How did I not catch this?

So back in early November Metropolitan Home announced that December would be it's last issue. It follows many other good home magazines to the grave. This is so sad. Thank goodness for House Beautiful.

Travel on the cheap!

So my best friend and I have been talking about taking a vacation together to someplace that neither of us has ever been. We also want to do it on the cheap - and when browsing Gilt Groupe today (just browsing, gots to save up for traveling) I found out that they have a travel site. It allows to get killer deals at swank hotels for super cheap prices. Because our travel plans are still open (we were thinking about a "historical" vacation - like checking out the nations history, i.e. washington d.c. or the Alamo, liberty bell, ect.) any deal we can get may influence our destination.

You can sign up for travel deals here.

It's Back!

Every year I usually come up with all of these elaborate ideas for gift giving/crafting for the Holidays. But then Time usually sneaks up behind me and reminds me in a strong and stern voice that once again I've waited too long to accomplish they wonders that I have dreamed up (it's either Time or my inner Martha)

Not this year.

With only 42 days until Christmas, I am sharing some of the best places to find great Holiday gifts.

I tried looking for this a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't seem to find it on the site. But now The Better Living Through Design's Gift Guide is back! This is the hands down first place to go to look for unique gifts for the person that is super hard to buy for.

They blog about it here

Gift Guide found here

Locher's Paris

I so badly want one of these beautiful shirts from Locher's. I have been adoring them for years, but really don't know where I could wear any of them (certainly not to the office - I would be surely be tossed out or surrounded by a crowd of gasping mid-western wives on their way to lunch) *sigh*

Regardless, they are on the top of my "things I will forever want" list (behind parrot and Ted)

Since I've been so good....

Someone mentioned to me today that I had been really good about not going on and on and on about how badly I want a dog (my poor friends, I must find something new to talk about). I was proud of my self control and wanted to celebrate with some great dog products from the wonderful online site Wannekes.

Adorable leather lead on the cutest breed around.

Rock Bowl comes in 3 shades: white, black & silver.

Ok, so the item for sale is the luxury dog carrier. But what I want to know is where did that mini trench come from! and in white!

Don't forget to check out Wannekes blog found here

why do I not own this?

Winter is fast approaching and the one thing I hate more than even the freezing temperatures is being a winter bag lady. With a puffy coat, purse, bag for indoor shoes, bag to put snow covered snow boots in when I get indoors, lunch bag, coffee, hat gloves, scarf -- all the lugging things around really wears on a person.

But this scarfy thing is great! Now I just need one of those beer helmets for my hot cocoa and I'll be ready for the cold.

Buy the wintercheck scarf and lots of other goodies here.

Found via BLTD

Mugz

So it's finally getting all cold and terrible out. This is about the same time every year that I start downing as many warm liquids as possible to try and trick my body into thinking that Summer really never went away.

Thanks to my habit I've started collecting, subconsciously until actually looking at all the mugs in my cupboard, some pretty cute mugs. And because I can't seem to tear myself away from hot cider it looks like I'll be needing some more.

From PopDeluxe:

From Fred Flare:

From Charles and Marie:

Badder Homes and Gardens

This blog is hilarious: http://www.badderhomesandgardens.com/

fancy

While browsing at Williams-Sonoma this weekend I came across this fancy pumpkin carving set:

When did Halloween get so darn fancy? Isn't this the holiday where you are supposed to tape some cardboard boxes together and run around pretending to be a robot? I think that I would protest more if I wasn't such fan of fancy holiday crafts. And by crafts I mean baking. And by baking I mean eating cookies.

So I think its time for a cute Halloween Cookie roundup:


Images Via: suaviloquy.blogspot; a dozen eggs, Sunset Mag, Sweet Tooth Creations

Noooo!!!

Yet another addition to the magazine graveyard: Cookie.

