OMG!! I found a really cool gadget website– specifically, a site with some extraordinary Alessi-design gadgets. Totally cool! Look at this floss holder! I think I love it!
Here’s a banana boat Salt & Pepper shaker set! Read more…
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Whoa, fashions in wallpaper has gone funky! I found this “heat-activated” wallpaper at a design site recently. I’ve heard of heat-activated paint, but not the wallpaper until now. It’s pretty, but I can’t say that I’d really like it in my house. It’s wallpaper that sprouts pink flowers with a heat source. lol! Would you get this?
From Dornob.com.
I also found some very, very cool retro wallpaper; again the source is from Dornob.com, who links to Second Hand Rose, the largest vintage wallpaper collection in the world, “dating all the way back to the 1860s and featured in museums around the world. Their rolls range from two to four figures depending upon the design, rarity and its origins (including Frank Lloyd Wright originals).” Wow! I’d just like to browse through their wallpaper books– like a history/art lesson in interior fashion, eh?
Some wallpaper doesn’t deserve a rerun. This is the kind of stuff my mom had in her kitchen.
Ew. :-p Gone are the days– thankfully so– of polyester pantsuits and funky orange pool floats lounges with purple flowers. The 70s is an era best forgotten, IMHO.
Ooo, how about this? Surf’s UP, dude!
Ummm.
This is more my style. 
I like the Victorian stripes and roses, and flocked wallpaper. Mmm.
Check the site for more. Cool stuff there!
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In October, my darling husband purchased a Tempurpedic mattress set to help alleviate my back pain. I did an initial review (you can read that here), and I wrote an update after a few weeks when the split box springs, or “foundation set” started to squeak like all get-out (you can read that here). (Tempurpedic calls the box spring set a “foundation set” since there are no springs in the “box springs” set, btw.)
I am inspired to write another quick update after reading a comment on my blog:
I was just searching for information about noisy tempurpedic box springs when I found your review. Ours is a king size mattress with a split box spring that groans every time you get on it!
I would like to see what your results are with customer service…
After reading this comment, searching around for others’ experiences, and after my own experiences, I have determined that there is a defect with the split foundation set for the tempurpedic mattress…
Last month, I finally called the furniture store where we purchased our mattress set. I complained about the horrid noises the box springs were making. A customer service guy (sporting what looked to be some very nice north face walking shoes, btw) was sent out to inspect our foundation set and take photos. I was with the representative while he inspected our foundation set. Since the Tempurpedic mattress and foundation set are brand-new (only a few months old), and since the squeaky noises are all around both split foundation boxes, it was determined by the company that the foundation set was defective. We received our two new split foundation set two weeks later, and they were installed by the furniture company again. I have no complaints with the furniture company (a local business, Joe Tehan’s, out of Rome, NY). They were professional and courteous.
It was GREAT sleeping on a quiet bed once again. But, two weeks later…. the squeaking has begun again. I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! We paid over $1,300 for this mattress set (and that was a discount) and while I LOVE the tempurpedic mattress, I HATE the foundation set. It’s awful. I am going to have to call the furniture company again and have them re-inspect the foundation set.
Apparently, the foundation set is constructed with cheapo plastic strips all around the top perimeter. These strips are adhered (I don’t know if it’s stapled or glued) to a wooden rib construction along the sides. The plastic strips bend and warp with any movement, rubbing against the wooden ribs and causing that horrid squeaking sound. I have a Queen-size split foundation set, my commenter here who I quoted above has a King-size split foundation set. I have no idea if this is a foundation set defect or a split foundation set defect. But I would think that for $1,300, I could get a quality split foundation set.
Anyway, that’s my update. I have a 10-year warranty on our mattress set, so if this has to go on for 10 years, then so be it. I just hate waking up to the horrid squeak everytime one of us rolls a little on the bed, or gets out of bed. Some people have ditched their foundation set and use a flat board, which is a great idea. But we paid for a foundation set, so unless we get our money back, that’s what I’m going with…
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Hey, looking for that extra-special decorative vase, jar, or statue or other ethnic gifts for your home? Take a peek at CulturalElements.com. Free shipping in the continental U.S.! The items are beautiful! These products are actually made in their country of origin, and then shipped to the United States for sale, so what you get is a real item true to the country of origin. I’ve seen those tacky Dollar Store vases and clocks and they may say they are Bulgarian tea pots or Italian jugs, but flip them over and they all say “Made in China.” And they don’t even look like the real thing, either. CulturalElements.com offers beautiful items from the real McCoy, and the prices are very reasonable. They make great gifts!
