From Julie:

For the uninitiated, Piet Hein Eek is a Dutch designer celebrated for his use of scrap materials in creating compellingly naive, yet somehow refined and sophisticated, furniture. The prolific designer has added children’s pieces such as bunkbeds, high chairs, and wardrobes to his repertoire:

Have you ever seen anything as good as this?

Parisian Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich from Ginger Elizabeth

I think I've died and gone to heaven.

Have some Ice Cream this weekend!

Not much for cooking myself, I seem to be doing quite well making friends with those who are willing to occasionally feed me! One such person is Megan B., whose culinary skills get a marvelous workout on the fresh seafood available locally. Though I will attest that these crab cakes taste amazing even when you used canned crab. –Mary T.

This dish was born in a tiny hotel room with a kitchenette during one of our first vacations to Seattle (which we now call home). We were fortunate enough to visit smack dab in the middle of Dungeness crab season, and seeing all of those beautiful crabs at the market inspired me to make these cakes. The sweet Pacific crab is what this dish was originally made with, though any crab you can get your hands on will suffice. Trust me, I’ve even made them with the high-quality canned stuff and they turned out super tasty. Make sure you make the relish in advance — in fact, make more. It’s awesome on top of grilled halibut or chicken breasts or just with tortilla chips! –Megan B. Click for Megan’s recipes!

Crispy Cilantro Crab Cakes (serves 6-8 as appetizer, 4 as entree)
1 lb. lump crab meat
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 egg, whisked
Salt and pepper to taste (approx. 1/2 tsp salt)
Grape seed or canola oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl, combine crab, Panko and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and fold in the egg. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes. Form mixture into 6-8 patties. Make sure to press firmly; they take a bit of force to hold them together. Pan fry in 1/4 inch grape seed or canola oil over medium high heat, approx. 4 minutes per side or until nicely golden brown (careful not to burn yourself on the flip). Serve hot with mango jalapeno relish. You can also assemble the cakes a few hours in advance and fry them right before serving.

Mango Jalapeño Relish
1 ripe mango, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup jalapeño (jarred in brine) diced
1/2 lemon, juiced

Combine ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Let marinate at least 30 minutes or overnight, if desired. The longer it rests, the better!

For example there was a pair of traditional drum tables flanking the sofa in the Living Room that he topped with organic tree trunk lamps. Very unexpected, but it gives the space a humorous edge. Instead of the expected Oriental area rug, he uses a goatskin rug to change things up a bit.

In the Family Room, he uses soothing light colors with just one punch of color in the art to expand the smallish space into something that seems much larger. Gorgeous!

For many more photos from the Wick Design Group's portfolio, be sure to check out this post from Desire to Inspire.

I believe I have a new crush!

Trish Beaudet - Owner and Designer of Finishing Touches Interiors by Design, Inc.

D. Paul DeRouen - Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Profession: Architectural Designer

Matt Locke - Bachelor's degree in history from Princeton. Current Job: Designer

Michael Stribling - Interior design major from Wade College. Current Job: Interior Designer/Business Owner

Jennifer Bertrand - Bachelor of Arts in education with an emphasis in ceramics; master's degree in teaching and leadership from University of Kansas. Current Job: Interior Decorator/Owner of Bertrand Designs

Tracee Dore - Bachelor of Arts in interior design from the University of Kentucky. Current Job: Residential and Commercial Interior Designer and Builder/Renovator, Tracee Dore and Company

Jerome Scottie Miller - Master of Science in civil engineering from North Carolina A&T State University. Current Job: Regional Property Manager at Charlotte/Mecklenburg County Schools.

Mikey Verdugo - High school diploma from Hialeah High School. Current Job: Police Officer

Posted by Jodi

I was recently preparing my house for a friend’s baby shower when I noticed the non-curtained French doors in the den provided a great view for guests to my not-so-neat bedroom.

It’s the kind of thing you don’t think of until the door bell is about to ring.

My quick fix: I took a few of my son Sammy’s paintings from our massive collection and taped them neatly with white artist’s tape to the back of the doors.

It was meant to be a temporary solution, but my husband and I love it. (We know we are biased.) I might even laminate the art so I can hang the masterpieces neatly with some tiny eyelets on cup hooks.

Since there is a lot of Sammy art where that came from, we often have “art shows� at our house. (His teacher told me that he “uses up more paper than anyone in the class.�) I was proud, even though I’m not sure it was meant as a compliment.

Our shows are installed in hallways, on doors, and strung on clotheslines under the mantle. One “piece� that is on permanent display over our mantle is a series of his first people drawings collaged and hung in one of Ikea’s “NYTTJA� frames.

They come in lots of colors and sizes. The one above is the large (19 ¾� x 27 ½�) orange one and it’s only $7.99! (One downside with the frame is the plexiglass starts to bow and sag after a while. I plan to replace it with glass.)

Collaging a bunch of your child’s artwork is a great way to capture a series and create a larger piece of art.

Now that my younger son, Lionel, is starting to draw himself, we may have to move to a place with more walls!

Posted by Scott

If you are like me and have terrible sneezing fits in the middle of the night, why not treat yourself to one of these guys i found on Etsy?

Optic Blossom

Wallflower

Blue Wallflower

At least you'll be sneezing bedside in style.

I like the lighthearted playfulness of these three, but there are a ton to choose from. Check them out!

It's as simple as soap and water. It's all you need for most outdoor furniture. You may want to ...pick up a power washer.

• Acrylic Cushions
• Resin Furniture - Resin furniture is easy to clean. Spray off dirt and grime and let dry. If there are scuff marks, use a gentle abrasive to remove. To remove mildew, follow the instructions above.
• Wicker -You can use a hose or pressure washer.
• Wrought Iron, Steel Frames & Aluminum -Use mild soap and water to clean.
• Fabric
• Umbrellas
• Wooden Furniture

The only maintenance we recommend for your teak furniture is occasional cleaning. This should be done with a mild soap (such as gentle hand cleaning soap) and warm water to preserve its natural elements.

Chat tables are new this year, says Jan Booth of Patioworld in Fresno. These tabletops are higher than coffee tables but lower than dining tables. "It's high enough that you can put a cup there, but it's not like sitting at a dining table," she says.

Mesh on metal or wood pieces: Patio pieces that have mesh-type material over metal or wood frames also are popular.

"You can lay a towel on it or go without a towel, and you can lie on it. You don't stick to (the mesh), and it's very comfortable. You don't lie there and get sweat on your back and tush."