I never had that clawing want to be a Disney princess when I was younger but I did wish (upon a star) that my clocks and feather duster would come to life to sing and dance for me a la ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (or maybe, at least, my pen could come to life and finish my homework). That dormant need still lingers and, thanks to the good folks at Think Geek, can be (sort of) realized. The Inanimate Character Stickers anthropomorphize your home and office by adding eyes, mouths, and adorable expressions to your boring desktop staples. I love that there are both good and evil options in the sticker pack ($4.99) in case your water bottle and coffee mug get in a turf war. Check out the loads of hilarious customer action shots for inspiration! — Katie D.

I have a thing for green. After yellow, of course, but then it’s definitely green. Or red. So naturally, the ochre background paired with the varying shades of green and red on these framed seaweed pressings by Coastal Prezence are pretty much my definition of perfection. Add in the artistry of staining and salting paper, then laying out the seaweed patterns and replacing the wet absorbent layers every two days until the process is complete, and a pressing of my own is now at the top of my “want it now” list. All of the original pressings and prints are from Pacific seaweed. Original pressings range from $45 for an 8 x 10″ matt (actual pressing is 4 x 6″) to $290 for a 20 x 24″ matt (13 x 17″ pressing), while prints start at $25 for an unmatted 8 x 10″ and go up to $85 for a 16 x 20″. Matted prints are also available. – Sarah L.

Even though I’m currently a Midwesterner, my East Coast sensibilities haven’t left me. I talk too fast, I walk fast enough to plow down slow moving tourists, and I often crave whoopie pies. The decidedly Yankee treat consists of two cake-like cookies with a rich creme applied with a heavy hand between them. According to New England lore, they were originally named so because finding one in your lunch pail would cause you to yell out “Whoopie!” at the decadent sight. There are all types of flavors to consider but the original chocolate cake and vanilla cream are my favorites. The recipe after the jump is, as far as I’m concerned, the gold standard for traditional whoopie pies. I’ve tried others where the filling is pure frosting or (gasp!) marshmallow fluff or the cakes are too cookie-like. Don’t be fooled by impostors. — Katie D. Click for authentic whoopie pies! (more…)

In our apartment we hang our keys from initialed alphabet hooks right now, but these ceramic tea tiles, $30 each at Design Glut, present some pretty fierce competition. Perfect for odds and ends, the cup is big enough to hold kitchen utensils, pens and all manner of day-to-day debris while adding a sophisticated accent. They look great in multiples, and bright colors would pop against the clean white ceramic. Pinkies up! — Sarah C.

Buying original art can be as affordable as it is enjoyable. Case in point? These small but oh-so-sweet English watercolors from eBay seller katyharvey. All of her paintings feature scenes from her native Cornwall, so the subject matter ranges from cottage roofs to fishing villages to purple-hued hills. 9 x 6″ watercolors start at just $12.25, like this one of Appedore North Devon. Occasionally you’ll find acrylics, too. At 18 x 14,” the Appledore North Devon acrylic shown above is a steal at a $30.73 starting bid. — Sarah L.

If you’ve never had British bacon before, I highly recommend you try it. Instead of the fatty belly of the pork that they use for “American style” bacon, British bacon is cut from the back, or loin, resulting in a much leaner and meatier bacon experience. In fact, according to my favorite source, Proper British Bacon, eating a serving of British bacon is leaner than eating a skinless chicken thigh. Yessss! The big meaty slabs fry up in the pan beautifully, and are the star of the show on a BbLT , or BbSST(British bacon sunflower sprout tomato), as shown in my photo. In addition to the bacon in both smoked and unsmoked varieties, the Auburn, WA based butcher shop makes and ships their own bangers, and even specializes in the Scottish delicacy haggis, made from free range pork and meats raised on their own farm in eastern Washington. If you’re in the Seattle area, you can pick some up at their storefront or at local farmer’s markets, but for the rest of you, just have it delivered to your front door! — Megan B.

Ever since looking at the photos of designer Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey’s Poconos house on Washingtonpost.com, I’ve been pining for the gorgeous Deanna Wish Branchelier in her dining room (#6 in the slideshow). The round Briarwood, above, is $2,778 + shipping for the 42” diameter style. Not in your budget? You can attempt to make your own version. The tutorial at The Doll House is basic, but would be a good start. And if you lean toward more streamlined design, you should check out the instructions for the “Tree Branch Chandelier” by Apartment Therapy reader, Kevin — it’s nicely done. — Michelle V.K.

Maybe it’s because I just returned from a short vacation, or the fact that August is upon us, or the barrage of fall products invading stores, but around this time I sometimes begin to panic about the end of summer. This year I’ve resolved to ride out the season happily with a little help from some strategically planned weekend getaways and subtle reminders like these prints from Etsy seller Simply Hue. For around $25 a photo you can capture the simple summer vibe all year round. — Sarah C.

I’m kinda obsessed with the History Channel’s “American Pickers”. Two guys, Mike and Frankie, travel the country picking through garages, sheds and barns to find buried treasure. You can buy some of Antique Archaeology’s picks on their site or eBay store, including a vintage carnival ride just waiting to be restored. The real fun though? Watching the show. Catch it at 9/8c Mondays on the History Channel. If you have a barn or garage full of treasures waiting to be picked, you might even make it on the show. – Sarah L.

I was all set to write a real life test kitchen for you guys, a delicious sounding gelato recipe made with the most luscious black cherries and mascarpone cheese. But, after getting the base all ready to go and poured into my fully-chilled-for-two-weeks ice cream bowl, it never set properly. So instead of creamy gelato heaven bursting with cherry goodness, I got chunky cherry ice. Don’t get me wrong — the flavor was great, and I’m sure it’s a great recipe, but getting the “custard” below freezing is just not possible when it is 78 degrees in my house with my system. So I’ve decided I’m upgrading, dammit! To the DeLonghi Gelato maker. It’s got an internal compressor so there aren’t huge bowls to pre-freeze that will later occupy precious freezer space, which reserves room for the pints and pints I’ll be churning continuously. I’ve seen it’s magic in action, churning the silkiest sorbet in a 85 degree kitchen without a hitch. It’s so effective that I may just have to start my own ice cream empire! –Megan B.