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