Spaces Magazine

This time of year has me looking back over the past dozen months to figure out where I currently am on the map of progress (i.e., what worked, what didn’t). I won’t drag you into a therapy session of what didn’t work, but I will share with you what did. Consider this my “Best Of” for 2009.

HOME FURNISHINGS/APPLIANCES: Lee Industries’ slipcovered furniture with easily replaceable “Coveralls” in a variety of patterns/textures; our Restoration Hardware pendant that served as an easy kitchen-decor pick-me-up as well our slim-depth 84″ tall industrial-style chrome cookbook/small-appliance shelving from Shelving.com; Rejuvenation’s slim 15-watt frosted flame-tip candelabra bulbs for much softer dining room lighting; Electrolux’s beautifully designed Ergorapido, a powerful 2-in-1 stick/hand vacuum cleaner with sleek recharging station.

FASHION/ACCESSORIES: Etsy.com for distinctive, handmade jewelry, hats, scarves, and more; Matt & Nat’s luxe eco-friendly handbags/wallets (especially their Japanese paper line); Michael Kors ready-to-wear clothing.

FOOD FINDS: The deliriously fluffy Junior’s Cheesecake of Brooklyn for gift giving (start with the Cherry Crumb version and you’ll be forever hooked) and succulent duck leg quarters from Maple Leaf Farms in Indiana.

PET STYLE: The Bay Area’s George for fetchingly high style (and sprightly online and offline stores), and Target’s fashionable (and affordable) Boots & Barkley goods (found mostly in stores).

KITCHENWARE: New: The superb Deni 48-blade meat tenderizer (thanks for the tip, Alton Brown!) and anything from the ever-inventive Oxo. New but Looks Old: A gorgeous Greek copper pepper mill sold by Sur La Table.

DINNERWARE: New: Vintage-style Spode “Blue Willow” that’s dishwasher- and microwave-safe—it never goes out of style, looks great in both dressy and casual settings, and is fun to mix and match (especially with the “Georgian Series” of salad/bread plates). Old: My grandmother’s silverware (“Marlborough” by Reed & Barton, with her family initial “B” to remind me of her—and every special meal we shared using it).

WEB: 1st Dibs design emporium, with a chic magazine-style page-turn story format, easy to peruse (and own) furnishings, and great info on top designers past and present.

TELEVISION: Chef Gordon Ramsay (“Kitchen Nightmares”) for keep slacker restaurateurs on their toes—and me glued to the television set while he’s doing so.

RADIO: XM and Sirius combining forces was thought by some to be a bad thing. Not me. The options are immensely plentiful now (and all hail Little Steven’s Underground Garage for its hip and eclectic mix of rock and blues). Which brings me to …

PDA: … my iPhone. What did I ever do without these apps: Sirius XM (for continuous music and news), Things (for to-do  list organization), Facebook (for on-the-fly comments and photo uploads), eBay (to ensure I don’t miss an auction close), Ben Color Capture (for snapping inspiring colors and getting Benjamin Moore paint chip numbers to match), Scrabble (for doctor’s office and airport waits), Wells Fargo (for instantly checking on funds), TMZ (a celebrity-news guilty pleasure), Gratitude Journal (for noting all the good things that happen each day), and OpenTable (for quickly making restaurant reservations—and earning points toward monetary rewards).

BEAUTY: Finally a powerful makeup mirror by that offers natural (daylight) lighting and a dimmable feature. Oh, and More magazine, which, if you are a woman over age 40, you must get monthly to learn the latest on sophisticated beauty, fashion, health/fitness, money/careers, sex/love, and inspiring people.

OFFICE: Three Designing Women for unique stationery embossers and stylish self-inking stamps. Also, cool business cards from Moo.com (designed by some of the country’s most innovative artists) that also can be personalized and ready in a jiffy.

SPIRITS: The Italian sparkling wine Prosecco (really, every brand I’ve tried is delightful, and is easily more drinkable than drier Champagne). And organic Sonoma Sparklers for uniquely flavored  sparkling fruit juices (think blood orange, Meyer lemon) for alcohol-free enjoyment.

BOOKS: By the bed is Oscar Wilde’s Wit and Wisdom: A Book of Quotations, which I refer to each evening before falling asleep to help keep life in perspective (i.e., “Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative.”)

Here’s to a New Year filled with many more pleasures … and lots of inconsistency!