Internationally renowned artist BettinaWerner is the Queen of Salt – literally. She invented a complex technique of creating art using vibrantly pigmented salt crystals from Sicily, and established the Salt Queen Foundation to encourage other artists working with innovative techniques.

When the artist entertains at her beautiful loft in Philippe Starck’s luxury “Downtown” building across the street from the NY Stock Exchange, she chooses Crypton placemats
for everything from the kitchen (pictured) to the dining table – Bettina even puts a placemat under her MacBook! “I love that they are made with green technology,” she says.

If you aspire to live surrounded by magnificent artwork, you’re in luck – The Salt Queen is renting out this live-in museum while she takes a trip abroad, and it’s a showcase for her breathtaking canvases. Everywhere you look, you will see precious paintings which range from $5,000 – $54,000: In the bedroom, the kitchen, even the bathrooms! View
pictures of this amazing place here.

All artwork by Bettina Werner

Posted by Julia Szabo.

According to a controversial new study published in the February issue of the Centers for Disease Control journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, sleeping with pets can put some people at risk for serious medical problems. “I know this will make me unpopular, but pets really don’t belong in your bed,” says vet Bruno Chomel, co-author of the paper. 

At greatest risk for zoonoses (diseases transmitted from animals to people) are the very young, the elderly, and those whose immune systems are compromised, such as transplant patients, diabetics, and people who are HIV-positive. Please don’t panic if Spot or Fluffy jumps on your bed – as long as pets are up-to-date with vet visits, everything will be fine.

But if you do plan to banish pets from your bed, the kindest, gentlest way to do this is by providing the comfiest, most paw-supportive dog bed possible. Give it pride of place in the bedroom, and Spot won’t even miss your bed.

Sweet dreams!

New Yorker Julie Klam is the author of the best-selling dog memoir “You Had Me at Woof,” which chronicles her adventures in Boston Terrier rescue. A must-read, the book is really wonderful: alternately heartbreaking and hilarious,but always heartfelt.

Julie is a hardcore dog lover, and although her heart belongs to Bostons, she won’t hesitate to help any dog in need, regardless of breed. This past summer, she and her family came across a sweet pit bull who had been abandoned outdoors for hours in the hot sun. Says Julie: “I wasn’t going to leave him there – I would leave myself there first.” The pit, named Puck, is a staff favorite at The Simon Foundation, an excellent animal sanctuary in Connecticut where he awaits his forever home. (To inquire about adopting him, go here.)

Meanwhile, back in New York City, Julie insists that her daughter Violet, age 7, is the real dog person in the family. “She’s the biggest dog lover I have ever met in my life – she makes me look indifferent,” Julie says with a laugh. Here’s Violet enjoying a cat-nap with K9 Dahlia on a size-medium dog bed that’s big enough for two!

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Yesterday’s most-watched and re-watched “Today Show” segment featured Animal Fair’s Wendy Diamond showcasing holiday gifts for four-legged, furry friends.

In addition to pet beds, winter coats, treats, and toys, Wendy highlighted home furnishings for the animal lover on your list.

And what was top of Wendy’s list? The Crypton Throver, of course!

Wendy’s pick was especially festive: the new “Show” pattern by William Wegman.

Happy Holidays !

Posted by Julia Szabo.

Last week, Newsweek interviewed our own Julia Szabo for a video feature on pet pampering. Viewers got a tour of Julia’s New York City apartment, which she’s customized for the comfort of her four – count ‘em, four – large dogs.

We spotted our favorite dog beds and pillows used as cushions on Julia’s bed, which she shares with her pack of canine companions.

Meanwhile, we learned about a new use for our multitasking  throver. We knew it comes in very handy on the bed or sofa, in the car, even on a boat. Now we saw Julia use the Throver as a handy mat on the floor, where her veterinary chiropractor “adjusts” the senior dogs, to get their spines in proper alignment.

Now that’s what we call pampering! Watch the video here.

Actress Juliette Bennett is an enchanting performer, a natural entertainer who’s in her element both on stage and in film. She has old-school star quality reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn and Veronica Lake, but with an ultra-modern edge.

She’s brilliant at interpreting playwrights from Shakespeare to A.R. Gurney, but Juliette is equally enchanting when she’s entertaining friends at her New York City apartment.

With its magnificent vistas on the East River, the view from her living room window is captivating. But so is the view inside the kitchen, where Juliette recently prepared a spectacular organic, vegan curry stew, served with rice and an avocado-dressed salad.

Nothing stains quite like turmeric, that dazzling yellow spice that’s the key to a great curry. In fact, turmeric has been used for centuries as a natural fabric dye. But Juliette needn’t worry about errant yellow stains on her outfit, because she’s armed with her favorite apron.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

 That’s all it takes to receive three additional placemats: a full set!  This opportunity won’t be available for long and space is limited, so sign up soon! All signed up? Once you’ve recieved your placemat, fill out a feedback form to recieve the other three.

