Botanicals Are The Way To Go

If April-May-June is the notorious floral season that creates spring fever in the human system, then what does one do when one has no time or energy to maintain and manage all the indoor household plants? After all, in springtime, everyone wants OUT. The Uttermost Company has a solution that will keep your home vibrant and flush with color and yet will remain easy on the house-tasking, for their large array of indoor botanicals is vast enough to enhance any room in the home. Botanicals can even be placed on a porch, sunroom or in a covered patio area. Whether you're seeking a large floral arrangement resembling a fresh delivery of live cut flowers or you prefer a zen-style basket with lushious green grass shoots, there's variety enough to keep even a florist-by-trade happy. One advantage to faux flowers? No bugs! Take a little cyber stroll through our botanical department and give a few the ol' house test. Safe for pets and easy to dust, this collection will have you happily flitting about your porch or patio - right into the summer!

Need to Replace Your Sink? Try Glass!

What could be a better way to get yourself inspired to redecorate that stale bathroom, than to gloss over a few stunningly designed glass sink bowls? We've come a long way baby, so the saying goes. Porcelain sinks have evolved into stone, copper, wood and now exquisitely carved glass. Paired with a simple nickel or chrome faucet, your bath room could take on a whole new look, even if you cheat and only end up replacing the sink! Available in a multitude of colors, shapes and designs, glass bowls are an exciting new thought for any bath re-design plans.

Don't Forget Fido on Xmas Day!

He'll forgive you if you're late on delivery...but don't even THINK about opening gifts in front of him, unless you have at least something 'on the way' for him. This year, we have a close-out sale on couture doggy beds! Treat your best friend AS your best friend because you know he'll love YOU unconditionally until his dyin' days! Now...doesn't best buddy deserve at least one posh gift at least once in his whole life? Hurry...there's only 80 left in stock!

Go Global Using Circular Designs

The world is round and in many factions of human society, the circle denotes completion, mastery and even globalization. That may be why we're seeing more and more circular styled furniture and rounded lighting options these days. One real treat fresh on the market is a brand new lighting department by Zuo Modern. Known mostly for their modular style furniture, over the years Zuo has managed to come up with some distinctive and long enduring circular designs, such as the round zen style bed, which remains popular to-date. However, this year they announced a new lighting series and lo and behold, one of their hot movers and shakers is a circular ball lamp that resembles, well....a modern flying saucer of sorts. As the human population downsizes and reduces product intake via economic challenges, people are beginning to get the fact that they don't really need alot of 'stuff' to be happy. And likewise, many are beginning to buy with a sharper eye - and clearer mindset with regards to how they are choosing to furnish their homes. Stylish simplicity has taken on a new appeal. In which case, round-ness is becoming trendy! Elitehomestyle.com has plenty of exciting new trends....so stop by and take a long leisurely look!

Baby You Can Light My Fire!

Somehow it happened, and no one's quite sure how, but SUMMER snuck right by and we're already flying into a cool Fall. Everything that summer made you forget about (such as having to heat your home) is now sneaking back into mindframe and...speaking of frames....did you know you can now get a real fireplace IN a frame and actually hang it on your wall? That's right! You can now sink quite comfortably into your living room couch and watch flickering flames on your wall, without having to call the fire department. Real Flame Co. has really put a fun new twist to the fireplace industry and their new flatscreen fireplaces may even begin to rival this season's football games. "TV tonight or flame watching, dear?" many spouses may ask their other halves. Depending on which half answers, we'd say it's a 50/50 bet that fire frames may be the night's choice!

Now That You've Gone AND Done It....

You did it. You committed yourself for life....to ONE other human soul on planet Earth! Congratulations! And now the work begins. Where to start? What to do? Where to find all those 'things' that one needs for a GREAT wedding reception?