And it wasn't just Cookie this time, it was Gourmet and Modern Bride too. (I honestly never read the latter, which most likely just contributed to the problem)

In the NY Times report was more focused on the loss of Gourmet, the 68 year old mag, than Cookie but it doesn't mean we will miss it any less.

Cookie was always filled with fresh family inspired features that made you want to start a family if you didn't already have one and probably hang out with yours if you did. I loved the photos of cute and accessible homes. I think I will miss it the most because it reminded me of Blueprint yet another title lost to the magazine abyss.

Back to my roots...

Lets check the pillow news today.....and lets see what pillows have been up to. Oh look, fighting off bears.

Vail resident Sally Rebehn beat away an unwelcomed intruder last week with only her grandmother wits and a pillow to protect her, reports the LA Times.

"Confronted by a bear in the bedroom of her west Vail home a few weeks ago, Rebehn screamed and decided to fling a pillow at the animal, which was standing on its hind legs 12 feet from her. The pillow attack worked."

Scary. Good thing she had a pillow handy. And too bad they had to put the bear down, but I guess if the bear was already scared of the elderly and pillows it was really only just a matter of time.

Bear Sleeping Bag info here

dream job

If I had to list my top 5 dream jobs, they would be:

1. Pug Whisperer
2. Professional Best Friend
3. Doughnut Taste Tester
4. OPI Nail Polish Namer
5. This guy's job


Man Shops Globe on the Sundance Channel chronicles the life of Keith Johnson, "buyer-at-large for the upscale retailer Anthropologie". He takes us along as he searches "In out-of-the-way antique shops, private dealerships and craft stalls" for "one-of-a-kind home furnishings and accessories that will reach consumers in Anthropologie outlets, or inspire the company's design and manufacturing team." That's right - he doesn't even place orders for the company, he only needs to buy inspirational pieces. That IS his job. And I am officially jealous.

For all of you who are just as mad at their high school career counselor as I am (seriously, where was this guy on career day?) we can now live the adventurous life vicariously through Keith. Check out some of his finds:

First Found on Design Sponge

Lonny is here!

If you have been weeping since they day they closed Domino's doors then stop your crying right now and check out Lonny.

I heart E-6000....

I have seen so many cute vintage cake plates lately, I love the idea of using them not only in the kitchen, but in unexpected places like to add some height for the top of a vanity, plant stand, etc.

I would usually like to scoop them up if I find them at a second hand store but really they are a rare find ( I am not the only one trying to hoard such cute treasures). I found the most perfect one in antique store, it was glass, tall, clean lines and......$80.00.

Since my cake plate budget doesn't go quite that high it was time to get crafty. This is why I heart E-6000. I have seen this done before, but its just so easy I decided to show how you can make your own cake plate (and this one only cost $3).

Materials:

Glass Plate, Candle Stick, E-6000 (or some other kind of epoxy)

Step 1: Glue the candle stick to the cake plate.

done.

Ta da!

I'm not going to stop....

So anyone who knows me personally knows that there is one thing that I will not shut up about: I want a pug. And when I do get this pug (I have already named him: Ted Koppel) I plan on taking him everywhere with me. And I do mean everywhere......luckily Sleepypod exists to help me fulfill my puppy dreams!

Sleepypod
Found at BLTD

Yay for my house

So, I've been working super hard at finally getting my house together. I feel like I have the living room and work room, dare I say it, done. Check out the photos below!

The infamous light box. I bought this at a selvage store in Chicago, it's from an old hospital. When they said that it 'worked' I simply assumed that I could plug it in and have a great piece for my wall. But of course 'working' turned out to be a phrase open for interpretation. So I did have to rewire this thing. The lights do work, they are just not on for this photo. I have old dental slides that I can put up, but I was thinking to print out photos on transparency film and light them up instead.

Best part about my house: these windows. Worst part about my house: these windows. While they are great for letting the daylight in, they also let the neighborhood and all who pass through my ally know what I am up to, especially when it gets dark. So most of the time these shades a pulled. The fish don't seem to mind.

