I love to eat out, but in the winter I often find myself aggravated by my fellow restaurant goers. You see, I just don’t understand it when folks coming into a restaurant stand in the doorway letting the heat rush out and the blustery cold rush in. It drives me insane. I am a firm believer that upon entering a restaurant in winter, you step quickly inside, shutting the door behind you. What’s your restaurant pet peeve? — Erica P.

Photo by Aaron Murphy

Nothing adds culture to cooking like an Eiffel Tower grater. The good people at Pylones know this and have expanded their line of quirky home items to bring even more fun to the table. Crocodile bread knives, rhino cheese knives, and adorable, freestanding bird butter knives join their bestselling line of dog cake servers in the cutlery menagerie.

For just a touch of color, try on an angel wings mug in a variety of shades, or stick to the minimal with “make my day” milk and sugar set, available in March.

For more nifty finds for all over the house, click here. — Sarah C.

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My husband and I were engaging in smalltalk at a party recently, taking turns listing what we do for a living. My husband was asked what exactly he meant when he said he’s currently studying for his actuarial exam. He deadpanned, “It’s sort of like King of the Nerds.” I laughed so hard I nearly choked on my bruschetta. A Pi Dresser by Etsy seller OhClementine would be perfect for the King of the Nerds in your life. The one I spotted sold (there are obviously many nerds of nobility out there) but designer Nicole Haladyna says:

“I could most definitely create another with the same Pi design and would be thrilled to do so for anyone interested. However, the dresser itself would not necessarily be identical, as each furniture piece is salvaged.”

Imagine the possibilities of a dresser branded with the numerical value of pi (not that nerds need a reminder) with plenty of room for calculators, slide rulers, and sweater vests. I hope OhClementine does a whole series of furniture — I’d love a lamp shade painted with the Pythagorean theorem or a coffee table decorated with the quadratic equation. If you do go the custom dresser route, Haladyna says that the price would be in the $250-$350 range plus shipping, depending on the size of the dresser and your location. As of March, she will be located in Brooklyn, where you may be able to pick up for free. — Katie D.

For the past few weekends, I’ve been giving private baking lessons to one of my former colleagues and her daughter. The first class, we tackled a chocolate peanut butter tart (more on that later) and for the second lesson, we decided to make cookies. I let my students flip through one of my all-time favorite cookie books, Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans, to find a recipe. I’ve yet to be disappointed by a single recipe in the book (I’ve tried more than a few) and I’m convinced the Chocolate Chip-Stuffed Cookies could give “the best chocolate chip cookies, ever” a run for their money. But we decided on a recipe I had yet to try and, boy, was I happy it was picked! These brown sugar butterscotch cookies have an intense flavor that’s so much better than the cloying sweetness that comes from using store-bought butterscotch chips. Enjoy! — Erica P. Click for the recipe! (more…)

I learned I have something in common with Joan Rivers — who knew? — when The New York Times shared photos of her Connecticut estate. Love or hate the rest of her kitchen, the pewter stopped me in my tracks. Chargers, porridgers, teapots, and candlesticks stretch up to the ceiling, all covered in an enviable (and usually pricey) patina. Luckily, however, not all old pewter is pricey. I scored five early-19th-century Welsh pewter measuring gills not unlike this one on eBay UK for under $50 with shipping. (Gills were used in taverns to measure alcohol. Mine are heavily patinated and, from the dents and soldering, look like they were used to break up a tavern fight or two.) And pewter candlesticks and small bowls are still easy to find for decent prices at tag and estate sales, on eBay, or at antique stores. — Sarah L.

The Athena Book Table has swooping curls that are the perfect fit for your books. The Ofidio Dining Table looks like it might scamper away on its curved legs. They’re items in the Machine 87 bamboo collection from Miami-based designer Facundo Poj, who writes:

“These pieces are 100% bamboo — no nails, no screws, no glue. The assembly is a simple groove joint system and no tools required. …I guess this series might be my own tribute to the great masters of De Stijl. The simple beauty of rectangle & line compositions.”

Whatever it is, we like it! See more here.

My goal was to spend less than $100 redoing our daughter’s room for her birthday. Since we weren’t replacing the bedding (Grandma made her a beautiful quilt with scraps from her mother-in-law’s quilt bag), the bed, or my college dresser, it seemed more than doable. In the end, I spent closer to $150:

- $80 for three gallons of Tinker Bell and Cabbage Green paint
- $45 for two Daisy drapery panels
- $2.39 for lime green grosgrain ribbon to make new ties for the panel
- $15.72 to redo a rescued chair

My daughter’s favorite part? It’s a tie between the quilt rack from her baby room that I repurposed as a curtain rod/shelf to hold my old Breyer horses, and the “Cinderella” storybook art by Fern Bisel Peat. Although the illustrations deserve to be in better frames, right now I’m sticking to my (revised) budget and using what I have. — Sarah L.

See more photos on Shelterrific’s Facebook page!

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What’s a gardener to do in January, when everything is either covered in snow or brown and dormant? Although lacking some spring excitement, winter is the perfect time to plan ahead for your 2010 garden! Grab a cup of coffee and choose a few of these ideas to get you in the gardening groove:

• Make Lists: What went right/wrong in your 2009 garden, new plants you want to try, or projects you’ve seen in another garden
• Draw Pictures: Quickly sketch out your garden area and draw shapes for plants, water features, sitting areas or structures like decks and pergolas.
• Read Books: Gorgeous photography in books and magazines will keep you motivated.
• Take Trips: Nurseries, botanical centers and public parks are all great places to keep your mind and body active.

Take a tip from your garden: it’s okay to go dormant for a while. You’re not being idle, you’re storing energy for the months ahead! — Jenny P.

Jenny Peterson, our newest contributor, is the proprietor of J. Peterson Garden Design in Austin, Texas.

Photo by Laura Shreck

There are a few necessities I carry around with me during Chicago winters: tissues, an extra pair of gloves, and a deck of playing cards. Go ahead, check any of my purses. The playing cards really are for practical reasons — you never know when you’ll be delayed thanks to an incoming winter storm or a fun, on-the-town sort of night dissolves into a “Let’s just stay in, my eyeballs will freeze if I leave the apartment” sort of night. A good game of cards can pass those blustery hours. My new favorite deck of cards is a souvenir from the wildly successful Tim Burton exhibition currently at MoMA. Each card features a different Burton creature, part adorable and part terrifying. They’re an inexpensive treat at only $5 ($4.50 for members). — Katie D.

Here at Shelterrific, our love for all things Adler is no secret. It’s only fitting that I made a beeline for his booth at this weekend’s New York International Gift Fair. And while I’m never disappointed, this year I’m especially pleased to introduce the newest arrival to the Jonathan Adler family: Jonathan Adler Junior. The design dynamo has set his sights on style on a smaller scale with his first full collection for children. Created with his signature “happy chic” aesthetic, the new line includes furniture, lighting, pillows and other accessories that feature the menagerie of giraffes, lions, elephants as well as the customizable options we know and love in his current work. Jonathan Adler Junior will be available in stores and at Jonathanadler.com in a few short weeks. — Sarah C.

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