When life gives us lemons, many of us at least think of making lemonade. Some may make anything but on principle. When a friend mails Megan B. lemons, she polls the crowd for some lemony-fresh recipe ideas, and when life hands Martha Stewart lemons, she surely thinks of a million things she could bake with them, and when she’s done with her chosen recipe, she makes candles from the hollowed-out peels. Reminiscent of our favorite clementine candles, Martha’s version presents a more hands on project in just five steps. Like oranges better? Adjust the recipe accordingly or check out the orange peel candle tutorial at Mom in Madison. –Sarah C.

via Say Yes to Hoboken

1. Kelly Wearstler’s design style may not be for everyone (like Mary T) but lots of you still love her signature looks.

2. CB2 continues to impress us as they employ talented designers around the country. First, they did Etsy finds, and now Chicago artist Yann Legendre who spent a month hand drawing this bedding pattern.

3. As silly as it sounds, the Furminator works! (And not just on dogs.)

4. Homemade granola is not that hard to make. But we’re still not giving up our chocolate Cheerios.

5. Top gift ideas for new moms: Books for library-building, diaper rash cream and offers to clean their houses.

Before we made our first family trip (and my first trip) to Disney World, we got a lot of great advice from friends on what to do (Chef Mickey’s), what to take (strollers!) and what to buy when we got there (autograph books). The one thing no one mentioned, however? The gardens. Maybe it was because we left the brown Midwest to a Disney World in full bloom that the gardens seemed as magical as the rest of the place. Maybe it was just the overall vibe and the welcome warmth. Maybe I’m just a flower freak. But I’m guessing it was mostly because no detail in the Magic Kingdom seems to be overlooked, right down to every last green space.

While there were topiaries everywhere, my favorite was in Fantasyland. On the Alice in Wonderland topiary, variegated ivy formed her pinafore, giving a pop of contrast against the rest of greenery.

Even landscape left to it’s own devices, like Spanish moss-covered trees, was transformed at night by lighting.

While I’m not going to go topiary crazy or create a giant Mickey head in the backyard, our trip has definitely inspired me to think on a different scale.

In my shade gardens, I tend to go for height and layers, building up around trees. Yet one of the features of the beds at Disney that struck me the most was the bare tree bases. Whether it was repeating rows of cyclamens, a mass of violas or groupings of tickseed, the trees became sculptural. Of course it helps that there were thousands of dollars worth of plants and a team of horticulturists to keep them perfect, but the idea is definitely something I can try on a smaller scale. What’s your garden inspiration for the spring? — Sarah L.

Something to add to the new moms’ gift list: An oilcloth placemat from Laura Normandin, as seen at The Purl Bee.

Check out this beautiful DIY table runner constructed of vintage photos at Casa Sugar. Great potential for weddings…

Remember our post about using galvanized metal as a shower surround? Well, someone else loved the idea, and did it in their own bathroom! And thankfully, there’s a step-by-step tutorial too — at Bungalow Bungahigh by way of Apartment Therapy.

Do you have a pasta recipe that would make Mario Batali look like Chef Boyardee? Want to win a $500 Sur la Table gift card? If the answer is yes to both, then enter the Saveur Home Cook Challenge, and you just might win fame and fortune (in cookware).

Two words: beet hummus. Sounds crazy. Crazy Delicious! At Home Biscuit, via Tastespotting.

And if you’re throwing an Oscar party this year, but are still at a loss as to what to serve the guests, Serious Eats has a fun menu influenced by this years nominees.

