Turn your hip gifts into hip-hop gifts with Rapping Paper. It’s exactly what it sounds like – paper featuring your favorite rap lyrics. I’m just surprised no one’s done it before.

West Elm is doing something amazingly smart and cool. Not only are they featuring items from their favorite Etsy sellers in their catalogs, they have partnered with Etsy to curate their own collection of Etsy favorites. You can see their picks here. This is a great way to make handmade a little more accessible for those who don’t have the time or inclination to sort through the oodles of things out there.

Lately, I’ve been seeing whales everywhere I look. It started on Etsy, but it’s now spreading to stores like Urban Outfitters, Jonathan Adler and Fred Flare.

Whale Plaque from BROOKLYNrehab, $16

Whale Pitcher, $95, and Whale Butter Dish, $68 from Jonathan Adler

Whale Print from Enid, $38

Whale Tail Hook, $10 at UrbanOutfitters

Whale Cutting Board, $16 at UrbanOutfitters.

Target just came out with a line of MIO eco-friendly gardening gear designed to get your garden in shape while helping to protec the Earth. Makes sense to me.

The coolest items include this 100% organic cotton hammock, $59; and this garden compost bin, $99.

Peacock plumage has been a source of fashion inspiration over the last year or so. Designers have picked up the bold, bejeweled color scheme for everything from red carpet dresses to wallpaper.

Right now, Anthropologie has a more subtle take on this trend. Their peacock dinnerware features the elegance of the bird in black and white.

Peacock dinnerware, $14-$20

The Style Files has a great post about silver furnishings and accessories. The trend has been popping up all over the web over the last few months.

Silvery coat hooks and tea pots make sense, but I’m surprised at how great the precious metallic looks on upholstered furniture.

It’s finally here, today’s the day we announce the lucky winner of this super fine giveaway from Plaza Rugs and Shak In Style!

So without delay, we would like to congratulate Stephanie Webb on her big win! Yea Stephanie! We hope you love your rug (what’s not to love) and for those of you who are green with envy (and rug-less) be sure to check back with us for more exciting giveaways coming soon.

And remember, you can still be a winner by taking advantage of Plaza Rugs offering for a 10% discount on a specially selected rugs just for Shakadoo readers. There is over 550 to choose from and free shipping to US Residents.

Just enter the code Shak10 at checkout for a savings of an extra 10% on these specially selected rugs!
With a 10% discount and Plaza Rugs’ everyday low prices and free
shipping, that’s an awesome savings! But hurry- this discount is only
available until May 31, 2008!

I’ve run hot and cold on these safari pillows from Z Gallerie. Their $75 price tag had me leaning towards cold.

But, with the recent trend towards safari-themed accessories, and they fact that these pillows are marked down to $29 a piece, I’m warming up to them.

FYI – Z Gallerie is having a pretty big sale online (up to 70% off). But they do NOT allow returns on sale items.

Designers are continuing to streamline the look of unfinished wood, making the usually log-cabiny-rustic material in to a modern-design muse.

These sleek side tables are made from reclaimed, antique barn beams up to 200 years old. Without the bark, logs can really be quite chic.

And this clean-lined walnut dresser features an iron base and accents that have a distinctly woodsy feel.

Benjamin Moore has a new Green paint. And I don’t mean Kelly or Emerald.

Their new Aura paint line has low levels of VOCs (airborne contaminants) and comes in 144 colors. It’s also self-priming. That means that, in most cases, you’ll only need one coat.

Via D Home and Garden.