What happens when you let folks like Vault 49, Tara Mcpherson and Alberto Cerriteno make limited-edition pillows? Pure awesomeness.

In the wake of Michael Jackson’s death, we’ve started to focus on the drama that still surrounds the singer - his will, the question of what to do with his non-biological children, why he suffered cardiac arrest, and so on. However, it is important not to forget that the reason we all loved the King of Pop is because of his talent as a singer, a dancer, and an all-around performer. The first time he first entered your home whether it was via MTV or through your stereo speakers, was not easy to forget…

At least it wasn’t for me. My first memory of the singer was when I watched the video for Thriller…at age three. All I remember was seeing those yellow eyes and fangs and running terrified behind the couch. It wasn’t a good first impression, though later, I fell in love with the short film. Not longer after, I was jamming out and dancing around the living room to “Beat It,” and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” So, when I discovered the Thriller Headphones designed by Johnny Lighthands and built by ATOM Creative Solutions, I couldn’t help but smile.

The headphones, which won the Nokia headset design competition in 2008, feature that gravestones, zombies, and that creepy, yellow-eyed wolf bursting through the door. Though only one pair was made by Nokia into a working model, we hope that Jackson’s passing inspires Nokia to produce at least a limited-edition run of the freaky-awesome headphones.

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I just received maybe the best paper invitation for an industry benefit I’ve ever seen. Announcing a Non-Event Garden Party for the 25th anniversary of Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids (DIFFA). The card says:

Feel good about not attending. No need to dress up, attend the party or listen to speeches. Just put on your most comfortable clothes and go about your day.

You do not have to attend yet another social function. You may plant the enclosed Seeds of Remembrance at your leisure on any day you choose. (Forget-me-nots included in the envelope), full invite inside below.  Well done!

Some might think having your own coffin in your house is morbid, but not William Warren. In fact, the furniture and product designer created Shelves for Life, a build-it-yourself Ikea style bookcase that, after you’ve expired, can be reassembled into a coffin. Not only is it good for the environment, it’ll be one less thing your family has to worry about when dealing with your remains. The kits sell for $579 (or 350 GBP) a piece and come stained in a classic blonde wood which just begs for some serious customization. Creepy and awesome.

If you’re truly a typography geek, then why stop at just outfitting your office and your bedroom with lust-worthy fonts? We just spotted this rad translucent soap created by Debbie Chialtas at The Soap Lab on the design site FredFlare. The square soap features raised letters and punctuation and we’re geeked about the fact we can get clean and look fresh while doing so. Just one thing to note - the “Crushed Ice” scent means it smells like peppermint, though logic says it should be fragrance-free. Well, that’s it, we’re off to sniff the ice in our freezer. And, for writers, The Soap Lab also offers a “Writer’s Block” soap that features a gluttony of words to get your brain churning.

Re-Ment’s Puchi Petite Collections are tiny, incredibly detailed, and often food-focused toys from Japan. The global cuisine includes assortments ranging from Luxury French to American Kitchen. One of my personal favorites, The Re-Ment Sushi Bar, features campy titles like “Wasabi Makes my Eyes Watery” and “I Want to Eat Sweet Grilled Egg!” Each box is sold blind-style and contains mouth-watering miniatures like avocado rolls and fatty tuna, as well as the necessities like chopsticks, hand towels and tea. You can find Puchi Petites in many toy stores and of course, on eBay. And as you might imagine, there are several Re-Ment Flickr groups. From a 1cm. perfectly-formed donut to a 1-inch plate of oysters on ice, Re-Ment puts the kitch in kitchen. Yum.

Road Kill Toys are designer plush toys (stuffed animals, really) representing the undiscussed but often past rodents and animals of our highways and streets. Toys with a twist. I’d say so. Grind the rabbit on the left felt the tread of a 16 wheeler. And Twitch, the Raccoon on the run didn’t quite make it to the other side of the road. Each animal comes complete with body bag and toe tag. I kid you not. Sick, and awesome.

Digging the Radius Design Wall Clock from the Cologne, Germany based design group– the buyer of this clock has the choice of setting the dimensions of the piece him/herself. That means you can place as many/few hours as you choose. Looks really great in a wide open space like the one above. Radius has a collection of fantastic home products, check them out.

Creepy knife holder by designer Robert Knight.

Robert Knight describes this mesblock with “Love it or Hate it” that statement fits. Definitely nothing for the Hello Kitty fans. The Mesblock is a design piece by Robert Knight, a designer based out of the Netherlands. The Mesblock is limited to 10 pieces and is handmade by the designer. Via CLDFX

Each year, designers and fans anxiously await the start of the Layer Tennis season. 2009 was no different, as Coudal Partners, a Chicago ad and design agency, kicked off a series of live online design events in which professionals trade designs back and forth in real-time, building on top of their opponent’s work. A third party offers commentary which is often whimsical as well as inspiring and unpredictable. The audience can comment during the actual match as well as vote for a winner afterward, all using Twitter. This current season started on February 3 and was held every Friday ending May 29. We are currently in the playoffs in which you can find our featured designer, Sam Potts facing off against Aaron Draplin this Friday, June 12.

In this second season (of its current incarnation), we wanted to get an idea of the impact Layer Tennis has on the participants and the design community at large. Could we find a pattern in the tools or techniques used? What sort of pressures do they face when the ball in in their court and the clock is ticking? Keep reading for the interview…

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Loving these new metal spun planters by Pad Outdoor. Each are hand spun recycled aluminum, which makes them ultra-lightweight (made in the USA) and sexy. Yes, I just called a planter sexy. They’re available in six different colors and launch at Dwell on Design show in LA in a few weeks and the NY gift show in August. No word yet on pricing.

$8.99 for a keyboard on your bike handles. Very rad. Via Swiss Miss

Going gaga over the new iPhone? Want to build iPhone applications? Thoughts so. Design Commission just introduced this handy stencil to brainstorm your application ideas using a precision cut stainless steel stencil and mechanical pencil. What’s better? You can download a PDF of iPhone screens as a template to doodle your most-awesome ideas. $16.95, available now.

Bond. James Bond. Any questions? The CODE-X-YACHT, by CODE-X AG, a swiss based company based on Lake Lucerne started with a goal of developing products (boats) with maximum exclusivity that use renewable energy. These beauties run on fossil fuel and solar-power. The CODE-X model shown above is the first product to blend solar and a Formula 1 engine. Gorgeous, just gorgeous. No word on availability or pricing. More pictures after the jump.

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Wonder what color the desert of Petra is, or that delicious Uni sushi you just had for lunch? Sherwin-Williams just launched ColorSnap, an iPhone application that allows you to snap a photo and get the matching Sherwin-Williams paint color from more than 1,500 in their database. Nice for the designers tool kit. Click here to download from iTunes.   

Update: Speaking of color, check out XOLOR for a color seizure.