summer has finally arrived and the time for gatherings with friends is here! nothing beats lounging around with a good friends and a good drink, but not everyone has room for a full-fledged bar in their home. so, in the interest of facilitating summer drink get-togethers, i thought it would be fun to compile a roundup of 48 great bar cart options in the market. a small group of you have been demanding this roundup for the past few months so i’m happy to finally push this live today.

a quick note about barcarts- these days the particularly cool looking modern bar carts seem to cost an arm and a leg. so i’ve tried to include both the highs, lows and in-betweens in this guide (as well as a few small, stationery bars). that said, i’ve also included a special “fixer-upper” section of the roundup devoted to good, basic, affordable bar carts and trays that are just begging to be upgraded with a little DIY love. you know, a coat of paint, a piece of wallpaper on the shelves to dress it up. so, if cost is an issue (and these days, it’s pretty much an issue for most of us) be sure to scroll all the way down the guide to check out this special section. they may not look pretty on first glance, but they are perfect for customizing and making your own- without breaking the bank. need some inspiration? here are two great bar cart makeovers from d*s readers right here and here.

[TOP image above, clockwise from top left: luxembourg trolley in apple green $487.50, circa bar cart $1309, cetra trolley $639.54 (so cute), cosmopolitan bar cart $125, panton bar boy $3210 (my fav), vintage 'jamaica' rolling cart $4500, colorful acrylic bar carts $1100 each, gastone folding trolley $766.70]

[image above, clockwise from top left: vintage paul mccobb bar cart $3800, polished nickel bar cart $999.91, vintage faux bamboo bar $5500, formosa tray table $49.95 (great for small spaces and small parties)]

[image above, clockwise from top left: duncan bar cart $700, butler tray and stand $139+ (great for small spaces), gable bar cart $299.49]

[image above, left to right: sydney bar $399.99 (safe for the outdoors), three tiered serving cart $95.79]

[image above, clockwise from top left: capri bar cart $639 (safe for the outdoors), modern serving cart $64.90 (i'd paint this sucker a bold glossy color, with a lacquer-like finish), bordeaux bar cart $119.95]

CLICK HERE for the rest of the bar cart guide after the jump (including the budget-friendly fixer-upper selections)

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today’s final biz ladies post is the first of a series of posts we’ll be doing on contracts- one of the most requested topics lately. today business attorney jerry carleton of bullivant houser pailey PC will be sharing a fantastic primer on contract law, the do’s and don’ts of contracts, and an explanation of terms that you’re likely to see on your contracts. no matter where you are in your business, this is a must, must read.

also, since this is the first of many contract posts, we wanted to use this initial article as a jumping off point. what other topics would you like covered in the world of contracts? if you have any questions or comments just leave them below and we’ll shape our next contract posts after your requests.

thanks again to jerry for his hard work on this post!

CLICK HERE for the full post after the jump!

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today’s city guide is a favorite of mine- salt lake city! i’ve been dying to check out utah for years now (home of my favorite blogger!) and designer amy shaffer’s guide is just the inspiration i needed to start planning. amy grew up in salt lake and then moved away for a bit, but recently moved back after founding her stationery design studio, junky heirloom. now she’s sharing some must-see shops, hang-outs, great restaurants (including great local spots to get a sweet treat!) and other local favorites. i hope you’ll enjoy her city guide as much as i did. thanks to amy for all of her hard work on this guide!

as always, if you have a favorite that you don’t see on the list please leave the details in the comment section below.

CLICK HERE for the full city guide or just click “read more” below.

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today’s first biz ladies post is about a topic that most of us have considered at some point or another- taking on a business partner. today meg touborg, co-founder of design investors llc (the only investment firm dedicated to growing design-based businesses!), is sharing her excellent tips for growing your business with a business partner. not sure if you need a partner, or how to start the process? meg has you covered- from figuring out how to find help, how to divide work, and how to plan the partnership as a whole. it’s a great article and i hope you’ll all check it out- even if you’re just starting out, it’s great to have a guide like this at hand when you one day decide you need an extra pair of hands around the office. thanks so much to meg for her help with this piece!

CLICK HERE for the full post below the jump!

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when ac and i were on long beach island this weekend we grabbed a few beers to take with us to the harvey cedars shellfish co (byob). when we were in the store deciding between drinks, i stumbled upon this display (sorry, these are cruddy phone pictures) for landshark lager and thought the packaging was really nice. it’s one part jimmy buffet, and one part weathered, cool graphic design. normally when it comes to beer packaging i gravitate towards cute owls, but this packaging definitely tempted me to try one. we ended up with an old favorite instead, but the next time i’m at the store i’m definitely going to see if the beer lives up to the fun packaging.

love packaging? click here to check out my favorite packaging site, the dieline.

i love, love, love the look of wire baskets. every time i travel down south i seem to come back with a basket or two from my favorite vintage stores. what do i use them for? anything i can get away with. magazines, newspapers, catalogs, holding remote controls- you name it, i like the way it looks in a wire basket. so i was pleasantly surprised by this wire storage collection at west elm. the little pencil pail is $10, the waste bin is $29, and the magazine basket is $49. i’m currently trying to decide between the waste bin and magazine basket– which one would look best outside the front door as an umbrella holder…hmmm...click here for more info and to shop.

When I was young, I used to collect rocks, seedpods, sticks, leaves, dried flowers, you name it, I liked to gather it. I even had an awesome cabinet with little drawers where I stored and organized all of my ‘treasure’. Egan Day feels like the grown-up version of this fascination. Their Patrick Townsend designed jewelry cases are filled with ‘treasure’ that all seem to embrace the natural world. The way a piece curves, hangs or is put together seems to be influenced by the form of a leaf, the structure of an insect or the patterns of a seedpod.

Egan Day is owned and operated by the super awesome husband and wife duo, Kate Egan and Cort Day. Kate, with an MFA from UPenn and a BFA from RISD, started her jewelry career early when she worked for Ted Muehling in New York. She later worked as retail director for Sigerson Morrison and even dabbled with her own art gallery in the West Village. Cort, with an MFA in creative writing from Berkeley, has one book of poetry published (The Chime) and is working to complete his first novel.

Egan Day carries an exceptional collection of work by designers such as Ted Muehling, Gabriella Kiss and Maria Beaulieu amongst others. Our wedding accoutrement (earrings and wedding bands) was designed by Ted Muehling and ever since then I am obsessed with all of his work – especially that awesome gold necklace in the first picture. Oh, and that spider. Not sure what I would do with it, but I love it. The perfect thing about all of Egan Day’s jewelry is that everything is wearable – from jeans to a fancy dress – and is easily understandable. Nothing will look dated in a few years and you if you can hold on to it long enough, you will want to pass it right on down the family tree. And ladies, for the man in your life, Ted makes the most amazing cufflinks (think wedding).

[Wedding earrings shot by Jose Villa]

And, oh how beautiful the store is. They were going for “a day at the beach” and I think they have captured it perfectly — light and airy with interesting vignettes. It is a peaceful hideaway tucked in the parlor floor of a civil war era townhouse.

If you won’t be visiting Philadelphia anytime soon give Kate or Cort a call and they would be more than happy to send you images of any item that might tickle your fancy. When you’re ready to buy, they happily ship to the continental US for free.