We love our big living room windows, but we wanted to be able to block the sometimes-blinding setting sun. However, we also wanted to hang the curtains wide enough to maximize our view. Just one problem: our windows are 118″wide, and the longest readily available curtain rods we could find only went to 120″. Lucky for me, I have an observant (and handy) husband. He’d seen metal conduit used as curtain rods, so we decided to investigate that section of the hardware store. Turned out that 10′lengths of 3/4″metal conduit could be had for just $3.99 each. With the help of a hacksaw, a few conduit hangers, and less than an hour of work, we now have a 152.5″curtain rod. It’s a bit industrial, but that’s perfect for us. –Mary T. Read on for photos and instructions! (more…)

Gary Steinborn’s Venice Clay is perhaps best known for the Buddha Cat, but it was his small and simple Venice Clay dog sculpture that first caught my eye. Equal parts cool, modern, and adorable, Venice Clay’s dogs and cats have a matte glaze in a variety of rich colors. Combined with their small size, it makes the sculptures both pleasing to look at and inviting to touch — I find myself staring at a friend’s dog sculpture every time I’m in her kitchen. With prices from $18-$45, I’m putting these on my gift list for the dog and cat lovers in my life (myself included). –Mary T.

So maybe it’s too late to get this for that special someone today, but this mini plush from Batteries Not Included has won our hearts. (And hey, if your Valentine’s Day doesn’t go quite as you hoped, there’s a version in black.)

Okay, I never thought the phrase “stamps we’re psyched about” would make it into a headline, but a friend of mine just sent this to me — 2008 stamps featuring Charles and Ray Eames! These will look swell on all my moco party invites and thank-you cards. And I may have to save a sheet or two for posterity. Get a closer look here. –Mary T.

On my recent birthday, a good friend who just graduated valedictorian from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts baked my family a cake so good, it was entirely eaten by the next morning! To cheer them up, I made this chocolate mousse. The recipe was simple, but the results were wonderful — it was so delicious, I will be making it again for all my valentines this year! (And since Shelterrific contributors are asking, I’ll try to share my friend’s cake recipe soon, too.) — Holly D.

Need more Valentine’s Day inspiration?
Sweet-looking Sweets
Jonathan Adler’s Anger/Joy Mugs
Traditional Home’s Really Really Red Auction
Sweet Mugs

Or for a blast from Valentine’s past, try the Man-Catcher Brownie recipe.

While we can all attest to being “under the influence” of great design, who better to give us a fix than Jonathan Adler? His new Druggery collection of hand-thrown jars (from $75), mugs ($24) and bath accessories decorated with trompe l’oeil chains and emotions are definitely passion-inducing. As are his accompanying needlepoint pillows. While “lust” is a given — Mr. Adler didn’t need to spell that one out — the pillow bearing this particular emotion won’t be available until late spring. And who can resist his new Ojai dinnerware with its alluring rich, retro color mix? It’s not on his website yet, either. Does patience qualify as an emotion? In this extreme, just maybe. — Ingrid S.

If you’re buying chocolates for Valentine’s Day, you can do a lot better than a heart-shaped box from the drugstore. Chris Glass’s lovely photo alerted us to MarieBelle, where the chocolates are almost too beautiful to eat. Shelterrific contributor Meg D. also recently linked to chocolates that are not only delightful to behold, they’re organic. Now that’s beautiful.

Need more Valentine’s Day inspiration? Read on:
Jonathan Adler’s anger/joy mugs
Sweet mugs for Valentine’s Day

Jonathan Adler has a new collection of porcelain and ceramic goodies up on his site, but our favorite are these new Anger/Joy apothecary mugs. The perfect gift for anyone expecting a bi-polar Valentine’s Day, they’re made of translucent glazed porcelain, hand thrown with apothecary details added afterwards. Perfect for sipping a hot-toddie while contemplating the ups and downs of a love affair. $24 each.

This weekend a few of my wonderful, longtime friends threw a baby shower for Chad and I in our apartment. The piece de resistance? This amazing baby-bump doll cake made by Laurent. Isn’t she just divine? To make one of your own (with our without the bump) you start with a Wilton Wonder Mold Kit, which comes with a “skirt” shaped pan and half a doll that fits nicely in the center. Laurent gave ours a little hair styling to match my cropped do, and used raisin bread to plump up the belly. The cake itself was devil’s food — yum. And the final touches, little plastic babies and sugar flowers which dotted her dress. As much fun as she was to admire, it was even more delightful to slice and serve. — Angela M.

I always hate it when the day after Christmas, stores start rolling out all the Valentine’s Day merch. Can’t we get a breather between Santa and Cupid? That said, as soon as I saw these adorable mugs from Rust Designs I thought they would be the perfect gift for your sweetheart, or a new pair of lovebirds you may know. Inspired by Minnesota birch trees, you can customize which initials go in the heart in the middle. $45 for four. Be sure to click around and check out their other personalized offerings, like these Fairy baby plates or these hip silhouettes (just send in a photo of your kid in profile!). — Angela M.