We look forward to hearing your messy stories!

On an evening when most people’s thoughts were already on the long Memorial Day weekend ahead, the country’s most respected and hard-working public relations specialists gathered at New York City’s Hudson Theatre to toast the best of their field for the Public Relations Society of America’s annual Big Apple Awards.

I’m delighted to report that the blog you’re reading was entered under the title “Building a Consumer Voice: Development of Life on Crypton Blog: Carmichael Lynch Spong for Crypton Fabrics.” Oscar nominees aren’t kidding when they say “It’s an honor to be nominated” – it really is. So imagine how thrilled we were to win!

We don’t intend to rest on our laurels – we want to make Life on Crypton better with each posting, and eagerly look forward to your comments. Our sincere thanks to PRSA for a terrific, memorable evening, and to the entire CLS team for its marketing genius.

Appearing in the photo are, L to R: Sarah McQuilkin of CLS; Crypton’s own Randy Rubin, holding the Big Apple Award statuette; Julia Szabo; and Sarah McNeil of CLS.

Posted by Julia Szabo.

In the next week, we have a three-part series on decorating on a budget from guest blogger Debbie Wiener. Debbie is a DC-based interior designer and author of the top-selling book, “Slob Proof! Real Life Design Solutions.” She has also recently partnered with Crypton to develop the Slobproof! Collection – a colorful line of Crypton-covered furniture designed with busy households in mind.

You can find more information about Debbie, and links to purchase Slobproof! furniture at www.slobproof.com

Yes, the economy sucks! But even a small decorating budget can yield big results, making your home look brighter, and more spacious and stylish.

1. Paint It! Use paint to make even empty, unfurnished rooms feel warmer, and older room designs seem fresher. Yes, you can! In one weekend, paint your ceilings in a pale sky blue, add color around your white fireplace, stripe your crown moldings with color pulled from the furniture and accent one wall in a white room with your favorite color. Freshen up areas that are showing the signs of wear and tear with a new coat of paint.

A room transformed: a colorful accent wall in a white room

A scrubbable finish, like Benjamin Moore’s Aura, provides one-coat coverage with very low odor. It’s a perfect choice for winter re-decorating when it’s too cold to open the windows. Need color inspiration? Check out the crown moldings, fireplaces and accent walls featured in my book, “SlobProof! Real Life Design Solutions” from Penguin.

2. Curtain Calls! Give new life to older curtains that you can’t yet replace. Buy colorful tie backs and decorative trim at your local fabric store. You can add tapes, scalloped edges and tassel trims to the inside or “lead” edges to make plain curtains look new again and “pop” with color and style. My favorite on-line trim source? www.mjtrim.com. Got too much on our window? Take down the curtains, leaving shears or simple blinds to allow more light and spaciousness into your room.

Debbie Wiener is an interior designer in Silver Spring, MD and head matriarch of a house full of slobs. She’s also the author of the top selling book, “Slob Proof! Real life Design  solutions” from Penguin Press. You can send Debbie your designing dilemmas by visiting her website www.mydesigningsolutions.com

Stay tuned this week for more of Debbie’s design tips on a budget….

I love my job – it lets me meet amazing animals and their equally awesome people. Two of my absolute favorite animal lovers are Kim Fernandez and Betsy Karetnick, the dynamic duo that co-hosts “Morning Living” on Sirius XM’s MarthaStewart Radio. Both are proud owners of multiple dogs that they adopted from animal shelters, which means they’re my kind of gals. Love them!

I’ve been very lucky to be invited on this show many times. It’s serious fun donning head phones to chat with Kim and Betsy, and answer their listeners’ questions live. In fact, the feedback I’ve gotten from the show’s loyal followers is so inspiring that it was a driving force behind my new book, “Pretty Pet-Friendly.” After all, what could be prettier or more pet-friendly than lifestyle legend Martha Stewart and her talented team?

This morning at around 7 a.m. EST, we discussed dog grooming, which is even more important in winter than in summer, believe it or not. When a pet’s coat gets tangled and matted or dry and flaky, it can’t insulate animals from the cold as efficiently, so regular brushing and bathing with gentle, all-natural, conditioning shampoos are absolute musts.

Of course, when asked about my favorite pet products, Crypton dog beds topped the list! Don’t miss this fabulous, eye-opening show every weekday morning between the hours of 7 and 10 a.m. EST.

Meanwhile, for your weekend pet-expert fix, be sure to tune in to Greg Kleva’s always-enlightening show, It’s a Dog’s Life, Saturdays at 8 p.m. A ringer for Keanu Reeves, this gifted
dog trainer is as easy to listen to as he is easy on the eyes. Follow him on Twitter : GregTheDogGuy.

Posted by Julia Szabo.