Who knew the 18th & 19th centuries were so chic? Psychedelic Federalist wallpapers, at Readymade.

The Nub chair by Patricia Urquiola: like an atomic windsor chair. Via notcot

Smitten Kitchen went to Marcus Samuelsson’s Red Rooster, and all she brought us was this recipe for sour cream cornbread with aleppo pepper.

Make an INSANELY easy MCM-inspired planter with inexpensive Target pots — thanks again, Curbly!

DIY life shows us how to dress up vintage black & white photos with bright & colorful matting — a great Mother’s day idea!

Put down that Morton’s salt! Harold McGee introduces us to the wide world of salt, and why it’s so important to go natural.

Seriously, what’s not to love about this print? The colors are fun, the dogs are great and the penguin? Come on. If I hadn’t just purchased a vintage bird illustration from Etsy seller SurrenderDororthy, this puppy would be mine. $23.89 for the 7″x9″ print dated 1927. The good news if you miss out on this one? SurrenderDorothy has 280 other children’s storybook prints to look through. — Sarah L.

This collapsible/expanadable pet feeder from DEXAS caught my eye. The whole kit and caboodle is dishwasher safe. When home, the legs extend to make it a raised feeder. Traveling or want to throw it in the dishwasher? Collapse the legs and you’re good to go. Also comes in pink instead of turquoise. Depending on size, starts at $19.99. — Sarah L.

Wills and Kate are doing it: breaking tradition by having their wedding on a Friday. But they’re not completely trailblazers: lots of people have chosen to skip the usual Saturday afternoon affair and hold their weddings on other days of the week. Having your wedding on an alternative day can really save on the dough: our site cost significantly less because our wedding was on a Sunday. I even know folks who had their wedding on a Thursday night who saved $2000 off their venue — and that is a lot of money where I come from. And some event sites have Saturdays booked out years in advance, so being flexible can also add more options when searching for the perfect space. How about you? Was your wedding on Saturday or did you choose another day? — Megan B.

I was fortunate enough to have a mom who baked beautiful breads on a regular basis. Home made pumpernickel, pizza dough, sweet rolls, all kneaded by hand. The fragrance of proofing dough is locked into my memory and when smelled, makes me feel a level of comfort no fuzzy slippers can rival. My own efforts at bread baking? Well, lets just say they’ve been less successful. Maybe I haven’t been patient enough — or maybe I haven’t been trying the right technique.

Enter the “No knead” bread phenomenon, which has been all over the blogosphere and beyond since its debut in the New York Times in 2006. This recipe is crazy-simple, just flour, water, salt, and a scant amount of rapid rise yeast. The dough is mixed together and proofed for 14-20 hours, and then baked in a cast iron dutch oven, producing an amazing artisan bread with a nice crust and beautiful hole-filled interior. I topped mine with a brushing of olive oil, coarse sea salt and fresh rosemary. Warm, out of the oven with a big pat of butter: heaven.
above: No-knead bread one.

I immediately restocked the pantry to bake more bread. But a friend convinced me to branch out and try the Cooks Illustrated version, which adds beer and vinegar to the dough, and actually requires a super-brief knead before the second rise. So of course I had to compare the two recipes.
above: interior of the Cooks Illustrated version. Note the dramatic difference in “hole structure”
Click for my results, after the jump! (more…)

When my mother-in-law started collecting toothpick holders several years ago, I have to admit, I didn’t really get it. Then I bought her a collector’s guide and my jaw about hit the floor when I saw all the different holders. Literally thousands — and that’s just pressed glass. There’s also toothpick holders made of metal (silver, pewter) and porcelain.

Although toothpick holders are no longer considered part of a well-set table, they come in handy for other uses. Filling out the front of a bookshelf, holding a miniature bouquet or keeping your rings safe, to name a few.

Toothpick holders have sold for as much as $10,000 at auction (that’s not a typo). I usually find good ones to gift for well under $20 but have occasionally paid more. With a lot of collectibles, however, there are recent reproductions so if you’re spending a lot, check out some of the collector’s guides first. They’ll help you identify the difference between old and new. You can also find information and links on The National Toothpick Society website. — Sarah L.

Earlier this year I painted my boring white bathroom an awesome turquoise color and was really pleased with the results. But something was missing … I felt like it needed just a little more design oomph to make it perfect. After some web surfing and brainstorming, I came up with this Orla Kiely-inspired stencil pattern, and applied it on the walls using a slightly glossy version of the same paint color. I loved the results! The stem pattern added just a bit of extra visual interest to the room that I felt it was missing. Thanks to Ms. Kiely’s Scandinavian design, I now love my bathroom just a little more. What do you think? – Rebecca F.

Photo: Rebecca Firlik

As I’ve been preparing for this year’s run of the summer wedding gauntlet, I’ve noticed a pattern: Crate & Barrel’s cold beverage jar with stand, $49.95, has been on every single registry I’ve looked at. I love everything beverage dispensers stand for: summer parties, cocktails, refreshing drinks! But never have I actually attended an event where I’ve seen one in action. Yes, considering the trend the reason could lie in the fact that the friends that would have the type of soiree that calls for one haven’t received them yet, but still, this item seems to be a popular one for these summer registries. It also calls to mind Anthropologie’s designer version, $298, but with its equally Anthropologie price tag, my summer drink serving needs are best left to the registry specialists at Crate & Barrel. What do you think, readers? Any other hot registry items to keep on the radar? Did you ask for a beverage dispenser, and if so, do you use it? — Sarah C.

Related:
planning a wedding: fun with the registry
post off: what item just didn’t work for you?
wedding registry idea: something old instead of new

Crate and Barrel and Marimekko go hand in hand — in fact, their history together dates back to the early 1960’s. Even though C&B has been a reliable source for Marimekko textiles and bedding, it’s mostly been integrated into the regular stock. That all changed when Crate and Barrel opened the first Marimekko shop in their Soho location (as covered by Sarah C. back in October), featuring even more Finnish retinal delights than ever before. Now coasters west, east and in between can peruse this augmented collection, as the online Marimekko shop opens today! So shop now — or if you’re close enough to drop in to one of the brick and mortar locations opening soon, even better. Locations and opening dates are as follows: New York (Madison Avenue, April 28), Chicago (North and Clyborn, May 5), Los Angeles (The Grove, May 19) and San Francisco (Union Square, May 26). — Megan B.

And for more of what to expect when you go, check out more of Sarah’s photos of the Soho store at our Facebook page!

I don’t know a single person who doesn’t have a love affair (of some sort) with Ikea. Be it their inexpensive furniture, colorful home decorating accessories, or myriad of household items we didn’t know we needed, there’s something for everyone. My most recent obsession is with Ikea’s fabrics. The cheery colors and funky Scandinavian patterns helped me fight the blues through Chicago’s dreary winter — I picked up red-patterned Fredrika fabric (for less than $6 a yard!) and two pillow inserts and made these pillows in a single afternoon. Don’t they make you feel happier just looking at them? What’s your Ikea obsession? – Rebecca F.

photo: Rebecca Firlik