Hostess with the Mostess®

The current issue of O At Home features some of the cutest kitchen tools I’ve ever seen – they make me happy just looking at them! From monkey peelers and “punk-u-pine” scrubbers to hippo clips and shark-shaped paring knives, these witty “AnimalHouse” gadgets are guaranteed to make your time in the kitchen a little more fun! 18 different AnimalHouse tools range from $5 – $20 each at kitchenkapers.com. (A few of these little guys would make a clever housewarming gift too!)

How cute are these personalized melamine plates from Fontaine Maury?! Aptly named “Parker’s Plates” after the son of Fontaine Maury’s founder, Haile – these sturdy little plates sport your little one’s name and choice of several adorable illustrations, surrounded by fun, modern patterns. A few of the available designs are pictured here, but be sure to visit the Fontaine Maury website to view all of them. At $20/each or $60/set of 4, Parker’s Plates make a super-cute and thoughtful gift idea too!

Okay, so the response to the Whimsy Press surprise giveaway was amazing! I wish I had 135 packages to give out, (well, maybe 136 so I could keep one too!) – but alas, there can only be one winner…and that lucky reader is….hippieprincess, who said: ” I LOVE Whimsy Press! Beautiful graphics/prints. (keeping my fingers crossed)”. Congrats! Please send your shipping info to: jennifer@hwtm.com so we can get you your Whimsy goods!

I can’t believe that Eater (April 8th) is already just around the corner! Fortunately, there are lots of great Easter entertaining finds out for the season, like these cutie chick and bunny designs from Sur La Table. Shown below, clockwise from top left: 14.5″ peep! ceramic platter ($24.95), vintage easter towel ($9.95), hand-painted bunny plates ($19.95/set of 4), and adorable chick candles ($40/set of 8).

Also fitting for an Easter table are these beautifully simplistic porcelain double-egg cups – serve one egg on top while the other stays hidden and warm in the lower chamber of the cup. Very clever and just $7.50 for a set of 2. And if you want to get really fancy with your presentation, this gourmet stainless steel professional egg topper can help – just pull the knob to quickly & consistently cut a perfect circle from the top of each egg or eggshell, leaving you with a smooth canvas to decorate as you wish! ($54.95 each)

oh my goodness…style me pretty posted one of the most fantastic cake galleries I’ve ever seen today – 31 different designs! this is a can’t miss visual treat…had to share! click here to ooh and aah to Abby’s picks too

Hallmark™ is more than just greeting cards these days! You might be surprised to see how many great gift and decorating ideas are available on the hallmark.com website – like this unique “A Taste of Happy” square white cake stand and ribbon, or creative “A Day to Remember” marker and message plate. The cool thing about these products is that you can continually customize them to match your party theme decor or the style that your recipient loves!

And if you’re looking for some fantastic ribbon patterns, check out the ribbon selection at scrappingrannies.com – a great website I recently discovered that carries the full line of American Craft scrapbooking supplies – maker of so many truly wonderful, modern paper designs it’s honestly overwhelming!