http://manolohome.com Practical Lifestyle Advice for Homemakers and Home Owners Fri, 16 May 2008 16:20:50 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en When I think of gardens, the first image that springs to mind is clusters of colorful flowers, bright greenery, stone pathways, and possibly a fountain or two. The greenspace that exists fully formed in my thoughts is meant to be enjoyed actively...it's the domain of walkers and sniffers and pollinators ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/16/nature-at-night/ I was all set to write about moon gardens, but it's already just shy of 11 p.m. and I have to get up at 5:30 a.m. so there goes that idea. A post about moon gardens is forthcoming, and to stimulate your appetite, here's a description: "Designed to be enjoyed ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/15/some-pictures-of-freaky-or-otherwise-weird-chairs/ If putting two little birdies or one tree on your wall sounds too tame, there are other decals out there that are a lot less ordinary. Blik sells a rather largish collection of re-stickable and not re-stickable wall decor that's about as out there as you could want. The room ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/14/more-sticky-stuff-for-boring-walls/ There's a certain category of things for the home that I like to call BK, or "before kids." Tasteful nudes are one thing -- I grew up in a very cultural knowledgeable family with plenty of boobs and wangs on the walls. Still, that doesn't mean I wasn't red in ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/13/dirty-plates-that-cant-be-scrubbed-clean/ Please don't confuse this with the five things I can't live without. It's totally, totally different! For one thing, I already have some of the things listed below. It's just that my particular versions aren't quite as nice. And some of the things are totally impractical, pointless, and even silly! ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/12/five-things-i-probably-couldnt-live-without-if-i-actually-had-the-money-to-buy-them/ I'd like to say that from now on, all my bedding will come to me from DwellStudio. Except I can't say that, because I don't have $265 to spend on a duvet cover, and I simply can't justify spending $80 on a single pillow sham. Yes, that's one (count it, ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/09/yet-another-reason-to-go-back-to-bed/ It's a pear...with a butthole. At least that's what it looks like to my eyes, which have seen scads of cartoon cats with little star-like pencil sharpeners under their cartoon tails. While I'm sure that Maija Isola and Kristina Isola put a lot of thought into this colorful fruit back ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/08/just-what-i-needed/ I'm lucky in that I can sit here at my desk and stare out of my window into my extremely green backyard. The plus is that I can see flowers and shrubs and trees and a baby rhubarb and broccoli seedlings. The minus is that I can also see the ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/07/more-bringing-the-outside-in/ I feel like what I'm going to talk about today is more than a little related to yesterday's post at Manolo for the Brides. Single ladies, MSN said, should eat their ice cream and have a cat while they still can. Now I found out, compliments of CNN, that married ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/06/man-caves-mantuaries-the-antidote-to-the-fuzzy-toilet-seat/ When I was younger, I'd hear things like "a quarter of a million dollars" and marvel at how much money that must be. Oh, how times have changed! Most of the real estate in my own neighborhood goes for at least twice that, and plenty of the houses just blocks ... http://manolohome.com/2008/05/05/what-will-1-million-bucks-buy-these-days/