Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 437

Sponge, Dish Cloth, or Paper Towel--What do You Use?

Let's start off the week with a quick poll: What do you use to wash dishes: a sponge, a dish rag (or microfiber cloth), paper towels, or something else?

I've always been a dish cloth user--mainly because that's what my parents used. But I've been using a sponge since I moved into a new apartment, because that's what I had available. I think it's time now to go back to using a cloth that I can just toss in the washing machine.

I want to know what you use, and why. I've found that many...

And You Picked...

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford's Seattle-set debut novel, is officially your June book. Discussion leader Lindsay Funston, Real Simple's food assistant, will say hello and talk a little about the book and reading schedule later this week.

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Free Blowouts for a Cause

In my humble opinion, the best parts of a haircut are the bookends: A rigorous, scalp-tingling head massage to start it off and then, a stunning blowout--that I appreciate all the more, knowing I'll have a hard time recreating myself--to gloriously end it all. It's very much like a glass of wine, the first and last sips are always the most satisfying.

Kèrastase Paris is offering this experience, a hair type specific treatment (your stylist will consult with you as to which one best suits your ...

Name That Flower

I love flowers - displayed in a vase, depicted in artwork, printed on fabrics - I love anything and everything floral. So you can imagine my delight at discovering this "Flowerpedia" via Lani Elizabeth, a small California-based floral and event design studio. It's pure educational eye-candy - and a helpful resource when picking out blooms for your next party. Enjoy! 

 

 

 
  
 

Saving on Your Family's Summer Vacation

Half of Americans are planning a vacation this summer, according to a recent survey of 2,000 adults conducted by American Express. Respondents plan to spend an average of $1,000 per person on summer travel, and 89 percent will stay in the U.S. More than half plan to take their getaway with family. Some 80 percent of respondents say they have a strategy to reduce the cost of their summer vacations; the most popular is driving instead of flying to their destination. Here are a few of ideas...

Cake Stands - Not Just for Cake

I loved the use of these adorable cake stands at a recent baby shower I attended. The hostess had used them to serve all sorts of food - other than cake - and it made such a pretty display. 

 

I didn't have a chance to ask the hostess where these particular stands came from. Anyone recognize them? Or know of a great source for this kind of ribbon-threaded stand?

Pretty Place Cards from Timeless Paper

Place cards aren't something you see everyday. I would venture a guess that most people only come across place cards at weddings or other more formal events, and even then they aren't always a given. But I do love place cards.

I aspire to someday have enough people over for a dinner party so I can use name cards without feeling silly. And when I do have that dinner party, these are the place cards I will use.

 

Love Bird Place Cards by Timeless Paper, $37.50 for 25, FeltandWireShop.com

Aren't t...

Want To Be a Svelte Gourmand? Here's How...

While some people still consider healthy eating to be synonymous with taste-free, no-fun, deprivation-inducing food, more and more people are coming to fully understand that you can be a foodie—that is, someone who loves food, all kinds, all flavors, all tastes, from fatty to fat-free—as well as someone who watches her waistline and is careful about being healthy overall.

In a way, you CAN have your cake and eat it too, at least that's what the writers behind the blog Svelte Gourmand

Did You Vote Yet?

Yes, you, Bookie! Remember, you have until this Sunday, May 23, to vote for your favorite of the four books below. Real Simple Food Assistant Lindsay Funston will lead the discussion of the winning June book.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford

Ford's debut novel, set in the Seattle of World War II, is a story of love young and old, familial relationships across generations, and upheaval on both personal and global scales.

Nine Stories, by J.D. Salinger

The late, reclusive...

MUJI

I'm back from a week in London and thought I'd share a shop that I finally got to visit called MUJI (they have 4 stores in NYC and an online shop for US customers). MUJI is a shop that is all about simplicity and they believe that simplicity can be achieved through a complexity of thought and design. Modest, plain, streamlined -- these words describe their products best.

MUJI first opened in 1980 in Japan and has been steadily growing ever since and recently opened their first stores in...