quitting your job to sell your oil paintings, knitted iPod covers or other handmade obsession ... but how to make those skills pay the bills? Etsy's Quit Your Day Job series gives you an inside look at the transition from sideline gig to full-time business. These articles feature candid interviews with some of the site's thriving crafters, who dish on the good (no boss!), the bad (cash flow!) and everything in-between. Consider it required reading before putting in that two-week notice.

by Michelle Taute

There's no need to put words in someone else's mouth when you can just put your mouth over their mouth. Mashface lets you videotape your gabbing lips—or your twitching nose or rolling eyes—with a webcam and mash the action over any still image. You can put your mouth on Britney Spears' face or stick your baby blues on a picture of your pug. Add a few sound effects, and you'll be spitting coffee out your nose. Choose from the site's gallery of paparazzi-style celebrity pictures or upload your own snapshots.

by Michelle Taute

We know the drill: Spec work bad; pro bono work good. But the folks at Chicago design shop Rogue Element have come up with a better alternative for giving it away. They're offering one year of free design services in the first annual Green Design Grant. Who's eligible for the award? Any organization—nonprofit or not—that focuses on improving the environment. It's an inventive approach to green design, and worthy groups have until Jan. 23, 2009, to throw their applications into the ring.

by Michelle Taute

If you're feeling scrooge-y instead of festive, we'd like to suggest a little mood enhancement through advertising. Design firm zig has created a clever holiday campaign for IKEA Canada calculated to boost seasonal cheer … if not give you the sudden urge to buy low-cost Swedish furniture. A series of billboards and online banners spell out simple holiday greetings—such as joy, love and hope—with IKEA products. Each ad features a bird's-eye view of a room where the sofas, chairs, tables and other products become letters. And for lucky Toronto residents, zig created a 3D billboard with real furniture. Continuing education bonus: This being a Canadian campaign, the messages are in both English and French.

by Michelle Taute

No worries: This is strictly a PG-13 item. The wonderful folks at Modern Dog and Blue Q have teamed up to bring you the Naked Guys With Balls magnet set. And if reading that didn't make you giggle, clicking through to the picture definitely will. These magnets bring humor to your fridge through the magic combination of sports equipment and partial nudity. We know you want to see an average-looking guy strategically covering his private parts with a soccer ball. Anyone for ping-pong?

by Michelle Taute

As 2008 disappears before our eyes, the most important thing on the to-do list isn't figuring out next year's resolutions—it's finding a wall calendar worth staring at for 12 months in a row. Nikki McClure's 2009 calendar takes all the fear out of the commitment with her artful paper-cut designs. From an intricate bird's nest to enchanting mushrooms, she uses an X-Acto knife to depict poetic visions of everyday life. She's paired each image with a simple reminder about living well, with lessons such as such as "know," "evolve" and "ditch the car."

by Michelle Taute