Mike and Katie are TADO, the UK based duo whose darkly adorable characters have taken the design and vinyl worlds by storm. Only a few years out of university, the pair has already parented a unique aesthetic — one that everybody loves, young designers emulate, and clients the world over hope to associate with. This sort of acceptance has made Mike and Katie a busy pair, so it's a good thing that drawing monster mushrooms and pirate marshmallows is something they're rather adept at. Of course, it's an even better thing that it's also something they just happen to love, because from the looks of it, slowing down isn't much of an option.

JoshSpear.com: Everything TADO works on — including emails, it seems — is given the signature of “Mike and Katie.” Is everything that the two of you do really such an even collaboration, or do each of you specialize in certain areas?

TADO: Yes! Pretty much everything is done 50/50 -– it's really quite odd. We’ve barely spent a day apart since we first met so we guess we’ve slowly become one 2 headed creature. These days, we draw pretty much identically (although Mike presses harder and ruins the pens), and share all the work. One of the things that is important to us is that each piece of work has input from the both of us — we often pass files back and forth and bicker about what works best. READ MORE…

Being a clotheshorse can be quite the stressful undertaking; first, one must try their darnedest to stay attuned to the latest fashion fads and trends. After that, there's quandary of finding closet space for all of that cutting edge clothing. Instead of commissioning a carpenter to build an extension on your already overstuffed walk-in, perhaps it'll do your heart and your closet some good to give away some of those seldom worn garments that just seem to be occupying space. May we suggest a contribution to the Cockpit Coat Drive?

From now until January 31st, Manhattan's Cockpit General Store, located on Broadway between Bond and Bleecker streets is accepting donations of new or gently used sheepskin or leather coats, which they will distribute to Homeless Shelters in order to provide warmth to those who need it. Trust us, they need it more than that hanger in your closet does.

You know what’s freakin’ incredible? Sparkly lights. You know what’s even better? Getting to use them indoors without looking like a college student. Yep, decorating season is here, and unless you’re the type that pulls your holiday box out of storage the day after Thanksgiving, you’ve probably just recently put the finishing touches on your home sweet home. Or maybe not; maybe you’re the anti-decorating type, maybe sparkly lights hurt your eyes, and maybe your house smells more like hot dogs than pine trees. If that sounds like you, hey, no judgment, but we’re hoping some of our readers did get into it. Actually, we’re even hoping that some of you got extra creative this season and took advantage of things like LED lights (which look very manly compared to ordinary sparkly lights) or an ecologically friendly Christmas tree. Whether you turned your apartment into Bethlehem, hung a menorahs like chandeliers, or did something even we couldn’t think up, we want to hear about it. What was your best decorating find this season?

We figured the boys at Saint Augustine Academy would want some rockstar stuff to match their party pants, and Alvin and Adrian didn’t disappoint. Cars, world travel, and a little bit of supercalifragilisticexpialidociousness compose the wishlist of two of our favorite fashionistos.

Alvin: A vintage, wood-set record player
A ‘67 T-bird convertible/’67 Mustang Fastback (in mustard yellow)
A ticket to V Festival to see Jesus and Mary Chain.

Adrian: A new Blackberry, because mine got stolen! (Carmel says: Karma’s gonna get you, you dirty pirate.)
A trip to New York (Heather says: Oooh, do it! I need more fellow Aussies to get into trouble with.)
Mary Poppins on DVD, so I can listen to my favourite song over and over.

Former Akademiks staffer, Sean Ziran, will be introducing a new line of modern vintage bags come Spring. Good thing we don’t have to wait that long, because the renowned bag-maker has already gotten down to business with the high end young designers at Public School to create a very sexy, very limited edition tote and duffle. Using a heavy cotton houndstooth, leather patches, and high quality hardware, the bags were made in New York, produced in a quantity of 30 in total, and are available exclusively at Fred Segal, Memes, and Arrive. The tote, which converts to a backpack, is retailing for $225, and the duffle (shown) for $250. Edgy, classy, and created with the quality that we’ve come to expect from Public School; sounds like a triple threat (or the best jetsetter gift, ever) to me.

In the 60's "The Ed Sullivan Show" helped define popular culture. In the 80's and 90's MTV was pop culture and thanks to the ingenuity of Al Gore, our notions of what pop culture consists of today is defined by the World Wide Interweb. With that in mind, more people are hitting up The Net to find out if they should be down with O.P.P. or whatever the kids are hip to these days. While all of us here pride ourselves on being down with all the phattest trends, sometimes we let a few things slip through the cracks and that's where Epic Fu comes in.

Originally aired under the title "Jetset" by creators Zadi Diaz and Steve Woolf, this webby-award winning Vlog thrives on interaction, serving as a hub for all things geeky in the realms of art, tech, and music from both the online and offline worlds. Each week a brief webisode provides viewers with tips on trends that should be on their radar. And with nearly 3 million viewers a month that's one mighty Epic-Fu army. Maybe you should join.

Last weekend at Mercado Mundo Mix, a market-slash-fair that brings together up-and-coming stores and designers from the underground fashion world mostly in Sao Paulo, I got egged into trying a new super-carbonated and fizzy shot of vodka called Orloff Gas, which is an extension of the Orloff vodka family being pushed by Pernod Ricard Brasil (the same group that has Jameson, Chivas and Courvoisier). After much research on the Brazilian liquor-loving public, this 5-times-distilled sparkling liquor was developed for their penchant for both carbonated drinks and vodka. Vodka is a huge industry here in Brazil; many clubbers often replace the sugar cane rum called cachaca in their capirinha cocktails with it instead. In my taste test I had trouble discerning the bubbles from the actual flavor of vodka, and even on an empty stomach I didn’t feel the usual buzz I usually get from a shot. Well, bottoms up; I found out later it has a low 15% alcohol content. I’ll be sticking with the harder stuff myself, but from the smiles of the eager drinkers around me, Brazilians are liking this new fuel to power their nights out.

Photo via CEFET Campos

Alright gentlemen, we all know just how tough it is to find a decent wallet…not to mention that we all want something different out of a wallet. Most newly professional guys are either carrying around some remnant of their childhood — my first wallet was a red nylon tri-fold with yellow trim and velcro — or a tattered piece of leather they got in high school that’s showing more duct tape than wallet these days. Gentlemen, it’s time to step up a little bit. Hint, ladies: if your man is still carrying a red nylon wallet, think about a new one for the holidays.

That’s where Hlaska comes in. They make a sweet line of wallets that are well thought out, and they make one for just about everyone. Want to carry cards only? No problem. Need a place for some loose change? They’ve got that covered. And they even have some colors if you’re not a fan of the plain brown or black. I’m particularly taken with their Evergreen series; designed to mimic wood grain in three different colors, it’s a nice touch to spice up your pocket without pulling out something in candy-apple green.