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so I was excited when I discovered that there is a product that makes it possible to tile directly on top of an outdated laminate counter top.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!

Dreaming of a Green Christmas Part II

I received such a positive response to my last "Green Christmas" post that I decided to blog a "sequel"! Just in time for the arrival of your holiday guests, here are five more fun, green Christmas ideas:












1. Top a gift with one of these fabulous handmade bows made from magazine pages. Visit the Craftster site to see the tutorial from "Miss American Pie".













2. Transform a burned-out lightbulb into a grinning Grinch ornament! This image is from The Wicked Stepmom blog. Instructions can be found here.



















3. Turn an aluminum can into a modern tree ornament with instructions from Esprit Cabane.
















4. Heading to a holiday party? Dress your wine bottle in recycled duds with one of these wrapping suggestions from green guru Danny Seo. (Left: shirt sleeves. Right: festive newspaper.)




















5.Make a whimsical wine cork Christmas tree with instructions from the December 2006 issue of Woman's Day Magazine. Photo credit: Make Mine Wine Magazine. Note: I'd skip the decorative beads and just use cork and wire.

Happy Holidays!

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Looking for a few ways to have an earth-friendly holiday season? Here are six ways to go green this season:


1. Recycle your Christmas cards. Send the fronts of your cards to Saint Jude's Ranch for Children, where they will be recycled (the front of your card will be attached to a new back) and resold to benefit the charity. Saint Jude's Ranch for Children is home to children who have been rescued from abuse and neglect. Another way to benefit Saint Jude's is to purchase their recycled cards to send to your friends and family members.



2. Adorn a gift with one of these fabulous gift toppers made from a repurposed Target shopping bag! Instructions can be found on the Creature Comforts blog.












3. After the gifts have been opened, repurpose small gift boxes and leftover scraps of ribbon, wrapping paper, and/or fabric to make a decorative gift garland like this one from page 43 of Pottery Barn's Gift Guide 2008. Tip: one gift box will yield two decorative "gifts" if you wrap the lid and the base separately!














4. Transform old plastic dry cleaner bags into a shimmering winter wreath. The wreath pictured here was made from sandwich bags, but these instructions from Familyfun.com can be modified to use recycled bags.















5. Salvage a moth-munched sweater to make one of these adorable sweater stockings from Martha Stewart.com. Instructions can be found here.















6. Recycle your Christmas tree. To find out about recycling programs in your area, just enter your zip code on the National Christmas Tree Association's website.

Copy Cat: Look-Alikes For Less

If you're a Ballard Designs fan and you've had your eye on the Levanto Farm 3-Seat Bench With Back (pictured on the left, $649.00 from Ballard Designs), have a look at the Somersby Bench (pictured on the right $149.99 from the JC PenneyOnline Outlet). Although the Somersby is shorter than the Levanto (Somersby is 48"long vs. Levanto's 61" length), the style is uncannily similar!