We’ve said it before: we love when our readers send in cool submissions. Such was certainly the case when Judy Kaufmann sent us a link to her Etsy shop. An illustrator who hails from Barcelona (lucky!), Kaufmann stocks her shop with colorful, whimsical designs, $20-37. We especially like Tree Poolga’s Version, a limited edition, signed print, and Cats — on unicycles. See all of Kaufmann’s work here. And remember, we always love interesting and beautiful reader submissions (in fact, we’ll share another one tomorrow). So contact us at letters(at)shelterrific(dot)com if you have a link worth checking out.

Over a long weekend, I ventured out of Chicago’s city limits southward to Memphis to listen to blues, eat the best fried chicken in the world, and visit the legendary tourist epicenter Graceland.

Elvis’ beloved home is easily the ugliest house I’ve ever been in. From the thick green shag carpet covering the ceiling of the Jungle Room to the terrifying monkey statues inexplicably standing sentry in more than a few rooms, Graceland is a snapshot of all the interior design trends from a scary time in its history. The Billiard Room is just above. Please note that the couches are covered in the same material that the walls are covered in. Subtle is not an option in Graceland.

The Peacock Room is the perfect place for all those stain removal commercials to be filmed. White furniture, white carpet, white walls: it’s a busy-mom-with-a-family-of-four-and-a-golden-retriever’s nightmare without the proper cleaning products. They should start renting it out to Procter & Gamble for commercials. Check out the rest of the tacky bounty after the jump! — Katie D. (more…)

So we all know the horror stories about Teflon, right? How if left on high heat, it can release toxic gases that can cause flu-like symptoms in humans and kill birds? I’ve been off the non-stick for at least five years now, relying mainly on cast iron cookware. But certain things (omelettes, I’m talking to you) just can’t be done easily in a huge, heavy cast iron skillet, and cleaning them is honestly kind of a hassle. So when I ran across these magic, non-stick pans by ScanPan, I was floored. “What? You can use metal in them with out damaging the surface? Oven safe to high temps?” Oh yes, it’s all true. ScanPan has been making durable pressure-cast aluminum cookware in Denmark since 1957, but developed their patented “New Tek” ceramic-titanium surface in the late 1980s. They’re definitely not cheap, but they are guaranteed for life never to scratch or warp, not to mention being completely dishwasher safe. That’s quite a hefty promise! Find them at Amazon, Sur La Table, or the ScanPan online outlet. — Megan B.

My sister turned 30 on Monday. This means in the past week I’ve looked at more terrible birthday cards than I care to remember. I’m pretty sure that for every great card there are 10 mind-numbingly stupid ones. That’s why I was psyched to stumble upon a rack of Seltzer Goods cards at a local stationary shop. The cards are great looking, witty, original and printed on recycled paper. What more could you ask for? Check out the site for a store near you. — Erica P.

Charlie Kratzer is my hero. He decorated the walls of his basement with $10 worth of Sharpies turning the plain room into an utter work of art. My Sharpie art, on the other hand, peaked in high school when I decorated my Converse high tops with lightning bolts. A lawyer by day, Kratzer drew some of his heroes across his basement walls including Sherlock Holmes, Winston Churchill, and George Bernard Shaw. So does this outdo all of your DIY projects? — Katie D.

Oh, how I love you, Daydream wallpaper. I’m not sure why this design by Julia Rothman for Hygge & West caught my fancy, but maybe it’s the mix of playful and sophisticated — it would look great in a kid’s room and just as great in a living room. You can get a double roll in lots of colors, 27″ X 30′, for $105 at Design Public. — Mary T.

1) Green floor cleaners are also the way to go. Pencils says: “We got our hardwood floors done not long ago, and the floor guy was adamant that we should only use vinegar and water to clean them — and even that not all that often. I thought I’d try it before discounting his advice. I was surprised to find that the vinegar & water actually works really well when used with a microfiber mop. I haven’t put any fragrance in there yet, but it’s a good idea. Not lavender though, I hate the smell of lavender. Maybe citrus of some kind.” We’re adding that to our list of green cleaning recipes!

