Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category

mother’s day gift guide: a guest post from whorange

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

We noticed Whorange recently and liked what we saw — especially when we saw her amazing round-up of Mother’s Day gifts. Tula of Whorange is allowing us to share them here, so enjoy!

With mother’s day around the corner, I’d like to tip my tiara to the moms of the world. I’ve throw together some groovy gift guides for these special ladies, whether they be darling mums, moms-to-be, earth mamas, or ladies that we’re forced to call “mommie dearest.” Yep, I’ve got them all in my life. –Tula


Above: 1. Sunshine Tea Set (48.00); 2. Perch bird feeder (84.00); 3. Clean Soles Soaps (24.00); 4. Perch campy planters (72.00); 5. Aalto vase (55.00); 6. Byzantine Peacock earrings (65.00); 7. Polly George Ceramics Butterfly Collection vase (145.00) (via productdose); 8. Charley Harper serving platter (35.00).


Above: 1. Recycled Glass Teardrop Bottle by Esque (478.00); 2. Organically grown bamboo Curvy Servers (12.00); 3. Organic Citrus Lip Balm by Eminence (24.00); 4. Organic Cranberry Pomegranate Sugar Scrub by Eminence (48.00); 5. Eco-friendly Amenity Branch Pillow (65.00); 6. Eco-friendly Cella puzzle (198.00); 7. Reusable Envirosax bags (34.95); 8. Organically grown bamboo Bambu medium bowls (17.00).

But wait, there’s more! Visit Whorange and see her entire Mother’s Day Gift Guide, including choices for the Mom-to-Be and the dreaded Mommie Dearest! See the entire guide here.

an eco-chic vase for your mother’s day bouquet

Thursday, May 8th, 2008



Los Angeles-based Molla Space is one of my favorite sources for fun and unique Asian-designed accessories. This felt Printing Vase by Furnish , $30, dresses up an empty wine or water bottle to make any bouquet that much greener. It’s offered in a lattice or blossom pattern, white or black, plus the cover reverses to plain so you get double the design for your dollars. Have a cherished champagne bottle taking up valuable shelf space? Dust it off and add more sentiment to your floral display. Or buy a new bottle of bubbly for mom and present it in this earth-friendly vase alternative. –Ingrid S.

More Mother’s Day inspiration? Look here:
10% Off Fullbloomtea.com
Love Posters from MadeByGirl
The Conran Shop Goes Green

real life test kitchen: bourbon balls

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

The other day, this lifelong Yankee decided to try her hand at a Southern delicacy: bourbon balls. Just hearing the name, I was intrigued. So when the invite came to attend my friend Ranald’s birthday party, I knew I had found the occasion. Ranald revels in all sorts of cuisine, especially that of his Southern roots. I found this recipe at About.com and it seemed so easy, it was practically sinful. Basically you mix crushed vanilla wafer cookies with pecans, cocoa, confectioner’s sugar, a touch of bourbon and some corn syrup. Chill for a couple hours then roll into balls, and roll in more sugar. The dough reminded me of cookie dough pie crust — very dense and sweet. The bourbon gives it a hint of playfulness. My only complaint with the recipe is that it says it yields three dozen — and I barely eeked out 24. Perhaps my balls were too big? Nonetheless, they were a big hit with Ranald and a few other Southern foodies. Click here for the recipe. — Angela M.

stamp of approval: redstamp.com

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

I used to love shopping for stationery… But I swear the cash registers at Target and Trader Joe’s are the only places I check out in person anymore, mostly due to my 3-foot shopping companion, whose idea of fun is removing absolutely every product from the shelves. Trust me, this type of behavior is not conducive to picking out a belated birthday card. Then a few months ago, my favorite stationery designer Cheree Berry told me about Redstamp.com, an online boutique that truly mimics the go-to neighborhood stationery shop—where the owners source all the best current designers (Cheree, of course, plus Thomas Paul, Snow & Graham, Egg Press, Russell + Hazel, Night Owl Paper Goods and dozens more), and will actually talk to you in person if you have pressing questions (no 1-800 number here).

As busy moms and business women, the owners Erin and Renee understand that service is as important as style, and that’s where Redstamp soars in my book. You just can’t top their “send for you” service, where an anonymous someone with impeccable penmanship will hand-write, hand-address, and mail your cards for you. Definitely worth an extra $5 if that belated birthday card is at risk of hitting way-beyond-belated status. — Megan K.

love your mother: new from madebygirl

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008


We’re always on the lookout for new ideas for Mother’s Day gifts, and this new series of LOVE Candy posters from MadeByGirl could fit the bill nicely. Available in Lemon, Pretty Lavender, Cotton Candy and Sky Blue, the posters are 16 x 24 inches and $25 each at MadeByGirl’s Etsy shop. We really like the ABC Love poster, too! Look for more Mother’s Day gift ideas coming up.

site we’re psyched about: pingg.com

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

We can’t imagine having a party these days without sending out electronic invites. But the designs at the traditional sites do leave something to be desired. That’s where pingg.com comes in. Their gallery of images are so vibrant, they’ll pop in any in-box. Best of all, you can upload your own image and customize the invitation to reflect your own creative ideas; you can send the invites via cell phone, email, Facebook or even on a personalized web page. We’re so inspired, we may have to throw a party soon just to use this site. Memorial day cookout, anyone? Like any good e-vite site, Pingg allows you to manage your invites and keep track of responses. Click here to visit pingg.com.

great deal! 15% off coco-luxe chocolates

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

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Not that we need to give you a reason to buy luscious gourmet chocolates, but Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and the kind folks over at coco-luxe.com are offering Shelterrific readers a 15% discount off their adorable truffles until the end of May. Each one is flavored to remind us of a childhood favorite dessert and features a cute little drawing like gingerbread men or mint leaves or banana splits to match. Comfort food in a chocolate — heaven! To get the discount, enter SHELTER during checkout for the discount. Click here to go to the Coco-Luxe site.

real-life test kitchen: simple, delicious chocolate mousse for your valentine

Wednesday, February 13th, 2008

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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.

sweet mugs for valentine’s day

Thursday, January 10th, 2008

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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.

happy new year from a snowy cottage

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

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We woke up yesterday to find eight inches of fluffy snow had fallen on our little house. Though we were planning on heading back to the city, we decided to stay one more day to enjoy the white stuff, and avoid the million or so people heading towards Times Square. We hope you had a lovely night welcoming in 2008. We already know it’s going to be a big year full of surprises, and we’re really looking forward to sharing it with you. Cheers! — Angela M. (+ growing family)

Valentines Flowers
Beautiful Valentines flowers and arrangements at 1-800 FLOWERS.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate covered strawberries have become America's most popular gift