Dance In Your Kitchen!

Ok, I'm feeling the weekend coming on!

We were "this close" to going to New Orleans this weekend for the JazzFest. We've gone 6 times since 1995. We MAY even go for a quick one nighter next weekend. Instead, this weekend, our daughter her husband, and their dog (who's afraid of our cat who gets into the tiger stalking stance at the sight of his rustling tail) are coming out for the weekend. I have declared this weekend, JazzFest weekend on the blog, and we will definitely have the music cranked up ALL WEEKEND, while we are all cooking together, with wine flowing, and as I have it on right now on my computer, as there will be LIVE programming from the Fest!

Here's where you go to take part in your own version of dancing in the kitchen while you're cooking this weekend! Go to WWOZ! 

To me, that's when a kitchen really lives up to its full potential...loved ones, music, wine, good food, pets, what else is there?? Enjoy!

KBIS 2008 - More Pantry Love!

From KBIS, I have too many fun images of organizational finds for the pantry not to share them with you, so there is more for today. And, if you're like me, I think it's so much fun to discover new ways of organizing (yes, FUN.) Keeps the insides of our cabinets interesting, so that they, oh let's take a stretch here, do their JOB to amuse their pantry masters, right? Not to mention adding efficiency to the mix. Poor pantries, SO much work to do! I think my own pantry definitely needs therapy, it's so mixed up...

Here we go again. Would you prefer this for your corner wall cabinet (it pulls out!):

OR THIS....! No contest!

Also from Knape & Vogt is this super handy pull out tray divider...

 

From Rev-A-Shelf, new (as all these products are) for 2008 is the answer to your pan storage...

 

Here's a cool corner solution from Sidelines

Also from Sidelines, a neat wine/bottle storage device/piece/unit/thing

And now for the fireworks images!!! Again, from Sidelines, and you'll see a variety of organizational solutions for closets and for kitchens and anywhere else you need to organize your stuff...enjoy!

KBIS 2008 - In The Pantry!

I had this post all put together day before yesterday. A couple of days prior I downloaded a beta firefox3 that I read was stable, almost ready to be released (well, June) yadayada. Then, I noticed a very slow internet connection. Did I make the connection between the browser and the slow internet? Not until today when I decided to try explorer to see how that ran. Made an appointment with the ISP and everything for this Saturday! Sheesh! So, we're up and running again, nice and fast. Here we go...

Let me tell you, I WORKED that show, KBIS! Ok, so I couldn't stop snapping pictures with my new camera, truth be told, BUT, my intentions were noble...and so many things were so inspiring. So, let's look at what's new for inside our kitchen cabinets and pantries.

Here's a cool new mechanism thing to allow your doors to sit at any position and stay there. No worries about snapping up or down or whatever. It's by Hafele, who makes so many useful and modern products for the kitchen.

Also from Hafele, a pull down shelf to access those hard to reach, and possibly, heavy items from the upper shelves of your wall cabinets.

And, one more from Hafele, a chefs pantry pantry insert with a new finish for the shelves. From the Arena champagne collection. The shelves are coated with a special finish which causes items NOT to move around. It's a good thing. :)

From Knape & Vogt, would you rather reach in and use this in your corner cabinet...

 OR THIS.....

 

More organization tools tomorrow. Just wait till you see THESE....

Kitchens - Go Ahead and Vent!

At KBIS, I took a 1/2 day sort of refresher course on venting. There is not a whole lot new in venting concepts, but, it did reinforce and remind me of the "ick" factor, which I'll explain. 

Here's what's happening. First, our kitchen floor plans are more OPEN to other rooms. This means that pollutants from cooking have more opportunity to freely move about your home, hanging out in your furnishings, your artwork, your pillows, walls, flooring, you get the idea. Just as an fyi, grease from cooking turns into vapor and floats in the air as particles for as long as 72 hours!

ADD TO THAT, the tighter construction of newer homes, which can encourage mold growth and trap pollutants, and your health becomes at risk for allergies, asthma, lung disease, and who knows what else.  A very impressive ick factor, yes? AND, if that is not enough, indoor pollution is considered to rank within the top 5 environmental risks to the public, according to the EPA.

Hoods now do very cool things. They sense heat and turn on automatically. They sense cool temperatures and turn off automatically. They are much quieter than they used to be.  They operate via remote control. Some have hidden controls with a memory feature. They have a delayed shut down mode and a 24 hour anti pollution mode. Some hoods move up and down at the touch of a button to get out of your way, and some hoods move in and out. And, some are energy star rated. Hoods do amazing things these days. Look more deeply when you are in the market for a hood. It's substance, not only style!

More to the story are cfms, duct runs, turns, duct diameters, and other elements and information with which to design a proper venting system, but that is for another day. Today's purpose is twofold: 1) to get you aware of all that is floating in and around the kitchen after you cook and 2) to show you some new hoods (which you really, really, need!)

Please run your mouse over the image to see the brand names.

Kitchen Resources - By Readers

I want to just take a moment and thank my readers, all of you, for passing on your own tips, suggestions, and favorite resources in an effort to help others find solutions to this crazily, and incredibly, detailed endeavor known as a kitchen renovation! 

I can't say how appreciative I am. I continue to learn from you, and we all benefit from one another. Your participation helps to make this blog better and better, serving as a great resource for many, as I am told via private emails and public posts. Your willingness to share is inspiring. The quality of your ideas and the information you bring to us all is simply fantastic. I'm not looking to gather compliments in return, please don't go there. I just want to take a moment and express these thoughts. Your thoughts and information you bring to this blog are always welcome, always.

Today is a good day to be Reader Appreciation Day!

What else can I say but thank you!

Here's something for you. It's what you remind me of, many beautiful roses in my garden. This is an image I took last June. Thanks for "sitting on the bench" and chatting awhile. Visit me anytime!