Perfect showerhead for a rustic bathroom

...Also could be perfect for the shower of an antique lover. Or for a bathroom with a garden theme.

Saw this on The Cozy Old Farmhouse on Blogger (have the feeling they must be kindred spirits) and thought it was a great idea to share:

Teddy Bears

What's more cuddly than a teddy bear? 
Not too much. That's why we wanted to feature some special teddy bears in this post. 

According to the Guinness World Records,
the world's largest stitched Teddy Bear is: 

55 ft 4 in in length and was constructed by Dana Warren 
The bear was completed on 6 June 2008 and displayed at the Exploration Place, Wichita, Kansas,
The bear was named C.T. Dreams, which stands for Connect The Dreams.

Unfortunately, we couldn't find any photos of the bear. If you have one or no of any links, please let us know. Thanks!

Also according to Guinness,
the smallest commercially available stitched teddy bear:
Measures 9 mm (0.29 in) and was made by Cheryl Moss of South Africa.

As for the World's Cutest Teddy Bear? Well, that depends on who you ask. And, just based on this screen shot of Google images for Teddy Bears, there's a lot of competition out there. But feel free to submit your favorite Teddy Bear in our comments section.

Levitating lights

You know that we here at Soft and Cozy are fascinated by all kinds of gorgeous lighting and these "levitating lamps" from A TouchO'Modern are no exception.

Given their price, however, we're going to consider these wish list items as opposed to items for creating a comfy home on a budget.

https://www.touchofmodern.com/sales/crealev--2

Cozy home decoration for the pet lover

 Everybody say "awwwwe!" These are so cute!

Recycled Rascar and Rover. Both made from tightly woven, recycled newspaper. $149 each.


From ViviTerra

Circular couches provide an extra cozy place to relax

In our never-ending search for comfy living room furniture, we stumbled upon the circular couch, which, when compared with traditional couches, seems as if it would save some space in general. Use the extra room for cozy knickknacks or other furniture. Or, just enjoy the minimalist approach. 


Circular sofas also seem to lend themselves to more of an intimate connection or good place to curl up alone than the traditional modular shaped couches. 

Here are some examples:

Photo from: http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/modern-black-leather-circular-sectional-sofa-circle

Photo from: http://www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/DAC-ART/leather-sofas.html

 We love this idea of pairing the circular couch with a circular rug for an even more cohesive feel. Photo from: http://freshome.com/2010/05/27/26-wonderful-living-room-design-ideas/

And there are brightly colored options too for a more lively, but still comfy, environment. The above example is featured on: http://sofadesignidea.blogspot.com/

So, the next time you're in the mark for a new couch (sofa), think outside the box. You might find yourself achieving a whole new level of comfort, intimacy and relaxation in the living room.

The magic of window seats

One of the most romantic and relaxing elements of a cozy home is a window seat.

Check out this one from tyid.tv/window-seats/:

But, window seats are often overlooked because they're pricey. However, here are a couple of suggestions for installing a window seat on a budget:

1) Check out this Rush Grass Storage Bench from Amazon.com. The cost is only $69 and the bench is available in a variety of colors. Place in front of a window, add some pillows and viola! A window seat that will go with a lot of decors AND budgets. http://www.amazon.com/Rush-Grass-Storage-Bench-Color/dp/B004CKE3TI/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1339283529&sr=8-11

2) Priced at $154.75 is this charming SEI White Bench with Brown Baskets, also available at Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/SEI-White-Bench-Rattan-Baskets/dp/B001B57UE2/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1339284086&sr=8-33

3) Numerous other examples can be found on the Internet, but, if you don't want to spend a lot of money or don't have a window that a seat would work with, you can still incorporate the idea of a window seat into your home.

