Cuisinart Coffeemaker Broke My Heart

guy drinks coffee aloneLess than two years ago I saw, I fell in love, and I bought – for close to $100 at the time, much more than it costs today because of course they dropped the price since then, darn it! – the sleek retro stainless steel Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Coffeemaker.

Don’t make the same mistake!

But let’s go back to the rosy, sweet, early days of my appliance relationship…

Right from the start, I loved the Cuisinart’s retro-nostalgia aesthetic – the rounded edges, the cool on/off toggle switch, the low-profile buttons for self-clean and setting the timer clock – enough to cheerfully overlook some of the many design flaws you’ll find other DCC-1200 owners sounding off about in the customer reviews on Amazon.

Oh,  just a few small annoyances at first…

(more…)

Continue ReadingCuisinart Coffeemaker Broke My Heart

A Lemon Theme in Home Decor

Cindy has a lovely lemon theme going on in her “Romantic Home” and has shared some photographs of her favourite pieces.

I’m equally charmed by her pretty white three-tiered serving dish (Cindy heaps it with realistic-looking faux lemons and limes in the summertime) — and this kitchen chalkboard, made by her father and crowned with a lemon garland.

Look at the way the tendrils of the vine pick up on that fine detail on the corners of the frame. Perfect, isn’t it?

It’s more common to see apples or strawberries for a fruit theme in home decor, here in Canada, but those happy lemons do give a bright “twist” (forgive the pun!) to a refreshing blue-and-white colour scheme…

Really, you have two main style choices in going for a lemon theme, both equally attractive but in different moods. Go bright and bold — or subtle and nostalgic —
(more…)

Continue ReadingA Lemon Theme in Home Decor