Quite awhile back, I asked for some suggestions on brightening up my home. I’m happy to report that we’ve made some progress — behold our new, awash-in-light dining room!

For comparison, here’s a before:

I knew the impact of going from dark gray (it seemed like a good idea at the time…) to a light creamy peach would be big, but I wasn’t prepared for just how fantastic it would feel to hang out in our dining room once we pared it down. The first morning after we finished the paint job, I thought we’d forgotten to turn off lights the night before — it’s that much brighter! Read more about the small changes we made that made a big difference, after the jump. I can’t wait to get started on the living room. –Mary T. (more…)

Growing up, my family could often be found around the table playing a wild game of Yahtzee or Pictionary. These days, I’ve been spending more evenings in my living room and less out on the town in an attempt to save some money. Instead of sitting in front of the TV all night, my boyfriend and I often play a game of Scrabble or cribbage. Do you have game night at your house? If so, what are your favorites? –Erica P.

Photo by Sam Hatch.

For the longest time, I didn’t understand why people gave bibs as gifts. How many could one child possibly need? Then I discovered that feeding a one year old three meals a day means there’s a whole lot of food dropped and schmeared on places it doesn’t belong. Thus, we have a constant bib shortage. And, while I’m not a fan of spending more than a couple of bucks on something that just gets grimy, I also must admit that these handmade, vintage fabric bibs by RikRak at Fawn & Forest are just the kind of thing I would LOVE to get as a gift. So, I’m bookmarking this page and will try to remember it next time a stylish mom I know has a new baby. $25 each. — Angela M.

It seems all you hear these days is bad news, sad news, and more depressing news. That’s why I’m happy to share a little something that brightened my day: original art for just $25. Something about the ceramic Cloud Factory sculpture by Etsy seller PearsonMaron really appeals to me. I’d love to have one as part of a whimsical vignette in my living room. Or perhaps I’d place one on my nightstand to make me smile in the morning. See all of PearsonMaron’s lovely, lighthearted wares here. –Erica P.

Lots of cool stuff happening at FLOR, our favorite modular rug purveyors, including some fine ways to save.

First, if you’re a Twitter user, there’s a 20% off deal just for you, now through Friday. Go here for details. And, perhaps obviously, you can now follow FLOR on Twitter.

Second, FLOR has some great-looking new designs that we can’t wait to sink our feet into, like the Shaggy Sheep tiles — a nice, clean interpretation of the wool shag rug — and the amusingly named You Only Live Twice — beautiful, durable, indoor-outdoor FLOR.

More savings on FLOR? Check out the new FLOR Outlet — limited quantities of quality FLOR tiles at cut-rate prices, as low as $5.99 a tile. We’re more into FLOR than ever before!

A changing table is one of those pieces of furniture you only need for a short period of your life, so why spend big bucks on it? We love the idea of turning a vintage find into a useful place in the nursery. Designer Lara Fishman from Designer’s Call gave us this idea with a few how-tos.

1) Find vintage dresser (flea markets are great for scouting hidden treasures). Requirements for a changing table: 36″ tall for ergonomic’s sake, plenty of drawers and cabinets.

2) Relacquer in color of choice; white is always fresh and fun for a nursery

3) Replate original hardware in finish of your choice (this changer was replated in nickel and polished)

4) Convert drawers for maximize storage; put in dividers for diapers, socks, etc.

5) Add interior drawers/partitions to increase storage

6) Place a rail on top to prevent pad from slipping

7) Select custom diaper changing pad… and voila- a unique, vintage looking changing table!

Have you converted a “found” treasure into thing of beauty? We’d love to hear about it! Email us at letters at shelterrific dotcom.

I first read this recipe in the February/March issue of ReadyMade. Taken from M.F.K. Fisher’s book “The Art of Eating”, “Eggs in Hell” is a fanciful name for a dish that’s equal parts thrifty and delicious. Fisher created the recipe during World War II, when rationing meant getting creative with meals. So the ingredients are simple and inexpensive — a can of tomato sauce, an onion, a garlic clove, some basil or Italian herbs to taste, and eggs, served over bread. (Fisher also suggested a little parmesan cheese sprinkled on top “if you can get it.”)

Two of my favorite things to eat are eggs and marinara, so I was itching to give this one a try. The results were amazingly tasty — for a new cook like myself, it’s a revelation how good tomatoes and onions can be (I also added about a cup of fresh spinach). My one caveat is, though Eggs in Hell (which I’ve made twice now) hasn’t tasted overly onion-y at all, you do get a lot of chunks of onion in every bite. So if you aren’t a big onion fan, I’d suggest cutting back on them a bit and adding some chunky tomatoes to the mix. I cooked the eggs in the sauce about ten minutes as suggested, and they were just about hard-cooked, so maybe eight minutes if you like your eggs over-easy style. And actually, I found the marinara so tasty, this would be a good recipe over pasta with no eggs at all. Get the recipe online at the Washington Post. –Mary T.

Congratulations to Dinah P., the winner of a custom silhouette from Vinyl Silhouettes! Thanks to everyone who entered. We’re taking a short break from the giveaways, but there are more on the horizon. And they’ll be good ones. So stay tuned!

I don’t use coasters in my apartment. I don’t have a single surface that can’t handle a cup with a little bit of condensation. That said, if I was a coaster user I’d surely pick up a set of these great Button Coasters from Eden & Eden. I love the use of olive wood and the beautiful design from the natural wood grain. Unfortunately, a pair costs a whopping $44. — Erica P.

Our crockpot sits up on a high shelf and rarely gets used. I can’t believe it’s March and an entire winter has nearly passed without one good eight-hour slow cook. I think the problem is that when it comes to mealtimes, I’m not good at day-before planning. An article at This Old House has me feeling a little less guilty about owning a small, rarely used appliance: How to Strip Paint From Hardware. Who knew that you could basically stew the stuff off? According to this piece, if you have old hardware that has been damaged with years of gooey paint, and want to return it to its original bare-metal state, all you have to do is plop it in a slow cooker filled with soapy water overnight. Sounds too good to be true, but I’m definitely going to give it a try on a few things at the house. Have any of you tired this? Click here for step-by-steps and more paint-stripping techniques. — Angela M.