apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

has anyone ever found a good looking water feeder for their pets? i have one of the 2 quart containers that looks similar to what you'd find in an office setting. but it's ugly! a friend of mine is using a silver pedestal candy dish as her cat's dry food dish. it oddly looks gorgeous. very sumptuous for the kitty, plus it's better for a cat's neck when they start getting older. i'm going to 'borrow' the idea from her, but i need to find a water bowl that will look snazzy with it, preferrably one that holds more than one day's worth of water.

Plumber-plumber-plumber!

Can anyone recommend a good and reasonable priced plumber (in Chicago)? This question may not specifically be pet related but I'm SURE cat hair has something to do with our clogs. Ha! Help!

Hi--
I have a big glass door in my bedroom (that leads to the leaving room) and I need to think of a way to get some privacy!! I was thinking of getting some "wallpaper for windows" but everything I found seems very tacky. Do you have any good ideas or good websites? It needs to be easily removable though...
Thanks!!
Ana

Ana,
My last apartment had a windowed door to the bedroom. We just hung fabric over it attached with some velcro. The look of the fabric through the window from the living room is very nice.

Ana,
Also, you can try frosting the glass.

I know you're all probably reluctant to give up your best spots, but I'm sort of new to the city and would love to know the best places to go thrifting/antiquing.

Thanks!

Alison,

The Brown Elephant, in Adersonville near Clark and Balmoral, has a large stock of super-cheap furniture (just bought a square thick-legged white kitchen table there for $13). It's not an antiquey place but you can often find some quality pieces that can made even better with some tlc.

Hope that helps. Kate.

In light of Pet Month. Today on DailyCandy is http://www.pocketpuppiesboutique.com/

I'm not sure how I feel about this shop that sells small dogs under 4-5 pounds...it's a boutique.

What do you think?

ooooh i had to ask AT for help and was told about "Amorf Frost" from ikea. it's frosted vinyl that adheres to the glass but removes easily. the frost looks great, provides privacy but still lets in a lot of light.

Hey Sarah, I'm glad that you brought up the DC piece on pocket puppies. I saw it as well and it made me gag. It plays right into the whole pets as accessories mentality. As far as their claim to only dealing w/reputable breeders, do you really want to take their word? AKC registration means nothing beyond a willingness to file paperwork and send in a check. Sketchy.

I have a little dog. I chose him because I lived in a small studio and I travel frequently (he flies in the cabin w/me instead of the hold).

I hope that people take a pass on pocket puppies. Find a responsible breeder or go through a shelter.

hi everyone- i thought this might be a good place to start. my husband and i just moved to chicago (logan square) from los angeles (silverlake/echo park). we're looking for a dog park... where's your favorite? and a dog beach? we heard about one in montrose?

and one more question... can anyone recommend a good store or two that carries mid-century/danish modern furniture?

we're so glad to be in chicago and so glad chicago has AT!

Sarah, I'm sure their dogs are uber-cute, but that's a front for puppy mills and backyard breeders. You can have AKC recognition without being terribly responsible or doing health checks or anything.

Responsible breeders are concerned about each puppy being placed in the right home, and have waiting lists - they don't send 'em by truck to a pet store.

Get on petfinder.com and find a small dog without giving any money to those boutique people.

I think whenever possible people should adopt out of shelters. So many animals are in need a good home - there really is no need to go to a "store"..

I personally don't understand the obsession over dog breeds and why so many people would pay so much for them (I guess I really have issues with "breeding" all together). But, even if you are interested in one particular breed, shelter's are still an option. Get in contact with a breed specific rescue society, or call your local shelters and tell them what breed/size you're looking for... they'll call you when an animal comes in that meets your criteria - yes, this may take a little patience, but you'll likely fall in love with the "perfect" animal and know that you helped save them.

Another pitch for the muts - generally they're healthier than bred animals since they are free of many of the genetic problems that come from inbreeding.

Wendi-

Welcome to Chicago! This is the info i was able to google (click on my name). Looks like there are two dog beaches, Belmont and Montrose. There's also a list of dog parks, i'm guessing Wicker Park is the closest...but i have the worst sense of geography, so, never trust me and directions.

Ana:

Decorative paper might work. Cut different colors/textures to fit each pane and affix with repositionable spray mount. That way you can remove it easily later and clean off the adhesive.

I have a non-dog question.

Anybody know where I can get a decent-sized all-in-one garbage and recycling can (2 to 3 compartments, at least 13 gal. each)? Why is this so hard to come by--who has room for two freaking garbage cans in their kitchen?

trying to do my part... in style.

Meghan:
Simple Human makes recyclers with two compartments. There is a stand alone model called the butterfly recycler and a pullout recycler that you install in one of your cabinets.

Click on my name for the link.