Is it just me or is *everyone* having babies right now? I can count at least four of my friends who are expecting or just gave birth in the last 6 months alone. With this baby boom comes countless showers and parties, and I often feel like some of the things I gift may not be the most useful, especially with NO experience with babies outside of being a sitter in junior high/ high school. So when I ran across this post at Lilly and the Brothers (written by one of my favorite bloggers, Greta), I couldn’t have been happier with the timing. There, she linked to a list at doula Gloria Lemay’s blog of 10 things a family needs after a new birth — things like “come over at l0 a.m., make me eggs, toast and a 1/2 grapefruit. Clean my fridge and throw out everything you are in doubt about. Don’t ask me about anything; just use your best judgment”. A great set of ideas, yet not completely appropriate in my situation, as I live hours away from some of the expectant mamas in my life. So I look to you, faithful and awesome readers — what are some absolutely dynamite and fantastic gifts for new moms? — Megan B.

Image courtesy of Greta Eskridge

When I first saw this brightly colored-dinnerware, I thought it was melamine and ruled it out. Then I gave it a closer look and saw that it’s actually 100% recycled glass. While VivaTerra’s festival colors make a bold statement, I have to admit that it’s the softer-hued celestial and serene that really have my attention. Mini bowl and saucer sets are $49 and a 16-piece dinnerware set is $198. — Sarah L.

In the winter I love to have a hearty breakfast … something really filling, or super crunchy, to start my day. I’ve been eating a lot of steel cut oatmeal, eggs, and even leftovers, but my most recent favorite has been granola. The prices in the grocery store have been wearing on me (why so much for such a little bag?), so I decided to make my own. After some internet research, I picked Alton Brown’s recipe to make, and made a few tweaks to suit my taste. I have to say, it was pretty freakin tasty. Crunchy. Not too sweet. Filling. Delicious! The recipe is really easy … try it! — Rebecca F.
Click to see the recipe, after the jump! (more…)

A long-haired, giant dog: doesn’t that sound like grooming fun? Well, we have two of them — Fluffy Mastiffs who have long, thick hair and weigh 180 and 140 respectively. For obvious reasons, I was happy to test the new Long Hair Giant Dog deShedding Tool from FURminator. We already had a regular-size FURminator that works pretty great, so it was nice to compare the two. The most obvious difference you can see above: the Giant Dog tool is wider to make the work a bit faster. The second nice bit is that it comes with a push-button so you can quickly drop the hair that builds up in the tines without breaking your stride. Dahlia, pictured above, is a lot less shaggy and a lot more pretty in the “after” photo on our patio (and you can see some of the prize-winning take of hair we pull off her, too). Disclosure: I was sent a FURminator tool to try out for free, but these honestly are my favorite tools. A lot of hair comes off the dogs fast, and I’ve noticed a lot less in the house since they got spruced up four days ago. You can find the right tool for your long-haired pup at the FURminator site, about $40-74. Thanks, FURminator! — Mary T.

After years of working in bookstores (RIP to my ol’ Borders), I amassed quite the book habit. One genre in particular holds a special place in my bibliophile heart: the graphic novel. I’ve got posters and prints and signed first editions, but now I can take that black and white to places it’s never graced, like the bed, for example, with this Fresh Ink Duvet at CB2. Featuring art by Chicago illustrator Yann Legendre (which took a month to hand render), the image is said to be “a stream of subconsciousness… urban industrial fantasy”. I think I’d have some pretty graphic dreams with these linens — but for those who find the bedding too bold, there’s also a large-scale clock featuring the same comic-inspired design. Do you think it would read well in your home? — Megan B.

related:
here’s a shelf for your comic book collection

Daydreaming is my favorite past time. Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been a master daydreamer. Back then, they were mostly about being a professional trapeze artist or having the uncanny ability to talk to a narwhal, but now that I’m older the bulk of my daydreams are about outfitting my fabulous apartments located all over the world. My new favorite place to wish list browse for fantastic (and strangely appealing) home décor is etsy shop blue bell bazaar . With a 7,400 square foot showroom located in Chicago, blue bell bazaar puts the best of the best of their gorgeous stock online for everyone to get a fair shot at. From a 1940s roulette wheel to vintage modern oil paintings to porcelain glove molds, there’s always something new to covet at blue bell bazaar. –Katie D.