apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We've never been participated in the madness that is Black Friday although we're very intrigued by the idea. It's one of those crazy phenomenons that, being the culture-mad person we are, we feel we should experience once in our lifetime. Our favorite shopping partner has offered to plan the whole day and even take us for breakfast at our favorite spot afterwards. Or maybe we should just stay home, chill out, snack on leftovers? To help us (and you) make a decision, we've rounded up some of our posts that make a case for both sides: the best deals if you're in, ways to spend the day if you're not.

Has this ever happened to you? You get an idea for something for your space that would be really cool: you saw this design that would look great on your walls or your floors only you don't have the skill set to draw or stencil it on yourself, any artisan you contact is entirely cost-prohibitive and despite having spent hours going through Apartment Therapy's archives you just can't find something similar. Now what? You could give up. Or you could contact Printed Space.

Packing, traveling, where to board the dog, put the extra guests, baking another pie, making room in the coat closet, cleaning out the car so you can transport the pies, ordering wine. ARGH! The to do lists this week are coming to a fever pitch. Somewhere between running around and doing for others, it's important to find time for yourself. With that in mind, we've rounded up some of our best tips on ways to pamper yourself this week...

A home that looks like it came out of a catalogue, from decorator's head, where you can't imagine flopping down on the couch with the dog, don't interest us. Personal, one-of-a-kind, DIY, handmade, unique, livable, whimsical even - these are the goals for how we'd describe the homes we're drawn to. With that in mind, take a look at some of the articles from this week's Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section: A pendant lamp made from straws; a camera that shows your garden growing in fast forward; a shop that pumps new life into old stereo speakers; and, an architect's family's home in Silver Lake. Links after the jump...

• Cure Clock: 2.5 weeks to go
• Assignment: Read Week 6: Light Therapy
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I was living in my apartment for a week before the electric company and I were able to sync up schedules. Without electricity I had to rely on candles, sunlight, and flashlights to function. My time was ruled by the rising and setting of the sun. It's not something I would suggest but it did give me a greater appreciation for how this simple modern convenience -- flick a switch and a light flares to life -- has changed the way we interact with the world. Light is about illumination, yes, but it's also about time.

Last night we attended an event at the SLS Beverly Hills Hotel (more about that later) which took place in the Garden Terrace room. The people, the food, the displays and the cocktails are all great but at one point we found ourselves mesmerized by the tiling.

Last night I was out with one of my Apartment Therapy colleagues and suddenly the mood got quiet and serious. She turned to me and said, I need help solving a problem:

"I'm thinking about buying these end tables but they're a fortune. But I've been thinking about them for six months now and they've just dropped the price on them. They're still expensive but...should I do it?"

I hate throwing clothes out. Oh, I've tried. I've gone through those "I am banishing all colour from my wardrobe and only wearing black" moments and, not two days after handing over all my rainbow coloured togs to Goodwill, felt a burning desire to nurture my inner five year old's Crayola-derived fashion sense. I got that feeling again on Friday, only this time it was in regards to my house.

Having mentioned that I'm going to be an orphan at Thanksgiving this year, I've suddenly received a boatload of invitations. It's one of the reasons I love this holiday so much; there's always room in your heart for one more stray. Of course then you realize that your Thanksgiving for six has morphed into a dinner for twelve and your table only fits eight and your turkey only feeds ten. Dinner can be stretched with a few extra sides but how are you going to stretch your table and your home?

Those of us who blog for Apartment Therapy often find ourselves on the receiving end of the question "How do you come up with stuff to write about every day?" Our inspiration comes from our readers, our homes or something we've experienced. Usually it's in response to a problem that has to be solved or an obstacle that has to be overcome. The articles that caught our attention in this week's Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section look at various kinds of inspiration: a Brentwood restaurant's design, a landscape designer's home garden, a family that lives in 380 square feet and a concrete patio.

• Cure Clock: 3 weeks to go
• Assignment: Read Week 5: Getting Into the thick of it
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Thanksgiving is in a week and a half. My decision to stay in LA instead of heading to the site of this year's festivities has been the subject of many phone calls back and forth since Thanksgiving is a major deal in my family. When I mentioned that I might be spending it alone: taking a morning hike in the mountains then having dinner at a restaurant and seeing a movie or two, there was a long silence before my mother responded, "You're spending it alone? Where are all your friends?"

The other day we were at a diner with a half-dozen friends and the busboy came to clear our table-full of plates. Our attention wandered away from the conversation as we focused on the way he stacked all the dishes, saucers and cups on his arms; the table was cleared in one trip. That is a skill we definitely do not possess and, now with entertaining season kickin it up, the Link Mugs by Jonathan Aspinall would definitely come in handy in our less-than-graceful hands.

You know how we love our other uses for common things lists' here on Apartment Therapy. Maybe it comes from our small house ingenuity where space is at a premium so what we choose to have in our homes must work hard but from vodka to velcro to used dryer sheets, we're always searching for other ways to use the stuff we have so when we came across this list on Real Simple, we were excited. And here you thought a dishwasher was just for washing dishes!

Uh Oh! Where has the year gone? We looked in our mailbox today to find the first of our holiday invites. Already? Then we checked the calendar and realized it's only two and a half weeks until Thanksgiving and the start of the crazy chaotic holiday season. We're trying to put some last minute touches on our home. We're tidying up our garden, we're decluttering, we're decorating and we're busting out Mom and Dad's old-school vinyl collection as the soundtrack to our chores. When we're finished at home, we'll scope out the sales around town and online. Turn to this week's Los Angeles Times Home & Garden section to help you out...