Posts from — March 2008

Back when I was on my spending fast, I saw this a really cute serving tray in a little gift shop in Winter Park. It was only $14.99 and teased me from the front window of the store. My boyfriend had to literally pull me away so I didn’t spend money. Well, last weekend I went by that shop and unbelievably it was still there. So I bought it.

I thought I would share some other really pretty serving trays that were under $30 for girls on a budget that like to entertain.

(From upper left) Target, $9.99; Saga Living Marimekko Tray, $24.99;
Rachel Ray for Target, $12.99; Anthropologie, $28

Wrapables, $26.95; Wrapables, $26.95; Kitsch Serving Tray, $21.99; Rosanna Tray, $15

Do you ever see something for sale in the store and wonder “why did it take someone so long to come up with that idea? It’s brilliant”? Like the silicone baking mats you can buy almost anywhere now. Silicone is heat resistant, makes a great non-slip work surface for you to cook/bake on, and can go straight into the dishwasher. Baking gets easier with a little oil on a silicone baking mat which keeps stuff from sticking. I don’t think a whole silicone bake set is necessary but I have invested in two sizes of cookie mats (one for the counter as a work surface and one for a cookie pan), a spoon and a spatula. I hate when the plastic end of the spatula starts to flake from getting burnt and metal spatulas are not good for your non-stick cookware — silicone has neither of these problems.

Here are some more items I thought were pretty useful:

Think Geek sells this electrical outlet that spins 360 degrees so you can plug those big bulky plugs into them and still be able to access the other outlet. Good Housekeeping called this one of the top ten good buys of the year. How handy would this be for your hairdryer?!

Cupron a manufacturer of bedding designed this pillow case ($45.99 and up at Cupron.com) that is supposed to rejuvenate your skin within the first four weeks of use. Apparently natural copper heals in the case will prevent wrinkles and improve your skin’s overall appearance while you sleep. Now why couldn’t I think of that.

Painting your house but hate the clean-up? I know I do. You can rinse and rinse but getting your brushes clean is a pain in the rear. Some smart cookie at Easy Clean Paintbrush came up with this idea where you can screw your brush onto the end of a hose and run water through it for only a minute for a clean brush. Saves time, water and money spent to replace brushes you have destroyed by letting paint dry on them.

This one is a great idea for a lazy person.  If you really must use disposable cutlery and plates for picnics, bamboo cutlery is definitely the way to go. Branch sells disposable utensils “designed for elegant entertaining, indoors or out”.   They are unbleached, and FDA-approved food-safe. After disposal, they will biodegrade within 4-6 months. Each package of utensils includes 8 sets of fork, knife, and spoon. I still think you could bring silverware and just wash it later… but at least this is better than plastic.

For all of you frugal shoppers there is another coupon site that has popped up called ppgazette. What makes them unique is their downloadable database of local circulars from any zip code. If you don’t get a Sunday paper you can use their one-stop-site to download local circulars that you are interested in and get Free Grocery Coupons right from your home printer. They will tell you what the sale terms are and the expiration date.

This is a paid post.

Yep, I am hosting my first contest.  Thanks to ColorOn Professional a lucky reader can win a sample of the Instant Eye Shadow Applicators that I reviewed.  The prize will contain samples from the Jewels Variety pack: applications of the Amethyst & Gold, the Emerald & Gold and the Sapphires & Gold eye shadows.

The only way to win is to comment on my post here.  I will draw randomly one commenter to win the samples on Saturday March 29th.  Anyone that has already commented is automatically entered.  Please leave an email address with your comment so I can contact the winner.

Good Luck! 

I have recently noticed the trend of stick-on wall art or wall tattoos on the Internet. They look like an easy way to update a room in a non-permanent way. Here are a few examples of what I have seen. Anyone tried these in their house?? I am wondering if the design looks painted or like a big sticker?

These examples are from a Surface Collective, a Canadian design firm. Prices range from $50 - 210. I think the giraffe or pocket full of posies designs would be a great way to decorate a child’s room non-permanently. They claim their wall art is a vinyl material that is a mere .3mm thick, so the finished look resembles a well done painted mural. They also claim that the decals are easy to remove for when you want to change your look on the fly. Apparently you can simply use your fingernails to pry away a corner of the decal but they suggest that using a blow dryer and a pair of tweezers, in order to facilitate the process.

Giraffe - $65 CDN

Pocket Full of Posies - $50 CDN

These are some more cool wall tattoos from harmonie-interieure.com. Definitely check out the other categories they have.

Calligraphy B

Ornament Pattern 1

Another similar trend is this window film, sold by the roll from Emma Jeffs (below left). I think this would be a great way to add a little privacy to any room while still allowing light to flow in. A roll sold here is $76 a roll. On the right is a wall decal from called Anise by Ilan Dei available at Blik.

Blik carries a bunch of wall decals from a variety of designers. Below clockwise from top left: Wee Gallery Undersea Re-Stik $38; Hare Hopping by Mel Lim $50; blik Chandelier only $30; Bambinis by Mel Lim only$24