Kitchen
The air’s turning brisk, the leaves are changing, school is back in session… it must be autumn! I’m already missing those long, lazy days of summer, but there’s something so delicious about the season of cozy wool sweaters and steaming mugs of tea. The onset of chilly nights calls for a bit of warmth around the house, and these fabulous finds over at Bright Wall Vintage are just the ticket for creating that autumnal charm.
Care about the planet? Might as well be cute about it. Let your green credentials shine with this golden shopping bag by French designer Frédéric Perigot. It tucks away adorably into a little matching golden bear when not in use. We’d bust it out to shlep around our farmer’s market provender – or, better yet, to hold a heptathlon of Olympics-watching treats: Ritter Sports bar, Kind snacks, Volvic, TJ’s trail mix, watermelon, gum and Ella’s Kitchen squishies for the little guy.
Congratulations, Michael Phelps! You’ve just won your 19th medal and become the greatest Olympian ever. So now what? Bust out the Champers and get celebrating! Of course, your victorious glass of bubbly demands a vessel that’s suitably elevated. You want nothing less than Sieger’s Sip of Gold collection. These sumptuous Fürstenberg porcelain Champagne goblets come in glossy white, black or silver – and with their rim and interior gilding of 24kt gold, they should quench any Olympian’s thirst (for decadence). Yes, even yours. Snag ‘em here for a modest $200 a pop.
So you’re a city dweller on the go. And a coffee fiend. And a tree-hugger. You can’t do without your daily brew (or two… or three…), but you hate seeing to-go cups piling up in the recycling bin. What you need is a KeepCup – the nifty, reusable coffee cup from Melbourne, Australia.
I hold a very dear place in my heart for cupcakes. My own bergamot lavender cupcakes were a hit in the East Village when my friend Jodi of Sympathy for the Kettle would serve them up with frothy matcha lattes and endless pots of Ti Kuan Yin. Lately, I’ve had the growing desire to get back into the kitchen and bake up a storm (motherly instincts?)…
The kitchen is such a happy place in our house: full of anticipation, tempting aromas and (mostly) great results – thanks to head chef YZ. I’ve always had quite the weak spot for kitchen supplies but, with my klutzy husband breaking most of the japanese glassware and ceramic treasures of my past life, I realize that my attention should now turn to accessories of a less breakable nature. Already a big fan of beautiful wood objects, cutting boards are a great culinary object to focus on.
I’m not going to suggest I spend my weekends canning or preserving peaches — this isn’t that kind of blog — but I can’t help loving a classic glass jar. Forget the fussy, sticky, sweaty days of making marmalade. Jars are perfect for everyday storage around the kitchen, and for those of us without much cupboard or pantry space, they’re a great way to make the usually-hidden presentable. In fact, a neat row of jars filled with nuts or grains or pasta often adds a touch of dare-I-say rustic charm to a countertop.
I’m a big advocate of cloth over paper products, if only that it nurtures yet another one of my collections: dish towels. So, like our inaugural Lo’s List post on the little Japanese cloth squares called Furoshiki (commonly used for gift-wrapping), their textile-sibling, the Tenugui (手拭い), is a shot to the heart…
Oh Santa! I almost forgive you for that flu you plagued YZ and I with this Xmas, what with all the juicy gifts you lugged down our chimney along with it. All in all, the 25th was a veritable indulge-fest, with everything on my list neatly wrapped in recycled paper under the tree…
For some of us, the holiday season is about one thing and one thing only. Ok, two things. Ok, a bunch of things—all nicely wrapped and book-related. Because there is nothing more satisfying than winter reading, whether it’s the classic you know almost by heart, the novel everybody else already read six months ago, or the thriller you’ll never admit you couldn’t put down.
What is a tchotchke? I would say it’s an object that you just don’t need but, somehow, are drawn towards. In the world of flea markets, antique shops, Ebay, and strange gift-givers, it’s hard to avoid the constant barrage of doodads that are daring you to find room for them in your 4th floor railroad walk-up. As our little house has started filling up with bowls of Italian glass marbles, stacks of vintage flashcards, turn-of-the-century typewriters and so forth, I’m realizing that I must become more strict with my collection curating…
An earthy little reminder at the bottom of a bowl of organic fruit or veg is a great way to start and end a day. Smiling Planet’s collection of 100% recycled and 100% recyclable bowls and plates, printed with non-toxic inks and free of bpa, phthalates, pvc, and lead, allows your little one to nosh, worry-free, and get in touch with his or her inner conservationist at the earliest age.
We’ll be the first to admit it. Blogging at Lo’s List, it’s sometimes easy to get carried away in the pursuit of the top ten next best things. It’s easy to get caught on the twin, sophisticated prongs of design & marketing. Luckily, just when we need it, a site like Kiosk Store will pop up on our radar and rebuke the faster-better-brighter habits of our industry.
If you’ve ever been an allergy sufferer or lived with one or witnessed one trying to walk from one side of a park to the other you probably know that the whole thing is just a miserable cross to bear. Although I don’t seem to be allergic to a damned thing, my little sidekick of ten years, Goobie the Cat, was pretty much deathly allergic to it all…
The Dutch really know how to pinch a penny — something I learned over and over from my mother growing up. Sometimes the philosophy doesn’t work (ie. having to sport knock-off Converse All Stars from Payless during the painful years of junior high) but other times hits it on the nose: like these adorable polka dot- and garland-clad vintage plates, pitchers and other kitchenwares by Nina Invorm. The buck doesn’t stop there: check out her brighter-than-a-rainbow blog for eye candy galore!
