I was reading a story in New York Magazine, “The Urban Woodsman,” and found myself drawn to this gorgeous tool from the Tribeca, NYC-based Best Made Company. I immediately wanted one because of its sleek curves, bright color, and elegant “courage” stamp, but the price ($250) set me back. I’d love to hang it above our fireplace, but that seems silly — especially when there’s a tree in our backyard that my wife is convinced I cannot cut down by myself.

The Best Made Co. shapes and masks off the handle, “then we prime it and spray on multiple layers of high-quality graffiti paint.” High-quality graffiti paint?! Sorry, Best Made Co., you had me at “courage” but lost me at “graffiti paint.” (I do give them credit for out-sourcing the important part — the ax head — to a 100-year-old company in Maine, where they make the fine-grained steel heads by hand.)

I now find myself Googling “wood axe,” which strikes me as one of the most un-manly things I could be doing. I could pick up a simple, cheap axe from Lowe’s (Kobalt 3-1/2 Lb. Michigan Axe with Hickory Handle, $30). But I think the best compromise would be the Gransfors Bruks Scandinavian Forest Axe, $120.

It’s made by a small, Swedish family-operated company formed in 1902, and is as beautiful as the trendy one from Tribeca. And besides, I could always paint my own orange handle. Timber! — Chad H.

This Valentine’s Day, say it with science. Finding “the one” is a gift to be cherished, and what better way to express that than with a heart in its truest, most anatomically correct form?

Keep it real with some heart art like Hybrid-Home’s Dora Drimalas print, $40, a My Heart Is Yours poster, $24 from Velocity Art & Design, or the strangely appealing heart vase ($450 at Supermarket) by Esque Designs.

For the snugglebug, snag a plush heart for $9 from Etsy shop Batteries Not Included or a plush friend from the source for plush organs, I Heart Guts. (Neil Young fans: consider that heart of gold found.) Or satiate your favorite sweetie with a gummy heart from Fred Flare.

If cards are your thing, create some homemade love with this heart rubber stamp, $4.99, by Etsy seller BlossomStamps, or say it outright with letterhappy’s straightforward note, $2.

All these heart-y tributes may even score you some points for attention to detail and intelligent design. Nothing says love like a spot-on ventricle. — Sarah C.

1) You have just a few restaurant pet peeves. Like, a few thousand! Laura says: “Poor service, rude servers (I’m so sick of poor customer service!!!!). People on their cell phones. Unless you’re eating alone, you are being rude to whomever is with you (and sometimes those around you).” The responses are still coming in here.

2) Pewter without patina? Priceless. Pencils says: “It’s interesting that Americans value pewter with patina; I know that the British polish their pewter. My sister is an expert on Liberty and Arts & Crafts pewter, and it’s generally given a mirror polish if you can afford it (the polish is usually done professionally.) Maybe that’s why you scored your Welsh pewter.” See Joan Rivers’ kitchen (it has pewter) here.

3) The baked oatmeal fan club keeps growing. Ekb says: “this is so good! i did 1/2 sugar and 1/2 honey, and added chopped up almonds and a chopped up granny smith apple. i added cranberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg too! i baked them in muffin tins so they’re already in little hand-held servings. SO DELISH! would be curious to know if using an egg substitute would work…” Click for the recipe.

4) We’re not the only ones itching for spring. GartenGrl at Cool Garden Things says of Jenny P.’s winter gardening post: “Ohhhh Myyyy Goodness….I have done all of these things and there is still like 2 months to gooooo…..whine, whine, whine…” We feel your pain!

5) One of us might get on MasterChef yet! One of our readers, but we hope it’s okay to count you as one of our own! Babe says: “I too tried out in Denver. I didn’t have a wait, they brought me right in, I had the same judge, kind of a quick talker, she liked my dish except the garnish. i got a call back the next day and had a filmed interview. I had two really sweet producers and now I wait…” Good luck, Babe, and definitely keep us posted! Read about Megan B.’s MasterChef audition here.

P.S. Don’t forget to enter our Twitter contest for your chance to win a Brother P-Touch 1090 labeler! Details here.

Photo by Franque de Win

Want to work on your organization? Wouldn’t a brand-new labeler help — or at least make you feel more like trying? Well, now’s your chance: Brother is generously giving away a Brother P-Touch 1090 labeler to Shelterrific readers. It’s part of the new Simply Stylish product series, which “includes an easy-to-use Deco Mode application that prints extra-stylish labels.”

