Archive   |   September, 2011

blogwatch: where we’ve been clicking this week

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This apartment in Nimes, France manages to make unfinished, de-wallpapered walls look chic and textural — at The Style Files.

Trick out your yoga gear with Finnish style : DIY Marimekko yoga bag, at Always Mod.

Kick autumn in to high gear and celebrate all things apple-y and delicious, at Fresh Home Blog.

Great gates: a modern roundup, at Casa Sugar.

At Bloesem we spotted this playful yet cozy bedding from Dutch design firm Snurk. LOVE.

Good to know: why decorating with salvaged pallets indoors is a bad idea, at Curbly.

NotCot got a sneak peek at what’s new from Dyson, like their new covetable Dyson Hot fan heater.

What could be bad about potatoes cooked with a smoky, paprika-infused tomato sauce? Not eating them right now! Patatas Bravas, at Simply Recipes.

image courtesy of Marie Claire Maison.

steal this idea: cupcake toppers

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You know how gift-wrap stations were all the rage several years ago? (I still drool over the idea of having one.) All these cupcakeries in Portland now have me seriously wanting my own cupcake station at home, and I have started collecting sprinkles, pretty jars to display them in, wrappers and decorating ideas — like these cute cupcake toppers. To celebrate my 9th wedding anniversary recently, I picked up a variety of mini cupcakes at my favorite cupcake joint and spotted a number nine sign to put on top. But at $2 a pop — more than the cost of the cake — it could get pricey to put one on every party cupcake. Hello, DIY! All you need are some lollipop sticks or toothpicks, plus a paper punch and stencil. This Martha Stewart snowflake punch or pumpkin punch would instantly make holiday treats more festive. Or download and print these really adorable ones for $2.99. OK, now I just need to get baking! –Ginny F.
Photo credit: Ginny Figlar

etsy find: fall fields paintings

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It may be early days of fall. but it feels like it is in full swing. I’m back to baking again, now that the house is cooler. And we’ve attended our first fall festival. Getting there involved a ferry ride, which caused some confusion and disappointment on the first river crossing because the backseat occupants thought that it was a fairy ride. Just one of many pitfalls we’ve discovered in the English language! The return trip was met with a lot more enthusiasm, although that could have been the lingering affects from the apple desserts/sugar high.

We’ve got two more festivals marked on the calendar. Hopefully I can find some regional artwork at one of them but if not, these two small oils caught my eye on Etsy. The first measures 6″ x 6″ and is by Etsy seller erinspencer. Yours if you’re more decisive than me for $70. The second measures 3.5″ x 2.5″ and is from UK Etsy seller wildatartshop for $10.25. Either would look great propped against a bowl of apples or my blue and white Cornishware canisters. — Sarah L.

martha stewart’s mad about taxidermy. who knew?!

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Just when I think I know everything there is to know about Martha Stewart and her perfectly manicured homes, gardens, horses and dogs, she surprises me with something else. In the October issue of MSL I found this treat: From My Home to Yours: Taxidermy Tips. Turns out that at her house on Mt Desert Island in Maine, she has quite the collection of stuffed critters. (Note to Martha: If your house has a name — like Skylands — it’s not a house, it’s an estate.) Apparently the queen of domesticity has been collecting the frozen balls of fur since her childhood. I, too, have a soft spot for mounted creatures (especially if they’re mystical, like the jackalope). As an animal lover, however, I am torn. I love looking at these wild beasts up close, but can’t imagine every hunting or stuffing one on my own. Martha and I agree on that point as well. She says she has never actually had an animal stuffed herself, but my guess is that it’s only a matter of time. I mean, if you want something done right…. — Angela M.

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