Oh, boy…someone hide my credit card! Just discovered cool & contemporary online shop: Gretel {via Oh Joy!} and immediately fell in love with their entire collection!

The funky-chic red and yellow pedestal servers by Iacoli & McAllister are a little outside my price range, but soooo very cool… They’re made from refinished vintage candlesticks and topped with a hand-finished Corian round. (Due to the vintage/hand-made nature, each pedestal design is unique.)

Many more favorites from Gretel are pictured below… starting with porcelain Marie Antionetta serving bowls by DMK, and the Vitamin Container Bowl by Muuto, which features “three separate spaces meant to hold different fruits and vegetables (and their vitamins)”.

Colorful melamine serving trays by Isak:

Flourish tray and dinnerware by Thomas Paul:

Pretty & contemporary drinkware & dining pieces:

And last but not least, adorable Lovebird and Leaf cups/containers, also by Isak:

Visit gretelhome.com to check everything out!

Winner Update 5/28/09: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks so much to everyone that entered! And the lucky random winner is… Commenter #301 – Emily, who said, “I adore the little red riding hood lunchbox, as well as the roses calling card case! also, the water bottle with the paris scene is too cute for words!!” Congrats, Emily!

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We have a fabulous new Suprise Giveaway today! This one comes from Kir De Vries – a wonderful shop that we’ve featured before. They’ve got so much cool stuff to offer – from great gift ideas and home accessories to fresh entertaining finds and more… a great place to check out with the gifting season coming up!

And this week, Kir De Vries is generously offering up a $100 Shopping Spree towards anything on their site to a lucky HWTM reader!

A few personal favorites from the shop are pictured here, including the guaranteed-conversation-starter Whisky Stones (pictured at top, left), and cheeky card holders & pocket cases (above). Also loving the adorable Pylones Paris Pie & Cake Server (below)…

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HOW TO ENTER
• Post a comment here telling us which item(s) from the Kir De Vries website you’d love to get if you win!
• Giveaway ends Tuesday, October 27th at midnight PST. Winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck, everyone!!

When Tara from StrollerTraffic asked me to create a style board and design tips for a new nursery trend she was researching, it sounded like a fun project, but I got even more excited when I found out what this new trend actually was… because it just so happened to be my favorite {wild animal} already – the giraffe!

Since there’s so much cute stuff out there, I had a hard time making decisions (nothing new!) – so I ended up with 2 boards instead of 1.  You’ll find all of the nursery design tips + product links for Board A (pictured above) – over on StrollerTraffic.com, and Board B with product links/info is pictured below.

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Product Links for Giraffe-Inspired Nursery – Board B

• Egg Crib Bedding Collection by Olli & Lime (Swoon!!!)

• Egg Wall Art by Olli & Lime
(mocked up in a yellow frame for this inspiration board)

• Personalized Giraffe Print

• Safari Block Vinyl Decal – Elephant/Giraffe/Rhino

• Jonathan Adler Giraffe Sconce

• Clothes Tree (in Natural)

• Giraffe Coin Bank

• Gio Aqua Boudoir Pillow by DwellStudio

• Giraffe Pillow by DwellStudio

• Squares Wall Mobile

• Gerry Giraffe and Mary Monkey Wall Graphic

• Tiddliwinks Musical Mobile – Giraffe

• Giraffe Area Rug

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Thanks again to Tara for giving me an excuse to work on this project! Next project to add to the agenda now… a giraffe-inspired baby shower! =)

For the first time in my life I’m thinking that toilet plungers and dustpans would actually make for great gifts! This change of view can be  credited solely to Alice Supply Co. – whose fun, hip designs for garden hoses, buckets, brooms, & more just might change the way you look at housework…(at least a little bit!)

The prices are affordable too, making these great gift ideas for new nesters, the college bound, and recent college grads…. or maybe even that teen living in your house that could use a little “encouragement” getting the chores done!

Pictured above: Dustpan & Brush Set ($16.50); Chip Cheery Garden Hose ($38), and Modern Plunger ($18.50) – all at Delight.com.

Pictured above & below: Modern Toolboxes ($46.50 at Delight.com)

Pictured below: 10-Quart Striped Bucket ($36), 3-Pack Sponge Set ($6), and Dust Brush ($10) – all at alicesupplyco.com.  (Broom & Mat will be available on October 31st)

Is it just me, or has there been a noticeable trend in Octopus-inspired products lately? You can find everything from vinyl wall graphics to laptop sleeves to baby onesies donning tentacle-clad motifs these days! Here are 8 cool “octopus design” finds that fall in the entertaining & home accessories categories:

