Ok, I have to admit I’m already dreaming about the food that’s awaiting me this weekend. Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad and of course, any dessert that’s red, white and blue. Here are a few of my favorite ideas for this year:
Brooke Reynolds at inchmark threw a rocket-inspired birthday party for one of her kids, and I love the adorable cupcakes she made. They’d be perfect for a fourth of July celebration this weekend.
Temperatures almost hit 90 degrees in NYC on Friday, and I finally had to turn on the AC — the first time for the year. Being a greenie, I’m reluctant to expend the extra electricity when I’ve got two perfectly fine ceiling fans and a tabletop fan, but my new apartment is on the top floor of big, old house and that means it gets really stuffy, really quickly.
Summer cooling has been the topic of the week over at D-Hap’s sister blog, Ecologue.com — we’ve had some info for doing your own summer energy audit, tips for reducing the heat from appliances and more. But I have to admit that when I finally hit my AC’s “On” button (set to “energy saver” mode), I actually had a more troubling thought: “Man, this window unit is unsightly!”
I have 4th of July on my brain this week. Isn’t this patriotic striped, red, white and blue apron precious? The apron fits all sizes, and includes a functional front pocket.
Other items featured include stars and stripes tableware, a flameless candle, a push mower, star hand towels, star ice cube trays, bird feeders and more. Visit etips here.
That’s right, don’t forget to tune in this upcoming Sunday night at 10/9 c to see if our all-star teams can turn this sad backyard into a place where our homeowners will be proud to entertain.
Looks like they’ve got their work cut out for them! The homeowners have a long list of improvements they’d like to see (shocker!) but the design teams have limited time and resources to make their magic happen. Trust me, the transformations are incredible — you’ll have to see it to believe it!
Sadly, this is the last week of our Friday Freebies. I want to thank everyone who’s commented over the past 4 weeks. I also want to congratulate Jennifer Perez who won last week’s set of Blue Wave candle holders with a very touching moment she shared with us about her father. I also want to thank the folks at PartyLite for hooking us up with some great stuff for the past month, and boy did we save the best for the last.
This week we’re going back outside to go out with a bang! Check out PartyLite’s Linear Lites Collection. The new Linear Lites 3-wick holder, a dazzling centerpiece with a glass cylinder insert to protect candle flame when used outside. Along with that, we’ve got 3 Linear Lites Pillar Holders in three sizes (14 ½” short, 16 ¼” medium and 18″ tall) and a Linear Lites Votive Pair for votives and tealights. And of course, don’t forget the candles: one Petite 3-Wick 3×5″ , one dozen votives , and another dozen tealights! All in Citrus Bloom Citronella scent, a tangy and surprising Citronella oil from fragrant Asian grasses combined with the tangy scent of citrus blossoms. A great fragrance for outdoor entertaining.
Total package Worth: $270
All you have to do is answer this week’s question in the comments below with a valid email address before Monday Night @ Midnight Eastern. We’ll pick a random winner from all of our comments. Its that simple!
My pick this week is Lilybean Paperie. Chock full of fanciful touches and an eye for even the tiniest details, blogger Melissa Phillips makes this site a treat to visit. As a freelance designer for paper-craft companies big and small, Melissa regularly showcases the freshest papers, embellishments and techniques; sometimes sharing a glimpse of new products before they hit the market. If you’re a paperphile, then Lilybean Paperie is your Nirvana!
If you like the look of handmade cards but don’t have the time or inclination to create your own, be sure to check out Lilybean’s etsy store for a rotating selection of lovely paper crafts and sweet sentiments.
I am not a pink kind of girl. I’m just not that in to pink (except the musician — I dig her). I am so anti-pink actually, that if I ever have a baby girl, you can bet that her nursery will not be any shade of pink.
Chic and pink girl’s room by Steven Miller. Lovely, but not in my house. (Photo by Matthew Millman.)
So, why am I writing a blog post honoring the color pink? Good question. Actually, National Pink Day has forced me to do a few things that are great exercises for anyone redecorating anything: Think outside the box, stretch beyond your comfort zone (aaahhhh) and don’t discount any idea too quickly. There is so often a good reason for those lightbulb moments.
Sure, we’ve all heard it – don’t judge a book by its cover. But when that’s all you’ve got to look at, how can you help it? I’ve been talking about libraries for my last two blog entries but the most important part of any library are the books. I love the old world look of leather bound books. There’s something romantic and sophisticated about these ornate covers.
There are a few ways you can achieve this look for yourself:
There are experts you can hire.
There are booksellers who specialize in them.
Online auction sites have plenty of options.
Brooke Reynolds at inchmark threw a rocket-inspired birthday party for one of her kids, and I love the adorable cupcakes she made. They’d be perfect for a fourth of July celebration this weekend.
