WE SPOTTED IT
Designer Laurie Beckerman's previously introduced Tete-a-Tete rocker for two garnered a lot of buzz at the latest International Contemporary Furniture Fair, but for ssssssheer sass, we prefer her new Cobra Desk.
Made of satin stainless and glass (29.5 inches high and deep, 42 inches wide) , the top of the coiled legs serve as pencil holders. Her inspiration? "It's not that I like snakes per se, but I think that they are sexy, or their movements are. I wanted the snakes to appear as if they are poised to lunge." Besides, Beckerman says, "it makes writing checks into something special." $9,520, Laurie Beckerman Design, www.lauriebeckerman.com.
DO IT NOW
If you're heading out of town on vacation, make sure you add a layer of mulch to your garden beds. That'll help hold in the moisture when you're not there to water. A 2- to 3-inch layer of shredded leaves, bark, cocoa bean hulls or dried grass clippings will work for beds. Don't forget to mulch containers with an inch or so of mulch.
Speaking of containers, you'd be wise to group containers together in a shady site. Pots -- even those filled with sun-loving plants -- can dry out very quickly.
Give your plants a good, slow soak before you head out. And if you'll be gone more than four or five days, ask a neighbor to water for you.
HOT TICKET
If you're hanging around town for a "staycation," check out the "Treeology" exhibit at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska. The exhibit features an Art 'n' Trees Trail, with 18 art installations inspired by trees, an audio tour of 15 outstanding trees on the arboretum grounds and the Tree Discovery Zone, an outdoor tree-care lab. The exhibit is free with gate admission of $7 for adults, free for members and ages 14 and under. 952-443-1400, www.arboretum.umn.edu.
WEB WATCH
Billing itself with the underline, "if decor is your porn, this is your blog," it offers a mix of free associations on style, street fashion, fabric, color, celebrities and products. Don't be put off by self-absorbed musings; keep digging for great posts on topics from flea market finds to the shortcomings of decor magazines.
