I’ve mentioned before the cavalcade of expectant mothers that have been parading through my life lately — but one in particular I am really excited about. For her shower a few weeks ago, I had fun finding some adorable stuff (some Hanna Andersson onesies and coordinating Baby Legs, to name a few), but I felt a handmade gift would mean so much more to the mom-to be. I remembered the super-adorable Petit Collage pieces a friend made for a new arrival in her world, using templates and instructions from The Martha Stewart Show. Being a huge decoupager in the past, this craft was right up my alley.

I loved Martha’s owl pattern, though the flowers the owl sit on are a bit girly, and since they are only 80% sure of a girl, I decided to change the owl up by adding a tree branch and crescent moon. But the elephant, though darling, just wasn’t my taste, at all. I had to free-form the second collage completely, and without hesitation, my mind went to a cat.

I sketched up a few shapes on my computer’s drawing software and used them as cutting templates, and then placed them on an 8×8 birch board to make sure it looked ok. I cut out my pieces using a combination of handmade papers, bleeding tissue paper, and even old takeout menus and got ready to decoupage.

The cat really needed to be sitting on something, so I decided to construct a fence out of strips of different papers — this was possibly my favorite part of the whole piece — the color combination makes me really happy. A little more Mod Podge and I was done! Two pieces of art done in about two hours, more or less, and they’d be something I’d love to hang up in my home. In fact, I just may end up making more! — Megan B.

For a long time, I’ve wanted two matching floor lamps to flank our living room couch. We’re tight on space, and I wanted to ditch the side table. And we’re low on lighting, so I wanted to be able to read no matter where on the couch I happened to be sitting. I went into IKEA thinking I was going to buy two Kvart lamps: $20 each, a little bit of color. And when I got there, the first thing I saw was the brand-new Stockholm. It was much sturdier than the Kvart. It had a fun, retro beauty-parlor-dryer vibe. It was… $90! After much fretting and second-guessing, we decided to bite the bullet and pay the premium for the lamp we liked better. Now, after after a few weeks, here are the Stockholm pros: Looks great flanking our couch. Angled design lets us scoot the base under the couch, so the lamps take up even less space. Feels super sturdy. Comes with an led light we’ll never have to replace (we hope — the lamp is designed in a way that taking off the light cover looks next to impossible). Ah, but there is a con: That led is big-box-store-dressing-room-lighting harsh. The first time we switched them on, all we could think was, “Wow. Our couch looks like crap.” We’ve kind of adjusted to it — and I confess we’ve started cleaning the couch leather more regularly — but we are actually considering fitting some kind of gel over each lamp to diffuse the light a bit. For reading, it’s great. For ambient light, not so much. — Mary T.

Our ceilings are pretty high, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Yes, I love the drama and open feel, but simple things like changing a lightbulb can be a pain without a pretty tall step ladder. So when I spotted the STEP ladder at huset shop, I immediately fell in love. Produced by Design House Stockholm and designed by Karl Malmvall, this step stool is designed to hang on the wall, displayed proudly rather than secreted away in a closet. While I absolutely adore the minimal design, wood frame, and bold red color, the price — a steep $298, is a no-go for me. I wonder how many coats of red spray paint it’ll take to get a similar effect on my current Skinny Mini? — Megan B.

Wondering what I did with all of those lemons? Well, honestly, not as much as I wanted to. There were so many fantastic suggestions, and I really wanted to try them all (though I did use Elizabeth and Morgan’s tip and froze some of the juice for later), but I ended up mostly using them here and there. Two in a roasted chicken, a couple in some tea, and more than once, I made arugula lemon pesto. This peppery, bright, and verdant sauce is like a kick-start of fresh springy flavor when we’re still waiting for the ground to thaw. I love it on just about anything: pasta of course, with some capers and smoked salmon, as a sauce for a spanish style pizza with shaved manchego cheese and jamon serrano, or just spooned on top of grilled halibut or some goat cheese. It’s never around for too long, which is why I generally make a double batch and freeze one for later. — Megan B. Click for the recipe, after the jump! (more…)

I hate changing the furnace filter every three months — they are expensive, and they just seem to create so much waste. So when I was visiting my mom last week, I noticed she had a nifty reusable filter for her furnace. She said she’s had it for a year and LOVES it. So I bought one, a WEB Eco Filter Plus, as soon as I got back home. I really like how it can be adjusted to fit any size furnace, as we’ve just bent a too-large filter to fit before. It was really easy to customize, too, taking just over five minutes to cut and snap all the pieces together. The instructions suggest you clean it monthly for best results, and I plan on doing that, by just running it through the tub. For the price of two disposable filters, I’ve got a perfect-sized lifetime model. Score! — Megan B.

