Home Decor

This frame features a beautiful clock on the inside. As such, it's wonderful for a desktop, where it keeps a photo of loved ones close by, and can also tell you how long until you get to see them again. ;) Frames are always such a nice gift at Christmas, and are usually a really affordable option.

This picture frame is meant to store your family photos. And the mat has the letters shaped so that they form the word "Family". It's a very cute idea, and your family will like it a lot. This would make a great gift too, for a new family that's just starting out.

This picture frame lets you see your child's growth throughout the years. Put a photo in each slot, and then, as they get older, remove some, so that it is one year per space. There are twelve spaces, plus one large photo, so you have enough for quite a few years. It's such a great gift for some parents who are celebrating their first Christmas with a new baby.

Beginning next week and running through Christmas Eve, I will be presenting a gift idea each day. These will give you some ideas on what to get various family members. I will try and make sure I've got something for everyone, and you'll have such a wide range of choices that it will be difficult to decide.

This cake pan has eight small areas that make cakescicles. Insert a small stick in each, and you've got a yummy baked treat, rather than a yummy frozen one.

This cake pan is used to make a checkerboard cake. If you're not familiar, when you cut into it, it has layers of white cake and chocolate cake, mixed in a checkerboard pattern.

To use it, you make two mixes. Then, insert the plastic thing with three rings. Pour white into one ring, chocolate into the next ring, and then white into the final one. Lift the insert out, rinse it, and put it into the next pan. For this one, you want to reverse the order. If you've got white/chocolate/white, you want to do chocolate/white/chocolate. Lift it out, wash it off, and go back to white/chocolate/white. When you assemble the cake after it's baked, you stack them so they alternate. That way, when you cut into the cake, it will all be in the right order.

This cake pan is shaped like a giant cupcake. In fact, I think it would be especially cool to pour muffin mix in, and have an enormous blueberry muffin. Can you imagine the muffin top on that one?!?

This cake pan has three small cake pans that build a three level cake. These are small versions, so be forewarned that if you're looking for something like a wedding cake, this isn't going to work.

What I think would be especially clever with this one is to use it for a wedding cake, but do a small one at each table (or for each person depending on the size). Then, you have a larger one at the bride and groom's table.

This cake pan features a 9 car train design. I've never seen one that's quite as extensive as that. I love the idea, and I know my son would really love this cake. What I think would be cool is to make this, plus a mountain cake with one of those decorative bundt pans. Decorate them both, and really get into the fun.

Radiohead is one of the coolest bands around. So why not have a poster of them. Personally, I try to avoid the bands and movie posters, but I've gotta admit, this is fairly cool.

I've been looking for something like this for a while. These blocks are really pretty, and very simple. It would look amazing in my living room.

Warning, you'd better know how to frame it. The size is so unusual that you're never going to find a ready made frame for it.

This Catcher in the Rye poster is really interesting. I love the idea of using book covers as art. I mean, we've got movie posters as art, we've got album covers as art. Why not books?

I'll beg if I have to!!

This poster has Ralph Steadman's version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. And yes, I think it fits.

"This is bat country."

A few of my readers know that I'm an artist's assistant and an artist. Just today, I applied for my first juried show, and I can't wait to see if I get in. I've done a few other shows in local galleries, and it's so strange for me to be launching this career. It's just not something I ever saw myself doing professionally.

Naturally, I'm really into the art scene. I love looking at different artist's work, and seeing all the cool things that people can create and make. And I love buying new pieces to hang on my walls, or decorate my home with. I'm sure I'm not alone. That's why I wanted to tell you guys about a gallery I found. It's an online gallery, and they have an incredible selection. In fact, it's one of the only places I found that has some extremely large paintings for an affordable price. I have one wall where I need an incredibly large size painting. But naturally, those are usually so expensive, and usually, they aren't quite to my tastes. Well, WhiteWalls has a painting of a wild tree that is 68"X48". Perfect!!