The Cutting Edge

I've been using Osaka series knives to chop, dice, mince and peel just about everything. I bought them for cheap at Marshalls in a set that included a santoku and a paring knife. The duo has served me well over the years except age has started to show. A tinge of rust has settled over the beautiful stainless steel blade.  My non-brand name Chef's Knife will also need to be replace as it dulls far too quickly and does not have a comfortable grip.

After doing some research on cutlery, I found two brands that will meaningfully supplement all of my cutting needs. I also selected knives based on what my niece would enjoy using when she comes over and makes dinner. :)


Wusthof knives, a German brand world-renowned for their high quality cutlery offers knives that are made of high carbon stainless steel that will not stain, pit or RUST and will hold its edge. The unparalleled balance and sharpness makes Wustof the top choice by professional chefs. I looked at the different lines offered by Wusthof and went with the Grand Prix II because of their modern features including a molded pebble grain handle that provides nonslip comfort. The Grand Prix II is also more competitively priced than the Classic line. So I picked up the santoku with a hollow ground edge (5 inch) for $59.95 on Amazon. (I believe they have recently raised the price to $79.95) 

For more information on Wusthof knives click on the link.


The other well known brand is the leader in ceramic knives, Kyocera (Japanese). I have always seen ceramic knives at the store but not knowing much about them I never made a purchase. It turns out ceramic knives are actually sharper than stainless steel knives. The material used to construct the knives are the second hardest after diamonds. Ceramic knives are also light weight, never rust and are sanitary because the blade is very dense and not porous so there is also no odor. A high quality ceramic knife is also less expensive than a stainless steel knife of equal caliber. The fine craftsmanship produced is shown in this video. The only major drawback with ceramic knives is that they are breakable if not properly handled or dropped. So I intend to take extra care of these beauties.

Chef's Knife 7 inch $45.42 and Paring Knife 3 1/7 inch $13.00 via Amazon 

Shades of Gray

The elusive pale blue gray paint...finding the perfect mix has not been easy.

I know it's out there but I simply can't afford to pay $110 a gallon for it. Yes, I am talking about Donald Kaufman's DKC-37. An indescribable shade of blue gray that has a luxurious velvety quality to it. The subtle green undertone adds even more depth to the paint. The way different lights reflect off the surface is just awe inspiring. 

Again, $110. It also can't be duplicated because DK's paint uses as many as 13 pigments to create the subtle shades while most paint brands use only 3 pigments. The variety of colorants and their unique techniques in creating paint also means a copycat will most likely be inferior in quality. The numerous hues in each shade also react to changing light with much of the same richness and range of color found in the natural world. 

So while I can't afford the paint at least I am passed the stage between having identified what I want but I guess finding it is a whole nother story...

Ok.

Well this story includes numerous trips to Benjamin Moore over the course of 3 weeks. Numerous paint samples - that are now part of my scrap book collection. Than there are the strips of test colors on the wall which serve as a reminder to me and the hubby how radically different the paint swatch is in comparison to the actual paint. This is the sorta thing that will lead someone on an unhappy path that ends in frustration...

FYI: C2 paint swatches are actually made with their paint. So what you see is what you get. Unlike most paint companies, a swatch sample is computer generated and since there is no industry standard for this, one paint brand's robin egg blue is another paint's brand ducky blue. Yeah...wtf.

I could not accurately rely on the Internet as computer monitors render colors differently (based on the calibrations). Also the inspiring pictures with the paint colors - well they look different under different lighting. Sooooo....

I checked out the painters' forums and read reviews upon reviews. Yeah I did my research than decided I had to order a sample of Farrow and Ball. This company is said to make the best paint. I also picked up a sample of Pratt & Lambert's White Smoke and C2's Dorian Gray which turned out to be our absolute favorite. It isn't DK-37 but it gets high scores for being the right shade of gray and blue. It is soft and subtle which we really like. It just doesn't have the same depth but it is a high quality paint. C2 uses a 16 colorant European tinting system (similar to Farrow & Ball's) which produces higher solid content and a rich color vibrancy. 

I am almost sold on this color. It looks great during the day and at night under lamp light, it is almost a wispy kinda February winter day. Yanno with floating greyish clouds.

I think Dorian Gray will also work with Benjamin Moore universally appealing cloud white as a trim (a crisp white that doesn't look institutional) or with Farrow and Ball Pointing, a white that can only be described as a pillowy pile of buttery marshmallow.

Dorian Gray by C2

A Tale of Two Curtains

My top pick is the opaque Wood Block Circles cotton canvas panels with the embellish patterns. The canvas curtain panels allow natural light to filter through and the neutral color makes it easy to coordinate with the other fine furnishings in our home. The best part is the price! All sizes are on sale at West Elm starting at $19.99 per panel.

My second favorite is the Moderna Natural Crewel curtain panel made from a faux linen. It has an embroidered brown pattern with a earthy nature design. It looks elegant but the quality is questionable with mix reviews from buyers on Overstock.com. Price wise it is comparable to the West Elm window panels.

I am leaning more towards the curtains from West Elm but because they are not returnable, I have to be absolutely sure they will work with our windows. 

Color My World

A bunch of branch colored pencils in a handmade box made my day. One of the nifty finds I found at Home Goods today. 

Coffee Table Edition

My dream coffee table is the Ty Pennington round metal and glass table with rubbed bronze finish by Howard Miller. It's the perfect size (20" X 40" diameter) for our over sized sectional and it combines everything I want in a coffee table - the metal frame, glass and hard surface combination. There is ample storage space for our magazines and photo albums. The quality and craftsmanship is unsurpassed. However, the price is about $300 over our budget. 

$621.60 - Ty Pennington Round Metal Glass Table via Amazon.com

I did find some lovely alternatives. These moderately scaled contemporary metal round tables have a similar look with smooth clean lines and a art decor, mid century inspired design. They are sturdy and attractive. A few feature the glass and hard surface combo but so far none of them can compare to the Ty Pennington. My other alternative is to choose a rectangular shape coffee table but a round shape table is more ideal because it creates a sense of flow and provides contrast to the rectangular shapes in our living room. 

$49.99 - Vittsjo coffee table via ikea 
Wood and Glass combo. Made with tempered glass which is more durable but the size is too small. 

$142.99 - Round Glass Top Coffee Table via Overstock.com
Minimalist design but does not offer any storage space

$399 - Foxed Mirror Coffee Table via West Elm
Smoked glass surface with minimalist design. Simple and beautiful but not storage space

$294 - Hammary Nueva Round Cocktail Table in Aged Copper

via. Wayfair.com
Like the Ty Pennington is has a beautiful bronze finish. 

$399- TFG Martini Coffee Table with shelves in Java Oak via Mayfair
My second favorite coffee table. It does not have the glass surface but still feels airy.