Born in New York and raised in Florence. Could you end up anything less than an artist? If you’re not familiar with the name (I wasn’t, really), Girard is a designer. Not just any designer, clearly — not if you’re working with the-font-house-that’s-not-just-any-font-house to produce a range of whimsical puzzles, blocks, memory games and dolls. This is Alexander Girard, by way of House Industries.

Browse the full collection here (and marvel at the great-looking pieces that neither you nor I can afford). I think the idea of getting some custom 3-dimensional lettering for my apartment is at the top of my want-but-can’t-have list.