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I saw this video at Kim Komando’s daily video, and just HAVE to share! Wowee! This is amazing! It’s called 3D art, or pavement art. This video is a sped-up, time lapse video of a team of artists creating a very large pavement painting of a “crevasse.” It does look real, real enough to grab for safety equipment if encountering this on the street! I love how the people fool around with the painting at the end of the video– they teeter on the precipice, pretend to rescue their falling friends, etc.
When I was a kid, I so desperately wanted a huge mural on the wall of my bedroom. This invigorates my interest– haven’t thought about mural art in eons. What a great idea! Maybe I can put up a huge mural of, say, a pastureland or a waterfall, in my dining room. Old houses from the 17th and 18th century commonly painted large murals in their dining rooms and halls. Very cool!
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Well, despite gloomy news in the housing market, people still have rickety old houses that need renovating (like yours truly). I’ve been keeping my eye on “trends” for renovations and new construction for several years now, trying to stay slightly ahead of the game; so, when it comes my time to gut my kitchen or bathroom, I’ll be modernized and efficient (and therefore won’t have to re-update in 5 to 10 years like so many of my neighbors do). One thing I have learned is– keep it simple. You can’t go wrong with keeping things simple. I try to think beyond design and make systems and functions simple, too.
According to the UK’s House to Home, the bathroom trends for 2009 are:
I like that list (nice and simple!), however it’s missing one thing– a trend toward “universal design.” Universal design is what I am considering to be the ideal standard bathrooms design. With the majority of the populace getting older (Baby Boomers and such), universal design is becoming almost standard in new bathroom design, but it is commonly overlooked in renovation. I am using it in small ways myself now, and intend on going that route entirely when I remodel the bathrooms.
Universal design is kind of like the ergonomics for bathroom accessories. For example, instead of round doorknobs, which are more difficult for older hands to twist and open, use lever door handles. Instead of moulded bathtubs that are integrated into the wall (bathtubs that are very difficult to climb in and out), use kudos showers that have doors, even wider, bi-fold doors,– you can just walk in. Some showers even have stools and should definitely have handles.
Common universal design features:
So while I like natural neutral colors, hotel glamour, and “shower power,” I think a trend that should remain consistent and never become outdated is universal design. Don’t overlook this when renovating or building! You will thank yourself when you are older.
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A NEW WARDROBE! Yeah, baby! A number of my girlfriends are returning to the workforce, now that our kids are all older. It’s a great feeling to realize that you’ve (finally) raised the kids and they can now fend for themselves, haha! I haven’t found a new job yet (I am still looking for something, at least part-time), but I am preparing myself by
1.) getting up earlier (hee);
2.) combing my hair every morning; and
3.) looking for a new, “outside” wardrobe.
Which of course means that the fuzzy pink slippers and gray sweats have to go….
How about you? Looking for some classy pieces to add to your wardrobe, but maybe you are a little tight on cash? Check this out: Roman Originals. Classy! Roman Originals has the best selection of tailored skirts and trouser suits I’ve seen. And we’re not talking about the boring old navy-stripe or black polyester stuff, either. I saw this jacket and fell in love. Isn’t that the classiest jacket you’ve ever seen in your life?! It’s charcoal-color single-breasted with fully-lined satin fabric. Gorgeous. They’ve got a terrific sale, too– buy a jacket and get the matching bottom trousers for free! And Roman Originals offers free shipping too, for qualifying purchases (orders over £75). I love the styles, because they don’t make you look like a man– the suits are extremely feminine with feminine styling and fit. Check the site for a free 20% off voucher.
Roman Originals has been in business snce 1957, so they know a thing or two about women’s clothing needs and styles. They’ve got dresses, skirt suits, outerwear, eveningwear, and more to offer. Check them out- the prices are great and the quality is stunning.
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Am I an eternal optimist? I keep entering sweepstakes to win my dreamhome.
By the way, my definition of dreamhome: electricity in all the rooms; plumbing that WORKS; no leaks; new kitchen; nice floors. I guess I’m pretty easy to please, huh?
I know the odds of me winning those sweepstakes is next to nil. I’m not counting on winning them, though. I’m just hoping! But I know I can’t wait forever to get one. I’m working on the house I have. I’ll be happy to have a new kitchen! But if you’re making plans for your dreamhome, check out one of the top-notch crafters of dreamhomes in Louisiana: Schumacher Homes. I’ll bet they are seeing a lot of business, rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina! Schumacher builds homes all across the United States, not just Louisiana. Look them up when you are ready to build. Then YOU can stop entering those sweepstakes and give me more of a chance to win! 
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