There is nothing wrong with our last remaining nectar soap. It’s a great bath bar. It smells wonderful. Its packaging is bright, handsome and unmarred. It’s nestled attractively in a small wooden box at the front of the store.

If there is anything wrong with our last remaining nectar soap, it’s the simple fact that it’s our last remaining nectar soap. We’ve seen this happen with numerous items. They sell great until we get down to the last one. Then suddenly people aren’t interested. They walk right by, assuming, perhaps, some kind of hidden defect.

Customers hesitate to buy a final product, yet they eagerly stock up on our $5 grab bag gifts, though their contents and quality lay hidden under a thick layer of tape and brown paper. “Oh, mystery gifts!” they say. “How fun!” What’s interesting is that our grab bag is largely comprised of former “last items.”

But people delight in the small risk of buying a mystery gift. There’s always a small chance that you’ll get lucky and choose a grab bag item that suits your fancy. Otherwise, the outcome is humorous at best, disappointing at worst.

People will spend $5 on a gift they might hate, but won’t buy a perfectly lovely bar of soap for $6.50. This strikes us as a bit of a contradiction.

We’d love to have your thoughts on this phenomenon. Why do you think people are drawn to grab bag gifts of uncertain quality, but suspicious of “last items” whose quality is apparent?

- Andrea O. Bullard

A flood of whimsical creatures spilled into Divertido last week, and before we knew it we were up to our necks in plush toys. And honestly, we could not have been more thrilled about it. After we dug ourselves out from among the pigs, cows, elephants and dragons, we found a spot for each of them on our shelves and tables.

These critters are like none you’ve ever met before. Have you ever seen an elephant rattle? A giraffe in sweater sleeves? How about a monkey with a corduroy bottom? Stop by the store and tickle your imagination with these delightfully, unusual stuffed toys. Coming to our online shop soon!

-Andrea O. Bullard

From the moment he arrived at Divertido, I’ve felt a deep connection to Chi Chi Von Glowstick. Beguiled by his sinister charm, I couldn’t help but glance at him in between sales. I’m short on funds though, and told myself I wasn’t going to buy him. For about a week I succeeded in resisting, dismissing the infatuation as part of my childish tendency to ascribe feelings to anything that has a face. But the whole time he seemed to be sending me telepathic messages, trying to persuade me to bring him home, and my resolve eventually failed in the wake of his crushing cuteness. I bought Chi Chi Von Glowstick.

I think our Friend or Foes have this kind of power partly because they’re one of a kind. Their creators, Tracey Weber and Amber Bonaroti, have endowed each with a unique personality, so it’s easy to feel as if a certain creature was made especially for you.  People relate to them because, like cats and dogs, Friend or Foes can seem almost human. So my advice is this: if you stop in our store and fall in love with one, don’t try to resist. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.

-Andrea O. Bullard

Let’s take a moment to consider the uniform of a typical die-hard Steelers fan. An authentic jersey is a must for these guys and gals, as is a Terrible Towel to whip overhead on game day. If they have any kind of fashion philosophy it’s that one can never wear too much black and gold. They’re probably rocking a Polamalu wig, and if they really want to pump up the ferocity, they’ve slathered their face in black and gold war paint.

Sixburgh would not be Sixburgh without these decked-out mega fans. But the limitless black and gold look does not work for everyone.

Ms. Pittsburgh, the artist and native Pittsburgher who designed our Yinz Yang t-shirts, has taken a more minimalistic approach to obsessive fanhood. She’s condensed black-and-gold mania into several cleanly designed t-shirts, using the yin yang to symbolize the inherent highs and lows of the sports season, and the potential for harmony between them. Her latest design features the yinz yang less prominently, and plays with the idea of sport-as-drug. She believes that expressions of team love and loyalty can be subtle, artful and even intellectually stimulating. So do we. Currently available in store only.

- Andrea O. Bullard

Scarves are endlessly versatile and we love them for it, but navigating all those loops and knots can get a little tricky. As fall approaches, we want you to be excited rather than overwhelmed by the options. To help you out, we’ve sifted through dozens of different looks and narrowed it down to five interesting yet wearable styles for a variety of lengths and thicknesses.  Just click on the title links below and watch the videos presented by Scarves.Net.

The Four-in-Hand  This Divertido favorite works best with longer scarves of any thickness. Use it to accent a pea coat with the top few buttons undone.

The French Knot  This look works best with shorter, thinner scarves. Wear it over a buttoned or open cardigan or with a dress.

The Knot Row  This look works best with longer, thinner scarves. Wear it with an open cardigan.

The Square Knot  This look works best with shorter, thinner scarves. Wear it over a sweater or under a lightweight jacket.

The Muffler  This look requires a wider scarf made of thin material. It looks ultra hip when worn over a tucked in t-shirt. It’s also great for accenting sweaters.

Two very interesting individuals recently joined the Divertido staff and we wanted to introduce them to you… Jason and Andrea. Both have a keen sense of design and style and, without even being aware of it, they exude ‘hipness.’ Their enthusiasm for our products and eagerness to assist you will make your shopping experience FUN.

