Hot on the heels of Matchbook comes High Gloss, the latest online shelter title to hit our digital bookshelves. In an interview with Shelterpop last week, Founder and Editor-in-Chief Paloma Contreras noted that the title has a broad focus that includes interiors, fashion, travel and entertaining and the proof is in the pudding: the inaugural issue boasts 181 glorious pages! Why Domino ever went to the big magazine bin in the sky will forever be beyond me, but I’m thankful for the growing list of digital titles in its absence and am anxiously awaiting the day when the staffs of all these projects storm the castle of big publishing and convince someone, somewhere to let them combine their talents and print one massive magazine that will give my peepers a much needed break from this computer! –Sarah C.

On our shelf:
High Gloss
Matchbook
Rue
Lonny
Sweet Paul

Have any to add? Share in comments!

I’m a huge fan of the vintage-style lighting of Rejuvenation, so when the company’s PR director Nicole Curcio invited me to take a “backstage tour” the next time I found myself in Portland, I couldn’t resist. Read on to learn what makes this company amazing and unique — and be sure to visit Shelterrific’s Facebook page for way, way, WAY more photos! — Mary T.

My husband and I arrived at Rejuvenation HQ on a typically drizzly Northwest day — I say “HQ” because the word “factory” is not one I’d use for this place. No clanging machinery, no industrial assembly lines. Instead a few dozen workers painting, polishing and assembling lights by hand, an enormous jumble of the best vintage lights and parts a decor geek could ever hope to see, and a ton of weird odds and ends. In short, my husband and I were in heaven.

We started the tour in an office space shared by pretty much everyone — researchers, designers, marketers — and we quickly decided that Rejuvenation’s industrial designer Tim Wetzel has the world’s best job. Tim’s desk was adorned with cool looking vintage task lights, plus an array of interesting fixtures that he was contemplating as inspiration for future designs. (We weren’t allowed to photograph those — I felt downright in-the-know.)

Tim spends his time researching what’s popular in decor, finding vintage fixtures that are out of production, and coming up with new fixtures that would look right at home in a period house, but are made of modern materials. For instance, in a product like the mid-century modern-inspired designs above, heavy cast iron might be replaced by lightweight aluminum.

We went downstairs to the main floor of the HQ, and this is where the fun really began. I had no idea just how much vintage lighting is a part of Rejuvenation. Not only do they acquire vintage fixtures for ideas, the staff restores vintage fixtures and sells them online and in the Rejuvenation stores (one in Portland, one in Seattle, and a just-announced store soon to open in LA). We lingered so long in a storage room stacked to the ceiling with vintage fixtures that we started to apologize for wasting time. Nicole quickly put a stop to that — it seems that the folks who work at Rejuvenation welcome the geekiest of lighting geek-outs.

Compare the vintage fixtures with the new lighting just above — do they look like they have a bit in common?

Then we took a tour of the shop floor, where I was honestly blown away by the attention to detail that each fixture receives. Though Rejuvenation contracts with companies to make individual parts — glass-blowers for shades, metal casters for fittings — every part makes its way individually to the HQ, where lights are assembled, drilled, wired, painted, finished, and shined up to order. That’s right — every single order is custom made, by hand. As a final, extra-cool touch, each light comes with the signature of the worker who added the last elements! See more shop photos and works in progress on Shelterrific’s Facebook page.

I’m going to say right here: yes, I love this place. And no, I got absolutely nothing in return for writing this except a free tour. I really liked it that much!

Some things I love at Rejuvenation:
- This Selma wall-mounted light with green porcelain base
- This Classic 10″ Opal Schoolhouse Shade — all painted by hand!
- This Classic Globe Chandelier — the glass is huge in person! This Old House named it the light fixture of the year for 2010.
- And of course, the entire freaking Mid-Century Modern Lighting Collection.

Click for a few more of my favorites from the Rejuvenation store: (more…)

Beautiful and functional pottery by Whitney Smith is absolutely lovable. The nesting ranunculus bowls. The lidded vessel with a tiny bird on top. The red ceramic pomegranate! They’re lovely to look at on their own, but all are designed to hold flowers, food, or odds and ends. Pieces start around $40 and go up to the mid-300s (for some of the nesting sets). See the rest in Whitney Smith’s Etsy shop. — Mary T.

1) The Blue Canary Night Light puts a song in your ear and a light in your night. Mary T. shared this fab find with a reference to “Birdhouse In Your Soul” and you can’t get enough of either. Emily says: “First of all – thank you for reminding me of this song – I loved it and it had slipped into the back of my mind. Not a problem any longer lol – it has been streaming through my head non stop since your post.
 Second of all – my friend was just complaining about the lack of super cute night lights for adults so I am quite excited you found this!”

2) You welcome more slow cooker meat options. Sarah L. shared her perfected recipe for Chicago-style Italian beef
and it’s a happy addition to your old favorites. Emily H. says: “That sounds amazing! I do a pretty good pulled pork, and Mexican carnitas in the slow cooker. Yay for adding an Italian version!!”

3) Personalized baby prints are a décor-savvy way to celebrate your little one. Congratulations are in order for our very own Ginny F., who is currently expecting her second! Even with baby #2 on the way, it’s never too late to celebrate the first, and she’s got our number with these adorable personalized baby prints. Jen says: “Congratulations! I love the circus one!”

4) When it comes to duvets v. blankets, we’re split. An article in the Wall Street Journal recently made the case for a switch back to blankets and coverlets, and our loyalties are split. Blankets offer more temperature control, but duvets are easier. Margaret says: “After too many years of making too many beds – mine, other peoples, hospitals’ – it is duvets all the way, baby! No more layers and layers and layers, and hospital corners, and turned edges for me ever, ever again.”