It can feel overwhelming at first. But we're here to help you. We have the pretty party goods. We have lots of them! And we've got variety! So sit back for a bit and kick your shoes off. You can knock one more item off the list. Pull your laptop close, put a celebratory glass of champagne in your hands and peruse through all the happy favors you can bestow upon your guests. We've got whimsical. We've got spiritual. We've even got goodies for wine lovers. We might not be able to help you plan your event, but we can put a dent in the 'to do' list. B'cuz besides all the affordable party goods we've got, we've a whole store full of happy new home goods too!

Serenades or Dissention AmongThe Ranks?

Woof...woof, woof, WOOF, WOOF. WOOOOOF, woof, bark, bark, woof. Woof, woof...bark, bark, bark, bark, woof. Meow. WOOOOOOF Woof. Meow. WOOOF, Woof, WOOOOF, woof, woof! Bark. Yip, yip. Bark, bark. Yip. Woof, woof, woof. .......Meow. WOOOOOF! Bark, bark, Yip. Woof! Mew, mew. Howoooooollll! WOOF, WOOF! BARK, BARK! Yip, YIP!....Hissssssss......grrrrrr. Bark, bark, bark. Raheeeeeahhhooooow! ROW-ROW-OOOOOOOOL! Row-row-ooooooool! ROW-OOOOOOOOOL!!!!

Bedroom starting to feel a little crowded lately?

Perhaps a little pet bed from Santa would do the trick.

Baby.....She's Mine!

Gaggia, a world famous name in the coffee and espresso industry has quite a knack for giving the people just what they want. Not only are their extremely well built products designed for high performance, there is also a bit of sleek chic to their exterior design, no matter what machine you're viewing for purchase.

The 'Baby' line is one such example of classy design style. One of the most popular Gaggia products, year in and year out, the Baby is a highly reliable machine that comes in Black, Ivory and Brushed Stainless Steel. There's even a 'Baby Twin' and a Baby Class model, which are also best sellers.

If you LOVE your espresso and can't live without it...or know someone else who is a die-hard espresso fan, the Gaggia name and reputation, exceeds expectations. As any Mother would know... your baby is YOUR BABY... and the love NEVER dies!

It's REALLY a Kitty's World!

We've finally come to that greater awareness and risen to it....to the point that we have almost completely integrated home comfort for our pets on a full scale level. First it was a toy string or a card board box bed. Then as Sonia the Pet Psychic made animal reality alittle more clear, people across the globe began to actually 'think' about their pet's comfort. Little by little, merchandise was made and tested on the market. Somewhere in the past decade, it became a HUGE market as smart minded business people saw that pet owners would spend ANY AMOUNT on their pets! Now, a decade or so later, the proverbial cardboard box bed is considered 'barberic'. And so they have arrived - the hi-end products for pets! Here we feature such!

Bodum Tops Their Own 'So Kool' Record

We've been dealing with a really kool rep at Bodum for about 2 yrs now, and so we've had a chance to really get to know how they as a company truly function at customer service level. But like any happy relationship that often starts out in a cloud of fuzzy, Neptunian influence...not always do we see the true colors of those we fall in love with at first. Often, we find ourselves trying to pinpoint in our minds, exactly what that vague, darting feeling that 'all's not perfect in romanceland' really is, at about month three...when the honeymoon effect suddenly dissipates into thin air. And by then, we begin to rationalize that all's not perfect, no matter where we go...so we begin to settle for less. At least that's how it goes for most of us 'en relationship'.

But every once in awhile a shining star does manage to swoop down from the sky and over time, it stays as bright as the first time we laid eyes upon it. Bodum is one such star. Because not only do they manage to keep good people working for them for long periods of time (an uncommon theme in today's e-commerce industry), but they also continuously seem to produce product that outshines and out kools their last year's so-neato stock. This year Bodum kicked it up a notch and made EVEYTHING kool!

Bright, breezy, poppy and slick is this year's theme and it's working apparently. As a company they are roariously popular, like Ikea once was when they first launched. We got ahold of their newest line of goods just recently and the charge one gets from feasting eyes on so many stylish new items rivals a July 4th fire-sky finale.

