bread boxes: useful or space wasters?
Wondering through Tarjay the other day, I was distracted by some very cute bread boxes prominently on display. Do I need one of these, I thought? Our bread storage habits are kinda haphazard. We just toss them in a wire bin tucked under a counter (along with our potatoes, dog treats, and such). My grandma always used one but never told me: Does bread really last longer if stored in a bread basket? Should it be stored in the fridge? Why do some bread bins cost so much?
Some cute bread boxes that have me debating giving up valuable counter space:
Target’s Pin Jan White Bread Box, $18.
Colorful bread bins from Wesco, about $100
Retro Metal Bread Box on Ebay, starting at $19.
— Angela M.
Previous posts to read:
I Dig The Bread Bin, But Will It Save My Loaf?
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are bookshelves becoming a thing of the past?
This week I saw two stories about bookshelves suggesting they are going the way of the record player and rotary telephones. It seems that in the dawning era of electronic books (and I am the first to confess: I LOVE my Kindle) that bookshelves are becoming obsolete. Both Time.com and The Economist wrote about Ikea’s plans to remake its famous Billy bookcases to contain all sorts things besides books. The shelves are becoming deeper and they’re getting optional doors – all the better to hold things that aren’t books, like tsotchkes (and I am the first to confess: I LOVE tsotchkes).
In our house, we still have a lot of novels and other assorted paper products, like magazines, kids books, cookbooks, photography books. But it’s true that they are not the only objects that live on our shelves. When we staged our apartment to sell, in the photo above, we cleaned up the bookshelves so they contained very few books. Our realtor thought this would be more appealing.
These days, I find myself drawn more and more to old books and first editions. Is it the nagging sense that classic printed matter is becoming more precious? On our mantel is a first edition of EB White’s This is New York, a must have and read. I’m not buying fewer books now that I own a Kindle. Rather, now I am buying books that I truly treasure and want to have and hold and display. And for those, I need bookshelves.
What about your home’s future? Will bookshelves still have a place there? — Angela M.
embracing power outages: what do you do in the dark?
As I write this, the east coast is preparing for a lashing of epic proportions thanks to hurricane Irene. By the time this gets to you, I very well may be without power in my little corner of New York City, but I’m still intrigued. We’ve stocked up on candles and matches, flashlights and batteries, and I’ve even got my camping headlamp (laugh all you want, it comes in handy!) at the ready, so we’re (hopefully) in good shape to ride out the storm, but I’d love to know your game plan when it comes to power outages. Do you have any go to games or traditions you turn to when the lights go out? Any helpful logistical tips to share? Special meals you prepare in advance of big storms? Share in comments! — Sarah C.
Related:
Making a home emergency kit
Do you have a household emergency plan?
steal this idea: chalkboard contact paper labels
I’ve been following Nashville-based blogger ModFruGal for quite a while now. I really love her home, her stylish DIY tutorials, and her way with polished brass — this self-proclaimed “budget minded modernist” is worth a regular visit. Even a recipe post contains brilliant ideas I want to use in my own home, like using chalkboard contact paper labels on her food storage containers. That way, when you change out your item, the label can be easily changed too. It’s the kind of simple genius that makes me smack my head and say, “why didn’t I think of that?” Functional, simple, and attractive: that means this is my next organizational project! What do you think? — Megan B.
Update: ModFruGal, in response to our linky love, has given us the full tutorial on how she made these! Click here to see how.
help! i need small space solutions for this microscopic kitchen!
It’s been a couple months since we moved into our new place, and despite a hectic work schedule, it’s finally beginning to feel like home. Yes, I have a few photos to get printed and framed, but for the most part, we’re lookin’ good. Well, except for our microscopic kitchen. Our most major pain point to date, sometimes it feels like there’s no way to make this narrow space with minimal counter tops usable for all the cooking we’d like to do, and it’s a factor that’s keeping my stand mixer dream firmly planted in the future. We’ve traded our dish track and tray combo for this handy dish drying mat, which has helped to clear up counter space, but other than that the next step seems to require the installation of some strategic shelving, but the space is so narrow that I’d love to crowd-source an answer on this one. The ceilings in our apartment are very high, so there’s potential for elevated shelving, but some other complications include that the oven is flush to the wall, so any sort of table or narrow storage console along that wall would prevent the door from opening, which is a deal-breaker. Parallel to the views above is an empty wall, but the walkway is so narrow than any possible shelving would have to be far above our heads. Any helpful tips for me? Care to commiserate? — Sarah C.
