Spotting this fun, easy, do-it-yourself project over at Saltwater Kids was perfect timing. I’m hibernating from the arctic chill currently rattling my windowpanes and have officially run out of anything worth watching in my Netflix instant watch queue. Bored, cold, and struck with cabin fever, I’m planning on putting my down time to good use this weekend and making these bird seed ornaments which will be a Valentine to my backyard feathered friends. Check out the easy, cheap (around $3 for all the supplies!) tutorial at Saltwater Kids complete with gorgeous pictures. — Katie D.

This article in USA Today about people hoarding incandescent bulbs due to their planned obsolescence brings up an interesting debate. I’ve been converted to CFL’s for quite a while now, save for a few particular lamps that require a super-small bulb, so I can’t really say that I’ll miss the old-school design. I’ll admit it, though, I agree with a few of the stockpilers’ grievances — I find it irritating how some of the CFL’s are slow to fully light up. And others expressed concerns of the mercury risk and increased care when disposing. How do you feel about the old tungsten-filament design: are you sad to see it go, or are you green all the way? — Megan B.

Say what you will about Valentine’s Day, it’s the candy that woos me every year. I just love how pretty the sweets are for this particular holiday…my inner pre-teen girl comes out, and I want to decorate my entire house with giant pink sugar cookies and big bowls filled with red and white jelly beans.

Of course, this presents problems for many reasons, but the biggest is that I really can’t be trusted with a big bowl of jelly beans (or M&Ms, or conversation hearts, or foil-wrapped chocolate hearts) just lying around the house. At a bare minimum, I need a lid on that candy dish, to stop my mindless grazing every time I pass by.

Over the years, I’ve learned to stash my very favorite treats in an old cookie jar in the pantry – a little something like this would keep the best treats off my mind (and out of my sweet husband’s clutches!). But I still wish I could exercise enough discipline to showcase a few pretty jars of goodies this time of year.

So, here’s the question: can you be trusted with those big bowls of beautiful heart-inspired candy on your table this holiday, are you a clandestine candy collector, or do you rank somewhere in the middle? Personally, I think this cheery little candy jar from Fish’s Eddy may be the perfect compromise… and the perfect vessel for my collection of jelly beans. — Becki S.

I like to make grilled cheese sandwiches. A LOT. And it really helps to have nice, soft, spreadable butter to smear on your bread before grilling. I’ve been really coveting one of these ingenious Butter Bell crocks to keep my sticks spreadin’ easy. Here’s how it works: flip the lid up to reveal the bell, and fill with a stick of semi-soft butter. Fill the crock with cold water, and pop the lid on. The water forms a seal that protects the flavor and freshness of the butter while keeping it at the optimum temperature for slathering on toast. There are designs for just about every decor, but I like the simple, retro crock (of course) in matte black. At $19.95, it’s an affordable risk, but I’m wondering if it works as great as I’ve read. Have you tried it? — Megan B.

First, please look past any clutter you see on our room divider, and keep your eyes up. Um, yeah. See how that curtain rod is all crooked there? It’s because we didn’t anchor it properly (thought we had a stud), and now it’s coming out of the wall. Sigh. So of course I’ve been thinking about curtains and curtain rods a lot lately. Our living room is one big room that used to be two (as you can see by the ceiling). Now it’s the entire front half of our house, most of it comprised of windows : one huge picture window, a smaller window, and then a clerestory window on the side. As you can see, we have had the curtains all hung at the same level, and even though the windows are all different heights, we also have the curtains at the same length (right now it’s “puddling on the ground”).
Is it curtains for me? Find out after the jump!

Spice up your Valentine’s day… with chocolate fire cake! I love savory, brightly-spiced foods. So, when it came to making a dessert for my Valentine’s dinner party last year, I wanted to make something with an unexpected flavorful twist. So, I took my favorite Bon Appetit chocolate spice Bundt cake recipe – and added cayenne pepper to it! The pepper and cinnamon gave the cake a great fiery kick without being overpowering. I served it with a nice full-bodied red wine, and it was a huge hit with my dinner guests. This would also be great served with a brandied whipped cream, or ice cream. — Rebecca F.
Click for more fire, and the recipe, after the jump! (more…)

Over the past two years my knife collection has gained a few pieces, and one day outgrew its block. I looked into purchasing a bigger block to store them in, but found the prices to be a little more than I wanted to spend, and the blocks themselves were kind of bulky and, well, ugly. So I brainstormed and came up with a new storage solution. I found a rectangular ceramic vase at a local house wares store and filled it with … guess what? Un-popped popcorn! The popcorn keeps the knives separated and upright, and won’t dull the blades. I’m pretty excited about my functional (yet stylish) knife block. What do you think? –- Rebecca F.

Photo credit: Rebecca Firlik

When the early Spring 2011 Restoration Hardware catalogue arrived the other day, I wasn’t sure how to react. I think I like the Aviator wing desk — I’m a sucker for anything shiny metal (in fact, the desk I’m writing this on now is a stainless steel medical table), but I find the patchwork screw design to be a bit too much. Especially when paired with the Spitfire Chair, echoing the patchwork of the desk. I’ll admit, I really like the bucket-seat-meets-Eames style of the Spitfire, but I’d pair it with something way more minimal than what you see above. One thing I’m definitely not on the fence about is the Aviator Chair, which to me, resembles a tin-can lined baseball mitt. What do you think? Does the aviator collection soar, or crash like the Spruce Goose? — Megan B.

Recently I spent an amazing week in San Francisco hanging out with my sister and celebrating my brother-in-law’s 40th birthday. One of the highlights of my visit was taking a field trip to Sausalito and touring the Heath Ceramics factory in Sausalito. Heath was started in the mid-forties by Edith Heath, and has remained one of the few mid-century potteries in existence. Each and every piece is made on the premises using decades old methods (some of which Edith pioneered!), and their dedication to quality and craftsmanship is certainly apparent. If you love distinctive glazes and handcrafted stoneware, Heath is your dream come true. A quick trip over the Golden Gate bridge, the factory is located just outside the bustling Sausalito “main drag.” They have twice-daily tours and a factory store that’s worth checking out. If you’re ever in the bay area and need an adventure, Heath is an excellent place to spend an afternoon! – Rebecca F. Click for a tour of Heath Ceramics! (more…)

While getting happily lost in the visual smorgasbord that is Pinterest earlier this week, I ran across this pin by Joy Cho of Oh Joy! and just had to share. Edible. Spray paint. Made by The Deli Garage with packaging by Korefe, the Edible Food Spray comes in red, blue, gold and silver, and would clearly be the special sauce for the next time you find yourself lusting to bling out that bok choy. The options are endless (I’d love to lend a Midas touch to some apples or pears around the holidays) but tell me, would you eat painted food? What would you use this for? –Sarah C.

photo by The Deli Garage