Hot and bothered in this seemingly endless summer? One way to minimize your cooling bill is to cool yourself down instead of your entire home. For a quick and easy cool down, try this trick. Apply cold washcloths filled with ice to your pressure points — ankles, wrists, and temples. By applying cold temps to these areas, it will help to cool your whole body down quickly. It's also absolutely refreshing! Source
I've urged you to switch over to CFLs enough, so I'm not gonna go there. But I will admit that I agree the soft-serve-like shape of CFL bulbs is less than desirable — unless you have an ice cream cone pendant light to go with. But, what if CFLs looked like the standard bulbs you've come to know and love? Would that make you switch? I hope so. The Fluorescent Fixer does just that, attaching to CFLs to conceal their unsightly shape, and diffusing the light, which reduces glare at the same time. The light cover sells in sets of three for $9.99 at Ace Hardware, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Walgreens, among others, or directly from the manufacturer, Adaptive Lighting Solutions.
Sometimes an ornate vase is just what an interior is asking for. The beautiful colors and patterns of this Tuscia d'Arte Vase ($165) from Emilia Ceramics are stunning on their own. But what's the best way to accessorize with such a complex ceramic object? Take a look at some of my suggestions.
Choose one accent color from the vase and pick a bouquet made up of a single color that reflects that color palette. For instance, the orange accents on this vase suggest tiger lilies as an appropriate choice.
Forgo the flowers and choose peacock feathers instead.
To see some other suggestions, and to leave one of your own, read more
Originally a misspelling of the French term chaise longue, and pronounced "shez long," chaise lounge literally means long chair. Now available in modern and traditional variations, as well as formal and contemporary, the chaise lounge is a type of sofa designed for reclining. Most often seen in the living room or bedroom, it's often ubiquitous with the reclining patient found at an analyst's office. Source
I like bubbly. I like bubbly pear cupcakes. I like a lot of things that have to do with champagne . . . even the Napa Style Champagne Wire Cage Stool ($98, reduced from $288). A stool shaped like a champagne cap? Yes, it's a little kitschy, but it works. I wouldn't go so far as to pick up the coordinating bright orange faux cork stool (yuck!), but I think the wire cage stool is attractive on its own. The stool's design origins aren't completely obvious at first glance either, which is a plus. In other words, you needn't live in Napa Valley to own it. What do you think? Am I totally off-base?
Lola Cruz
Ikea
Woolrich