1) There are great registries out there for those engaged to be married — and more. Wren says: “I am putting together a baby registry currently and just found the Amazon universal wish list button, which allows you to register for products on any site including Etsy. it is awesome. Maybe I’m living in the stone ages and everyone knows it is out there but now you can register for stuff from all your favorite places on the web.” Thanks, Wren! Have any registry and charity suggestions for Erica P.?

2) There’s some debate on what makes vinyl floors gorgeous. PlantingOaks says: “Who snuck into our house and photographed our floors before they were refinished for that last picture? And to think they were apparently more stylish dirty than fixed up. Seriously, though, vinyl is my favorite flooring for a kitchen. It’s just so practical when you’re going to be spilling spaghetti sauce, walking around barefoot, and dropping plates. It’s good to have options that don’t clash if you use ‘nicer’ materials in the rest of the house. The one pic really does just crack me up though – they certainly have captured that 100 years of dirt on a wood floor look.” See the vinyl flooring here.

3) Sometimes it’s good to approach haphazard artwork haphazardly. Elissa says: “I advocate the no-planning approach. I’ve used 3M Command hooks and strips to hang my artwork, so it’s all impermanent. I just move around pieces until they’re pleasing to the (my) eye. I’ve posted about it before on my blog although those pictures are out of date. I am running out of wall space! As one of the commenters said, ‘You can be rad without CAD.’” Learn more about the art of the wall gallery.

4) New rockers spur happy memories. Tattriee says: “I love these! My grandfather built me a rocker much like this when I was a little girl. His design had ducks on either side, and a bench in the center. I had nearly forgotten about it until I saw your post. Thanks for a wonderful memory!” See the Manny & Simon rockers.

5) You know your lamps! Succcess! Within seconds, readers had tracked down the lamps Angela M. had been stalking. Sean says: “This is from the Italian lighting manufacturer Flos — it’s the Viscontea pendant designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni.” And then Sarah C. found them on sale — for $1,644! Yikes! (The photo above is of that very lamp.)

We are absolutely smitten with this vintage Broyhill dresser transformed into a chic changing table, merely using some white paint, at CasaSugar.

MirrorMirror is giving away a super-groovy Living Color LED lamp from Philips. All you’ve gotta do to enter is tell her “how you would colour your world?”

We love succulents! Here are some more, this time in gorgeous modern hanging planters, at Remodelista.

Yum! Make your own seeded quinoa crackers that look amazing from Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef.

Whorange introduces the T-shelf by j1 studio, an amazing, gravity-defying shelving unit that comes flat-packed and is assembled with zip ties instead of screws. WANT.

Over at DIY Life, we read a home renovation horror story. It’s vital information for anyone planning on hiring a contractor for a remodel project, but yikes– our hearts went out to that poor woman!

If you’re anything like us, you are at a loss as to what to do about starting a garden from scratch. Thankfully, Craft is here, with a helpful tutorial on planning your own garden, jam-packed with info on everything from how to build beds and what to plant where.

Read about an emerging cocktail trend, the Pickleback: straight-up pickle brine as a chaser to your shots of bourbon, whiskey and rye. We’re intrigued — but trepidatious, for sure.

I know there are way more important things to focus on when you’re engaged than a registry, but man, is this fun. Contributing to this blog for the last four years means I already have a great long list of things I think are super cool. To start my registry, I’m just gonna search all my past posts and see which items are still making me swoon. That said, I’d love some suggestions on what types of things I should register for. Is there something you wished you had registered for that you didn’t think of at the time? Did you end up with stuff you completely regret asking for? I’m also going to pick a charity that guests can donate to in lieu of purchasing a gift and I’d love some suggestions. Share your favorite charity in the comments and help me decide! — Erica P.

Image via Going Bridal (and yes, it’s a joke).

I purchased several linen tea towels from London-based shop Linen Me, and they’ve washed great and have kept their color despite constant use. With picnic weather finally here, I think Linen Me’s Blue Jazz tablecloth would be just the thing — and it’s priced at just over $50. If you’re looking to brighten up other areas, check out the Special Offers section, where a bed linen set of one duvet cover and two pillowcases starts at $217. — Sarah L.

