Recently in The Home Category

You know that whole mid-century modern look that has become really popular in home design lately?  If you like that sleek, modern look, now your cat can have furniture that's as cool as yours!  Design Public makes a whole line of hip cat furniture that doubles as cat scratchers.  They're really well designed, strong and solid, cardboard contraptions.  Keep Ms. Kitty from scratching your ridiculously expensive couch by getting her her very own super cool kitty lounge.  And the best part-  you can shop for kitty and for yourself at Design Public.  Win, win!

I have some big news.  This is a big deal.  Wall paper is actually much cooler than you might think!  It can work wonders on your most drab home space.  Companies like Nama Rococo create really modern and colorful wallpaper designs that will no doubt accentuate any room that might need a shot of cool.  Leave it to Martha Stewart and her cohorts at Blueprint to come up with super cool ways to decorate a room with wallpaper without simply hanging it floor to ceiling.  For example, take some crazy designed wallpaper, cup out funky shapes and turn them into fireplace and sconce accents.  Grab some cool wallpaper and think outside of the box!

Do Up Your Doors

Liven up your boring wooden door and give it a little personality.  Add a colorful wallpaper inset and surround it in white lattice from the hardware store.  It's a simple project that'll give your room a nice detail. Here's how. 

 

 

 

 

Faux Headboard

Buy all the fancy linens you like, nothing completes your bedroom like a beautiful headboard.  That beauty comes at a high price.  How about a more economical approach?  Create the illusion of a fancy headboard with cool wallpaper.  You can do it!  Just follow these instructions. 

 

 

You don't have to have a huge, lavish house to throw a great party!  Even in a tiny apartment you can throw a party that your friends will be talking about for months to come.  Here's 5 things to make your party a hit!

Plan Your Invites Around The Space

Smaller living spaces can actually make a party feel more cozy and intimate.  Make sure you don't invite more people than can fit in your apartment.  The more the merrier though, so don't under invite either.  It's all about finding the perfect balance.

Create More Room

Make sure to give your apartment a good scrubbing before the party, then find ways to make more space in your place.  Move coffee tables and push big chairs and sofas against the walls.  Don't be afraid to completely arrange the space!

Show Off A Small Space

I've always loved the idea of filling a small space with helium balloons.  They're fun and colorful and make having a small space a positive instead of a negative!

Design a Mood

Think candle light and throw pillows.  You may not be trying to create an ultra romantic party, but candles create a great, warm light and can really light up a small room.  Add some throw pillows to instantly create extra seating.

Keep It Simple and Go For It!

Keep your food menu simple and don't be afraid to serve buffet style.  Don't mess with place settings and serving.  Let your guests relax, mingle and snack when they please.  Use your imagination, sense of style and just go for it!  Send out those evites today! 

It's almost Memorial Day, which means is just about time to clear those cobwebs from the grill, bust out the kabob sticks, and call it a party.  Before you throw the burgers and hot dogs on the grill, try these grilled jalapeno peppers.  You're friends will ooooh and aaaaah, and no doubt invite themselves over for more of your grilling all summer long.

With the flavors of rich cream cheese, garlic, spices and bacon, these grilled jalapeno peppers are easy to throw together and take just a few minutes on a hot grill.  With this cool jalapeno grilling pan from William Sonoma, you'll be grilling in style for only $19.95

 

 

It seems everyone is going green these days. Take a look around, hybrid car sales are through the roof, and you can find any company that wants to stay in business catering to this trend. While I am one who usually likes to buck tradition, I am all aboard this "Save Mother Nature" train. And to do my part, I wanted to share how I'm going green. Here are great ways to start saving the planet.

Give A Little Bit

I donate $15 a month to a California environmentalist group. And to save a tree this money is deducted from my account electronically. You don't have to be a millionaire to care about global warming or to do something about it.

Filter Out The Bad Stuff
Ditch the water bottles and invest in filtration system. When I was in college a Brita pitcher was a necessity, especially with the high lead levels in our city water. It tasted like drinking mud before you filtered it. The filters only have to be replaced every 3 months or so. Whether you put the system directly on your faucet or pick up a pitcher, just imagine how much less plastic you'll use.

