Etsy sellers are teaming up again for a cause. Half of all proceeds from the Help the Gulf Coast Shop (after Etsy and PayPal fees) go to Oxfam America and the other half, pending their approval, to the National Audubon Society. If you’re planning on getting your Etsy fix this month anyway, check out all the participating sellers. You’ll find everything from a jellyfish signed art print to a vintage, carved marble ring box to summery sea glass earrings. — Sarah L.

1) Squibnocket to the rescue! Alyson says: “Sarah C., you are my hero. I have been looking for Squibnocket cards EVERYWHERE.” Have you? Find them here!

2) Here’s a potential plan for your finances. Erik says: “My plan is 20/30/50. Every dollar that comes my way is split: 20% into a savings account at ING Direct that is linked to my primary checking (because it takes two business days to transfer the money, I tend to keep my hands off) which I’m going to continue to do until I’ve reached a savings goal of 50% of what I NEED for six months; then 50% goes into my primary savings account which I draw on monthly for my must-haves like food, rent, cable and phone bills, gas, electric, etc. Finally, because I’m not a stoic, I get 30% of play money, my no-questions-asked, do whatever I want with money.” Eric has more at the link, so be sure to click — and tell us how are your finances?

3) Gun design? Not really killer. Some of you are unabashed gun decor lovers, but Ellie says: “I don’t shy away from overblown, still love robots and owls (not so much the vampires and zombies), but this particular incarnation is a pass for me. While the gun vases seemed to be another instance of the peaceful daisy in a barrel symbolism…what is the commentary here? Killing yourself with your caffeine? Guns are a fun shape? I’m missing something. (Update: found the inevitable pun on the page, ‘mug shot’ uhmm…hah?)” Is the gun overdone?

4) You can find more at the ModernIron store. Chris Dunn from ModernIron got in touch and he says: “I also just started my own site at www.modernironworks.com that has more of the gates and many new items on the way. Thanks very much!”

5) You have good scents. Melissa says: “One thing like doing is using citrus peels in the garbage disposal! It makes the whole kitchen smell nice for hours.” She’s one of many sharing how she keeps the home fresh — and registering to win a Febreze No Spill Diffuser. Comment on this post by 5 p.m. EST today for your chance to win!

You have until 5 p.m. EST today to enter to win one of three No Spill Diffusers from Febreze. Click for details!

Over at ShelterPop, we found a few easy ways to makeover your mailbox.

Ever wonder what the best way to clean your outdoor wicker chaise is? Well, thankfully CasaSugar is here with a helpful tutorial guaranteed to freshen up even the dirtiest wicker on your lanai.

ModFruGal shows us her secret to mimicking lacquer with minimal effort. The results are gorgeous — and are inspiring us to buy our own high pressure paint sprayer!

Even MORE helpful advice from Unclutterer: how to tackle the most troubled area of your home.

Can someone *please* buy us a set of these repurposed plates from foldedpigs dishware? (And if you’re wondering, we want the skull and cross utensils design, thanks.) Via Craft.

Even more reason to buy a pressure cooker: BPA exposure from canned goods far exceeds the amount from water bottles, according to the Huffington Post.

Beat the Summer heat with this adorable DIY sun shade at Design*Sponge.

Mark Bittman introduced us to We Patch, a Seattle-based site linking up yard-less gardeners with folks who are gifted with more square footage than green thumbs, creating food for both parties. Very cool — something we hope catches on!

Living in a tiny, urban apartment means we’re surrounded by fantastic take out places but short on space. Our Lady of Glue Guns and Soufflés Martha Stewart recently featured this easy do-it-yourself project to maximize space and help de-clutter your kitchen. With two boards and a jigsaw, you can turn a small space into a charming little wine rack. — Katie D.

Ever since spotting them on Apartment Therapy, I’ve been wild about the designs of LouellaPress, the outfit behind these simple-but-beautiful limited edition letterpress city prints. Available for Manhattan, New York City, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, each two-color print, $25, celebrates the nuances of each city quietly. While I’m sure my interest stems from an all-abiding love for letterpress, I’ve realized that much of the appeal lies in the incorporation of place. There’s just something endearing about simply appreciating a special city, and a quick search reveals there’s no shortage of inspired design on the subject.

Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers of Heads of State present their brand of “printed patriotism” with a collection of prints featuring eight U.S. cities. $30 for each 14” x 24” limited edition print.

Fans of New York, London or Paris should check out these illustrated city prints by Spanish artist Blanca Gómez. Hopefully she’ll offer them in her etsy shop soon!

Globetrotters take note: artist Jennifer Hill has re-imagined more than 40 places around the world into the colorful pattern prints featured in her city and map print collections. All city prints include fun location-specific facts including the language spoken, drink and food of choice, mileage by air from the east coast, (specifically Boston) and a note on the influence of the place on the pattern. Map prints are based on vintage flashcards and include a fun fact and the latitude and longitude of a major city.

Seattle Show Posters also offers a seasonal take on two fun locales with their Brooklyn Winter and Chicago Summer prints, $24 each.

Typography fans might fancy Ork’s series of city neighborhood posters. Since 2007, the line of featured cities has grown to include 13 places, including three figments of New York City and a map of the Great Lakes. $22 for posters, $27 for prints.

Know of an additional resource for city-based art? Tell us in comments! — Sarah C.

Okay, you can feel free to go anonymous for this one — keeping in mind that your comment might not be approved until later in the day. The past few years have seen major upheaval in my personal finances just like the rest of the US. We moved to a city where our cost of living tripled, we bought a house at a price (which was cheap for the area) that a year earlier I would have considered insanely high, and after a year first I was laid off, and then my husband! I’m delighted to tell you that I am once again fully employed (at a job I love), my husband is doing well with his own work, and we weathered our jobless year just fine. But now that we’re beyond the panic of “Can we pay the mortgage this month?” I’m thinking more about our 401(K)s, the level of our savings, and our long-term financial situation. What about you, if you are interested in sharing? Were you affected by the fallout of the housing market? If so, how? Was your job a casualty of the economy? Have you bounced back? Are you still struggling? How are you planning for your financial future? — Mary T.

Photos of “moneygami” by Hasegawa Yousuke originally appeared on Whorange.

There is nothing on earth like a snarky card. As a huge proponent of card parties and staunch defender of the handwritten note, my  card lust is no secret, but for a while my favorite line,  Squibnocket by Lane Foard, was hard to come by in person, and impossible to find on the web. But card lovers, rejoice! The collection of witty quips for all occasions is finally available at Arcadianyc.com, the online home of my favorite specialty retailer in New York City. From birthdays to babies to epic apologies, and the ever necessary “We’re glad you stopped seeing that guy”, Arcadia offers 26 witty cards for every sentiment under the sun. Browsing the assortment is almost as fun as putting one in the mail, and at $3.95 a pop, I’ll take them in bulk. — Sarah C.

I feel green guilty every time I throw out a jar. I try to reuse as many as I can with DIY projects, but some of them have no practical use after their delicious salsa-filled contents are consumed. With these jar tops from A + R, I’ll be able to use a few more at least! Designed by Jorre van Ast, the dishwasher safe set of five tops ($25) will fit 90% of all jars. Former pickle and pasta sauce jars will be transformed into chic looking containers for all sorts of kitchen needs. — Katie D.

I usually stick with making roasted asparagus — it’s quick and brings out the flavor of the vegetable beautifully — but a recipe in the April Food & Wine for a raw, shaved asparagus salad sounded different, in a good way. Plus, there were only a handful of ingredients — always a winner in my book. I did find that shaving the asparagus was a bit of a pain. Also, instead of using two pounds of asparagus, I cut the recipe down by a quarter and used half a pound. The parmesan in the dressing added a bit of nuttiness that I usually get when roasting asparagus, and the lemon juice brought out the freshness. As short as asparagus season is, though, I’ll probably go for the quick but delicious roasted version for the rest of this year. — Sarah L. Click for asparagus two ways! (more…)