5) Vintage school posters are out there waiting to be snapped up. Sarah L. found some on Etsy and we love them. Susan says: “Wow! Love them! The colors are great and what a neat way to reuse/recycle.”

Image courtesy of Kletia Garies.

Gung Hay Fat Choy! We have much to look forward to in this year of the rabbit: prosperity, good taste, refinement, and congeniality should be de rigeur. So why not bring some of the rabbit’s good taste and refinement into your home? Casa Sugar has a fantastic rabbit-filled decor roundup that should have you hopping with joy.

A great DIY valentine idea that is both romantic and creative to add to our list: custom art from fingerprints. So. Cool. Via Whorange.

Over at mirrormirror, Paola some very stealable (how did we miss those gorgeous ceilings) ideas from one of our favorite houses ever. And we can’t wait to see how her ceilings turn out!

A look inside the creative process of Kelly Wearstler, at her new blog, My Vibe My Life. Instead of putting her ideas on “mood boards”, Wearstler is apparently a fan of the “vibe tray”. Via Decor 8.

Apparently we aren’t the only ones digging Portlandia: Morgan at the Brick House decides to put a bird on it, too — a taxidermied chicken — with hilarious results.

The LA Times blog has us lusting over the work of Croft House: reclaimed wood furniture that’s accessible both in style and price.

The economy of bar soap with the cleanliness of a liquid : a bar soap dispenser that shaves soap into wet hands on demand. What a debate resolver! At The Design Blog.

And if you’ll be hosting the big game this weekend — how about these heart-stopping bacon-wrapped tater tots with cheese and tabasco we spotted at Recipe Girl? They’d be a perfect pair with Sarah’s Italian Beef…

Image courtesy of etsy seller jackiepeppermint.

Wait, when did this happen? Apparently, at least a year ago, which is when 3 Stinky Boys & Me wrote about Kmart’s line of modern furniture. I confess, Kmart is not on my radar as a shopping destination — I couldn’t even tell you where the nearest one is to my house. And while I’d personally rather have the “real thing” as opposed to a knock-off, I’m all for more people getting the option to branch out from bland, and I would have been all over this stuff in my 20s. A faux Tulip chair is a little under $160, you can get two plastic side chairs for just $171, and a chrome-based clamshell rocking chair knock-off is about $130. A lot of the modern offerings can be found if you search the Kmart site for “Baxton Studio.” I also just searched on “modern,” and here’s what I found: some fun (and a couple dorky) housewares from Atlas Homewares, including modern drawer pulls and Frank Lloyd Wright-esque house numbers. — Mary T.

Since I’m guessing there’s a good chunk of you readers out there who will be wishing you had grilling weather for the big game, I present the solution to your problem: bring the wood smoke indoors! No more grilling your brats on the deck in sub-zero temperatures! Cameron’s stovetop smoker is a pretty basic, yet highly effective cooking device — a stainless steel roasting pan in which you sprinkle wood chips (mesquite, hickory, and applewood, to name a few), top with a drip pan and rack, add your protein of choice, and then just slide the lid closed (make sure it’s tight). Place on your range over medium and go! A slight wisp of smoke should rise from the smoker, but not too much — it’s more like incense than a campfire. Not only is it the most effective way to stay warm indoors while smoking meats, but it’s a great way to add a ton of flavor to food without adding any salt, sugar, or fat. I love pork tenderloin smoked and then sliced thin for sandwiches, and tofu and veggies turn into something other-worldly with a touch o’ the wood. You can find them online at Amazon for $49 (or $35 for the small model), or if you’re desperate to get one by Sunday, they’re pretty easy to find at moderately well-stocked kitchen stores. — Megan B.

If you’re fans of They Might Be Giants, you’re now humming the song “Birdhouse In Your Soul.” Well, I have a secret to tell: now you can have your very own glowing little friend who watches over you from the outlet, too. The Blue Canary Night Light was created by Brock Tice in homage to the song (and for his new daughter). You can read about it here or here, not to put too fine a point on it. But what really will put a bee in your bonnet is that you can purchase the Blue Canary Night Light at Amazon for $14.99. And even if you don’t want one for yourself, read the Amazon reviews. They are nearly as entertaining as TMBG themselves! — Mary T.

Nothing can top what you see in the photo. You see, I have a pretty big thing for French Bulldogs, and I’ve been wanting one forever. But our crazy work schedules and two needy cats just don’t have room for a dog yet. So, my husband surprised me with a custom painting of my favorite Frenchie ever (who was later the ring bearer at our wedding, BTW) instead. We were lucky enough to have a talented friend who could do something cool — with my favorite flowers, and lots of imagery significant to our relationship in some way. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, you’ve still got time. Take a favorite photo and have it printed on a canvas, or if you’re talented (unlike yours truly), create a special artwork of your own. It’s probably going to be impossible, but at some point, I’d like to try and give my husband a gift that’s just as amazingly cool, unique and romantic as my painting — and that’s where you come in. What trinket did you receive that knocked you off your feet? Did you surprise your paramour with something super-cool and unique? I’m sure I’m not the only one who could use a little creative inspiration… — Megan B.

I’ve lived in a handful of states since college and developed a love for several regional favorites along the way. The one taste I still miss from my youth? Chicago-style Italian beef. I’ve tried recipes in the past and they tasted more like a French dip which is to say, not even close. But with the hopes (now dashed) of the Bears in the Super Bowl, I started the hunt again. The common thread between several recipes was adding the peppers to the pot, which I’d never tried before. After cooking eight hours, it tasted close, but not as rich as I remember, so I boiled down the liquid and — eureka! — it tasted like home. Now if only I could find the perfect roll to hold it in. My slow-cooker variation, after the jump. — Sarah L.
click for the recipe!