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Archive: Bedroom

Stray Dog Designs.

Posted by etipton – April 4, 2008 8:48 AM

Usually a stray dog is a bad thing, but I will gladly offer my home to any of the items from Stray Dog Designs. Checking out the products from the Green Home this week, I noticed time after time, a lot of my favorites were from Stray Dog Designs.

I loved the crab, and I may redecorate my den around this adorable lamp.

The Stray Dog Design story began with newlyweds fleeing to Mexico, who found a stray dog and a new career importing Mexican pottery. Eventually they came back to Lookout Mountain, Tennessee and opened up shop once again. Their items are handmade with careful construction from quality and recycled materials. You can view all of their contributions to the house here.

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State your pride.

Posted by etipton – February 21, 2008 4:53 PM

Show your state pride with these wonderful hand-embroidered pillows. These pillows were well-researched, and contain sites, cities and culture with flair. Buy one to celebrate your home state or favorite vacation state. Give one to your friend that, while they moved away twenty-five years ago, they still consider Texas home. A great addition to any room, these pillows feature black, velvet piping and a soft polyfill. Priced around $135.

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Nothing to sneeze at.

Posted by etipton – January 16, 2008 9:01 AM

Am I the only one who hates Kleenex boxes? Most of the boxes have ugly florals or patterns that have no style. You stand in the store thinking, “which of these boxes can I tolerate for the next six months?” This simple ring fixes all your problems. Part paper weight, part portable hole, Toro is made of ultra-hygienic stainless steel. The ring's absurd simplicity is actually the result of a carefully-engineered balance of weight and size; just right to let one tissue through at a time while staying firmly planted on the stack. What a concept! Priced less than $25.
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A few more Dream Home items.

Posted by etipton – January 10, 2008 12:20 PM

Ethan Allen has so many nice products they are putting in the HGTV Dream Home. I love all the natural grasses. It looks so clean and neat. The colors go with most decor, and really add warmth to a room. Ethan Allen has this great woven log basket. Handwoven in Hapao, this basket, with rattan handles, is perfect for storage. This would be perfect at our house for recycling old newspapers and magazines. Priced less than $140.
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I also love this set of two trunks made from abaca and seagrass. These two natural fibers are woven together to form a ropelike strand around a wooden frame. The boxes are large enough to be used to store books, magazines or files. I mean, do you really want other people knowing you subscribe to People, Ok and Star magazines? Priced less than $190 for the set of two.

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Bring the dream home.

Posted by etipton – January 9, 2008 9:54 AM

Only one lucky viewer will win the HGTV Dream Home, but we can all bring a little bit of the dream to our house. This seashell has an aged stone finish and comes on an iron stand in small or medium sizes. I thought these would look great on a shelf with some pictures from our last trip to the beach. The small seashell is priced around $40.

The medium seashell is priced around $60.
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If you are not looking for anything beachy, this beautiful copper bowl will bring a fresh look to any room. It has hand-hammered texture and the flared top along with a dark oxidized finish. Priced less than $65.

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Sound the alarm.

Posted by etipton – September 11, 2007 11:02 AM

Our smoke detectors have been going off a lot lately. High temperatures can shorten battery life, so I'm not sure if it is the hot weather or my cooking that has been sounding the alarm. Why is it that the batteries in a smoke detector always die around 4 a.m.? Whenever the smoke or carbon monoxide detector sounds, you have to attend to it and make sure nothing is wrong. After the 4 a.m. sound-off, my candle got a little too smoky the other night and set it off again. When I changed the battery I noticed a little spot that had room to write the date. Apparently you are supposed to replace smoke detectors every 10 years. I did not know that.

Smoke detectors are not very expensive, and you should have more than one in your home. There should be, at a minimum, one installed on every floor of your home. It is best to place them near the bedrooms, and if you are a heavy sleeper, maybe even inside each bedroom. It is also helpful to have a smoke detector in the kitchen, laundry room, garage and in stairwells. These are places that have increased fire risk. If you cannot afford a smoke detector, most fire stations have some for free or at a reduced cost. So whether you need additional detectors, or it is time to replace yours, basic smoke detectors start around $5.

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Safe sounds.

Posted by etipton – September 10, 2007 10:41 AM

They have recently discovered that kids don't respond as well to traditional smoke detectors. You may have noticed this if your child uses a beeping alarm clock. This Vocal Smoke Alarm uses three different alarms to awaken your child, and since you can record the audio message in your voice, your child will hear his name spoken in a recognizable tone. The Vocal Smoke Alarm includes an alarm tone, a vocal message, and a bright light ring that illuminates during drills. In case of an alarm, your child is three times more likely to respond. Priced less than $40.
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The extra touches.

Posted by etipton – August 16, 2007 12:50 PM

When I lived in the dorm, one of the first things we did after moving into the dorm was head out to the local hardware depot and get four cinder blocks to raise our beds. At the end of the year everyone threw them away because they were too hard and heavy to store. I suspect that the maintenance staff used them to add onto their homes every spring. Someone decided there had to be an easier way and created these bed risers. By raising your bed a few inches you get more valuable storage space. Be sure to check with your university, though: some schools no longer allow cinder blocks or bed risers for “safety reasons.” Priced less than $30 for the set.
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Most dorm rooms only have two or three electrical outlets, and with all the new gadgets you need multiple surge-protected plugs. The Powersquid gives you the flexibility to plug in large items without losing valuable outlet space. Priced around $20.

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TOGA! TOGA!

Posted by etipton – August 14, 2007 1:04 PM

When something looks or smells like a fraternity house, visions of Animal House come to mind. Keep your living quarters from smelling like a pig pen with this dorm odor eliminator. It contains volcanic, 100 % odorless minerals that attack undesirable smells, keeping air fresh and pleasant. It lasts for years! Which is good news since that is how long you plan on staying in college. Priced less than $10.
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CHARGE!

Posted by etipton – May 10, 2007 8:49 AM

At our house we have one cell phone charging on the bookshelf. Another cell phone is charging on the dresser, and anything else that needs charging goes in the bathroom. We do not have a lot of easily accessible outlets. I hate the look of cords and wires everywhere. It reminds me of the silly string children use. It is a big mess.
This valet allows you to neatly charge up to three electronic devices, or store them when not in use. You also have easy access to the cord if you need to take a device with you to work or out of town. Conquering Clutter one step at a time. It is also a nice Father's Day gift. Available in cherry or black. The charging valet is priced under $50.