Great Glass at CB2

I got the CB2 catalog again this week and the new products include some beautiful hand-blown glass tableware at rock bottom prices.

This hand-blown glass "Infinity" bowl is currently on sale for $14.95 at CB2.com.

This minimalist, micro-thin barware runs from $1.50 - $2.50. The best news is that they are dishwasher safe. Marta barware at Cb2.com.

Weekend Shopper

Dallas has shopping options this weekend, whatever the weather.

Sunny Day:

Head over to the Make Urban Bazaar starting Friday, 6/2 at 5:00 PM and running through the weekend. Everything at this street sale is hand made. 2632 Thomas at Boll, Dallas.

While you're uptown, stop by Forty Five Ten for their once yearly sale featuring mark downs on select clothing and housewares. 4510 McKinney Ave., Dallas.

Overcast:

Make the drive up the Dallas North Tollway to Ikea. There's no better way to spend a grey day than in a bright blue box, especially if that box is not a drug induced fantasy, but a store filled with furniture and home decor. Oh, and they are having a sale through 6/11. 7171 Ikea Dr., Frisco.

Downpour:

Forget dodging parking lot puddles and let your mouse do the shopping. Hold Everything, the site featuring perfectly designed solutions for everyday messes, is having an online sale. Up to 75% off on products for every room in the house.

Tiny Art

If you are interested in putting something on your walls that won't show up at your neighbor's, you cousin's, and your sister-in-law's next week, check out Tiny Showcase. This site features a new limited edition run of an original artwork each week. Oh, and did I mention that the prints are about 4"x5" and cost $20? You can get a whole wall of tiny limited edition prints that pack a serious design wallop for a fraction of the cost of that sad 90s CD collection you keep in the back closet. As a bonus, most of the prints will fit in prefab frames. Most pieces seem to sell out quickly, so sign up for the free e-mail alert.

This week's print, shown above: "Buildings on Nicollet Island, 1921 - 1944" by Rebecca Silus. 4.25"x5.75" $20.00 (sold out).

Grasshopper Chair from CB2

An affordable and toned-down modern chair from CB2. The frame is powder-coated steel and the seat is made of woven plastic.

The Grasshopper
$59.95

The Art of House Keeping

Thought I might give this book reviewed on Apartment therapy a read. If something can claim to make housekeeping more enjoyable, it must be good. Plus, who can resist the opportunity to have spotless whites and the freshest fruits and vegetables while simultaneously giving old-school feminism the finger. ;)

Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House

Weekend in Austin

I spent the holiday weekend at my brother's house. He's renovating and needed a hand painting a stripe around the wall in his bathroom (more on the details of that project to come), but we managed to make a few shopping stops while in town. Our first stop was the new Whole Foods flagship store downtown.

Low Down on the Whole Foods Flagship:
Good: They have a great parking lot, which is a big deal in downtown Austin. The store has a great selection of produce and wine. They do have a small selection of housewares and clothing which were not particularly impressive but were very pricey. Towards the meat section, there is a shelving unit of kitchen wares that carries the typical fare with a few pleasant surprises like the dishes pictured above (Blue Roses tray, teapot, cups, and dessert plates by Rosanna: $29.99 - $39.99).
Bad: Whole Foods is super paranoid about their merchandise. I was politely told that it is against Whole Foods policy to write down the names, prices, or item numbers of their products. I guess they need to rethink their prominent yellow product labels, which featured all three pieces of protected info. Luckily, they did not see me snap this picture. I get the impression that photos are frowned upon.

Overall Store Rating (from a home-decor point of view):
Quality: 4 out of 5
Selection: 3 out of 5
Price Reasonability: 3 out of 5
Service: edgy

Our second stop was Mercury Design on 2nd. I stopped by to visit their Artomat (photos of the Styrogami art I bought from the machine below), but we stayed to shop their beautifully merchandised selection of accessories. Items ranged from Juliska glass candle sticks to a Roost carved deer head. The prices were extremely reasonable and the service was polite and helpful, despite the fact that I was toting an entourage of bored, disgruntled men making snide comments and my mom.