The funny thing about hip items is that no words be used. Tote a Bodum travel mug around and just see how many people you draw to you. We don't formally recommend this, but perhaps merely suggest that those who have trouble getting a date, start furnishing their work wardrobe with a kool Bodum coffee mug. Cuz all the girls in the office will want to know where you got it and get this...they'll be drawn to come and ask you...point blank. How much better could things get?

June...Is All About HIM!

As if the world didn't already know that society at large revolves around the minds and doings of men... we thought we'd rub in the idea that this month - it's ALL ABOUT THE MEN. In particular...it's all about the ones who pro create little men so that our world may stay populated and sometimes... downright jam packed in certain areas of the world. In June, a complimentary societal habit of ours is to reward the men of the planet their just due. Thus, in the name of their exclusively gendered brand of 'planetary seed sewing' and worldly contributions.... we have just a few neat nick knacks that we think YOUR MEN would love!

After all, if a man can't busy himself all day long with tinkering, building, collecting, tackling, achieving or conquering...what's a man to do? Some ex-wives might even ask, what are they good for all together? Yet most of the Mothers of the world need only look down at Daddy's little girls and see that brightness and beauty and even world enlightenment can evolve out of the 2 year old terrors that abound presently at their feet. At EHS, and on behalf of all the Father's of the world, we've dedicated a section to the man you love to love! We've got an arsenal of outdoor grills, wine glasses, yard and garden goodies and yes, even the proverbial couch.... where he can snore away to his heart's content.

What ELSE could a man want?

A Return To All Things Organic

Is it just an age thing or is the electronic age making all of us fuzzy-minded? Back in the early 50's and 60's, daily life was quite simple and organic. Just tap in and watch an old 'Mayberry RFD' or 'Leave It To Beaver' re-run if you didn't actually live thru it. You'll get an instant sense of 'clean, healthy living' when it wasn't actually labeled that. Yikes! What 40 in-between years can do!

Ipods, computers, cell phones and 'texting' are such the rage...but at what price shall our bio-energetic human bodies pay for all the 'time saving' products we've invented? While we madly attempt to drive, put on make-up, text a pal and dictate into our voice activated devices, we think we're so-o-o-efficient. But at the end of the day, we're all scrambling to health clubs and yoga studios and attempting to prod our overly burdened bodies to suddenly, in 1 hour flat, de-stress.

Just what is wrong with being simple minded and sitting by a river with a fishing pole anyway? One way to go back to easy living is to go cold turkey. Let it all go. Get a li'l ol turntable, a few records and dance on the porch with your honey. You may have to wake up the next morning to the ol' ratrace all over again, but for one night...one simple, humble and ordinary night....you can just 'be' that. Simple, easy-going and actually relaxed!

Then 'We'll sing in the sunshine....we'll laugh every day-aa-ya-yeah...we'll sing in the sunshine...then I'll be on my way!' OK. Quick trivia! Who wrote and sang that song? No cheating on the internet! Exercise your MEMORY or engage in actual human relations and ask 'Pops'.

The Many Things One Can Do With A Big Pot

Confession time. Have a seat and speak boldly through the semi opaque confessional as your Priest urges you to come to truth. The truth is; you've used your big pot for MORE than just cooking. The truth will set you free. Confess.

Your faithful old pot. It's been with you for decades. It's been through spaghetti-thin times and fat, roasty times with you. And it has a few secrets of it's own. Oh, if only pots could talk. Pot would say that it was used to save the leaky roof from ruining the rug. It was used to soak a foot when a child was stung by a bee. It was used to haul dirt, and even as a pail for scrubbing floors. It held a moldy casserole that you absentmindedly left in the oven for a few days.