There are very few things that give me goosebumps. Scary campfire stories set in New England are a sure thing, as is a good Stephen King book, but I think this is the first piece of furniture to have that effect. From Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers, the designer who made us fall in love with a regal-looking cactus throne, the Ghost of a Chair haunts whatever alcove it graces. Each one is handmade on request using transparent polyester and a mysterious manufacturing process that renders each piece completely unique. They can be made in any color, just in case you need one to perfectly match your spooky attic nook. — Katie D.

I know — that it sounds crazy, right? Gorgeous vinyl flooring? Seems unlikely, but I’m afraid it may be true. Actually, not afraid, delighted! Vinyl sheet flooring is just about the most affordable flooring option out there (on a less lovely note, the previous owner of our home thought it’d make great shower tile, too) and these designs from Earthscapes add the element of beauty, something we frugal homeowners can appreciate! And at prices as low as $2.38/sq.ft, we can afford to replace our existing atrocious vinyl floors now, while we save up for a higher-end material later. Professional flooring forums have given the product and its 20-year warranty generally favorable reviews, but read them all anyway if you’re interested in installing these floors yourself. Find the designs shown and many more at Carpet One. — Megan B.

I admit it. I am a design stalker. I walk by a row of brownstones on 15th Street every day on my way to work, and have become officially obsessed with trying to find out where these gorgeous hanging lamps are from. They are hanging in a first-floor hallway that you can see from the sidewalk. You have to forgive my poor photo — I snuck up the stairs the other morning and snapped it with my iPhone. It was impossible to get closer or not have the street reflection in the window. Still, you can see their shape: almost cloud-like spheres that look like they’re made of paper or a light cloth. I’ve looked in all the usual places (Velocity, Unica, DWR) and have had no luck finding them. Do you recognize them? Please play design sleuth and help me find these lamps. (My next step is to leave a note on the door. Do you think that would work or is it just creepy?) — Angela M.

Technically, it’s more of a Tex-Mex Migas bake than true chilaquiles, but I think “cheat-a-quiles” is a much cuter name. Either way, it’s a quick, easy, and, best of all, delicious brunch, lunch, or even dinner that can feed quite a few folks on just a few cents (and makes excellent packable leftovers, too). This dish makes marvelous use of those broken up shards of tortilla chips left at the bottom of the bag, and is a great canvas for any leftover veggies or meats in the fridge. This version is actually vegetarian, using soy chorizo, but you could easily sub any protein you’d like — chicken, bacon, or even leftover pinto beans can work well with this. I usually like to garnish my cheat-a-quiles with sour cream, fresh cilantro, and some fresh avocado, which make this really special. But alas, this week found me out of those things, and without the time to procure them, so this time, it’s just a healthy splash of my favorite hot sauce. But it still works for me, and I hope it’ll work for you, too! — Megan B. Click for Megan B.’s cheat-a-quiles! (more…)

We always admire people who can hang a collection of random images in an artful way. Mixed frames, drawings with photos, black and white with color, found objects — getting them to live together in harmony on one wall is not easy. We’ve tried it ourselves once or twice, and always end up with more nail holes than we should have, or a lopsided space here and there. This simple how-to gallery at iVillage Home by Meryl Levin finally shows us the secret behind this look: planning! She suggests making a template by tracing the frames on contact paper, then placing those on the wall to decide where the photos will hang, followed by dots made by Sharpie marker to indicate where the nails should go.

Do you have an eclectic collection of frames on display in your house? Email us at letters at shelterrific dot com and tell us how you do it. We’d be happy to feature your handiwork here!

There’s nothing like a cheap Peep. And now that Peeps season is winding down, they’re on sale everywhere! Far be it from me to waste a good Peep harvest; I picked up a few boxes and put them to work in this recipe for Peeps Krispie Treats from Grace Kang over at Serious Eats. They may not be as classy as Megan B.’s carmelized brown butter version, but they’re quick, inexpensive, and pink, so what’s not to love? — Sarah C.

The carnage in the top two photos is all Sarah’s, but the beautiful treats were photographed by Robyn Lee for Serious Eats

Click for Peeps Krispie Treats! (more…)