Jason has lived in Pittsburgh for about 20 years, and half of that in Lawrenceville, where he has a house that is filled with the things he loves… his wife, his baby boy, two tiny cats, two giant dogs, a handful of bicycles and a porch full of things that might be made into other things someday.  He has a great sense of connection to Lawrenceville and its community of business, neighbors, and newcomers.

Andrea does her living and loving in Lawrenceville as well. She is a fiend for books, cats, miniatures, psychedelic music and ethnic cuisine. She still has the paper delivered to her house every morning and does not go skiing as much as she would like to. In addition to working at the store, she writes for the Divertido website and blog.

Stop by our brick and mortar store or call them for assistance with your online order.

Tell them what a great job they do!

Last week we stocked our shelves with a collection of nine different novelty matryoshkas. Among the ninjas, wrestlers, and robots sits a brightly colored, thoroughly adorable dinosaur sextet. As we contemplated this cheerful family, it suddenly struck us as strange that toy manufacturers have taken a creature as notoriously ruthless as Tyrannosaurus Rex and transformed him into a child’s plaything.

Cute dinosaurs are ubiquitous, as are fantasies about how they existed. Our Dinosaur 12 Piece Puzzle, for example, depicts a quartet of smiling dinos (including T-Rex) peacefully coexisting in spite of their conflicting dietary preferences. Judging from their expressions they may even be even enjoying each other’s company, gathered together as if about to sit down for Thanksgiving dinner.

Science tells us it was not this way. Had there been a dinosaur Thanksgiving, Brontosaurus would have been the main course. But the more we thought about it, the more we realized the importance of introducing infants and toddlers to the notion of prehistoric beasts. We realized the utter necessity of cute dinosaurs.

Most every other creature that a kid meets is a fiction created to feed the young imagination. Children must eventually suffer the disappointment of learning that dragons, unicorns, goblins, trolls, elves and fairies do not exist and have never existed. Dinosaurs have the same mythical quality, but are, in fact, a scientific reality. While a brief survey of paleontology will correct such fantasies as the multi-species fiesta, it will also confirm for children the existence of T-Rex, no matter how cuddly he was at their first encounter.

-Andrea O. Bullard

Walk into the average party store looking for something to give your six-year-old’s birthday guests, and you’ll find a veritable maze of multi-colored junk that’s destined to become the next layer of basement detritus. You know the stuff: irksome noisemakers, bouncy balls, creepy finger puppets, pencils with erasers that don’t work, those purposeless neon sacs full of gel and sparkles…

As a kid I received numerous goodie bags. I housed the candy in about ten minutes and lost interest in the non-edibles as soon as my sugar high faded. Out of politeness, my mother let these trinkets collect dust for a few weeks in my toy closet before quietly disposing of them.

Now, I understand why parents shop at party stores: you can go in with a five-dollar bill and come out with five bags of goodies. And it feels good to present kids with a plump pouch of tokens as they depart. But you don’t have to spend a lot to give substantial gifts that will captivate your child’s guests beyond the car ride home.

During the past week, we realized that many of our new children’s toys have tremendous party favor potential. These unique yet affordable items encourage creativity in kids rather than providing a mere ten-minute diversion.

Take our Monster Mansion playspace for example. When set up it creates four different rooms (including a laboratory!) for its four cardboard characters, a scientist and three monsters. What could be more fun than make believing you’re a mad scientist concocting some exquisite new creature? Or perhaps the monsters have kidnapped the scientist in hopes he will create a potion that will turn them into humans. Perhaps they’re all just good friends sipping green beverages in front of the fire. The possibilities are endless. (If you’re not keen on the haunted, we have schools, houses and mechanic shops, too.)

We’ve also got sticker books and magnetic design sets that let kids create dinosaur hybrids, funny faces, and hilarious time travel scenarios. Stop in our store or check out our website, and you’ll find other clever items that would make terrific party favors, too.

So instead of buying a wad of trinkets and candy for your child’s guests, why not present them with one chic, creative gift? Instead of inducing ten sugar comas, why not spark ten imaginations?

- Andrea O. Bullard

Delightful scents smell even better when they waft from pretty packaging.  Available in four tempting fragrances, our new Perfumeria Gal Lip Balms come in charming Art Nouveau style gold tins.  Try our handsomely wrapped Luxo Banho bath bars, too.  Far from ordinary soaps, these luxurious “bathing ovals” offer both rich and subtle scents including olive, sandalwood, port pear and nectar. Currently available in store only.

Robots have invaded the Divertido storefront!  Photograph these yellow fellows as they preside over their conveyer belt of books, toys and housewares.  Get creative with your shot.  Go dramatic with black and white.  Get funky with a fish-eye lens. However you choose to capture them, just make sure we can still identify the bots. Submit your best shot to info@divertidoshop.com.  We’ll post the winning photo on our website and award the photographer 20% off his or her next Divertido purchase.

Not a photographer?  You still have chance to win!  Take a closer look at the bots.  Designer Sean Miller crafted them from 100 % recycled materials.  Guess what they’re made of, and you’ll receive a 10% discount on your next purchase. Entry forms are available behind the counter.

Contest ends September 10, 2011.  Winners will be notified by September 15.