My husband and I have this rule: no more IKEA furniture. We are adults now; and are tired of bickering while wrestling a gigantic flat-pack MDF monster and attempting to decipher the modern hieroglyphic instructions. We’ve had enough of it already. I’ll admit, though, to always having a soft spot for the Expedit series — the design is just so smart and simple. When we finally stepped into the 21st century and upgraded to a flat-screen TV, we quickly realized the old IKEA bookshelf we were using was not right for our living room. We needed more storage space, something that would brighten up our room and wouldn’t break the bank. I scoured Craigslist and looked at some of my favorite local vintage shops, but just couldn’t find the right piece for our large space & tiny budget. That is, until my husband surprised me with a radical, and perfect solution…
Click to see what we ended up with, after the jump! (more…)

There are few things that whipped cream can’t improve on. Pie, milkshakes, cake- there’s a whole list of already fantastic things that whipped cream makes even more fantastic. The question remains, how do you improve on whipped cream? Enter Cream: an adults only, alcoholic whipped cream. Cream comes in six flavors: caramel, cherry, chocolate, raspberry, orange, and vanilla. Their website is chock full of recipes for shots, hot drinks, cold drinks, and (of course) desserts that are sure to be just as well-received if not slightly more sophisticated than Jell-o shots at your next bash. — Katie D.

I had a moment of clarity yesterday that struck me as sort of funny. For the past few years I’ve been covering the drip pans underneath my stove burners with aluminum foil so, when liquid boils over or drips from a spoon, it lands on the foil and the burnt mess easy to clean up. What I discovered, though, is that because I know in my head I can just recycle the foil later, I’m less likely to thoroughly clean up the drips after they happen. I just wait until the foil is sufficiently dirty, take it off and put new foil on. Uh, that’s just laziness! It’s not like my burner pans are not doing the job… I just don’t want to clean them! It’s time to stop that nonsense and do a better job picking up after myself. Funny that in my effort to reduce cleaning effort, I just got lazy! Do you have neatness tips that have backfired on you too? — Rebecca F.

Photo credit: Rebecca Firlik

Today’s recipe comes right in time for Spring, from the pages of one of my favorite cookbooks, A Twist of the Wrist, by Nancy Silverton. This book has been a great source of lots of quick and easy meals made from easily-sourced pantry and freezer staples. (The Chicken Tonnato Salad? To. Die. For.) The recipe calls for orecchiette, whose curved shape I imagine would, as Silverton says, “capture the tiny peas” in a way orzo pasta just can’t. With orecchiette or without, I really love this dish’s simplicity: frozen peas, garlic, crème fraîche… Oh, and instead of prosciutto, I used Spanish jamon Serrano for my version — I think it’s got a nicer, more developed flavor. But whatever way you make it, it really is easy, and delicious. — Megan B.
Click for the recipe, after the jump! (more…)

I’m entering my company’s bake-off and i want your help to win! Cheating? Oh my, no — I’m not asking you to help me bake (and you’d never fit in my tiny kitchen anyway). I’m asking for recipe ideas. The bake-off has three levels: cookies, brownies, and cupcakes. If past bake-off results are any indication, the judges go for moist and preferably slightly gooey. I bake a mean Snickerdoodle, but I’m thinking it might be a little too basic to come out on top. Would our notorious “best chocolate chip cookie” recipe win, or would that be too basic as well? I believe I have my brownie recipe already chosen (I’m being cagey, but I don’t want to jinx anything by sharing it yet). So what I’m trying to say here is: what are your ultimate crowd-pleasing cookie, cupcake, and brownie recipes? If I win the bake-off, I’ll buy something cool at my local bake shop and offer it here as a giveaway — deal? — Mary T.

Those are Lisa C’s lovely amaretti cookies in the photo above. Recipe here.

Representing a “contrast to the precision of time,” the Walter Wayle II wall clock ($78) is a minimalist’s dream. Two simple, wing-like hands turn without the confines of a case. More grown up than relaying on your cell phone’s clock, the Philippe Starck design is a clean way to tell how much longer until ‘Dancing with the Stars’ starts. — Katie D.

Here’s the story: You’re working on a huge project at work and have been traveling more than usual. Those side projects are moving along as scheduled but your nights and weekends are suddenly mystifyingly busy and by the end of the week you open the fridge and the lay of the land is tipping the scales strongly in favor of condiments. Sound familiar? Well, this is my story right now, and in the ebb and flow of a busy period it’s easy to feel like your life, and by default, your home, is a mess. That feeling is amplified in my tiny bedroom, where life’s residuals seem to pile up even faster. And every time I have a week that has me crawling over a pile of stuff just to get into bed, I think of the many articles I’ve seen touting the benefits of going to sleep, and thus waking up, in a clean bedroom. An article over at Apartment Therapy served the latest reminder, and I have to ask: Do you make a point of going to bed in a clean room? Do you make making your bed a ritual? Sound off! – Sarah C.

In this photo: A gorgeous bedscape from the old but invaluable Apartment Therapy post 8 Tricks to Make Making The Bed a Habit.

It’s no secret that we love zombies here at Shelterrific! Neatoshop adds a winking contribution to the shuffling, moaning, walking dead trend with their Breakfast is Tiffany poster. “Rock star designer” Matt Busch takes the iconic movie poster you’ve seen on a thousand sorority girls’ dorm walls and transforms it into a wickedly fun illustration. If Audrey Help Burn isn’t your style, perhaps we could interest you in Indiana Bones and the Last Cadaver or Scary Rotter? –Katie D.

Just in time for warmer weather, the Flip Flop Door Mat. Made at the factory from colorful remnants, the mats are billed as indestructible. (Unlike most flip flops I’ve owned.) And lucky for us, all four sizes are on sale. Prices range from $25 for the small mat to $75 for the large. (Regularly $29 to $89.) If you’re super picky about color or patterns, note that no two are alike. Door mat buyer beware! — Sarah L.

What is it about rooftop views that are so intriquing? The lack of people? The ability to a glimpse of the world from an angle usually ignored? The sense that you’re not only seeing what the artist is, but that you’re right there, too? Whatever it is, there’s something about each of these that speaks to me, however different they are. The first is a shot of Montmartre from YannPendarie’s “80 days in a hot balloon” project. The second, an Ultrachrome print by  Etsy seller allnsundry. And the third a photo from Rockland, Maine by Etsy artist AllisonTravels. — Sarah L.