I thought I would share the latest edition to my kitchen.

A thin metal wall plaque – approx 80cm H x 25cm W and presumably to stand upright but I thought I’d go a different angle and place it horizontally on the ledge over the range hood.  As you can see the range hood serves as a shelf for knick knacks too &  is topped with some Christmas cheer at this time of year.

I was sitting here the other day and picked up a copy of the ‘Completely Spotless’ book and started reading with a few giggles thrown in.

This book is written in a fashion that doesn’t make you feel like a dill, answers those questions you just don’t want to mention to someone else and actually makes you want to read on. This is not something I ever would have thought I would enjoy.  Although if you are allergic to vinegar and/or Bicarb Soda it is not the book for you – there are very few pages without either or both mentioned as a remedy for something.

I randomly opened at a page dedicated to airing mattresses and in the list of items required to air a mattress was a cricket bat and bi-carb. It seems you sprinkle the mattress with bi-carb then beat it with the bat, leave the bi-carb over night and vaccum the next morning, flip the mattress and repeat. This ticks all the boxes eco-friendly, good cardio-vascular exercise, anger management, stress relief and a clean smelling mattress.

Did you happen to catch  Shannon Lush, one of the co-authors, on the telly the other night? It was a very informative interview and well worth watching if you can find it on U-Tube.

Maybe it’s all the appliances or all the life that occurs, but even in highly decorated kitchens there’s sometimes a lack of art. It’s a shame, really, because just like in any other room, art can really bring in a lot of interest, excitement and “pop” to a kitchen.

And let’s face it, so much of your day-today interactions with family and friends occur in the kitchen, so why shouldn’t it be a cleverly designed yet cheerful room?

Art in the kitchen can be both beautiful and functional. Just make sure it isn’t too valuable or delicate. The kitchen can have a lot of humidity and temperature changes. In some houses it can also have grease in the air on occasion -something that a good range hood will take care of but more one that another time . And if you hang something directly above the stove, assume that it will have a reduced life span, even if it has glass in front.

Most glazed ceramic pieces do well, perhaps a collection of vintage plates and saucers, as they can withstand humidity and be wiped clean of flying tomato sauce, cake batter and oil.

Try using old copper and cast iron pieces, such as kettles or an antique cake mold.

Bright porcelain containers on the counter for flour, sugar, etc., bright tea towels and oven mitts hanging, and for art and I think most of us hang up colourful clippings and photos on clipboards on the fridge.

There are literally 1001 ideas… we’d love to hear and see about your piece of colourful pop in the kitchen

Images from Decor Pad

Every now and then I wish I could escape from my everyday. So today I decided to do just that, no not run away (although the thought did cross my mind) but instead I bought the ultimate recyclable shopping bag to do my fruit and veg shopping. A Moroccan cane shopping bag with leather straps and it made me feel great! I could day dream I was in some Parisian street with the fruit and veg and the french stick, sticking out ahhh …. if only.

Anyway back to reality – I have given this bag a serious work out and love it. I have used it to carry all the goodies for a picnic for 5 and lugging it quite a distance to get there. I have taken all the paraphernalia for 5 to go to the beach and carried it all day and other than being heavy it was quite comfy to carry.  The leather straps didn’t dig in and I had no concern of the handles falling off  because they are stitched on.  Compared to the blue no brand shopping bags (that we all have a drawer load full of) that I usually take for these outings, I felt much less like a pack horse and more like I groovy mum… Here’s to the versatile, looking good Moroccan woven basket.

And yes they are available now at HOME SAVVY for just $39.95

Cheers  Linda