Thanks to my resourceful mother, I will get my own DIY sandwich boards; I opted for an 8 x 12-inch board since I want enough space to put a small bowl of soup and a sandwich. A wooden board absorbs the condensation out of toasted bread, which is part of the appeal.

As I put my eyes on the 9 inches by 7 inches Sandwich boards by master woodworker and designer Edward Wohl, I have my doubts over my extra-long board. Mine are already done so we will see if I was right or not. The bird eye’s maple cutting boards produced by Edward Wohl are truly elegant; that is why you pay more. I bought 2 of his wooden spreaders/butter knives when I visited Heath.

It also works the other way around: you could give them to our mother for Mother’s Day. I will probably get my hands on my set on Mother’s Day since I do not think we will meet before that – we live 100 kms apart. I also asked if she finds someone to make me beech wood slice tray; I like the silver bark that is more stylish than the rustic maple bark. You will get a chance to admire them on my table this summer.

SOURCING:
+ Sandwich boards by Edward Wohl $29 USD at Linda Ferrol Studio – also available at Heath Ceramics
+ Wooden Knife by Edward Wohl $12.50 USD at Linda Ferrol Studio

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Setting the Decor

Last July, Gourmet inspired their readers with a delicious summer menu realized in a dreamy setting. I fall in love with the vintage canoe table.

Set the tone of the party with Camping Circa 1960s note cards by Old School Stationers. To set the tone of your table, go for the vintage style dinnerware. One great choice is the Festa Dinnerware at Fortunata.

DIY Wood Tray

Serving burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and toasts on home made wood tray is not just cute, it is very practical.

A friend of mine sent me this picture of the wood board made by her father. To reproduce, you simply cut a 2×6 or 2 by 8 in 8-inch long tray. A fancier version, shown here, is to carve a space to put the knife.

The story goes that her father was tired of the stream on the china plate that we all experienced with toasts. But if you use instead an untreated wood tray, the wood would absorb the humidity and deliver the best toasts you ever taste.

SOURCING:
+ Recipes of Rollin’ on the River Menu
+ Get the Look featured Rollin’ on the River
+ Festa Dinnerware at Fortunata
+ Camping Circa 1960s by Old School Stationers
+ Baja Barware at Pottery Barn – price: $45 USD for 6 double old-fashioned, $54 for 6 highball glasses
+ Top pictures photographed by Quentin Bacon for the Rollin’ on the River article on Gourmet, July 2008 – right reserved

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This is my daily collection of noteworthy stuff that I saw online.

+ A delightful scene photographed by Alicia Bock that you can buy on Etsy. She is a completely self-taught photographer. All her pictures exhibit a vintage vibe. Via Apartment Therapy San Francisco

+ Pottery Barn Kids excel in devising amazing kids décor. For the future rock star in your family, infuse a musical in their bedrooms with the Guitar & Boom Box large pillows. With kids, it is best to use a wide theme. Therefore, mix the pillows with Gavin Sheeting designed for kids who loves sports, animals, cars, aviation and music. Via Serendipity and Spark

Gingery Salmon Burgers on a Wood Tray

+ The long and narrow curved wood tray adds style. The tray design accentuates the uniqueness of the gingery salmon burgers by Michael Smith. Sitting on a potato dill roll, watercress and red onion relish complement the savor of his Maritime’s burgers.  I am glad to report that Michael Smith’s fascinating series, Chef at Home is entering its fifth season this fall. Via Food for Thought

Getting Organized at Home

+ If you are cleaning the garage or the shed, you could wall mount a few magnetic knife holders to neatly store paintbrushes. This is another great organizing idea from Martha Stewart. Via anh-minh

+ Eco-friendly back-to-school tips based on the three R’s: reuse, reduce and recycle. The best tips is to invest in reusable lunch box or bag, many reusable containers plus to use real cutlery and cloth napkins.Via The Gazette

Announcement: I am preparing a cool article on wood plates and trays. It is based on a craft project that anyone can do.

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The top 3 are Red-Dot Design Award winners and an honorable mention. The fifth is there because it is cute and original.

Zyliss’ Easy Spin Salad Spinner

On my book, noting beat a Zyliss salad spinner and I got a 10 year old model. Zyliss won in 2004 for its Easy Spin salad spinner.

The latest model, the Zyliss Smart Touch Salad Spinner won a Red-Dot in 2008. Sadly, the consumer reviews are mixed so far.

Everywhere I checked, people were more than satisfied with the Easy Spin Salad Spinner. So I will say to go with the previous edition (the ones I am showing you).

Joseph Joseph’s Folding Colander

Anthony Joseph designed for Joseph Joseph the ultimate space saver colander. This innovative colander folds completely flat for easy storage. Moulded from polypropylene it uses 12 live hinges to achieve its transformation. It took 149 prototypes to arrive to this solution.

