Leave it to me to start thinking about vacation now that fall is here again, but I do have to think about the holidays and whether we’ll spend them here at home or make the trek to a relative’s house. Because we live so far from family, I’m on the mailing list for a couple sites like Travelzoo, but I honestly have yet to put any of their deal alerts to use. Maybe it’s just because I get too many emails already, so it’s easier to simply ignore them. Generally, we tend to use Expedia to book our flights, rental cars, and hotel, though it’s mainly for convenience. Am I missing out on sites with super travel deals? — Mary T.

Photo: The suitcase sofa!

We’ve posted before about online vintage shops specializing in flea market finds and now we’ve got another to add to the list: Three Potato Four. Run by husband-and-wife team Janet Morales and Stu Eli, the shop boasts an ever-changing collection of secondhand and vintage items that is sure to please. The team just opened up its first store in Philadelphia, and is planning a large update to their online inventory in the near future. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled. Happy browsing! –Sarah C.

I have to be honest: I will forever be mourning the loss of Domino magazine. There will always be a place in my heart for the title, and until further notice, real estate reserved in my closet for my back issues. In its absence I’ve enjoyed Lonny, and starting now there’s a new kid in town. Today reportedly marks the launch of Rue, a new online shelter title that promises to provide “your pathway to stylish living”. Helmed by Founder/Editor-in-Chief Crystal Gentilello of Plush Palate, the title is sure to be a new source of inspiration for home décor, and I for one am excited to dive in.

Change is also afoot at Lonny, where plans to launch a more user-friendly site will go into effect this week. New features will include a blog and the option to purchase Lonny in print! Retailing in the $30 – $40 range, the print editions are a tad pricy for my magazine budget, but a great option for readers (like me) who still value flipping through a hard copy. Click over to the Neo-Traditionalist for the whole scoop.

What do you say, readers? Do you read online décor magazines? Anyone planning on buying Lonny in print? – Sarah C.

Via Table Tonic

Get it — Meg-herita? I’m a total dork, I know. But this pizza is worth geeking out over, trust me. I’ve become mildly famous (among my friends, at least) over this mouthwatering revision of the classic Italian Margherita. For the crust, I love 101 Cookbooks’ fantastic Neapolitan-style recipe, but it takes too long for this to be an everyday type of dinner. I often just use ready-made dough from Trader Joe’s; if you use plenty of olive oil (not flour) to work the dough, you’ll get an AMAZING crust. Instead of using a sauce, this pie gets it going with nothing more than thinly sliced heirloom tomatoes. (I find the best tasting ones are the ugliest — the ones with mottled color, deformed shapes, cracks and splits.) Top the tomatoes with goat cheese, pecorino, crumbled bacon and fragrant ribbons of fresh basil, and you’ve got something simple AND special — and isn’t that what home cooking should be all about? — Megan B. Click for Meg-herita! (more…)

Note: Above screen capture has been modified to be family-friendly, as if there were any doubt.

Cooking more and eating out less gives me a new appreciation for my mom’s “eat it or go hungry” approach to family meals. Seriously, why is it sometimes so difficult to figure out what the heck to make? Or should I say, What the &@$#! Should I Make For Dinner? (WARNING: Profanity at the link, and lots of it, so keep that in mind if you’re at work or very dainty.) This site, which has been making the rounds on Facebook, is pretty hilarious but also surprisingly useful, with ideas like pan-seared salmon with arugula, vegetable barley soup with poached egg, and options for meat-eaters and vegetarians, all with a liberal sprinkling of F-words (among others). Bon &@$#! appetit. — Mary T.

When I think Sur La Table, I think practical kitchen items. Fun? Not so much. So I was bit surprised — happily, of course — to see these shark oven mitts. With the nightly grind of getting dinner ready during the week, a shark or two in the kitchen sounds like just the thing. – Sarah L.

Related: decorate swimmingly with fin-filled shark gear

Kermit the Frog was right: it’s not easy being green. Case in point, I’ve had a rather large, burned out fluorescent tube bulb hanging around my apartment for about a month now and not a clue as to where to drop it to be recycled. I’ve Googled, I’ve Binged, and to no avail. It seems like most places that offer recycling (either mail back programs or drop off locations) only cater to smaller, household bulbs. Any advice, dear readers? –Katie D.

Etsy, you amaze me. Really. While looking at linocuts and stamping, I ran into a print labeled gyotaku. Gyotaku, as it turns out, is the Japanese art of making prints from fish. Who knew? I have to admit I found the process a little odd at first, but the images — like the one above of sunfish on a red background — are striking. Search Etsy and you’ll also find gyotaku of everything from stingrays to crawfish. If you’d like to try gyotaku for yourself, instructions are here. Just be sure that you don’t skip step 2. — Sarah L.

They’re light, they’re strong, they’re made from one piece of synthetic felt — no wood or metal supports; just some flax rope for aesthetics. The Fox and Freeze chairs are the result of a collaboration between Belgian designers James Van Vossel and Tom De Vrieze. (According to their press materials, “vos” is Dutch for “Fox” and “vriezen” means “freeze”). I admit loving structures this simple and sturdy — you can see a strength test in this video, which is pretty fun to watch. Check them out at Fox and Freeze, where shipping is available to 66 countries. — Mary T.

There’s nothing I love more than looking at gorgeous offices and I recently stumbled on a doozy. There are no beige walls or stuffy conference rooms in the offices of Selgas Cano Architecture! Designed by Iwan Baan, the offices are entwined with nature thanks to the huge, sunny windows and the building’s position below ground level. Gazing out into the Spanish woods, I imagine that even the worst customer call would be blissful. –Katie D.