Growing up, I was obsessed with apes, particularly with gorillas. Even now, I am not sure why more people aren’t intrigued that some animals — gorillas and chimpanzees in particular — are capable of human communication.

In probably second grade, as soon as I learned that some apes could learn sign language, I wanted to learn sign language. That stuck with me through college, and was part of the reason I ended up taking ASL classes at Gallaudet. (Random, I know.)

Anyway. Enough of my life story. Gorillas are adorable. So, if you want to deck your house out in gorilla merchandise, well, I think it’s a fab idea.

1. On the one hand, I think it’s kind of weird to have $100-$300 gorilla-made artwork on your wall. On the other hand, if I had $100-$300 to spare, I would have it on my wall. (Me, Myself, Good by Michael the Gorilla, $175, The Gorilla Foundation)
2. 14 inch tall stuffed gorilla. Available in many patterns. Makes good bed-mate. (Gorillie, $40, Persimmon & Pink on Etsy)
3. Gorillas in the Mist. THE go-to book for info on gorillas in the wild. Buy it from Dian Fossey’s Gorilla Fund for best karma. (Gorillas in the Mist, $10, amazon & the Gorilla Fund)
4. Koko learned sign language & then had some kids’ books written about her. She was my intro to apes. (Koko’s Kitten, $5, Koko.org)
5. How kitschy! I don’t know about you, but they’re just right for my table. (Okay, so I’ve posted about them before.) (Gorilla Salt & Pepper Shakers, $12, Urban Outfitters)
6. A 3.5 inch tall felted gorilla. I had no idea you could felt anything other than purses and sweaters. (Bingo the Needle Felted Baby Gorilla, $48, Felt Me Up Designs on Etsy)
7. This would be a good supplement to the salt & pepper shakers. Kitschy, awkward, and somehow wonderful. (5×7 Captain Gorilla Print, $8, Berkley Illustration on Etsy)

ALSO, if you have money to spare & have friends with money to spare, then you can adopt a baby gorilla this xmas for only $50. You get a certificate and some other goodies. Oh, and more good karma.

All of these kitchen and dinnerwares are not quite what they seem, from cups that look like noses to traditionally paper dishware turning ceramic, these cute conversation-starters are ready to contribute to your daily eating pleasure.

Left to right, top to bottom:

1. Cups with noses. Quite a hoot for a silly bunch! 24 in a pack of different human or animal noses. (availible at Yolk, $10 for pack)
2. Porcelain hot dog wrapper that looks like the paper kind! Your hot dog probably won’t fall out of this one. (availible at Uncommon Goods, $15)
3. Banana pan holder. So cute and more functional than the pot holders I’ve been using. (availible at Fred Flare, $10)
4. I love gorillas because they can learn sign language. Now I can think about that every time I need salt & pepper! (availible at Urban Outfitters, $12)
5. These swizzle sticks that look like twigs and are very colorful. (availible at Shop at Moxie, $7)
6. This “spoon rest” looks like a pillow! (available at Bitwise Gifts, $8)
7. These Smorgas-board Plates should blend right in to your wooden table. I hope you can find them. (available at Uncommon Goods, $45 for set of 4)
8. The famous New York coffee cup, now ceramic so you can use it all of the time and not ruin the planet! (MOMA, $14)