One suggestion: For $6.50, you can buy Window Seat and Lily 7x5 inch greeting cards (pack of 2) and frame one to use as a hanging in the bedroom other other room in the house meant for relaxation.
http://www.amazon.com/Window-Seat-Lily-Timothy-Easton/dp/B007MYX1OE/ref=sr_1_53?ie=UTF8&qid=1339284333&sr=8-53

Edible Book Festival

If you're looking for a fundraising idea that is both different and also attention-getting, try an Edible Book Festival.

The idea is to have people enter their culinary creations that are somehow tied to a particular book but also edible.

Entrants can win prizes in various categories (such as most clever, least edible, children's book category, best use of materials, etc.).

The audience or people who attend come because they're curious about the ideas entrants have come up with. And also because people love food. It's sort of like a bake sale with a twist.

The entries are also bid on in a silent auction, which is how funds are raised.

For more about Edible Book Festivals, go to:

www.books2eat.com

You can also try an Edible Book Party, meaning you can invite friends to create their own edible books to bring to the party, present prizes in various categories and then have everyone try out the entries buffet-style. 

Below are some examples:

Above image from: http://library.law.wisc.edu/wisblawg/images/ediblebooks1.jpg

http://libraries.uc.edu/information/news/pressrelease/images/ediblebks07-038.jpg

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/techsrv/images/ediblebooks2_2.jpg

Check out Hungry Happenings for great holiday food ideas.

With Spring upon us, we went in search of some fun spring foods and boy did we find some great ideas at Hungry Happenings!



One of our favorite ideas for a fun and healthy Spring snack or meal:
Crescent Carrots Filled With Egg Salad


Probably somewhat less healthy, but totally adorable:

Chocolate Bunny Silhouettes - a.k.a. Backside Bunnies


For recipes for both and so much more, check out HungryHappenings.com.

The hype about thread count: Is it true?

One of the most important elements of a cozy home is a comfy bed. So, we were wondering, does a high thread count (and its usually corresponding high price) mean a better night's sleep?

Here are some interesting facts we found out from http://www.linenplace.com/product_guide/truth_about_thread_count.html
•"Thread count is simply the number of threads per square inch of fabric. These consist of vertical threads (warp) and horizontal threads (weft) woven together."

•"In a quality product, the incremental comfort value of thread counts over 300 is very little. A 300 thread count can feel far superior to a 1000 thread count."

•"There is no simple answer to the thread count...; there are thousands of combinations that will make a beautiful product."

•"At Linenplace, we do our best to present you with all the information you need to find the product that's right for you. We would like to encourage our customers to focus less on thread count and more on the other quality indicators (fiber quality, yarn size, finishing and construction). We believe you will get a better, more comfortable product that truly represents quality and value."

Well, we thank you for that Linenplace! And we'd like to add that, one of the snuffliest and most durable sheet sets we ever bought was purchased at Big K-Mart for a clearance price of something like $8.

Get your cozy creative on by making a capelet.

Watch this fun, short video about how to make a capelet out of a sweater. Claire, a costume designer, started SmallStars "as a creative outlet for costume design...and as a way to use all the fabulous trim and fabrics I've collected."

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1kfygw/www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Make-a-Capelet-from-an-Old-Sweater-340373143/

Thanks Claire. This video is good, clean cozy fun.

Looking for a soft and cozy home?

Not everyone wants to live in a sprawling mansion. Just thinking of the heating and cooling costs alone might make you shudder.

If you prefer a cozier abode, you might want to check out:

tinyhouse.blog.com

The popular blog features numerous distinctive, small homes as well as information about design.



As noted on the blog, "The goal of the tiny house blog is to discover the different options available for a person looking to down size into a tiny house or cabin. I will be looking at different type of construction, from logs, to yurts to modern and the unusual. I will also do book reviews, look at alternate energy for heat and electricity. I also want to hear your story so please contact me with your pictures and your own experiences in living simply and small."


Above: from tinyhouseblog.com

Also featured on this site and in the December 2011 issue of Details magazine is the house below, the ONE+ mini house designed by Danish architect Lars Frank Nielsen.


This 161-square-foot modular house is energy efficient and can be added onto as needed.