My mom is starting the process of downsizing from her home of 60+ years, and one of the items that she’ll be parting with is something a lot of you have probably never heard of: the Ironrite Ironer. It’s an ironing machine consisting of of a big metal box with a huge roller in the middle that you move up and down with a knee pedals and hand controls. The actual name of it is the “Ironrite Mangle Ironer” — sounds like your clothes wouldn’t make it through, right? But actually, if you knew how to use it, you could get dry cleaner-perfect results. Of course, the Ironrite does take up a bit of space, and as such they were discontinued in 1961.

I well remember playing nearby as my mom fed slacks, pillowcases, and shirt sleeves into the machine, and the resulting smell of steam and heated cotton. My mom was a whiz with that thing, and in fact, until very recently, she was still using it! She inherited her Ironrite from her father, who actually won an ironing contest with it in the late 1940s (the image of my big, scary grandfather winning an ironing contest still amuses me, especially during that era). Though you can’t find them new, lots of people still use them — here’s a woman who uses an Ironrite to iron the silk that she uses to make scarves.

The “Health Chair” that came with the machine is itself a design classic — it even has a place in MoMA. I’m pretty sure we used to have that, too, unrecognizable under about 15 layers of duct tape (sometimes that’s good on a chair, sometimes it isn’t); it went into the garbage far before I was interested in decor, I’m sure.

If you’re just curious to learn more, visit this interesting site by Ironrite enthusiast George Edmonson. –Mary T.

UPDATE: My mom’s Ironrite has been sold. But check the comments for more Ironrite enthusiasts.

Photos via George Edmonson’s Ironrite page at hubpages.com

This quick-cooking meal was perfect for this past weekend. It was so beautiful outside here in New York City, I certainly didn’t want to spend the whole evening in front of the stove! Quickly sauteed vegetables add crunch while the yogurt dressing gives this dish a bright and tangy flavor. Toss everything with your favorite grain (I used bulgur), and you’ve got dinner in no time. I added some lightly seasoned tofu for an extra hit of protein. –Erica P. Click for the recipe! (more…)

After years of being at a loss as to what to get the mothers in my life for Mother’s day, I think I’ve finally come up with a winner: I’m making everyone cookbooks with a few favorite family recipes and photos. I could’ve done a cool (yet massive) DIY project, but being pressed for time, I went to Shutterfly, dropped the old pics into a photo book template, and pasted the recipes from my computer. I decided to forgo the preset recipe book designs and opt for a more minimal background. Right now, all of their photo books are 20% off, so I just may order a ton of these as gifts for the entire family. –Megan B. For a few more Mother’s Day gift ideas, click! (more…)

There’s just something about lying outside in the summer — on a blanket listening to live music, on a towel soaking up some sun. The Yumi & Laurie blanQuette captures a little bit of both, with elegant patterns on Turkish towel-style throws. I love the patterns, designs, and colors, and the fact that each is made from 100% organic cotton and bamboo fibers. The 6’6” x 4’9” Y&L blanQuettes sell for about $200-235 each, but right now you can save 40% with Y&L’s spring sale. Begin daydreaming of summer now… -Mary T.

I was tickled to find these fun, colorful, whimsical prints from etsy seller RIPGallery. Each print is limited to 100 pieces and is indvidually signed and numbered by artist Robert Pokorny. Pokorny’s abstracts are influenced by jazz art album covers of the 1950s and ’60s and painted “in a stream of consciousness style thus allowing for the unexpected to happen.” My favorites are “Pipe Camp,” which would go great in my woodsy bedroom, “Heads,” which has that groovy woodgrain background, and “Bliss,”which was painted as a tribute to Pokorny’s dachshund, Lily. They range from $30-$35 a print, so I may just have to get all three. –Megan B.

I thought we were all over the whole wall decal craze. Then I saw these awesome Walk This Way wall graphics by elly nelly over at Supermarket. I just love the look of a string of little people lining the wall. I can imagine them wrapping around the tub, or adding a fun vibe to the edge of a window. Purchase two 22-inch lengths in a variety of colors for just $28. –Erica P.

