The Tasteful Alternative to Inflatable Snowpeople

I will never ever forget the ruffians who didn't let the fact that they lived on the third floor of a charming Federal townhouse stop them from partaking in holiday outdoor decor. They exposed the world to their holiday spirit by strapping a 6-foot-tall inflatable snowman to the exterior of their dingy little walk-up apartment, and then left it there to go flaccid well in to February.

But you wouldn't do that, now would you?

While everyone else is concerning themselves with displaying atrocities, you can reflect your whimsical good taste while still participating in the holiday tradition of putting things on to the lawn. And how do you do that? With a bunch of pink flamingos (from one of my all-time favorite internet retailers, FredFlare.com). I think pink flamingos are holiday appropriate, as they honor the thousands of lovable, spirited senior citizens who make the pilgramage to Florida for the winter months. Buy oodles.

Photo from fredflare.com

Rolling Out The Welcome Mat

You know what people tend to forget about when they decorate? Their doormats. The traditional "nubby" textured rubber doormats (the one that usually spell out "Welcome") weather quickly, while fiber doormats (the ones seemingly made from rejected toothbrush bristles) attract all sorts of disgusting sediments. The best doormats I've seen are those fantastic antique wrought iron specimens, which happen to be lawsuits waiting to happen once the icy weather begins.

However. I have found this doormat, through Williams-Sonoma, which mimicks the look of wrought iron through a clever rubber material. It's only available through their print and online catalogues, which might be for the best, since once you enter a Williams-Sonoma, you might just walk out with a $300 copper pot and a free inferiority complex.

Photo from Williams-Sonoma.com

The Fire Pit: Cheap, Fabulous and Endorsed by Billy Idol

After seeing photos of the Jonathan Adler-decorated Parker Palm Springs hotel, I've spent the past week trying to find an indoor fire pit (like the one in the lobby) available for consumer installation. And guess what? I couldn't find any.

Perhaps installing an indoor fire pit is a very bad idea, especially when you consider that most people have small rooms, or live in condos, or have low ceiling heights. There would definitely be an uncontrollable fire situation that your insurance company would frown upon. So forgive my sizable lapse in judgement.

However, you can get a very good deal on an outdoor firepit. An outdoor firepit is a great investment, because it's portable, it can be used year-round, and doesn't require much upkeep. Smith & Hawken (The Court at King of Prussia), Target and the Home Depot still have a few portable firepits left online and in-store. You can also safely and comfortably toast marshmallows over the flame. Isn't it always nice when you can find multiple uses for an object?

You can also customize your outdoor firepit using these crystal-like fire pit filler glass from online source Moderustic. The site, while a bit cluttered, offers a dazzling array of colors. Unlike most glass products, the crystals are certified not to leap out as soon as they touch fire. There's also handy photos, just in case you can't decide between Light or Medium Amber. No matter what you choose, these crystals are like adding a tiny touch of Vegas to your firepit.

And look, even Billy Idol endorses the fire place crystals. That's a seal of approval just as good as Martha Stewart's or Oprah's.

Keeping Your Backyard Safe From Stiltwalkers...

Did you know that the most common garden pest this year isn't the mosquito, but the ladies (myself included) who can't leave the house without their high heels? It's true. As the heat pushes us out of our apartments and in to our outdoor spaces- however microscopic they are- for entertaining, chances are that you'll have at least two guests who are slowly sinking in to the lawn.

Those with patios aren't really safe either- a short while ago, I got a heel stuck in between both a boardwalk-like walkway and in the mossy stuff in between bricks on a sidewalk. Since most of us stiltwalkers aren't ready to give up our heels, you can keep your garden, and your guests safe by using an outdoor rug.

Why an outdoor rug? An outdoor rug, such as this rainbow Plynyl Shag from Foster's Urban Homeware (124 N. 3rd) is usually made from weather-safe materials that'll keep mold and mildew away, while acting as a protective barrier between high heels and lawsuits. You can leave it outside for weeks on end and the only thing you'll have to worry about is a sudden wind blowing it away, Aladdin-like. Outdoor rugs can also look like your indoor rugs if you buy carefully: at left, is a polypropylene blend that mimics sisal, from Pottery Barn (4230 Main St. Manayunk; King of Prussia Mall; Market Square, Marlton). See other outdoor rugs from Pottery Barn.


But why can't I just use my indoor rug, outside? Personally, I'm all for using indoor things as outdoor decor- such as a (non-wired) decorative chandelier hung from a tree, a la Versailles- and I've been tempted to further the faux-aristocratic vibe by rolling out the Medici Rug from Scarlett Alley (241 Race St.) myself. HOWEVER. Natural, non-treated fibers can soak up the darndest things, even on a very nice day. Until I get a Dyson vacuum, I will keep my indoor rugs, indoors.

But that doesn't work both ways- outdoor rugs, since they are treated, can keep the allergens (there I go with the allergens again), small bugs and stubborn dirt away, making it perfectly fine to drag in to your apartment.