It was what you used to carry the poor dead canary to it's backyard resting place. Yes, POT KNOWS things you haven't even told your best friend. Now that you've confessed and cleared the decks of your consciousness, maybe it's time for a new set. Start fresh. Create new memories. We break up with our boyfriends and husbands. You can break up with your pot. Grab a bottle of wine if you think you'll need help getting through the loss. But do it. Be bold this year. Put your old pot to rest. Bury it right next to the beloved canary. After all, it WAS a sacred ceremonial vessel at one time past, whether it was designed to be...or not.

The Bamboo Rev-O-LUTION!

Long, long ago our Western Way of thinking about bamboo was akin to the movie, 'The King and I'. Bamboo was known only to be a vaguely foreign idea hailing clear from 'the other side of the world'. As the sixties and seventies bloomed, bamboo became a sort of cult style hippie kool thing and pieces of it made their debut as carved ash trays, baskets, clucky wind chimes and swinging, groovin' doorway beads.

Fast forward 20 years and human beings have once again, topped themselves in terms of utter creativity regarding their usage of bamboo reeds. Now we've learned how to shred it into the softest, most luxurious shag rugs known to mankind.

Forget the bunny slippers, these shags are even snugglier! Yul Brenner may have made bare feet fashionable in the fifties, and Woodstock hippies may lay total claim to the au-natural eco-craze. But Anji Mountain bamboo shags take us right into the next century...cuz they're eco-friendly, ssssso ssssooothing on the feet and so very 2010 chic!

A Summer Water HEAD'S UP!

This morning we're going to take a reflective moment to focus on the importance of water. Why? Mainly because your humble blog writer stumbled upon a Yahoo article about our drinking water this morning. And it's a great reminder of how much we depend on it. After all; we bathe in it, we drink it, we cook with it, we lounge by it, we play in boats on it, we snorkel and explore within it AND it is one of the MOST VITAL items we NEED to survive. So here's a few fun water tips for the summer!

Drink smart! Do lots of water. Not soda. Not beer. Not kool aid. Do water tinted with mint leaves from the garden...or with lemon or lime...or with green tea...or with ice and a cherry. Be smart about your water.

Cook smart! Doing a lot of outdoor BBQ's this summer? Remember to have a fast access source of water nearby. Even if some just sits in a kitchen pot right next to your grill. Better safe than sorry.

Work smart! Stuck indoors too much this fine summer? Refresh yourself occasionally. Step into the bathroom, take a two minute break and splash your face! You'll be amazed at how revived you'll feel!

Play smart. If you're going to lounge and soak sun all day by the pool, make sure you take an occasional dip to cool off your body temperature.

Water is a great BIG part of our lives. Taking a moment to be grateful might just amp up greater awareness as to how and if we are efficiently using one of Mother Earth's greatest resources.

Rebuild Your Health On A Summer Tea Diet

Tea therapy has been around for centuries and everyone knows it has healing properties. But what does it really do? Recent studies declare black tea a potential heart tonic, cancer blocker, fat buster, immune stimulant, arthritis soother, virus fighter and cholesterol detoxifier. Wow! Not bad for a shrub that needs only be steeped in hot water.

The Boston University School of Medicine has had heart patients drink either plain water or four cups of black tea daily. In a month, impaired blood vessel functioning improved about 50% in the black tea drinkers. TF-2, the newly discovered anti-cancer compound in black tea, suppresses the Cox-2 gene that triggers inflammation, says research at Rutgers. And Milton Schiffenbauer of Pace University found that black and green tea deactivates viruses, including herpes.

So it doesn't matter that you pig out all summer long - as long as you drink your daily brew of tea. Boil it, fridge it, drink it and pee out all life's impurities! It doesn't take a scientific experiment to figure out that a little iced tea brew this summer can do your body a whole lot of good!

Where Will YOU Be on July 4th?

