Oh my goodness, would you look at these Audiowood turntables!?!? (Via Happy Mundane.) Carpenter Joe Scilley took a winding road to get to his career as “America’s premier builder of burlwood turntables,” but we should all be glad he made it. According to the man himself, “I’m building things that sound great, that work well, and that enhance musical experiences with their absolutely unique character.” You’ve got that right. I’ve never owned an LP in my life, but these turntables are making me want to start a collection. –Erica P.

Perhaps these would look good with handcrafted porcelain speakers.

Usually I don’t feel like breaking out squash and other fall vegetables until October, when it truly feels like fall. But here in New York, there was already an autumnal breeze in the air mid-September, so I enjoyed this meal to ease into the season: a hearty pasta with butternut squash, radicchio, and bacon. The recipe is originally from the late, sure-to-be lamented Gourmet, but I made a few tweaks — namely, switching to ziti, which is easier to fork up with the vegetables. I also added some bacon, which lent a nice smoky note to the sweetness of the squash, the bitterness of the radicchio, and the tanginess of the ricotta salata cheese. Open a bottle of red, toss together a simple green salad, and you’ve got a cozy fall dinner! –Lisa C. Click for fall pasta! (more…)

There’s one surefire cure for a bad mood: a visit to EpiCute, the Cute Food Blog. Run by a couple of twentysomethings who count guinea pigs and macaroons amongst their turn-ons, EpiCute is a love letter to all things edible and adorable. They post photo after gorgeous photo of frothy meringue drops, glittering candy, and bunny-faced cupcakes. EpiCute also provides a deep well of inspiration for all those white collar workers by day/pastry chef rock stars by night! Fair warning, though: don’t browse the archives on an empty stomach. –Katie D.

How great would this Plush Size Yay! Scale be as a gift? It’s a scale designed and signed by Marilyn Wann that doesn’t give your weight — instead, it gives you compliments like “Hot,” “Perfect,” and “Ravishing.” Looks nice and cozy on the feet, too! Unfortunately, it’s on back-order right now, but here’s hoping more are made in time for the holidays. (Come to think of it, this scale would come in extra-handy then.) –Mary T.

I have serious puppy lust. I can’t walk past a dog on the street without my heart going into full on meltdown mode. Spotting Found My Animal collars and leashes is not going to make this an easier. The beautiful rope leads are exactly my style. I’m almost considering buying one and putting it away until my doggy day finally comes. The best part about Found My animal is this: 25% of ALL their profits go directly to the Louis Animal Foundation, a unique non-profit group dedicated to spaying/neutering and providing homes for animals who have not yet “found” their people. –Erica P.

I’m trying to scrape together a little cash for a custom-built table by Bugbee Furniture Design+Build. Designer Jeff Harmon’s goal is to “provide custom furniture for people with an eye for detail, design, and not the deepest pockets.” He often re-uses materials that the client already owns, bringing new life to wood that would otherwise be scrapped and, as a bonus, keeping costs low. I love the mid-century-inspired “dean” coffee table, constructed by gluing and laminating together scraps of Keruing (a durable Malaysian hardwood) from a local salvage yard. And how fun is “Archie’s Lounge,” the industrial-esque patio set made from cedar and recycled white picket fence? If you don’t need a large-scale piece, there’s the playful “rocket lamp” made from found driftwood. Harmon is in the process of moving the shop to Southern California, but you can find his work at Hunt and Gather in Portland or contact him through the Bugbee site for custom work. –Megan B.

Shelterrific favorite Book City Jackets recently released Artist Editions, three gorgeously sketched brown paper bag book covers. The museum-worthy doodles are printed in Brooklyn and available for $9 for the set of 3 separate illustrations. They’re a must for the perfectionist who craves methodical order on their bookshelves or just to hide your first edition Twilight series when your snobby book club comes over. (Or is that just me?) –Katie D.

You already know our longtime weakness for ghoulish decor, which means you’d had better brace yourself for another October filled with macabre housewares. We love these things all year round, but Halloween gives us an excuse to dust of the cobwebs and show it off. One of our newest finds are these Zombie plates by Soule on Etsy. We love how they offer up a spooky twist on trendy silhouettes. Hand-painted, each Zombie is unique. At only $16 each, these are bargain. Order four and throw a party. What’s on the menu? BRAINS!

Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching back to back episodes of Mad Men on dvd (yes, I’m late to that bandwagon, but OMG is it amazing!), but I am in love with this aptly named “nifty fifties” paperclip side table from CB2. It reminds me of the classic Sable Noguchi Table, and that makes me wish it came it a dining table size. It has all the mid-century style I love, at a fraction of the price ($199). Wouldn’t it look just dreamy in Peggy’s office? — Angela M.

1) Laundry chutes are the sources of fond memories. Gina says: “Both of my grandmothers have laundry chutes in their homes and it was always one of my favorite things about visiting. One of the chutes was just a small square cut out of the bathroom floor (I suspect this chute may have been homemade). A handle was attached to the cut out and you could drop your clothes right onto the washing machine in the basement, then cover the hole back up. Or you could drop notes down to your cousin while you were ’spying’ on the grown-ups talking upstairs…” Read the rest of Gina’s reminiscences, and the pros and cons of laundry chutes, here.

2) Childhood beds are, too. Mansionmogul says: “I had a canopy bed when I was young – my mother lovingly re-finished a wood garage-sale find and sewed a pink ruffled curtain for it. It was definitely ridiculous and prissy but I *loved* it! My dream bed is GIANT with a mostly-firm mattress and a cream tufted headboard and white lace-trimmed linens. Yep, still prissy!” What’s your dream bed?

3) Big-girl bedrooms can also be dreamy. Urban housewife says of the big-girl bedroom on a tiny budget, “I love love love this room!” So do we!

4) You flip for figs. Designfragment- Petra says: “You are making me hungry, this is one of my favourite things in the world!” Lots of you love Erica’s figs with goat cheese and honey idea.

5) You like recycled luggage, too. Krista says: “I purchased a set of red luggage with the Detroit skyline painted on them about a year ago. I’ve never been so in love with luggage before. They are an amazing seller.” See the Etsy find she likes here.