Overall Store Rating:
Quality: 5 out of 5
Selection: 4 out of 5
Price Reasonability: 4 out of 5
Service: commendable

Dean and Deluca Update

From the DMN's Shop Better Here blog:

Is Dean & DeLuca coming to Dallas? Well, we heard just now from D&D CEO Pat Roney, who tells us:
"The only thing we're saying at this point is that we're interested in Dallas. We're looking for a new location there. We don't have a location ID'd at this point, but we hope to be there sooner rather than later."
Of the hot Oak Lawn-Uptown area, he says: "The demographics of that area are strong," especially given its proximity to the disposable incomes of the Park Cities. Mr. Roney acknowledges that because Dallas is so well known as a foodie town, "We'd definitely like to be there -- that's an important area for us."
So ... more on this whenever there's something more to know.

Sale at Forty Five Ten

Starting June 1st, Forty Five Ten will host their once-a-year sale. The upscale Knox boutique will feature markdowns on select clothing and housewares.

4510 McKinney Ave.

Inexpensive Solution

I saw these brick hangers featured on Apartment Therapy. They're great for people with exposed brick inside their homes, but their also great for for the outside of your home. You could use them to hang lights, a wreath, or any other decorative item with out drilling. $9.99 for a set of 4.

Memorial Weekend Sales

Ikea: This sale is happening starting today and running through 6/11. 7171 Ikea Dr., Plano.

Horchow: Memorial weekend sale. 111 Customer Way, Irving.

Scott+Cooner's Warehouse Sale

What: Items like this Cassina sofa on sale this weekend.
Where: 1308 Dragon St.

Via the D Home and Garden Blog.

Ikea Summer Sale

I can't find any details, but Ikea's May calendar lists a Summer sale starting May 26 and running through June 11. A web reference to the Summer sale in the UK boasted 50% off.

Good Idea

Ikea drawer pulls as hooks...
Courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

Walls with Stuff

Textured wall tiles seem to be one of this year's trends. I have to wonder if this affect could be replicated directly on the wall or on a large piece of plywood to be installed as wall art? My best guess would be papier mache and some baubles from Sam Moon... I may have to give it a try.

Dean and Deluca Coming to Dallas?

Rumors are flying that Dean and Deluca, the posh NYC gourmet food spot, will be coming to Oak Lawn. See the DMN shopping blog for all the details that were fit to print.

Weekend Sales

Casa di Lino, the new luxury home boutique on Oak Lawn near Avondale, is now throwing an official grand opening, and sale. Offerings include fine Italian linens and home and bath accessories. Now through Wednesday, receive 15 percent off all purchases and special orders.
Casa di Lino, 4026 Oak Lawn Ave., 214-252-0404





West Elm's Web site is having a huge Summer sale. Save up to 50% on select modern furniture and accessories.

The Bodum store on Knox is still running their GOB sale. 50-70% off.
Bodum, 3103 Knox Street, 214-522-0800

Mesquite is for More than Smoking Meat

You can't really say that mesquite is making a comeback since it's never been used for much other than making BBQ, but Ann Sachs introduced a mesquite wood tile at the Chicago Kitchen/Bath Show which is making quite a splash as a resilient and naturally sustainable product. If you've ever tried to cut one down, you know that mesquite wood is extremely hard and the trees extremely tenacious. They will grow anywhere.

If you think this is a fluke, HGTV recently featured mesquite flooring on their "I Want That" program. Bottom line, big name designers beat us to the punch on making our prickley weed tree trendy. The worst part is, it's a great idea.

Make Urban Bazaar

This year's Urban Street Bazaar will feature the hand-crafted work of local designers. Products for sale will range from clothing and jewelry to furniture and wall art. Sponsored by local urban-crafting haven, Make, the Bazaar will take place June 2nd - 4th at Thomas and Boll. The event also features raffles, prizes, hands-on demonstrations, and a silent auction. For hours and details check www.urbanstreetbazaar.com or the Make site.

Sprouts Review

I stopped by the new Sprouts grocery store on Marsh and Forrest this weekend. The store is small, but they had all the 95% of the items on my list, including dried, unsweetened cherries (they didn't have light mayonnaise or toffee). The food prices were better than Whole Foods and on par with Central Market. The service was great - knowledgeable without being intimidating and very friendly. I will definitely be stopping by regularly.

Bodum Going Out of Business

The Bodum store on Knox is going out of business. Everything tea and them some is on sale 30%-70% off.