1. Octopi Cup by Cake ($15 each at Feel More Human)

2. Mod Octopus Vase/Pitcher by Dovetail ($40 at Feel More Human)

3. Octopus Soap & Scrubbers by AnimalHouse ($5.99 each at Kitchen Kapers)

4. Sucker For You Letterpress Card by Hello! Lucky ($4.50 at Luxe Paperie)

5. Happy Octopus Cake Pan by Nordic Ware ($30 at Parker’s Pantry)

6. Sea Life Melamine Dinner Plates by Thomas Paul ($36/set of 4 at Velocity Art and Design)

7. Deep Water Tea/Coffee Set for 2 by LoucheLab ($60 at Etsy)

8. Octopus-inspired Pillows: {clockwise from top left} Octopus Pillow by Thomas Paul ($100 at Velocity Art and Design); Gold Octopus on White Linen by Dermond Peterson ($200 at George Watts); Blue Octopus Hook Pillow ($60 at Gracious Style); and Octopus Cuddle Pillow by BINTH ($60 at BINTH).

If you saw the fabulous life-size Malibu Dream House that Jonathan Adler decked out for Barbie’s 50th Birthday Party earlier this year & liked what you saw…. good news! Several of the Adler’s Barbie-themed designs – which pair his signature style with Barbie’s signature color – are now available for purchase… and not just in the miniature department either!

There’s a definite retro-meets-contemporary vibe happening in the new Barbie ♥ Jonathan Adler collection… and I’m especially loving the bold Salad Plates and Tidbit Plates ($78 – $98 / set of 4) and Malibu Candle, which (quite appropriately) features Malibu Beach essence and floral notes.

If you like the vibe of the salad & tidbit plates, you’ll probably also love Adler’s fun, striped vanity canisters, which come in: Glitter, Peroxide, Eyelashes, and Dolls designs:

More bath & beauty splurges for Barbie lovers include an entire hot pink Lacquer Collection, featuring everything from soap dishes and toothbrush holders to a Silhouette Mirror, and needlepoint Eyeglass and Lipstick cases:

These new Pop Life™ Barbie Dolls aren’t part of the JA collection, but they sure blend in quite nicely, don’tcha think?

And last but not least, more cool Adler designs… a Happy Chic couch set for Barbie & life-size Pink Nixon Throw and throw pillow covers and for those of us that need things just a tad bit bigger!

You can check out the entire Barbie ♥ Jonathan Adler at BarbieCollector.com. (Note: Most of the items are available for purchase now, but won’t ship out until September.)

Jonathan Adler has been cranking out so much great new stuff this year, but these adorable salt & pepper shakers are probably at the top of my list. They’re like mini works of art for your table – complete with signature Adler style and fabulous coordinating gift boxes! Pictured above: Fish, Whale, and Penguin shaker sets.

Pictured below: Mr. & Mrs. Muse shakers (perfect gift idea for a wedding or engagement party!) and Lantern shakers, inspired by some of Adler’s most iconic pottery:

I don’t know what it is, but I’ve just been loving BRIGHT green this year – from lime to kelly to grassy hues!  Here are a few favorites from Z Gallerie… and – added bonus: they’re all on sale! I just picked up the Green Giraffe Tray ($19.99) recently and it’s just downright fabulous in person… especially when “topped” with French Martinis!

Also pictured here: Kai Lanterns ($12.99 -$29.99), Bird Napkin Rings (so cute! – $2.99 ea), and 10″ Casablanca Lanterns ($7.95 ea).

(TIP: – Even if something is sold out online it might still be available in stores. I saw lots of stuff in-store recently that’s listed as out of stock online – including the Casablanca Lanterns!)

In the world of entertaining, the arrival of summer often means bringing the party outside! This fabulous Venezia Pavilion from Z Gallerie is definitely a fun excuse to do just that.

If you’ve got an extra-special celebration coming up like an engagement party, milestone birthday, or wedding – or if you just love to entertain outdoors – this super stylish striped pavilion is guaranteed to be the talk of the party! Use it for an intimate dinner party, as shown above, or as a special area to highlight the cake table, wet bar, guest(s) of honor, etc. ($599 at Z Gallerie – sold online only)

Pictured above: these cool black & white accessories look fabulous as accents to the Venezia Pavilion – or all on their own! Clockwise from top left: Venezia Umbrella ($199); Elephant Umbrella Stand ($89.95); Winslow Vase ($49.95); Winslow Canister ($49.95); and Winslow Pillar Holder ($29.95).

Serve cocktails in style with this fabulous Monogrammed Lucite Tray from Dabney Lee at Home! ($120) This hip, personalized tray also makes for a great home accessory or unique gift idea for weddings or new nesters…. and just check out all of the great customization options…

Pictured below – more favorites from the Dabney Lee collection: Monogrammed Recipe Cards + Box ($80), Monogrammed Drink Coasters + Box ($80 for 125), Monogrammed Wall Art ($120), and another great gift idea: Monogrammed Playing Cards + Box ($50).

To check out the complete Dabney Lee collection – visit dabneyleeathome.com.