Home & Garden Blog » 2007 » August

I love Illuminations Candles, they smell great and burn clean. So when I came across this deal from Smarter Coupons I had to share. These tea lights are great for the bathroom and to decorate your home, creating a special atmosphere for entertaining or just purchasing special gifts for family and friends.

Tarragon and Pear Scented Tealight Candles ( a set of 12)

Our Tarragon and Pear Scented Candles blend ripe anjou pears with apples, fresh tarragon, rosemary and magnolia leaves.

Was: $6.95 Now: $5.21

- For more FREE coupons on Illuminations candles and shipping click here.

So this is my bed.

This is me and Sir Snausage on my bed. (Buddha was napping and did NOT appreciate the flash photography!)

This is the bed, strike that, the duvet covers I covet.

The duvet cover costs $299 for a Queen. Features a duvet cover in a brown and white hounds tooth Italian light weight wool. It is reversed with a white 350 thread count cotton sateen. Not too shabby right?

I don’t mind spending money on nice sheets. I still love my whole “Japan during Cherry Blossom Season” motif but I am hankering for a change of sorts.

What are our thoughts people? Upgrade? or Downgrade?

Lee Wilder BedWear Business Wear
Houndstooth Duvet Cover

HOTNESS!!

More to the point it is pure hotness here in Southern California!! I can’t be sure where you live, but if you are NOT marinating in your own sweat, consider yourself blessed. I am talking triple digits folks!

I shall make this short and sweet, since it is truly too hot to think.

• Problem: Sweltering heat = legs sticky, hair musty, armpits are crying
• Solution: Relief can be found in large chlorinated pools of water

Now, that you have arrived at your watery paradise, what should you do? Float on your back like a whale? No of course not, you must floss in style. Which is why I bought an Easy Spring Pool Float for $29.99.

Here is my reasoning, I wanted a floaty but not one of those one hundred dollar numbers shaped like an island with an umbrella attached, nor did I want the ten dollar budget deals that pop during one session. So I opted for the Easy Spring Floater, I liked the decorative mesh sling surrounded by inflatable tubing and pillow (3 decorative mesh options, I got the dolphin one)! Plus, I love the combination of floating carelessly while being soothed by the cool water.

Also, the spring lounge conveniently collapses for easy storage and portability. Comes with deluxe nylon carrying bag with sturdy handle, wet/dry pocket and key clip tab.

Size: 40″ wide x 66″ long.

See you poolside!

I have always LOVED the whole “white shag rug over smoked cherry wood floors” thing. Just one problem, let’s just say that I lack the “resources” to purchase my heart’s desires. Suffice to say I work under budget restraints, which in my experience is the majority of the population, so my comrade in arms I decided to purchase the following:

Safavieh Shag sg302b White 4′ X 6′ Area Rug for $192.00 from the people @ Rug Studio

Here is the final product being modeled by my friend. (Who politely put my throat in a death grip if I didn’t block out her face!) Also, please note that this was taken shortly after I moved into my old apartment, so excuse the mess!

Here is a close up, see how plush and thick it is!! Yummy right? Buddha and I give this rug 2 thumbs + 2 paws up!

First of all let me introduce you to the culprit…

This is my dog BUDDHA
aka: Funk Doobiest, Boogs, Booo-duh, Schnarf, Snugs and “The Ultimate Snausage”

(This is his prison break gear. Take note of the nunchucks in the background and be afraid, in fact be very afraid!)

Now that introductions have been made let us get back to the crux of the matter. Granted Buddha is an English Bulldog and is not excessively furry, however when he does start to shed, it is a pain to clean!

So I decided to purchase the Dyson DC07 Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner for $499.99 for the following reasons:

• Intrigued by the concept that it was designed to never loose suction
• BAGLESS! (great perk, hate buying refills)
• Sleek and modern design and light weight

My honest to goodness first impression was I LOVED IT! First of all, it is made of plastic, so it is very light weight and durable. How do I know you ask, let’s just say I may have lost my grip on it once or twice climbing the stairs at my parents house. After the smoke cleared, it lives to tell the tale.

Which brings up another great point, it is LIGHT. Not beginning of the universe “let there be light” but the opposite of “heavy” light. Which is a huge factor for me, personally I hate lugging around the 80 pound relics of old. They are cumbersome have poor suction and well….they are sort of ugly to boot.

But here comes the best part, it actually works! So I did a little test when I brought it home for the first time. I vacuumed my room with the vacuum we currently owned, looked good, left the uniform triangle patterns on the carpet that I like, well then I went over it again with the Dyson to see how much dirt would be left over. Check this out! Gross right! That is how much crap was still in the carpet!

Now keep in mind, I am a neat freak, so by all accounts my room did not look that dirty to begin with, the fact that there was still that much dirt left me nauseous.

