In the short breakdown, Mon-Stors are fun options for storage. Boom. I could totally stop there. But I won't. I'm going to tell you more.
Several months ago I got a random tweet from this Cody person telling me about a great alternative to Etsy called Storenvy. And from there we struck up an online friendship which obviously lead me to her shop at Storenvy called Lu and Ed. The first thing that hits you is a super cute little cartoon Mon-Stor that looks just like that little yellow guy in that banner. See right up there? If that's not cute enough imagine that you can actually own something that looks just as adorable.
Interesting side note - that artwork was created from an actual Mon-Stor that was sold in the shop.
I thought they were really adorable and needed to own some so I ordered two special custom Mon-Stors with special fabric lining. These two guys are now in the Navy and go to the ship with my husband.I personally own two myself and you'll see those in a minute.
Ordering from the Lu and Ed site is an entire experience all it's own. Each Mon-Stor is adorably photographed, named and has a story. The names are pretty original and their stories are hilarious. From your basic ones that love to eat legos and socks to some who's favorite foods are anchovies and ketchup. Ew. From what I know, Cody's super imaginative son helps her with these personas.
Your Mon-Stor will ship pretty quickly. Lu and Ed doesn't list anything as a made-to-order or pre-order so what you see is what you get. And the Mon-Stors are all one-of-a-kind.
From the site you will also learn that Mon-Stors are eco-friendly. How so? Well they are made from upcycled fabrics that have been repurposed from thrift store finds or from fabric swaps that she does with other people. You will also learn that Mon-Stors come in two sizes. There are Big Mon-Stors and Little Mon-Stors.
When they arrived my first thought was, "This is way smaller than I thought it was going to be." But that was because Cody has this adorable method of folding up the Mon-Stors so that they take up as little space as possible. This enables her to re-use the chipboard packaging from boxes of things like Pop-Tarts and TV dinners. She deconstructs the box and flips it inside out so that the brown part of the box is now the outside. So don't be surprised when you see it. Smile and appreciate how someone is doing their part to recycle.
As I opened the box I just see eyes staring up at me. You pretty much have a 50/50 shot of getting this view depending on which end of the box you open. And I take out this lump of fabric. Honestly, that's how it feels when you get it out of the box. It's just compacted that well. And as you start unfolding it out pops solid pairs of arms and legs. It's really like the Mon-Stor is stretching and ready to get down and get to work.
I remember being very impressed with the quality and construction of them. The outside is typically made of fleece. I'm not sure if she's ever used any other material but I have only ever received fleece for the bodies. It's sturdy. And to give it even more creativity as well as stability and durability, it's lined in some fun fabric that helps add to it's personality. They are also affixed with some combination of eyes and fuzzy hair.
The size difference from the big Mon-Stor and the little one are pretty significant. But don't let that diminish you from getting a little one. They're pretty huge all on their own, which should tell you just how enormous a big Mon-Stor is going to be. Big Mon-Stors are approximately 2' tall and 18" wide. Yes, TWO FEET TALL. It looks like an oversized pillowcase with arms and legs. The little guys measure in at around 18" tall and 10" wide. A big Mon-Stor can hold an entire load of laundry or a heck of a lot of toys. In my case, lots of fabric. And the small guy is no slouch and gobbles up more than his share of scraps and miscellaneous pieces to keep handy.
A big Mon-Stor comes with a hole on top of the head. All you do is insert any standard hanger into its head and viola! They hang anywhere you want to put it! I prefer the back of the door but for kids it would work on a doorknob.
This lady was made to match the new color scheme of gray and yellow in my studio.
The little guys come with a pre-attached strap. You can basically hang this one anywhere that can take a loop of fabric. The strap is even big enough that you can use it in your car on the back of seat as storage for cars and toys for drives around town or for garbage to keep everything neat and tidy. The strap will fit right around your headrest.
Boom! Pow! It's a super hero! Sometimes there are theme Mon-Stors like pirates and mermaids.
I haven't yet tried to put on in the wash, but based on the feel of their construction and the materials used I think it will wash up just fine in cold water and a low tumble dry.
If you are looking for a creative and cute storage idea I would (and do) definitely recommend the Mon-Stors from Lu and Ed. It's a creative product, with multiple size and color options, good durability and eco-friendly. I don't really know what more you would want from a product. Oh wait! I do. They are also affordable. A big Mon-Stor is going to run between $25-$28 while a little one will be between $16-$18. And while you're there check out the stuffed Monsters as an added bonus.
