Q: Hi - I really would like this lamp, but I will need to have it taken apart, shipped from the small store where I found it in Italy, and reassembled here in the US. And it isn't very inexpensive to start with. Has anyone seen a similar lamp available online? Thanks so much.

I was out for a stroll the other day when I heard it: the tinkling, warbling, tinny sound of summer — an ice cream truck! I couldn't even pretend to play it cool. My heart still skips a beat when I hear an ice cream truck kicking out the jams in the distance. So let's get excited about the sweet, sticky months ahead. First order of business: ice cream.

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Name:

Carly

Location:

Minneapolis, MN

Square Feet:

670

Division:

Little

What I Love About My Small Home:

The location and character of my small home is what first made it so appealing to me. Located in the warehouse district of Minneapolis, my apartment used to be the home of the International Harvester Company. Brick walls, high ceilings, and large windows facing the other warehouses and downtown make the view something that feels really special. I love coming home and bringing friends to my small home. Although it is small, the entertaining space and large window make it a great place to have friends and family.

I've been working on my closet for some time now, trying to figure out how to maximize space and make it feel less utilitarian and more glamorous. Now that I've made some progress — or at least have a solid plan — I can focus on the little details. Pretty frocks deserve pretty hangers, don't you think?

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Name:

Luz

Location:

San Francisco, CA

Square Feet:

600

Division:

Tiny

What I Love About My Small Home:

We love that we're right by Fisherman's Wharf! Our apartment has everything we need, and the lack of space actually helps us keep tidy and not obsess over material things (that we know we wouldn't be able to store). The apartment itself has a great fireplace and an open layout that's perfect for cooking and hanging out with the hubby, all while watching our favorite shows. And we have two skylights! One over the kitchen and one in the bathroom.

Wherever you are in the country, there's a sale or shopping event to get you out of the house this weekend. From the Modernica Factory Sale in LA to the Renegade Craft Fair in Austin to a host of Design Week events in New York, there are plenty of reasons to get out and freshen up your home. Check it all out in the Weekend Guide, pass it on and be sure to send us your own sale or event.

They say you don’t really know someone until you’ve taken a trip together. I say the true test of the patience and kindness in a relationship occurs while holding up a heavy shelving unit and trying to affix it to a seemingly stud-less wall. I know, because it's happened to me. That day, I needed both an actual and an emotional anchor.  

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Name:

Matthew

Location:

Madrid Spain

Square Feet:

395

Division:

International

What I Love About My Small Home:

Its wonderful location and eccentric character. We moved from LA to the Malasaña neighborhood of Madrid a year ago, and this was the second apartment we saw. The minute we ducked through the narrow Frank Lloyd Wright-style entryway, and were greeted by the high slanted ceilings and dark wooden beams of an oddly converted L-shaped attic, we knew we were home. It’s a hundred-year-old building without a single right angle, with a series of floating platforms dividing the space, a little wood-burning stove for heat, and the bath tucked directly alongside the bed. We’d never seen anything like it.

This week marked my first-ever trip to the Brimfield Antique Show, the largest outdoor antique market in the world. With 20-plus fields and thousands of vendors, even a skilled bargain hunter like myself could use help from a veteran to navigate the six-day market. Here are eight tips for scoring deals and shopping outdoor shows like a pro.

These fun and witty illustrations were created by The Project Twins. Here, the visual and literal intersect as graphic prints teach the meanings of strange and unusual words. For example, the title of the main image above, pogonotrophy, means the act of cultivating or grooming a mustache or beard!