The wonderful thing about a holiday is that we are collectively FORCED to take a break, despite whatever stress is going on in our everyday lives. A 'holiday' gives us a great excuse to goof off and re-gain inner peace and tranquility - sans guilt. It doesn't matter that the Friday night turnpike to the shore is jammed to the max, or that the serene beaches are suddenly saturated with ant-like crawling creatures called 'other humans'; or even that there's an hour-line-wait at the concession stand just to get a Coca Cola.

No siree, when humans party on a holiday they go all out. And funny thing! They do it all together - all at once. Maybe the Hundredth Monkey Syndrome IS an actual scientific fact. After all, does anybody do ANYTHING different for a change during holiday time? If it's not a backyard picnic, or a jaunt to the shore cottage or an attempt to remain incognito as one snoops thru the neighbohood's garage sales - what else CAN a person do?

If you're not one of the lucky ones and you're limited to the backyard this year, that's ok! Just grab a few lounge chairs, a few friends, a few beers and swat knats all night. Lucky thing it's the fireworks holiday, cuz no matter where we may be stationed in life -we'll all be looking up on the 4th. Happy Independance Day y'all!

Watch Out Pots, There's a New Pan in Town!

It doesn't matter whether you're a bumbling boob at the kitchen countertop or if you're Top Chef's next meaty competitor! Nobody wants to cook with a cruddy old pan.

Does your collection hang proudly off a bronzed designer hanging rack or do you still stuff the mish mash of 20 yr old embarrassing, flame stained, greasy handle teflon pans into the bottom cubboard? Fess up people. We know you do!

There's a thing called Redemtion that has a mighty satisfactory ring to it. Now you can dress up your kitchen with a huge array of pots and pans in a Peterpan-like spray of rainbow of colors, sizes and types so eye catching that you'll not even flinch at throwing away the ratty buds who served you so well for so many decades. Everything is so affordable these days!

Go ahead! Retire them. Make a birdbath out of one if you're Earth conscious. Just get those nasties out of your cabinets before the next guests arrive. Because even a bumbling boob can put on a good show!

Create Your Mini Burning Man Festival!

Once a year, tens of thousands of participants gather to create Black Rock City in Nevada's Black Rock Desert; dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance. They depart one week later having left no trace whatsoever.

The celebration of Burning Man's annual fire ceremony began in 1986, created by Larry Harvey and Jerry James. For the next four years, its annual fire party was held at Baker Beach in San Francisco.

Over the decades this wee little fire burning ceremony has become a symbolic refuge for hundreds of thousands of people who trek in from all over the world each year to participate. Perhaps you just couldn't squeeze yet one more vacation in this year. Perhaps you've got visiting relatives and can't leave the homestead. What's a home owner to do?

Create your own little bit of backyard ceremony with these personal sized burning stones. After all, fire is fire whether you're burning a stone or a stick man. Dance around your little fire. Sing songs. Roast marshmallows. Tell ghost stories. Do anything you want...just so long as it's of a celebratory nature. After all...summer is flying by and you don't want to miss out on all the fun!

Summertime Booty Call!

Nobody wants to admit it but the fact is; no human 'behind' is the same. Like snowflakes, our booty factor can range from mountainous to barren; as in the flat plains of Ehtiopia. And when a human squats or sits; whatever geographical location it might resemble, it's bound to spread even more!

Chair manufacturers never address the 'booty call' head on. They'll advertise with words such as 'comfort & style', or 'softness & affordability' but the bottom line is; nobody will 'out' the fact that furniture shopping is really, just a booty call! Booty wants to rest! Booty wants to feel good! What booty wants...booty gets!

The plain truth of it is, we're all so differently made that the only thing one can do when shopping, is to be sure there is a WIDE VARIETY of styles to choose from. Because when booty gets tired and wants to relax - that cute little chair better not ONLY provide adequate acomodations, it should also create a womb-like embrace that cradles us in the place it counts most - back there!

Summertime is the time to sit back and relax. For family members who don't share the same genetic features; at Elite Homestyle, there's a little 'booty soothing' for everyone!