Pop Art toaster makes breakfast a visual treat -- for not much bread

Want to cheer up your morning ritual of toast and coffee? You might be a candidate for the Pop Art toaster. The retro-style toaster comes with interchangeable stencil image plates - -a sun, a heart, a birthday cake, and our personal favorite, "Bite Me" -- that allows for the design to be toasted onto your bread. The idea for the product came to LC Premiums President and founder Linda S. Carlish while traveling in China, where she saw a toaster that put a smiley face onto bread.

Today her company owns the patent for the technology of interchangeable stencils that can toast images onto everything from frozen pancakes and toaster pastries to hamburger buns and flat bagels. But if you happen to be a grumpy-pie in the morning who insists on your coffee black and your toast, well, just plain -- all you have to do is remove the stencil plate.

The 2009 Lusso Chrome model toaster with seven heat settings, as well as a slide-out crumb tray, is also available in plastic in black, white, red, pink, aqua and chrome; suggested retail, $49.95. The company's website has a store locator.