classic & timeless – versions of these are available at Crate & Barrel and Sur la Table

my daughter, kirsten, gave me one of these several years ago and i love it. just like the stovetop popcorn we used to make when i was a kid, but no burning! it’s low fat, too. not modern, but very good (and fun)

another really fun old fashioned kitchen tool. we use ours all fall to prep apples for arlen’s homemade apple sauce and my sour cream apple pie. hmm – i’m sensing a crank theme here….

we are true coffee achievers at our house and we take home brewing very seriously. i also refuse to cave and buy black or stainless countertop appliances. we bought this purely because it was a burr grinder (the ONLY way to grind coffee) and white. turns out, it’s a damn fine grinder and becuase the cup you grind into is glass, there is no static (which can be a huge annoyance with other grinders). my only beefs are that it is actually slightly off white and the cord is black (?!). but all in all, a great find worth sharing!

i have a major weakness for jonathan adler pottery. the shapes remind me of the pottery i grew up with in the ’60’s, and the matte white is so classic modern. would love to add a large one of these to my small but growing collection

this is cb2’s version of a much more expensive original. i actually prefer this one because the base is smaller and does not take up so much room on a desk or nightstand. i like this so much we have 3 of these saarinen-esque beauties!

i hate to repeat a suggestion from last year, but in my defense, this book was not actually published until last march. midcentury eye-candy and good suggestions for renovation and restoration. it also happens to include our house in chapter two. i like looking at it just to see how clean our house actually can be!

another quasi repeat, but everyone needs a new calendar, right? 3 photos of our house that did not make the book are included (january, march and june). and best of all, our cat, harper, is now known as ‘mr. january.’ 

Arlen and me at the cf3 coffee chat earlier this month at the gwathmey/siegel house in indian hill. if you can’t plop down the cool 2 million to buy the place, the next best thing is to join cf3 so you can see the coolest homes in town in a unique social setting. best bargain around! and if the house itself is on your wishlist, we can help you out there, too!

the only book ever written dedicated to the diversity of modern architecture in cincinnati. all proceeds go to modern preservation.

we LOVE this tray with the stylized charley harper fish images. there are many other items in this line and they are all very affordable.

i am a sucker for anything kelly green, and these appliances certainly made my wish list this year! dear santa, i have been a very good girl. please send me a green espresso maker or a toaster or a kettle 🙂

similar to the classic aalto (savoy) vases, this umbrella stand would look awesome in any modern entry!