Nikki McClure Calendar: The Next 1,000 Years
This is the calendar I wait for every year. Nikki McClure uses an X-acto knife to make quiet cut-paper designs that capture moments of joy or wonder. Her calendar is made of recycled, acid-free paper, and is printed using soy inks. As the months pass, each image will make you happier. (Giant Robot Store, $18)
Big Hair 2006 Wall Calendar
Americans like things big: big cars, big portions, big ideas, big hair. If you need a patriotic calendar to accentuate the interior of your monster truck, this baby’s a keeper. The pages are laminated with Aqua Net. (Calendars.com, $13)
Czech 2006 Checkbook Weekly Calendar
There’s nothing like owning objects made of cash. This unusual date book has a cover made out of Czech money. It measures about 7” x 3”, so you can slip it right into your bag. (Paper Source, $21)
Ride ‘Em Cowboy 2006 Calendar
Get ready for a year of folk-art wooden cowboys photographed in soft light. Wonder at their rugged intensity as they rope, ride, and square dance through the seasons. (Buy Olympia, $13)
Red/Red Orange Flowers Date Book
This is a DIY date book for the glue-and-scissors set. The kit comes with a weekly date-book grid, two cover boards, two sheets of decorative paper, linen cloth tape for the spine, and a set of directions to guide you through assembly. (Paper Source, $18)
Outhouses 2006 Wall Calendar
Amusing for its randomness, no calendar fits the “Eh?” category quite like Outhouses 2006. As the name would suggest, it features 12 (surprisingly attractive) photos of outhouses in various locales and climes. I suppose there may be some outhouse-connoisseur movement of which I’m blissfully unaware, but where does one hang this? Perhaps in the bathroom for weekly planning in your… down time. (Amazon, $11)
Yoshitomo Nara 2006 Wall Calendar
Yoshitomo Nara’s willful, serene, and angry little girls are charming as ever. This would make an ideal play-date or nursery calendar for punk-rock mums and pops. (Chronicle Books, $13)
Japanese Woodblocks
Spare, bright woodblock prints offer inspiration for artistic sorts. When the year’s over, you can use the colorful pages to wrap small presents or make gift cards. (AllPosters.com, $13)
Haute Couture 2006
So rare to come across a fashion calendar that doesn’t irritate me. This one features René Gruau’s illustrations, which are lively but cultivated. The girls inside are living the good life, and there’s no harm in a monthly dose of aspiration. (Kate’s Paperie, $13)
Page-A-Day Origami Calendar
A desk calendar that introduces a bit of relaxation and fun into your workday. The designs get harder as the days go by, but by year’s end, you’ll have a drawer full of boats, planes, frogs, and party hats. Comes with a 16-page instructional booklet to help things along. (Flax Art and Design, $12)
2006 Undersea Calendar
Bring a little bit of ocean to your landlocked life. This recycled cardstock calendar, printed with soy-based inks, includes a make-your-own undersea mobile kit. (Cut + Paste, $16)
Exquisite Creatures: The Insect Art of Christopher Marley
Plainly put, Christopher Marley uses dead bugs to make art. The result is kaleidoscopic and engrossing. It will remind you of hunkering in the grass as a kid, watching beetles trundle along. (Pomegranate Communications, $14)