Enter to win — on Twitter!
Here’s how to enter to win a Brother P-Touch 1090 Labeler: Use your Twitter account to send a message to both @BrotherUSA and @shelterrific, telling us why you should win or how you would use your labeler. (Don’t send two separate messages; add “@shelterrific @BrotherUSA” to one message.) Tweet your message by 2/10/10, 5 pm EST.

Thanks, Brother, for making this giveaway possible!
Click for complete rules and information on the Brother P-Touch 1090. Read the rest of this entry »

Somebody is enviously creative: Centsational Girl and her fabulous cabinet makeover.

Spray-on liquid glass — and that could be a green thing — at Treehugger.

A couple weeks old, and plenty gross, but it’s good to be educated — uh, right? Bedbugs, at The Stranger.

So useful: how to measure your curtains accurately.

Thanks to Baking Bites, now we want a bundt pan.

Finding the perfect crib at Young House Love.

Tools: buy fewer, buy better, at Unclutterer.

Shoebox Decor on the book Living Large in Small Spaces.

Love-ly ideas from Rockett St. George at Poppytalk.

Finally, more love: art prints for all kinds of lovers at Casa Sugar.

In my house, Superbowl Sunday is the second biggest pig-out day of the year, eclipsed only slightly by Thanksgiving. The nacho platters seem bottomless, bacon accompanies everything, and there is a different flavor wing presented at the beginning of each quarter. (Shout out to third-quarter honey garlic!) However much I stuff myself, the game isn’t complete until my sweet tooth is satisfied. This year, I made these adorable chocolate football truffles. The recipe, nabbed from Bakerella, is incredibly simple with only three ingredients and no baking. The shaping and decorating, however, is a labor of love. If you have the time to devote to them, they’re as melt-in-your-mouth delicious as the Saints’ win will be. — Katie D. Click for the kick-off! Read the rest of this entry »

I discovered Tremar when I was shopping for a Christmas present for my sister and her Sears Craftsman Home. Produced in Cornwall from the 1960s through the ’80s, Tremar Pottery mostly appears in unglazed, nature-inspired colors — fitting for today’s Arts and Crafts resurgence. Check eBay to find pottery similar to the 7″ vase I gifted, shown above, like this pair, as well as the tiny wren that I purchased for myself. What can I say? I love birds and it seemed like a long trip to make the vase take by itself. — Sarah L.

P.S. For the curious, yes, the turtle shell in the photo above is real; we frequently see Eastern Box Turtles in our yard. Unfortunately, a predator dispatched the turtle, so we left the shell on a rock to dry out, then gave it four coats of clear poly.

I love to eat out, but in the winter I often find myself aggravated by my fellow restaurant goers. You see, I just don’t understand it when folks coming into a restaurant stand in the doorway letting the heat rush out and the blustery cold rush in. It drives me insane. I am a firm believer that upon entering a restaurant in winter, you step quickly inside, shutting the door behind you. What’s your restaurant pet peeve? — Erica P.

Photo by Aaron Murphy

Nothing adds culture to cooking like an Eiffel Tower grater. The good people at Pylones know this and have expanded their line of quirky home items to bring even more fun to the table. Crocodile bread knives, rhino cheese knives, and adorable, freestanding bird butter knives join their bestselling line of dog cake servers in the cutlery menagerie.

For just a touch of color, try on an angel wings mug in a variety of shades, or stick to the minimal with “make my day” milk and sugar set, available in March.

For more nifty finds for all over the house, click here. — Sarah C.

Related:
New York Gift Fair: new arrival from Jonathan Adler

My husband and I were engaging in smalltalk at a party recently, taking turns listing what we do for a living. My husband was asked what exactly he meant when he said he’s currently studying for his actuarial exam. He deadpanned, “It’s sort of like King of the Nerds.” I laughed so hard I nearly choked on my bruschetta. A Pi Dresser by Etsy seller OhClementine would be perfect for the King of the Nerds in your life. The one I spotted sold (there are obviously many nerds of nobility out there) but designer Nicole Haladyna says:

“I could most definitely create another with the same Pi design and would be thrilled to do so for anyone interested. However, the dresser itself would not necessarily be identical, as each furniture piece is salvaged.”

Imagine the possibilities of a dresser branded with the numerical value of pi (not that nerds need a reminder) with plenty of room for calculators, slide rulers, and sweater vests. I hope OhClementine does a whole series of furniture — I’d love a lamp shade painted with the Pythagorean theorem or a coffee table decorated with the quadratic equation. If you do go the custom dresser route, Haladyna says that the price would be in the $250-$350 range plus shipping, depending on the size of the dresser and your location. As of March, she will be located in Brooklyn, where you may be able to pick up for free. — Katie D.