It's time!  Clean out that over stuffed hall closet! Rummage through the back of your kitchen cabinets!  Make room in your dresser for that new summer wardrobe!  Call your friends and tell them to to jump on the bandwagon!  You're having a garage sale!  And it's going to be smash hit with these 5 tips!  You'll clean out your place and hopefully make enough cash to replenish your shoe closet!

Put Everything On Sale-  And I mean everything!  When you're cleaning out closets, looking for goodies to sell,  don't throw anything away.  You never know what people will buy!  One persons trash is another persons treasure!  Make some cash on something you might want to just throw away!

Loads of Advertizing-  Accurate advertizing is one key to a great garage sale.  Brightly colored signs with the place, date, hours and what you've got on sale will draw people in.  Also think about advertizing in a local paper or on craigslist.org!

Sell What's Popular-  So what's popular at garage sales?  Antiques are always a great bet.  It may not matter what condition an antique is in, collectors probably want it.  Handmade items are also hot.  If you have old handmade aprons or kookie ceramics, they'll sell like hotcakes at a garage sale.  Do you have an overflowing fig tree in your back yard?  Sell that produce at your garage sale and turn it into money instead of rotten fruit!

Keep items off the ground-  If you can, set up your tiems on a folding table, or old ping pong table. You may have more success in selling them.  Your wares will be in better view, and easier to rach if they're on a table!

Price Items for Group Sale-  It's a great idea to price as many things as possible prior to the sale.  That way, people will know without asking how much a particular item is.  Also, items sell faster if they are priced together.  Label drinking glasses 6 for $1 instead of 15 cents each, they'll sell in no time!

 

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. I bought my mom’s gift in March, but I didn’t forget about all you last minute mom gifters while I was out scoring the perfect gift for my mom. With these ideas you’re sure to get your mom a gift that’s fit for a Celeb and shows her how much you love her.

For the mom who loves the Earth almost as much as she loves her children, try these Mother’s Day Ideas.

 

If your mom vacuums in high heels and never leaves the house w/o her full face on, then nothing will make her feel more glam than these Mother’s Day Gift Ideas.

 

Just because your mom has kids and a husband doesn’t mean she can’t still rock out. Who says Mohawks and motherhood can’t go together? Try these Ideas for the Rocker Chic mom.

 

 

Check out this "Waring Smoothie Maker" that promises to "keep flowing smoothly all summer long."

Available exclusively at Williams Sonoma online

Check out these scented candles by Votivo!

Guaranteed to improve mood and ambiance. Strong long lasting fragrances come in a rainbow of colors and flavors, such as Papaya and Key Lime. 

The large candles come with 3 wicks and last for endless hours.

Did you know that the health benefits to gardening are like a good work out routine? Turns out planting flowers, digging and weeding is great exercise! Gardening lowers blood pressure and helps prevent arthritis.

Added bonus: the satisfaction of having a beautiful flower garden, mowed lawn, and natural fruits (and vegetables) of labor to eat!

To prevent injury, here's a good stretching routine:

Warm Up: take a brisk 5 minute walk. Get fresh air into your lungs!

Stretching: Trunk Rotation (yours and not the trees')
Reaching for tools and leaves requires lots of twisting. Do this warm-up before and after gardening. Hold a broom or rake at waist level and slowly turn right, hold 2-5 seconds, then repeat on left.

Abdominal Marching
Lie on your back on a smooth surface with bent knees. Tighten your stomach and flatten spine. Pretend that you are "marching" and slowly lift, bend and lower left leg. Repeat for right leg. Do 2 sets. Each set should be 60 seconds.

Abdominal Arm Raises
Same position as above, make sure your belly button is aimed down towards your spine. Lift your left and then the right one (keep elbow straight.) You can do this simultaneously with the marching exercise, once you've built up strength.


Tree Hugger: Stretch Shoulders
With feet placed at shoulder width apart, wrap both hands around tree trunk and round out back. Feel the stretch for 30 seconds minimum.