Kitchen Inspiration With The Pantone 2016 Color Of The Year
This post first appeared on Houzz. In a decision of epic color-of-the-year proportions, PANTONE has decided to choose the blending of two shades, Rose Quartz and Serenity, as the Color(s) of the Year for 2016. The choice is meant to be soothing. The colors, when blended have a calming effect. They explain, “Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.” Something we can all use a little more of these days, right? I can’t help but be taken back to 1985 though, when dusty rose…
Clever And Modern Ways To Store Spices
My spices are a mess. They’ve taken over half of a shelf in my pantry cabinet, and I can never read any of the labels, except for one or two bottles right in front. Outside of that cabinet, I have a few that live haphazardly on the counter right by the stove—where it’s convenient to grab while cooking, but messy to look at. I currently use an old, hand-me-down, two-tiered turntable thingy (not this one, but like that one) on the shelf in the pantry. It helps with organization to a degree, but isn’t quite what I need for the dozens upon dozens of spice bottles and canisters. Blergh. Each quarter, I…
Matkins Reusable Placemats
You guys. I’ve been holding onto a kid-related kitchen accessory secret for two years. It wasn’t intentional on my part, but I do feel bad that it’s taken me this long to espouse how cool this local (for my Maryland and Delaware foodies) online shop is. Matkins sent us two of their reusable placemats to try—which included letting my kids select which of the fresh and hip fabrics they each wanted. Without any nudging from me, my son went with pirates: Ahoy, Matey! And my daughter—ever the modern fashionista—went with a bolder pattern: Chevron. All of the fabric options are listed together, so if your daughter prefers Crabbies or Just Plane Fun…
A Kitchen Inspired by a New England Shore Cottage
I grew up spending August at my grandparents’ New England shore cottage in Groton Long Point (GLP), Connecticut. I treasure those memories of historic cedar shake houses that lined the beaches and lagoon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. The sound of distant fog horns from offshore boats, and the crisp, pale, comfortable decor in which the interior of every house was dressed. We ate our weight in lobsters, steamers, and my grandmother’s Hawaiian steak. We visited Mystic (and, yes, ate at the famous Mystic Pizza – which really is a thing). It was soooo good. GLP felt “beachy” without the…
Vintage Floral Charm In Your Modern Kitchen
I’m a practical person in so many ways, and that carries over to my [mostly] timeless design style. If I even have a definable style to my home decor, that is… The base style of my kitchen is kind of a traditional modern, if there is such a thing in that oxymoronic statement. It’s plain, but not boring. That said, one of my favorite ways to give little unique flair (I may like timeless, but I don’t like “plain Jane”) is to throw in a touch of vintage charm that makes an unexpected statement in my modern (not boring, not sleek and urban) kitchen. Adding a little vintage, Downton-esque charm can be as…
White Dishes
These white dishes from Williams-Sonoma are my very favorite — affordable, sturdy and clean. Just the right thing for plating the perfect dish! Let me start by saying this is not a sponsored post. I simply feel it’s fair to share two things: 1) my love of this particular make of white dishes and 2) how presentation and aesthetics can really change the feel of a plated meal. Let’s be honest. Did I always have white dishes? Nope. Did I always understand the aesthetic beauty of white dishes? Nope. Have white dishes fixed all the plating problems in the kitchen? Yes. (Okay, well mostly.) When did white dishes become so…
Downton Abbey Inspired Kitchen
This post was inspired by Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon. Learn more about the family who lived in Highclere Castle, where the popular British series Downton Abbey is filmed. Join From Left to Write on Dec. 17, when we discuss Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes. A little over a month ago I found out the From Left to Write December book was going to be Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey. Approximately 3.265443 seconds later, I completed the form to sign up…
Kitchen Disasters: A Simple Guide to Learning from My Mistakes
This is a wonderfully humorous guest post from a fellow foodie and mom! Kitchen disasters, we’ve all been there at some point in our lives, right? I hope you enjoy Mary’s reflections as much as I did. – Liza When I was seventeen, my mother decided she was done cooking dinner for the family every night. She threw her hands up in the air and exclaimed, “If you want a home cooked meal, you can make it yourself!” At the time, the only thing I was capable of doing was scrambling eggs. Over the next few years, I had some spectacular failures due to my lack of kitchen…
