Calendars as Art-- Cavallini & Co.

This is a good time of year to start sleuthing out 2009 calendar sales. Buying a wall calendar is a great way to purchase a series of frame-worthy prints at a terrific price. The key is to find a calendar that doesn't look like a calendar.

Cavallini & Co. calendars are printed in Italy on heavy ivory laid paper, and they are gorgeous! The large wall calendars are rectangular, rather than square, giving the images a very un-calendar-like "framability". They also offer small desk calendars, which would yield little prints to frame in a series. The vintage nature images are well-suited to a more traditional home, while the vintage travel and city images would be at home in transitional or contemporary settings.

Feast your eyes on their entire 2009 collection here . Photos above are from Calendars.com.

Looking for another use for vintage calendar pages? Here's a lampshade that I covered with a few pages from an old Cavallini calendar.

A "Picnik" in the Dead of Winter!

Picnik is a fabulous, free online photo editing site. It's unique in that there is no need to download a program to your computer (or even sign up for an account for that matter). Users can upload their own images to the Picnik site, edit images directly on the site, and save the newly edited images to their personal computers. The editing tools are a snap to use, and the creative possibilities are virtually limitless! Transform your digital photos into a striking gallery of black and white or sepia images to display in your home, or go beyond the basics to create original works of art by layering text and shapes with fun special effects. I edited my image above using Picnik. Caution: photo editing can be addictive!

Print , Pattern, Paper

I recently stumbled upon Print Pattern Paper, the website of Wisconsin-based artist Rebecca Peragine. Reproductions of her cheerful collages are available for purchase in a number of forms ranging from note card sets to gallery wrapped canvases. These would be so fun in a child's room!

Glass Lamps With Stuff In Them

Lately I've been noticing more and more decor sources offering clear glass lamps designed for displaying small objects (A.K.A "lamps with stuff in them"). If you want to get your very own glass lamp in which to put stuff, here are some possibilities. On the left is Williams-Sonoma's Simon Pearce Nantucket Lamp for $495. (Note that the rocks are not included. Sheesh, what do you expect for a paltry $495?) In the center is Pottery Barn's Atrium Glass Table Lamp for $139. Pottery Barn also offers the Bacchus table and bedside lamps (not pictured), which are also clear glass lamps. On the right you'll find JC Penney's Linden Street Clear Glass Table Lamp for $99.99. Feeling crafty? Make your own pharmacy funnel glass lamp with DIY instructions in Martha Stewart's book, Good Things From Tag Sales and Flea Markets.

DIY Artwork - Butterfly Collage

Looking for a fun, simple weekend project? Check out this striking collage idea from author/designer Ali Edwards. Using a butterfly craft punch and miscellaneous paper--including junk mail (!)--Ali created a work of art that can work in both traditional and contemporary settings. I love the fact that this project can be customized to your color scheme. Fabulous! Images are from Ali's blog.

Yes, You Can Tile Over Your Laminate Countertop!

I'm constantly on the lookout for affordable ways to update kitchens and bathrooms, so I was excited when I discovered that there is a product that makes it possible to tile directly on top of an outdated laminate counter top. Not only is this approach more environmentally friendly than tearing out your old counter, dumping it into a landfill, and installing new plywood upon which to tile; it's also easier, neater, and faster!

Visit Ron Hazelton's website for step-by-step DIY instructions including a video clip featuring Armen Tavy, the inventor of the product. As an added bonus, Armen even sings a little ditty at the end of the video!
The photo of the recycled ceramic tile above is from the Straw, Sticks, and Bricks website.

Affordable Charm

I just spotted this sweet little Callie Accent Table on JC Penney's online outlet for only $59.99 (marked down from $199.00). I love the color and the petite scale. It is also available in antique red and antique beige. Now all you need is a beach cottage to put it in!