Here’s a fun opportunity for a qualified Shelterrific reader: A friend of mine who is an editor for a major national magazine is looking for a super-organized homeowner in NYC or the nearby burbs. Must have a photogenic house AND great organizing ideas. Email me (angela at shelterrific dot com) and I’ll give ya the details if you think you’ve got the goods! — Angela M.

Yes, it may be too late unless you overnight it, but these greeting cards for Mom’s day at More Ways to Waste Time are still worth a look. Mommie Dearest could easily double as art — perhaps for that guest room?

Need some garden inspiration? Check out the before and after of Jenn’s front yard at Simple Things. (We are a big fan of the no-grass look ourselves.)

Want to screen print at home? It may be easier than you think. Precious Style showed us to this how-to post at Instructables.

Here’s something interesting at Apartment Therapy: How to Read Design Blogs and Resist the Urge to Buy. May seem counter-intuitive, but sounds like valuable information.

Care for a cheescake pop? Yes, you read that right. See how well they turned out at Dozen Flours.

Thanks to Happy Mundane, we checked out these eyelet-covered rocks at Craftzine. Jon’s right — they are surprisingly beautiful.

Who knew that Julianne Moore was a closet budget decorator? In the new issue of Domino, the actress explains how she transformed a friend’s apartment for $15,000. What I love about this story is that it’s so accessible — most of the pieces are from stores we can all shop from like Crate and Barrel, Urban Outfitters and Ikea. Yes, there are some pricey collectibles sprinkled in, but the before and afters offer some genuine tips we can all learn from. Click here to see to see the slideshow at dominomag.com. — Angela M.

Leigh’s first birthday is this week, and I wanted to get her something really special. Since her older sister steals all of her toys, I decided I would buy her one very special gift and make sure it stays hers. The one perfect gift? A handmade, natural and organic doll from Bamboletta. The bonus? I think it looks like her. Green eyes, crazy brown hair, and deliciously cute. — Beth J.

Hello dear readers. I’m hoping you can help Chad and I settle a debate. He thinks we should get a rice cooker — you know, a contraption you plug in, pour in some water and rice and let it cook to perfection. I think this seems like another small appliance we will have to store and don’t really need. Do they really do a better/easier job than cooking rice the old-fashion way, on the stove? One of Chad’s favorite dishes (left over from his bachelor days) is beans and rice; and no doubt we’ll be making a lot of rice once Isadora starts eating food. But really, do we need this? As appliances go, is it useful like a Foreman Grill, or more like a rarely-used fondue pot? Tell me your rice cooker thoughts! If you like them, which one do you recommend? The above one is from Williams-Sonoma. — Angela M.

We noticed Whorange recently and liked what we saw — especially when we saw her amazing round-up of Mother’s Day gifts. Tula of Whorange is allowing us to share them here, so enjoy!

With mother’s day around the corner, I’d like to tip my tiara to the moms of the world. I’ve throw together some groovy gift guides for these special ladies, whether they be darling mums, moms-to-be, earth mamas, or ladies that we’re forced to call “mommie dearest.” Yep, I’ve got them all in my life. –Tula

Above: 1. Sunshine Tea Set (48.00); 2. Perch bird feeder (84.00); 3. Clean Soles Soaps (24.00); 4. Perch campy planters (72.00); 5. Aalto vase (55.00); 6. Byzantine Peacock earrings (65.00); 7. Polly George Ceramics Butterfly Collection vase (145.00) (via productdose); 8. Charley Harper serving platter (35.00).

Above: 1. Recycled Glass Teardrop Bottle by Esque (478.00); 2. Organically grown bamboo Curvy Servers (12.00); 3. Organic Citrus Lip Balm by Eminence (24.00); 4. Organic Cranberry Pomegranate Sugar Scrub by Eminence (48.00); 5. Eco-friendly Amenity Branch Pillow (65.00); 6. Eco-friendly Cella puzzle (198.00); 7. Reusable Envirosax bags (34.95); 8. Organically grown bamboo Bambu medium bowls (17.00).

But wait, there’s more! Visit Whorange and see her entire Mother’s Day Gift Guide, including choices for the Mom-to-Be and the dreaded Mommie Dearest! See the entire guide here.

Los Angeles-based Molla Space is one of my favorite sources for fun and unique Asian-designed accessories. This felt Printing Vase by Furnish , $30, dresses up an empty wine or water bottle to make any bouquet that much greener. It’s offered in a lattice or blossom pattern, white or black, plus the cover reverses to plain so you get double the design for your dollars. Have a cherished champagne bottle taking up valuable shelf space? Dust it off and add more sentiment to your floral display. Or buy a new bottle of bubbly for mom and present it in this earth-friendly vase alternative. –Ingrid S.

More Mother’s Day inspiration? Look here:
10% Off Fullbloomtea.com
Love Posters from MadeByGirl
The Conran Shop Goes Green

The other day, this lifelong Yankee decided to try her hand at a Southern delicacy: bourbon balls. Just hearing the name, I was intrigued. So when the invite came to attend my friend Ranald’s birthday party, I knew I had found the occasion. Ranald revels in all sorts of cuisine, especially that of his Southern roots. I found this recipe at About.com and it seemed so easy, it was practically sinful. Basically you mix crushed vanilla wafer cookies with pecans, cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, a touch of bourbon and some corn syrup. Chill for a couple hours then roll into balls, and roll in more sugar. The dough reminded me of cookie dough pie crust — very dense and sweet. The bourbon gives it a hint of playfulness. My only complaint with the recipe is that it says it yields three dozen — and I barely eeked out 24. Perhaps my balls were too big? Nonetheless, they were a big hit with Ranald and a few other Southern foodies. Click here for the recipe. — Angela M.

Here in Minnesota, we’ve been pretty crabby about spring — let me clarify, the lack of spring. April was a big sloppy mess of snow (yes, snow) and rain. But this first week of May has been glorious — dry and sunny — so I thought I’d post this cheery centerpiece that I pulled together for my sister’s second-baby sendoff party (more on that later). I layered red place mats for the base, and then cut bright orange and pink tulips at different heights and placed them in small glass vases. It’s been my standard centerpiece for ages — I’m not an elaborate bouquet kind of girl. Care to usher in some May sunshine with some of your favorite centerpiece creations? –Megan K.

Top photo via The Stranger.

Okay, so maybe you won’t be able to take advantage of the exact find that I stumbled upon, but I did score some free bricks this weekend that are loaded with Seattle history. The cold storage portion of Seattle’s old Rainier Brewery was recently judged structurally unsound and, sadly, was torn down. So when I heard that piles of bricks were being set aside for residents to take home for free, I couldn’t resist. So we’ll soon have a bit of Seattle brewing history in our own yard in the form of a patio — no mining required. If you live in Seattle, the bricks are available just off the parking lot across from Smartypants on Airport Way. Not in Seattle? The best place to look for bricks with history is your local building salvage. –Mary T.

P.S. Our server at Smartypants told us that this building was also the setting for Nirvana’s famous Smells Like Teen Spirit video. I was all excited to also be getting some pieces of music history, but my research shows that this was, alas, wishful thinking.