Hostess with the Mostess™

Check out these floral beauties from Jayson Home and Garden! The colors are so rich…and I love the clean, modern look. Shown here: Red Tulips ($60, includes delivery) and Pink Monochromatic Spring Blooms ($75, includes delivery). I think it’s great that they include the delivery fee in the price so you know what to expect right from the start . Always a bummer to suddenly run into a $25 delivery fee on top of your order!

I’m also thinking these D.L. & Co. Etched Glass Candles from are looking pretty lovely with their intricate patterns and extravagant packaging…4 designs available. ($70/each at JH&G)

One of my favorite designer stationery companies - Joy by Mel Lim - is sharing the love for Valentines day with a special 3-day “Give and Get Some Joy Love” sale! Just enter the coupon code “JOYLOVE” at checkout for 25% off your order. {Don’t miss the super-cute handmade plushes with little heart and flower appliques… perfect valentines gift idea!}

I’m so excited to tell you about a brand new company called Spicebox - which was founded by two women under 30 and recently launched one of the cutest websites I’ve ever seen! Spicebox offers creative & modern themed gift packages for Him, Her, Tots, and Family. Each gift comes adorably wrapped and delivered with a hand-written note. A few of my personal favorites (pictured here) are the Bayleaf Baker, Savory Surroundings, and Tarragon Tubtime. Click here to visit the Spicebox website and check out their entire collection of gift packages - just in time for Valentine’s Day!

I recently got “tagged” by Jessica and Holly - which means I’m supposed to post 6 strange, weird, or interesting things about myself on my blog for all the world to see…yikes! It’s a game/epidemic that’s hit the blogging world…so I’ll succumb to the peer pressure and play along Here goes:

1. I went bungee jumping at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe when I was 17. What was I thinking?! I was tempted to bail once I got to the top of the tower, but the lady going before me kept freezing up when they told her to jump and wouldn’t go, and there was literally a 6-year old making fun of her down below - so I was determined not to be mocked by a 6-year old (!). I was so scared when I first jumped that I tried to scream and nothing came out - but about half-way through it I realized I was (thankfully) still alive and suddenly it was so much fun

2. I met my husband on spring break in Cabo San Lucas my junior year of college. We’ve been married for 6 and a half years now. Guess some “flings” on spring break really do last!

3. I’m absolutely addicted to Diet Coke and Low-Carb Monster energy drinks. I probably keep them in business by myself!

4. I’m a semi-certified insomniac because I can’t get my brain to calm down and stop thinking when I’m trying to go to sleep (the Diet Coke and Monsters probably don’t help much either!) But sometimes I’ll get up and 2 or 3 in the morning and have to write an idea down or go on the computer because I’m not sleeping anyways, so might as well be productive!

5. I can’t whistle and am endlessly frustrated with trying to figure it out :0

6. I let my 2 yellow labs take over my side of the bed at night. (probably not helping with the sleeping either). But they’re just so darn cute I can’t bring myself to make them move!

Okay…so now I’m supposed tag some people myself…so I choose Leslie and Suzy. Let’s see if they play along!

Jessica from “I Do Declare!” has some great new designer CD’s in her Etsy shop that would be perfect for your favorite party mixes! Make some for yourself or burn mixes as creative party or shower giveaways…or make a slideshow of fun pictures with your friends and send copies to them on these cute CDs as thoughtful “thinking of you” gifts. The designs were inspired by the ladies of Sex and the City and are - quite appropriately - named Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha, and Miranda! ($8/set of 4 at Etsy)

modern valentine wishes from Crate&Barrel…heart plate ($7.95 ea), dip mug ($6.95 ea), heart stirrers for 2 ($2.95/set), valentine dish towels ($9.95/2), and double-heart spatula ($6.95)

Sonny and I had the best time last night at a cooking class by Sam the Cooking Guy - a self-proclaimed “regular guy” from San Diego who also happens to have a popular TV show, a book deal, and more exciting ventures coming up including a new show on The Discovery Channel and a promotion with Newcastle Brown Ale. Despite all this success, I have to say Sam really does come off as a “regular guy” who genuinely loves what he does and just wants to share it with anyone who’s interested.

Sam’s classes take place in “The Red Kitchen” - which is the same place his show is shot and great for attendees because it immediately feels familiar if you’ve seen the show. The atmosphere was warm and casual and Sam was just as down-to-earth and charismatic as he is on the show. Last night’s class was called “I’ve Got the Munchies” and we learned how to make 3-Cheese Garlic Pizza, Hot/Sweet Wings, Meatball Sands (mini meatball sandwiches), Fried Rice, Tortilla Soup, and something called “Shrimpy“, which was basically lots of butter and shrimp and oh-so-good! Come hungry, because you’ll be treated to a little plate or bowl of everything on the menu…not to mention a few tasty cocktails in-between. Besides how good everything tasted, the next-best-part about the recipes was how easy they were. Most of them incorporate frozen or pre-cooked ingredients to make life easier on you - and you’d never know the difference when it came to the end result. Sam has a ton of recipes listed online - click here to check them out for yourself!

If you happen to live in the San Diego area and would like to attend a class yourself, click here to view the upcoming schedule. They sell out fast - but keep checking back because he’s always adding new ones. And if you’re interested in seeing the Sam the Cooking Guy show, here is a list of markets where it can be found. If the show isn’t available in your area, you can still view a lot of recipes with videos on his website. Have fun!

Neon pink and orange gourmet cheese knives,”shattered” vases, odd-shaped tea pots…you will find a truly eclectic mix of modern, unique and fabulous home accessories at clio home!

{shown above} {shown above} Rehabilitated Dinnerware, Tilt Bowls, and Cheese Knife Sets

{shown above} {shown above} Sculptural China Dented, Vase of Phases, and Mirza Teapot

Kat from Modern-twist recently introduced me to new her line of contemporary entertaining products. When I visited her website I was immediately impressed with the fantastic modern-minimalist design! One of my favorite products - sets of wine markers called "Vinotagz" - is shown here. Each set of 6 basic or designed Vinotagz comes packaged in a fantastic storage case that cleverly fits on the neck of a wine bottle. (perfect gift idea!) You can even write on the tags with a ballpoint pen and the ink will erase with a damp cloth - or use them as super-cute napkin rings!

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Hi Everyone -
Well, as you may have noticed, even after what seemed like literally 56 straight hours at the computer over the past few days, the website did not launch this weekend as I had previously hoped - but in the big picture it’s actually for the best (promise!)…because what we’re working on right now is going to make it so much better!

After much stressing out this weekend, I finally stopped and took a deep breath, put things in perspective, and hashed out a new game plan with Sonny. We decided that we’ve invested so much time and energy into this project so far, that when it launches we should be excited about it and 100% sure we’re ready to go live - and it’s just not quite there yet. So instead of forcing the issue with a half-hearted launch, we decided that taking a few more weeks to get the site to “that” point is not really going to make the world stop turning So that’s exactly what we’re going to do…and we could really use your help! Look out for a big jump in hwtm.com-related posts over the next few weeks - including mini-polls, requests for feedback on theme and article ideas, opportunities for your own tips, stories or products to be featured on the site, and - last but not least…….giveaways!! (gotta love those!)

In the meantime, please come and check out the new preview that’s up on hwtm.com. You can see screenshots of a few select pages/sections of the site, which should give you a better idea of what it’s all about. If you have any questions or feedback regarding what you’ve seen so far, please let me know! You can post them here or email me at info@hwtm.com.

Thanks so much,
Jenn