Here at Shelterrific we’re serious about rules to live by. We’ve discussed food rules, but outside of the kitchen, I’ve noticed that many of my friends have strict rules about a couple items that they either vow to always spend little or no money on, or those that they’re willing to splurge on to satiate a guilty pleasure. I have one pal who refuses to spend money on handbags because she knows she wouldn’t treat them well and hers always show signs of immense wear and tear. I love the cute, bright umbrellas I’ve been seeing recently at Kate Spade and J. Crew, but am hesitant to spend any significant amount on them because they seem like prime candidates to be left behind or lost. I also have the same theory about sunglasses, though I know many who love to splurge on designer sunnies, and still others who are thrifty in all areas except when it comes to shoes. If I had more green to burn, I’d definitely like to amp up the look of the items in my pantry and experiment with food, so a gourmet food and kitchen gadget exception might be in my future. What about you, readers? What are your favorite items to spend on and where would you rather save? –Sarah C.

Living in Chicago, I count myself lucky to have a decent-sized patio to have summer
soirees. My apartment is pretty small and can only hold a few people for get-togethers,
so I love it when spring comes and I can start party planning! This year I’m upping my
green efforts and buying dishes for outdoor use so I can make these parties a little more
eco-friendly. “No more plastic plates” is going to be my motto. Since the dishes will only
be used less than a dozen times over the summer, I’m committed to purchasing second-
hand to save on costs, and replacement fees when they break. Outdoor parties always
seem to have dishware casualties at my house!

I struck out finding much decent at my local second-hand store, so I’ve come up with a
list of other places to scour over the next few months:
- restaurant and bar closings
- estate sales
- hotel liquidation sales
- restaurant remodeling

I will be checking the local weekly papers for sales, as well as watching out for places
closing or changing formats in my neighborhood. Once I managed to purchase some
really great chairs from a closed bar just by putting a note on their door, so keep your
eyes peeled for closing or reinventing establishments! Where would you shop? –
Rebecca F.

Image credit: Rebecca Firlik

Those of you with chronically black thumbs will sympathize with my plight. The rest of you are going to wonder what in the world is wrong with me. A few months ago – right before Christmas, in fact – I heard about a terrarium workshop happening at a beautiful local nursery. While I’ve never once managed to make it past the two month mark with a plant, I decided if ever there was a chance, it was with a plant that only had to be watered once every few months (hurray for succulents!). Plus, I am an utter sucker for those adorably tiny little terrariums – they’re so cheek-squeezably cute, and they look so calming. So, I went to the workshop, I built my lovely little terrarium, and I was so proud.

Fast forward to a few days ago, when I was checking in on my little project, and – predictably – it’s now showing signs of serious discontent. Several of its tiny green leaves have shriveled and turned black, and the rest of them just look sad. Normally, this is where I’d start frantically watering, and the plant would then die of root rot. But instead, readers, I ask you: any tips on saving this little plant from what is an almost certain death if I’m left to my own devices? –Becki S.

1) The Capresso Froth Pro gets two thumbs up from Shelterrific’s coffee connoisseurs.Lesley says: “I got this for my parents from the kitchen/housewares store I used to work at, and I have to say, it’s AWESOME. Really simple, easy to use and care for, and it WORKS. Based on my mom’s reaction, it’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten her (she reallllly loves her coffee).”

2) When it comes to couponing, free shipping deals are popular, and we’re split on grocery store promotions. Sonya says: “I will use coupons for home or clothing purchases, but never for food or grocery purchases. I purchase a lot of raw ingredients, and don’t need a lot of the stuff that coupons are offer for. I sort of think of grocery coupons as a scam – would you buy that item if you didn’t have a coupon? For big purchases I shop relentlessly for deals, sales, and rebates though and I always try to buy from online shopping sites that offer free shipping.” Are you a coupon clipper?

3) Themed food-and-movie marathons are a hit. Rebecca F. had a blast with her Godfather marathon weekend and you’ve got ideas for similar events. Jen says: “John Hughes night! Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, etc. Not sure what matches food-wise, though. Perhaps something with a “suburbia in the 80’s” theme? Mushroom soup casserole with crispy onion topping, jello salad?”

4) State-shaped cutting boards make for cheeky gifts. Michelle says: “If only I’d seen this a couple days earlier, it would have made a great birthday gift. Boo.”

5) Toothbrushes are timeless implements for cleaning small spaces. HazelStone says: “Cleaning with a toothbrush is one of the things my friends lovingly tease me about. I grew up with a family full of farmers who had lived through the Great Depression and WWII in Italy (being bombed and getting lice is not fun, so I hear) so waste was not a good thing growing up. Besides, what’s better for hardcore scrubbing in tight crevices than a toothbrush? Nothing works better than a toothbrush, a dab of dish soap and some baking soda for “green” cleaning really cruddy stuff.”

We love these curvaceous Blub lamps by Fermetti we spotted over at CONTEMPORIST.

With the imminent arrival of Spring, we’d like to trade in our old school push mower for this automated Husqvarna automower to make tackling the tall grass easier. At Swipe Life.

Homemade whole wheat goldfish crackers at Smitten Kitchen: can’t you just see these swimming on top of some roasted tomato soup?

A roundup of beautifully unusual hangers at Curbly: even Joan Crawford would approve!

Late Winter is the best time to prune your trees. DIY Life has a tutorial showing how to do it like the professionals.

It’s a bathroom sink and an aquarium in one! Wow. Weird and kinda almost wonderful — at casa sugar.

Take a peek at the Marimekko Spring 2011 fabric collection at Always Mod and get those sewing projects ready!