Our occasional contributor Paola stays busy with her own site, mirrormirror, where we we’ve had fun watching her couch-buying process. Paola worked with Couch Seattle to choose the Deep sofa and then customize it in her style with mid-century legs and ivory leather, above. You have to appreciate her vision — this is how the Deep sofa usually looks as sold:

Quite a difference, eh? We were also impressed that Couch Seattle sent her some excellent photos of the finished product that will be delivered next week — the top photo is of Paola’s actual sofa. That is fantastic customer service as well as an enviable couch!

I’m a breakfast eater. I know there are a lot of people out there who skip this mini-meal, but I always partake in morning eats. I go through phases with breakfast foods — right now I’m on a cold cereal kick, but sometime during the winter months I’m sure I’ll swap my cold cereal for hot. I don’t always stick to traditional breakfast fare, either. When my leftovers from dinner are looking good, I’ll serve up a smaller portion for breakfast. On weekends, I’ll indulge in more decadent treats like pancakes, cheese-filled omelets, French toast or the much loved breakfast burrito. While my choices vary greatly, one thing remains constant: I never miss this meal. What about you? –Erica P.

More breakfast goodies for you: onion and goat cheese tart, 10-grain hot cereal with three-berry syrup, perfectly puffy popovers (shown above).

Maybe it’s the humid weather that has me thinking of cool breezes, but I’ve been daydreaming about spending an afternoon in a hammock for the last few days. Even though I don’t have a place to hang one, I spent a few minutes researching a hammock purchase, and thought I would share my finds. For beauty, I’d go with the Large Brazilian Cocoon Hammock from Hammock Hutch. (I can picture myself swinging between palm trees as I type!) If I were looking for a classic, I’d probably purchase the well-known rope variety — I found a good price on one at Target. Finally, if I thought I might want to share my daydream with others, I’d opt for the family size mayan-style hammock from Key West Hammocks, and pack a few friends in there with me! –Erica P.

More hammock love: hammocks that last, Fatboy hammock, seat belt hammock.

With Chad and Angela’s hives suspended for the season, a friend sent us a link to Birdchick.com, where they’re obviously enthusiastic about the birds and the bees — so much so, their bees just got a blue ribbon at their local county fair. See all the winged action (and fantastic photos) here.

Summer food is usually fresh and light, and for good reason — look at all of the beautiful produce out there this time of year. But sometimes I want something a little heartier, even as the weather is warming up. After a trip to our local farmers’ market last weekend, I came home with a bag full of delicate peas, still in their bright green pods. I could have made a salad or something equally virtuous, but no, I went in the opposite direction, adding them to a rich carbonara with bacon, parmesan, and mint. Bathing suit season be damned! This pasta, adapted from Jamie Oliver, is worth every calorie. –Lisa C. Click for the carbonara recipe! (more…)

Thanks to my sudden abundance of mint, I’ve had to come up with a few creative ways to use my new herbs (besides mojitos, I mean). Lately, I’ve been freezing the recently plucked leaves in ice cubes and plopping them into freshly brewed iced tea. To make sure that your mint leaves freeze in the middle of the ice cube rather than the edges, fill your ice cube tray halfway and freeze. Once you have a whole set of half cubes, place a mint leaf underneath the ice and fill the tray with water the rest of the way. The half cube will float to the top, but the mint will be trapped underneath it and remain stuck in the middle to be slowly enjoyed! –Katie D.

I freaked over pies baked in a jar, so imagine my delight when I spotted these incredible little pies on sticks! Want to try your hand at these delightful little treats? Check out the picture tutorial over at LUXIRARE. Pick up a pack of lollipop sticks and get baking! –Erica P.

At this past week’s Urban Craft Uprising, I went nutty for the tiered cake plates by Stylegarden. Selling for about $32 each, each piece is put together using thrifted and estate sale plates, goblets, and candlesticks, with the occasional cabinet pull tying it all together. We ended up taking home a creation with a modernish plate design, but I really love her use of souvenir plates as well. See more here and here, where you can also purchase upcycled table lamps, lampshades, and floor mats. –Mary T.

You don’t have to be a Rockefeller to build a city. Build Your Own Chicago flat-packs paper versions of Chicago icons, $1.50 or 25 for $36. These mini streetscapes are perfect for artful arrangements on bare mantles or bookshelves and could come in handy for those servants of the Second City particularly prone to homesickness. I’ll be ordering a mini Wrigley Field to slip into my carry-on for long trips. If you’re unsure of your paper-building skills, there are a few free models online for practice. –Katie D.

A friend was joking (I think) about buying this exercise ball chair, the Sitness 5 by Topstar, from Overstock.com. Now, I can see the appeal of wanting to sit on something at work that looks like a chair rather than an exercise ball. But the truth is, when I’m sitting, I just want to sit — no exercise ball or Hawaii Chair for me. Anyone use something similar to this at work? –Mary T.