I haven’t been shy about my love for figs here on Shelterrific. Here’s a quick way to showcase fresh figs that is sure to impress anyone lucky enough to have a taste. –Erica P. Click for figs! (more…)

Sara of Going Jesus is an occasional blogger (she rose to fame with Going Bridal many moons ago) who always seems to have something craftily inspiring whenever I check in. This time it was with her inventive decor for her son’s bedroom — vintage puzzles with the pieces glued in, hung on the wall as art. She also recycled the odd puzzle pieces as magnets and decorated a door with old game boards. See more photos here. –Mary T.

P.S. Here’s a timely example of Sara’s craftiness: the Jive Turkey Baby Hat that you can knit for your child!

As the days get markedly shorter and the winter blues taunt, I’ve appreciated little items like Katie D’s chirping bird paper clip holder. At my desk, I’ve also gone the woodland animal paper clip route with the Dozi Paperclip Holder, $24 from the MoMA Store. Ah yes, when I’ve got a particularly gnarly case of the desktop doldrums, I just reach over and give the porcupine a paper clip mohawk, sometimes even a paper clip comb-over, to add a little pop of color and humor to my otherwise bland desk. I also use him as a kind of time-telling fun-dial, if you will. If he starts the week off at mohawk, I know that the weekend is near when his spikes have depreciated to comb-over status, because lots of work must have been done to require all those paper clips! –Sarah C.

There is nothing I hate more than traveling. Not the seeing new places, visiting old friends, and having adventures part, but the literal traveling part of getting on a plane and journeying somewhere. The germy airports, the delayed flights, the checked baggage fees — take your pick, I hate them all. The only way I can truly get excited about traveling is by accruing adorable accessories, which is why I’ve fallen hard for the Etsy shop GetReadySetGO. Her thrift store finds and vintage pieces are modernized with sharp ink silhouettes providing “upcycled luggage for the unique and the geek.” The train cases, $60 to $110, my favorites, actually make me want to ride the rails cross country just to show off the luggage. –Katie D.

Related: Are you a good traveler?

I was reading through the October issue of Sunset magazine the other day, and saw a little snippet about Benjamin Moore Paints‘ groovy new iPhone app, Color Capture. It accesses a photo in your iPhone, analyzes the colors, and matches them to shades in the Benjamin Moore catalog. Give your iPhone a shake, and Color Capture will then produce four coordinating shades to complement your chosen color. Then you can bookmark your favorite hues in your phone along with little notes for the future. The application then uses GPS to help find your nearest Benjamin Moore retailer! I have a feeling I’m going to be playing around with this one a LOT considering I’m already in love with Bejamin Moore’s Aura paint line, and I have quite a few color dilemmas of my own. I already messed around for half an hour and found five potential shades of gray for our dining room! If you’d like to download the app, it’s free — just go to the iPhone app store, search for “ben,” and select to install. –Megan B.

No iPhone? Try the Color-Helper.

I’m really liking the look of the new DwellStudio for Target Silver Lake bedroom furniture. The armoire and chest of drawers seem like a nice balance of modern and traditional. And it’s no suprise that DwellStudio for Target has more eye-catching bed linens this season, as well. Maybe I’ll finally move my home improvement projects indoors. –Mary T.

I’m a bright-colors, modern (or retro-modern) kind of a home decorator, but I find myself enchanted with the handmade tiles from Lingua Terra. Styles range from the earthy yet artistic, like the Kyoto Collection, to the the untraditional/traditional look of the Hanabi Collection — love the Wave design! Lingua Terra and Terra Home (gorgeous tabletop ceramics) were founded by artist Bronwyn Simons and are made on Denman Island, BC. Have fun browsing both websites — I have a feeling you’ll find as much to love as I have. –Mary T.

More gushing from your resident Polaroid-obsessed writer — I’m definitely digging what the folks at Rollip have to offer. While I’ve stumbled across similar sites that turn your photos into “Polaroids,” Rollip has definitely upped the ante. The user-friendly site provides you with several different “effects” for your photos (plus samples of each to make your decision easier). Head on over and give it a try — but be warned, it’s highly addictive! –Erica P.

1) Old posts still inspire comments, and decorating trends still inspire ire. Nancy says: “Oh, after looking at 60+ houses in Phoenix before buying ours in July, I have to say I’m sick to death of fake (and real, for that matter) travertine tile bathrooms. I’m also sick of cheap looking Home Depot vanity ‘kits’ and brushed nickel fixtures. I’m tired of brown and blue, and I’m tired of every refurbished home I see that looks like a page ripped out of Pottery Barn with no regard to the style of the house and/or its location. Some older trends seem to be slow to die: toile prints; leopard/zebra prints; dark and muddy Tuscany-inspired fabrics and wallcoverings; odd, uber-modern lighting that doesn’t match the scale or size of the furniture.” If there’s anything Nancy hasn’t covered, you can tell us what decorating trends you’re sick of here.

2) You have great ideas for dog beds. We were suprised and pleased at the suggestions for dog beds that stand up to a chewer. Amyt says: “What I did to solve the problem was to use a queen-size comforter from a second hand store, folded, as a dog bed and sew a giant case for it from a durable material. I used upholstery material, but denim or even heavy wool might work as well. There’s no zipper, velcro, or buttons. The ‘top’ of the bed is one solid piece, the bottom is two pieces that overlap in the center of the bed by about 4″. It’s worked really well so far. It’s easy to take out the comforter and clean everything. And it was CHEAP.” Click to see lots more ideas for dog beds that won’t make us go broke — thanks, readers!

3) Everyone has her own method for arranging books. Faith says: “I have 3 floor to ceiling bookcases. Fiction, non-fiction and reference. Fiction and non are arranged alphabetically by author and reference is arranged by subject (gardening, craft {sub: sewing, millinery, knitting, etc.}, design) then author. I’m a freak, but I’m a happy and organized freak.” How do you arrange your bookshelves?

4) We love us some Trader Joe’s. Laurie says: “Oh jeez, I could go on and on with my TJ’s favs. My store just added single red bell peppers (as opposed to the packed 2 or 3 mixed colors) and I think I was overly excited about that. Their scrubby sponges are awesome, they come 5 in a pack i think, multi colored. The french roast coffee, yum. The fresh baked breads are so gooooooood. I especially love the ciabatta. Can’t find Tofurkey brand items for less anywhere else. I could go on…” What’s your favorite at Trader Joe’s?

5) It’s Moosewood stew time again! Crazy Swede says: “I just moved and have not unpacked my Moosewood cookbooks yet. I was craving this dish and am happy to have found it on line. It is one of my all time favorites. OK top 100. It always works out and I’ve never found anyone that did not like it. Easy to make and not predictable like so many dishes are.” Yum — now we’re inspired to make it again, too.

Photo by Shiny

Take an eco-chic nursery tour at Style Saves the World.

Georgeous custom furniture from Etsy, at Casa Sugar.

Decorate your first apartment with help from Decor to Adore.

Food for thought (or not): Twilight Earth’s “We Have Become a Spoiled, Obese, Expectant and Fearful People.”

Live vicariously through someone who dealt with a rude person on an airplane, at The Consumerist.

Just for fun: go behind the design at Sublime Stitching.

The 20 best perennials to plant in fall (with photos) at Sunset.

Best guest bedroom ever at Door Sixteen.