I bought this cabinet just as a cabinet (I got a flea market vendor to 'throw it in' with my 'desk' purchase). I added legs and painted them black to match. I don't currently have anything totally unique to store inside the clear glass door (but I am on the look-out for some cute taxidermy animals - nature scene maybe?) so I filled it with pretty colored shopping bags and boxes. The 'R's I've been collecting and this is a nice way of having them all in one place. Oh, and that glass lamp still needs a shade.

This shot is not particularly interesting, especially since I skipped over my built-in shelving that holds my entire collection of Kid Robot Simpson's characters (saving for a later post). But I really like this bag I got at Scout. It is holding a million other bags that I take with me when I go shopping for groceries and the like.

I left my house looking for a desk. I came home with this. (which is why I call it my 'desk') I just couldn't leave it at the flea market what if it would have gone to a home that didn't give it any love! Well it's mine now and I give it warm and gentle Pledge rubs. I cut mat board to give the drawers real bottoms so I can actually use them for other things besides card files.

Finally, an organized work space. The drafting table is a lovely donation from my boyfriend's storage unit and the white cabinet is from Ikea. That top part pulls down to reveal my sewing machines. The painting is almost done. It's been almost done for a couple of months now....

My couch. It was green and I covered it with this white canvas. It was a $20 yard sale find. The side table was once all pine, I painted it white and covered the center with dark wood grain contact paper. You can see peaking out in the corner my donated (my handsome man didn't have the room for this in his place) DWR vertical book shelf. The pillows are mostly covered with 45rpm bandanna wrappings.

The truth comes out.....

By that I mean I have gotten myself in quite the home improvement dilemma. You see, the thing is that I like to think that I'm super handy. I watch This Old House, I read Ready Made, I own a drill - is there really more to it?

Yes, yes there is.

While I have been spending my evenings playing Bob Vila, my recent trip to the hardware store confirmed my worst suspicions:I am not as handy as I think I am.

My shopping list read something like this:
- chuck key twisty thingy for hand drill
- electrical clippers for wires, but not the cutty kind, the strippy kind
- little hats for sticking electric wires together
- anchors for walls that spring out on the other side of the wall
- 3 prong plug in I can cut open

Although I found everything on my list (through hand gestures and some more vague explanation the staff eventually understood what I was looking for) the whole experience left me, well, rather bummed. Shouldn't trips to the hardware store be empowering? I mean really, you go there to get parts to build or fix something. That is exciting! How independent one should feel strolling into the parking lot knowing that what ever problems await at home can be fixed with nuts, bolts, screws and twisty thingys!

But I felt nothing of the sort. Maybe when I start some of these projects my handiness insecurities will go away.

So yes, I am a very bad blogger being gone for over a week and such. But I hope this makes up for it:

DIY paper i-phone dock has such possibilites!! Now, granted I am one of the few who is i phone less - but as a crafty gal this might be reason enough to get one. how great would this be out of pretty patterned paper, much better than some of the neon colored bulky i phone docks currently out there on the market.

Puppies dressed at Cats!

that spells amazing....

Check out this great soap from the people over at Soapylove sold at Charles & Maire ($20) The only down fall is that I would want to keep it out on display but would curse the person who ever tried to use it.  

tea towels gone wild!

Still searching for that perfect set - but I came across these and they made me smile. It's good to know that a creative tea towel is appreciated by both obsessive Star Wars fans as well as regular folks.



found here via here

Yay for dishtowels!

I love a good 'ole classic dishtowel (I am currently sporting classic white flour sack towels in my kitchen) and since one of my birthday presents was a Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer (move over Martha) my head has been swirling with baking and cooking possibilities. I know that eventually I will have to find myself a cute apron (or end up stitching one together) but for now I will settle for some cute towels.


For sale at Perpetual Kid
Originally found at BLTD