A couple of weeks ago we gave you a sneak peek at Orla Kiely’s cute stuff at Target. Just the thought of it made our hearts flutter a bit — as much as we love her designs, they are pricey. But this new line is wonderfully affordable, and now that we’ve seen it in person, we can say that it’s well made, too. We were especially impressed with the fabric-covered storage bins. They’re really sturdy!

We’ve been given a little bundle of Orla’s Target goodies to give away:

One pear apron
One brown, flowered storage bin
Two small square plates
Two large square plates
Two tumblers

To win, leave a comment on this post by Tuesday, March 3rd, at 5 p.m. EST. Be sure to use your real email address (we’re the only ones who will see it). One entry per person. Once entries are closed, we’ll select one winner using a random number generator. Good Luck!

Whorange has a lovely post about Given, a unique San Francisco store housed in what was once Harvey Milk’s camera shop.

Tough economic times means creative fun — like a themed family movie night with theatre seating. See more at Chocolate Cake Moments.

This might be even better than a giveaway: Slashfood tells you how you can win $1,000 for your sweet potato recipe.

This is a few weeks old, but we just came across it: Ten chairs from your parents’ home that might make you rich, at Lushpad.

Cat (hair) got your curtains? Casa Sugar has solutions.

Wood scraps become a forest — LOVE — at swissmiss.

Check out these out-there office cubicles at 2Modern.

Whaddya know: Charles & Hudson tell us there’s actually a shelter magazine starting up, rather than closing down!

Cote de Texas goes decor shopping in Houston.

Turquoise and deep orange at Elements of Style. We think we like it!

One of the most e-mailed stories in The New York Times this week is about toilet paper: Mr. Whipple Left It Out: Soft Is Rough on Trees. It talks about America’s unharnessed addiction to supremely soft toilet paper, and how terrible for the environment it is to produce it. All those quilted, puffed squares are made from many trees, and lots of bleach and other chemicals. Really, there’s no reason for toilet paper NOT to be made from recycled paper, except that we don’t like it. I admit to using Scott toilet paper — which is not particularly soft, but it’s not recycled either. Chad says it’s the Clint Eastwood of toilet papers: Rough, tough and it doesn’t take any crap off anybody. (LOL, forgive the crudeness, I couldn’t help myself). This article has me thinking about switching our brand devotion — though the only kind of recycled tp I’ve seen is Seventh Generation. I wonder if it comes in 12 packs? Regardless, I’m willing to give it a try. Are you? –Angela M.

We have a soft spot for vintage-style phones here, so naturally this Corsley Pay Phone at Urban Outfitters ($90) caught our eye (via Outblush). With three separate coin-slots, it looks like something that Tippi Hedren used in The Birds, though it does have push-button technology. Best of all, you can stick coins in the slots. Though that’s not necessary to make a call, it could be a great way to stash up some spare change for a rainy day — and maybe even milk a quarter or two from friends when they visit. Hey, every dime counts!

We’re in the middle of some painting projects, and I was fretting about the waste — it’s messy to use a paint tray without a liner (you never seem to be able to wash all the old paint out) but I hated using and discarding plastic liners. Then we went to Sears for more supplies and lo and behold, a new invention from Shur-Line: a paint tray with a Teflon surface. When you’re done painting for the day, you just let what’s left in the tray dry, then peel it off. Since we tend to keep our metal trays forever, this was a no-brainer. We put it to use immediately, and it worked as advertised, as you can see. It did take a little more effort to peel smaller paint splatters off the tray sides, but overall this is one invention I am happy to have at home. You can get one for about $7 at Sears. –Mary T.

We’re big fans of Jamie Oliver here at Shelterrific. Just today I fell further in love with the man. I stumbled upon JamieOliver.com and had so much fun browsing the Jme Shop. According to the site, “Jme features some of the world’s best designs, created by talented people who care about delivering inspirational products at a great price.” Well I agree wholeheartedly. I think I like his product plugs as much as his recipes! –Erica P.

After purchasing our first home a few months ago, our budget has been super tight. That’s why little things like packing lunches are a must for us, but I can only eat so many sandwiches before I get bored completely. I really want to be consuming more raw veggies, but most salads are a pain to pack. So I composed a salad that I could assemble and could keep for a few days, with hardy and colorful greens such as kale, swiss chard, and cabbage. The addition of a nutty, chewy grain like farro (also known as emmer) completes the protein and adds delicious texture. Plus, if you have access to a pressure cooker, the grains cook in a mere 12 minutes. This recipe makes a ton, but it will keep for three days once assembled — if you can hold off eating the whole thing! –Megan B. Click for Megan’s Winter Green and Farro Salad recipe! (more…)

Real Simple unveiled a new-and-improved website this week, and there are some really useful things on it. First, you’ll find a library of how-to videos demonstrating things that sound incredibly simple, but actually require a bit of know-how (like ironing pants, above). Also worth exploring: Their bank of handy checklists that cover everything from a Baby Shower Planning List to a Gourmet Spice List. We found at least four that are now stuck to our fridges, waiting to be checked off. Click here to see the site and let us know what you think. There are some things missing (community?) but all-in-all we like-y.

The no-sew curtain got a good response, including a comment from reader ita-darling on how to make a roman shade without sewing. So we thought you’d be interested in two more examples from Apartment Therapy: a similar customized roman shade DIY that you see above (love the fabric) and a post about how to turn mini-blinds into roman shades that they picked up from Little Green Notebook. Get out your glue and hem tape!

Congratulations to reader Bev Bourne, the winner of our Starbucks VIA swag bag giveaway! We were overwhelmed with the response and have a serious craving for mocha brownies, coffee cheesecake, tiramisu… More giveaways, you say? There are two more coming up soon. Very soon!