Kitchen Miscellanea

You know, it's funny. All of a sudden, I discovered a pattern in my thinking. Day after day, in the midst of a very busy period for me, I'm thinking, hmmmmm, maybe I should just show you some gorgeous Scandinavian kitchens from my recent magazines. No, not that, I'll blog about this problem I'm having on a job. No, I'll blog about new products, or this or that, or whatever, and each time, it causes me to delay a little longer. I seem to be experiencing a "no, not that" sort of feeling. I think I have so much I want to say and not enough time to say it all!

So, let me refocus!

One thing I know I've really wanted to do is to take you to some favorite blogs.

Design Hole: Take a look at Jennifer's recent trip to Milan, to Salone del Mobile, where she took a very active interest in all things kitchen related. Talk about innovation...

Dwell's Kitchen Blog: I like Dwell's Kitchen Blog. It's quirky, definitely quirky, and broad in its pick of things, trends, and other good stuff (that's being pretty specific) to talk about. Always something new to learn.

Pardon Our Dust: I really, really want you to check out this blog, written by Kathy Price-Robinson. Kathy has written about remodeling for, I don't know how many years, but I know it's a long time. Kathy is smart and provocative and very green minded. Lots of kitchen related posts. I think Kathy loves kitchens.

The Kitchn: I've been meaning to bring this to you for ages. I actually signed up for the Kitchen Cure. The goal of the Cure was to get one's kitchen in shape via organization, new ideas, enabling the kitchen to be used more enjoyable and more efficiently. Unfortunately, I just did not find the time to commit to doing it, but, I really wanted to. See how the Cure progressed.

Kitchen Design Notes: I like my colleague Laurie's take on blue being the new black, and all those gorgeous images included. Laurie knows her stuff!

Surroundings: What Inspires You? Let it all out and enter the contest at the same time!

Enjoy!

Kitchen Resources - By Readers

I want to just take a moment and thank my readers, all of you, for passing on your own tips, suggestions, and favorite resources in an effort to help others find solutions to this crazily, and incredibly, detailed endeavor known as a kitchen renovation! 

I can't say how appreciative I am. I continue to learn from you, and we all benefit from one another. Your participation helps to make this blog better and better, serving as a great resource for many, as I am told via private emails and public posts. Your willingness to share is inspiring. The quality of your ideas and the information you bring to us all is simply fantastic. I'm not looking to gather compliments in return, please don't go there. I just want to take a moment and express these thoughts. Your thoughts and information you bring to this blog are always welcome, always.

Today is a good day to be Reader Appreciation Day!

What else can I say but thank you!

Here's something for you. It's what you remind me of, many beautiful roses in my garden. This is an image I took last June. Thanks for "sitting on the bench" and chatting awhile. Visit me anytime!

Kitchen Tech

My world has changed today. My computer arrived a week and a half ago, but my new monitor arrived TODAY. I had been using a Sony monitor that I paid $2,000 for about 5 years ago. You'd think it was a good investment. I noticed over time, it was getting increasingly dimmer and dimmer and adjustments made no difference. It wasn't terribly dim, you wouldn't notice it, but put a new, cheap, really cheap, monitor next to it, and there was a huge difference, the cheap monitor blew it away at this point.

So, I researched and researched. And, as I work with images all the time, it was best to have a certain color management ability/setting. And, since I'm always working on my kitchen design drawings, clarity was equally important.

I'm boring you now, I know it! Anyway, I ended up getting an Eizo 27" monitor, a brand that is well known for both photography and cad use. This thing is crazy! It's so bright! It's so crystal clear! I see this BLOG so differently, like, WOW, look at my blog, what colors! (I'm glad it was a GOOD reaction.)

I spent the same amount, I did 5 years ago, around $2,000. But, monitors have come down so far in price (in general), and a good monitor is so much better on the eyes (not to mention so much fun) and makes everything look so much better and realistic, especially all those products, textures, colors that are involved in the kitchen, it's a good reason to upgrade.

This monitor is changing my entire experience on the web, on my blog, in my design program, I'm so thrilled and I just had to share it! Now for the second monitor to put alongside it...maybe a 20" should do it.

Many of our lives are so internet-heavy these days, and I forgot how important a monitor is. Although I hated to replace something that was still functioning, bottom line, this was a good decision, a wise decision!

And, kitchens? They just look fabulous, dahling, on this monitor! Good weekend...

A Computer For Me, A Computer For you!

No, I'm not giving away computers! I just got a new one yesterday. My very smart son, in college (he just got a 102 on an Economics Test-good job!) told me NOT to get a computer for the $4,000+ I was going to spend, as recommended by my local computer guy. I have a local computer guy because my son, Matt, lives in the city, too far away to respond quickly to my computer issues when they arise.

Matt said, hold everything, he'll build me one!

Matt has been working on computers since he was 12. Matt is also frugal cheap. He is obsessed with doing research to find the best product, part, piece, whatever, at the VERY best price. Matt, being frugal cheap, looked up the specifications of a few of the programs I use most, spoke to people at tech support behind the programs and determined that even though I wanted the best/fastest/ultimate, he reminded me that he could save me money and still make me a computer that was FAST but customized to my specific needs. Above all, Matt knew I wanted FAST. I told him 50 times.

This new computer is fast, AND, I saved WELL over a thousand dollars, probably closer to $2,000 as compared to, say, a Dell! How? Matt tells me that, using Dell as an example, purchasing the same parts, such as memory, at specialty computer stores, is a fraction of the cost of what Dell charges. The same goes for all the other parts and pieces in a computer. The markup is CRAZY.

Would you like to save money too? Matt is now taking orders for new computers and computer tech work in Manhattan! Very reasonable prices and I can tell you he gives great customer service!

Get in touch with Matt at: mserra (at) gmail.com.

Beyond My Kitchen Window

I need a break! I've worked very hard most of today doing computer work in a high level of detail. Time consuming, labor intensive, entry by entry, working on kitchen plans, using both sides of the brain until it hurts! And, I am pleased with what I accomplished. So, let's take a break...

Out to the garden, a beautiful Indian summer early fall day.  The garden is now a jungle, quite unkempt, but it's delightful with aged colors and textures, some beautiful new flowers just hitting their stride, and roses still pumping out the blooms until the frost (hopefully not for a month.)

Please join me for a look at the garden today. Lucky for me, I can see some of these beauties from my kitchen window, a real joy. 

And, how is your day going? Did you get to take a break?

Please see the flikr slide show of the early autumn garden. Best enjoyed s l o w l y !

Back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow! All images were taken today.