2) Not everyone wants at-home chickens. Being sustainable is good, but think about the neighbors before placing your chicken coop. Steve says: “Despite what people may think, hens are noisy, and in the mornings at first light, often create a lot of noise. The people behind us have 2, and after a year of being woken at first light — weekdays and weekends — and then having a continual squawking for 30 min. to an hour, I have had to tell my neighbor I’d had enough. It really isn’t fair — and if someone wants to have them, let me suggest they put the coop near to their house and experience the noise first hand before imposing it upon someone else.” Steve, we hear you. Do you keep chickens?

3) There’s a lot of love for the Nikon D60. Several of you mentioned this camera in response to Erica’s request for camera-buying advice. Amanda says: “I have the Nikon D60, which has now been replaced by the Nikon D3000. It is the entry level of the Nikons but it really has taken my photography to the next level…. Just bear in mind the costs associated with additional lenses etc.”

4) Here’s another eco-friendly letterpress company. Elissa Says: “I love Bespoke Letterpress, who are based in Brisbane, Australia. They are eco-friendly and their products are absolutely gorgeous to look at and touch — ‘printed on 100% tree free & chlorine free cotton heavyweight 300gsm paper. These papers are made from reclaimed cotton fibres from the textile industry and are beautifully thick, lush and perfect for letterpress.” See more eco-friendly paper products.

5) You always surprise us with what recipes you seem to like best. The heck with fancy — bring on the brookies! T Bone says: “Add some coffee ice cream on that and you’ve got yerself a dessert.” MsAmanda says: “I have soooooooooo been looking for a recipe like this but I didn’t know what they were called. Yay!” Chrissy says: “OMG! This is fabulous and completely helps with my constant dessert crisis of which to choose! I love it and can’t wait to make some.” See the recipe they’re raving about right here.

In photo: Yoola wire pendant lamp

Over at Design*Sponge, learn how to sew your own adorable patchwork shower curtain. Anthropologie, eat your heart out!

Boing Boing points us toward artist Jason LaFerrera, who constructs beautiful wildlife collage out of old maps. Consider his Etsy page bookmarked!

The NSFW (kinda) Badder Homes & Gardens gets all thugged out and makes us want to buy a Tupac Shakur commemorative plate.

This homemade Han Solo in Carbonite Soap is sheer brilliance. At Craft.

At Apartment Therapy, we learn that Emeco’s Navy Chair got a makeover — or make-under — teaming up with Coca-Cola to produce 111 Navy chairs in 100% recycled plastic. (The red ones are kinda sexy.)

The New York Times is waxing poetic about smoked paprika, an ingredient we’ve just added to our pantry. Looks like the kale recipe at the end of the article will come in handy!

CasaSugar shares that fashion house Marchesa is expanding its empire from gowns to… dinnerware? As stylist Rachel Zoe would say, “That’s bananas.”

OK, folks — I think it’s time for me to upgrade from a simple point and shoot. Don’t get me wrong, I love having a pint-sized piece of equipment I can throw in my purse. But, that said, I’m looking to take my photography to the next level. I’ve started styling and shooting some of my own recipes, and I feel I’m ready to invest in a big-girl camera. So, all you artsy Shelterrific readers out there…what do you shoot with? — Erica P.

Photo by meral akbulut

Earth Day is coming up on April 22, and we love cool products from companies that do their part all year. Hello!Lucky and ecojot follow green initiatives like making greeting cards from 100% recycled paper that also comes from a paper mill powered by green energy, using vegetable-based inks, re-using textile industry remnants for cotton paper, packaging products with corn-based protectors rather than plastic, and more — you can read all about it at their respective websites. With all that accountability, the fact that their products are colorful and fun is just an added bonus! Above, letterpress and Cookin’ Mom cards from Hello!Lucky; green journal from ecojot. — Mary T.

Got a favorite eco-friendly stationer? Share in comments!