There’s so much to do in Portland, we found ourselves a little overwhelmed. We took a lot of your suggestions to heart and tried to do as much as three days and two dogs would allow. Here’s the rundown in my final post on Portland. –Mary T.

Shopping

Canoe – I was taken with much of the selection at the spare and elegant Canoe. The votives by Lilach Lotan are exceptionally beautiful; I was amazed that they were made by hand and not directly from the sea! The foldable, portable stainless steel Pack + Carry Fireplace with Bag by Snow Peak would make a worthy addition to Megan’s search. At around $245, it was a little more than we could spend, but I stared at it in longing for a good, long while. You can order it by calling the store at (503) 889-8545.

Grass Hut – Half art gallery, half arty store. (You can tell by the top photo, right?) We loved the colors in this place, and I regret we didn’t buy the “Let’s Just Be Friends” screen print by Ryan J. Smith, $30, while we were there. The current exhibit in the gallery was called “The Squirrels Made Me Do It” — no wonder I loved this store.

Hive Modern – Hive Modern is right on the North Park Blocks. We didn’t do much more than peek at the selection, but there was one thing that got me drooling — an entire wall of Panton chairs in turquoise!

Life + Limb – See this post about our visit; we loved this place.

Powell’s City of Books – Everything our commentors said it would be, and more. We walked the dogs until they were tired, parked them in a cool, shady spot, and spent a little time in Powell’s, where we could easily have wasted hours. We made it out with an assortment of new and used books we’ve been wanting to read (I was deep into the A.M. Homes book by the time we hit the hotel that night) and two of their very cute souvenir glasses. We spent time in the main City of Books, but there are several Powell’s locations, including one in the airport if you’re passing through.

Really Good Stuff – Another really good reader suggestion! We stopped by just as they were starting to close up, unfortunately, but the owners graciously invited us in for a half-hour as they pulled in their displays from the sidewalk. We could have spent hours pawing through the crazy selection here. In the market for reels and reels of old films? The trunk lid to a vintage Beetle? Original mantle-size, framed paintings of Jesus and Santa (not together)? You’ve come to the right place. We ended up with a small tiki-head-topped souvenir spoon and a button that reads “I am not an Oregon pig,” a remnant from 1981 of an insult hurled at residents by an area cult leader who carried out a bioterror attack on the region.

Saturday Market – On a drizzly Saturday morning, the market was thronged with people browsing an impressive selection of local food (everything from mushrooms, truffles, and fiddlehead ferns to knitted hats and homemade pies) while listening to live music. My husband was beyond thrilled to find a vendor offering not only morels but hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. We bought some and took them home to saute the next day. Now that’s a souvenir.

Click for what we ate and where we walked. (more…)

May 5 is the last day to send us photos of your small garden — indoors or out — to get a chance to win a lead-free, water-saving garden hose. See all the details here! We have some lovely entries, but we want to see your garden, too! Enter today!

President Obama and I have something in common. No, it’s not a Portuguese Water Dog (I wish); it’s a strong fancy for Fran’s Chocolates. The first time I tasted one of Fran’s Salted Caramels, I was in love, and fell hard. Smooth, soft, and buttery caramel is covered with either rich dark or smooth milk chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt (smoked sea salt with the milk chocolate). If you think you’ve heard of this combo before, you have, but Fran’s are the award-winning first to start the trend. How perfect would a box of these sweet-n-salty treats be for your mom? If you purchase online as late as Thursday, it will arrive on time for Mother’s Day! –Megan B.

You can get a lot more from online photo sites than just photos. Shutterfly just expanded their card offerings with a new line of stationery from designers like Letterspace, Boatman Geller, and Stacy Claire Boyd. You can personalize greetings like thank-you cards or graduation announcements , or customize fun and elegant notepads, $17.99 and up, address labels, $9.99 for a set of 28, or gift tags, $15 for 25. We’ve come a long way from the photo-with-greeting on photo paper! View the entire stationery collection here. –Mary T.