Joseph Joseph folding colander is available in five colors: black, white, green, light blue and hot pink.

Thurø Line Serving Concept

An outstanding and innovative design characterizes the Thurø Line by Rauff & Møldrup. This is for an entire serving ware collection. This aesthetic serving concept includes a serving wood tray, a cooling tray and a set of blue glass dishes. Finishes in pale, medium and dark wood are available.

They are so much to say about the Thurø Line Serving Concept that I am preparing a post just about it. As far as I know this is only available in Denmark and maybe in a few Scandinavian stores.

Lemon Run Lemon Squeezer

I am glad that a product I introduced earlier this year received a Red-Dot Design honorable mention. Lemon Run designed by U.I. Design for KEDO makes your dining experience an easy and relaxed one.

KEDO describes their invention in those terms: “The design of the Lemon Run lemon squeezer is inspired by the traditional Chinese platter art. When squeezing the pouch, which is shaped like a ginkgo leave, on both sides a drip of lemon juice will run down along the ginkgo stem into the meal. This playful yet useful device makes a slice of lemon a decorative object on the table before and after it is used.”

Bosa’s Meilito Honey Pot

I always want a small honey pot to put on my table. Until now, I never find one that captures my attention. The ceramic dipper tips of this Italian design honey pot are dipped in bright colors: yellow, green, blue plus the typical black and white.

SOURCING:
+ Zyliss Green Easy Spin Salad Spinner – price: $24.95 USD
+ Folding Colander by Joseph Joseph – price: $29 USD
+ Thurø (Thuroe) Line Serving Concept
+ Lemon Run by KEDO
+ Bosa’s Meilito Honey Pot – price: $44 USD

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A sense of innocence characterizes this week board. Even if I qualified the color palette as juvenile, these objects are really cute. They have a certain “je ne sais quoi”.

1 | Apartment Therapy : The Nursery

The mix and match melamine Taylor Sectional Trays from Pottery Barn Kids reminds me of the 70s TV dinners that we saw on TV. My mother never served us these fake meals. But the idea of compartment trays is fun. They would be a hit at a kid birthday.

Janie from Apartment Therapy : The Nursery confessed that there are appreciate by adults as well. Right now, they are on sale at half-price if we forgot the 99 cents difference.

2 | Oh Joy!

Of all the sweet vessels from Yoyo Ceramics that Oh Joy! presented, a consensus formed around the Apple & Pear set.

But these Apples and Pears are not just cute. They come handy in the kitchen or as individual serving pieces on the table.

3 | Design Boner

If you are keen on scientific stuff, you will fall in love with the Periodic Table of Sentiments Card Collection by Pink Loves Brown (what a lovely brand name!). Cardboard of Design Boner uncovered this find.

The Periodic Table of Sentiments come as an emergency set for 6 typical occasions or each card is sold separately.

Sourcing:
Buy online: Taylor Sectional Trays at Pottery Barn Kids – on sale: $16.99 USD for a set of 4
Buy online: Apples & Pears at Yoyo Ceramics – price: £25 for a set of 2
Buy online: Periodic Table of Sentiments Cards by Pink Loves Brown – price: $13.50 USD for a set of 6

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I talked to you earlier about the trends towards colors and baroque inspired motifs. Manufacturers and designers are pushing the looks they want us to adopt. But do people embark?

So as a follow-up story to this week 3 blogs and a mood board, I went to verify if the cool crowd is really into colors and elegant motifs. I selected the MOMA Store as my test center.

If you examine MOMA’s best sellers list, the matter becomes obvious. A quick glance at their 7 most popular tableware items prove the acceptance of these trends.

We have to wait until the seventh tableware product to see a stainless steel and black serving tray. MOMA felt the need to photograph the serving tray with the Colored Riedel stemless glasses inside the tray. I rest my case.

The best seller list in the tableware category

These creations were designed between 1997 and 2007.

1. Colored Stemless Glasses by Maximilian Riedel – price: $55 USD for a set of 4

2. Curved Glasses by Leonardo Design Team – price: $65 USD for a set of 6

3. Colorful Rings Cutting Board by Antony Joseph – price: $28 USD

4. Distinct Patterned Glasses by Emmanuel Babled – price: $115 USD for a set of 6

5. Mediterraneo Bowl by Emma Silvestris – price: $65 USD

6. Raybowls by Sandy Chilewich – price: $48 USD for the Boomerang green, $60 USD for the Oblong orange

7. Serving Tray by Formsache21 – price: $150 USD

A great place for gift shopping

Members of MOMA save between 10-20% when they shop at all MOMA stores. This is a retail place where you can find amazing gifts for people with discriminating taste. Whether it is for a housewarming gift, a hostess gift, a birthday gift or shopping for the Holidays, I always find the selection at MOMA to be exciting.

Sourcing:
Shop online: MOMA store
Learn more: MOMA memberships information

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