Also my Dyson came with two attachments.

The attachments are cool, but in truth I never used them that much. What I can tell you is that the hose and hose attachments, are indispensable for vacuuming the inside of your car. Getting pet hair out of the upholstery in your vehicle is reason enough to buy the vacuum.

Time flies by, thus my Dyson and I have been together for five years! It has been a clean and stress free relationship. Buddha and I salute you Dyson creators, keep up the fine work!

Admit it, this is cool! Beautiful and functional, bellissimo!

So if you’re anything like me, your home is where plants go to die. It may be my paranoia but I swear when I walk through parks and greenhouses, I can hear them whispering about me in the wind….

“That’s her, she killed Fern … she starved her … locked her up in a sunless kitchen and didn’t water her for weeks! Murderer!!”

Seriously that’s what plants say when I walk by, as though tales of the carnage have literally spread through the grapevines….ha ha.

So now you understand why I find this design concept so marvelous. The concept is simple, the vase stands proud when it is full of water, as the level of water evaporates, and she starts to get thirsty she starts to lean. A great visual cue for me to add water, I can actually see her keeling over from thirst. Now you have no one to pin the rap on when your herbage croaks!

Designed by: David Sweeney, Jeff Virangkabutra & Michael Korn

Offered by: Form Beyond Function Yanko Design

Ps. Believe it or not I actually killed a cactus once! Rest in peace Spike, you shall be missed.

As the temperatures this summer continue to reach record highs…I for one could use a reprieve! When it gets too HOT, I cannot seem to function. Brain shuts down, limbs grow heavy, cheeks grow pink….all systems cease to operate at full potential…..there is but one solution!

Blended, frothy, ice entrenched, salt rimmed paradise…….yes folks the summer drink of champions… MARGARITAS! Good ol’ Marge, Mrs. Margarita if you’re nasty.

Now in order to give Marge the respect she so richly deserves you must present her with style. Thanks to the angels at Wrapables.com you can purchase a set of 4 margarita glasses for $21.99 marked down from it’s original price of $29.95! 

They are super cute, hold 12oz of paradise and have tiny pink, yellow, orange and green slices embedded within each glass. Now you can serve ol’Margie in any dingy, cracked cup you have lying around the house, but if you want to be the hostess with the mostess you should start taking an interest in “presentation”.

Have a cool summer kiddies!

See other great deals!

I am always on the hunt for reasonably priced pieces of furniture that offer both functionality and is aesthetically pleasing to my eyes. I am digging this little gem…

Innovations Rollo Futon Frame

Retails at $258.99

The “Rollo” is designed to rock your living space with trendy, avant-garde designs. I think this piece is ideal for apartment living, hip city dwellers where space is a luxury.

The Rollo Futon Frame could double as a posh couch by daylight, and love nest by twilight!

Innovations Wings Style Futon

Retails at $808.99

For those of you who have deeper pockets…

I loves the Wings Style Futon! Combines pop style and brings elegance to any living space. I have a pension for sleek modern pieces. No fuss, no muss. Plus this bad boy comes with a matching chair that is simply divine. Don’t you just want to lay on it and make growling noises like “cheetah” … purrrfect! (claws with paw shaped hand)

Wing Style Futon Chair

Retails at $523.00

NOTE: Breeders be warned! Thou shall scotch guard thy sleek and sexy and white furniture before you release the hounds!

Do you guys remember that commercial, the scene opens up with the blaring tone of some alarm clock, you are seeing threw the eyes of the sleeper, he rouses, everywhere he looks is fuzzy and out of focus. Until “ta-dah” he puts on his spectacles! Well if you have poor vision you know this is a daily routine that 20/20 folks will never understand! Example a view of my world without corrective lenses…

I happen to also suffer the dreaded disease of “Hung-over-itis” where I wake up and can not read the puny digits of my former alarm clock…thus I would like to introduce you to…
jWIN AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio

Sounds like a robot from Star Wars right? But for the visually impaired like myself, it is truly a godsend! The design is sleek and modern. Easy to navigate buttons and dials make it very user friendly. And for those not so visually challenged there is a dimmer switch available. The “buzzer” is loud enough to wake the dead (me) or you can set it to radio sleep (you people) and peacefully awaken to the sounds of easy listening (yawns).

Factoids: - Retails for $25.95 but can be found at Smarter for the bargain basement price of $11.32

If your anything like me, blind and corpse like sleeper go and get it! I shall sit here and wait for the flood of thank you notes to arrive….I’m waiting.

These clocks are very cute and simple. They’re a great gift idea, and they would work quite well in a home office. I really love how “hip” is in, making it easy to find everything in bold colors that weren’t so standard until recently. I think I would choose the white.

White or Red Painted Wood Table Clocks from Cost Plus World Market, $19.99