Do You Serve Dinner?

A funny thing happened last night at our house around dinner time. My husband called me for dinner (of course I was in my office staring at my monitor).

I go upstairs to the kitchen and what do I see but my husband making a plate for himself of the foods we are having for dinner. What was different about that scene was that he was doing it sort of buffet style, and the dishes that held the main food items were on the kitchen countertop.

I stopped and cried "I can't believe you're doing that! Why have we not done this before now?!" He didn't have an answer. So, we filled our plates and walked over to sit in the family room area and had our dinner. I went on and on about it for another few minutes (was he listening?) I was thrilled!

Have you yawned at this piece yet? In our case, our kids are grown and up until last night (mostly) we've walked all the dishes, serving dishes, beverages, condiments, yadayada to the table and then walked all of these things back to the kitchen after dinner.

Is it a chore to do that? Well, not really, but doing a buffet style dinner seems SO much easier, convenient, time saving, and just less laborious "feeling." When the kids were growing up, we always ate dinner at the table with all the accompanying stuff. But, now with the two of us (our son still living with us doesn't often eat with us) why not make it easier??

I was so excited at this new way of streamlining the process, I called my daughter and told her about this light bulb moment enthusiastically, to which she replied, "We do that all the time for dinner" (she and her husband.)

A bigger issue might be...it is important to anticipate this dinner time behavior and consider designing a kitchen around it. A good question to ask...

What about you? Dinner on the table or buffet style? My vote at this point in my life is buffet, baby!

Around the Kitchen Interwebs

Let's see what's happening with kitchen topics around the web.

A partner in crime, Kelly, is talking about product finishes, always something guaranteed to drive homeowners nutty. Do you blend? Match? How far afield do you/can you go? Kelly gives her usual sage advice!

Met Home's Kitchen and Bath Sourcebook shows quite a few inspirational products for nearly anyone's dream kitchen or bath. I especially like their sharp-eyed pick of the Fisher Paykel dishwasher in the taller version for the big plates that so many of us have.

There's a pretty sexy sink in their slideshow too. Worth a look.

This site has really blossomed in recent months. It sure stimulates the senses!

Another partner in the kitchen design business, Laurie, from Kitchen Design Notes, is informing her readers about Dacor's new energy saving refrigerator. It's a huge 36" refrigerator and is even Energy Star rated, so no guilt there!

And in The Appliancist, all you need to do is scroll in wonder at all their fantastic finds...

Armstrong Flooring Ad

I hate to be negative, but that's part of life too, of course. My general goal is to try to be negative for as short a period of time as possible and then move on, leaving negativity in the dust. So, allow me this negative-centric post please.

I picked up my copy of House Beautiful, turned back the cover and what shouts out at me in a double page ad but a picture of Gilda Radner with a big smile on her face (on the right side of the ad.) Quite honestly, I wasn't sure if it was an old image of her or a look-alike.  I haven't given Gilda Radner a thought in I don't know how long, although she was one of my favorites.

Basically, Armstrong Flooring used Gilda Radner (look alike or real) to compare real wood floors to laminate (fake) wood flooring. I think comparing a beloved (by many) well known deceased person to a fake wood flooring material is misguided at best.

Here are some of the things I object to in this campaign:

• This woman died at a young age
• She truly suffered (intense physical and emotional pain) in her fight to live
• It's not all that long ago that she died, an important factor
• It's a huge corporate ad campaign
• No mention, having used her celebrity persona as the center of this campaign, of donating money to ovarian cancer causes for the privilege of using her perpetual celebrity influence
• Gilda Radner touched countless millions of people in her professional life and private struggle, earning immense good will, and this "capital" is being used for purposes of commerce
• Does Armstrong understand, as this campaign is widely viewed, how hurt a large number of people will be, as they suffer through ovarian cancer or remember the suffering their loved ones endured?

That's really all I need to know. For me, it was an immediate, strong, negative reaction upon seeing the ad. There WAS only one Gilda Radner, as Armstrong notes.  

End of negativity for today! All comments, no matter what they are, are welcome.

One more note. Armstrong, I would ask that you put out a  press release with your intention to donate money to Ovarian Cancer causes in recognition of Gilda Radner being the center of this campaign. I'll report on that with pleasure.

UPDATE OCTOBER 13, 2009:

Here is what I received  on October 12 from Armstrong's PR agency: 

"Armstrong Flooring is partnering with retailers Abbey Carpet & Floor and Floors To Go for a national consumer sales event Sept. 15 to Nov. 15, 2009 to benefit Gilda’s Club Worldwide, a non-profit cancer support organization founded in memory of beloved comedian Gilda Radner. Armstrong will contribute $.10 to Gilda’s Club for every square foot of material a consumer purchases through Abbey or Floors To Go Sept. 15 through Nov. 15. So, if a consumer purchases 1,000 square feet of Armstrong's laminate flooring, Armstrong will donate $100 to Gilda’s Club. Armstrong has guaranteed Gilda’s Club a minimum $30,000 donation."

I'm very pleased to see this development. Thank you Armstrong for stepping up!