It's getting red-hot up in this... kitchen.

I want a new trash can for the kitchen. I got a new kettle.  It’s red. And shiny. And wonderful. I mean, it’s not the Bauhaus kettle (see below for kettle perfection) but it was WAY less than $8,800 and no one will yell at me for boiling water in it.  Oh, and the hubs won’t let me buy Bauhaus things. He doesn’t like them. Or Eames chairs. Though it’s probably best that I don’t have any Eames chairs, or vertical bookshelves or the adorable Eames coat rack because then our house would have the same 3 pieces in it that every other designer’s homes have in them. They’re perfectly lovely things, but they’ve become a bit ubiquitous. (And, if I’m honest, expensive).

Anyway, tea kettles!

It’s art, see, so now you can’t use it. Which, since it’s from the Bauhaus period, is crazy-ironic.

As it happens, you cannot remove rust from a tea kettle with vinegar. It goes badly, don’t do it. I sort of destroyed the stainless steel tea kettle. So… we needed a new one. And I went into Marshall’s (like T.J. Maxx or Ross if you haven’t been), which randomly has a really good kitchen supply section. And excellent tea. Anyway, I found a RED KETTLE. It’s beautiful and it was only $25.

Somehow, I managed not to take a photo of it in my kitchen, so the stock photo will have to do for now. Anyway, if you want one JUST like it, it’s $25 here, too. I could actually do a dissertation on tea kettle design. This one's not perfect. It's good. Water boils, it whistles, the top flips open without burning your hand, water come out without turning the thing upside-down, and it's shiny red. It's $25. What do more do want?

But, but, anyway, I was reading Anna @ Door Sixteen’s post on beautiful things and she showed this trash can that she loves. And I actually love the cheaper version that she wasn’t as fond of because, wait for it, it comes in shiny RED!

We currently have an annoying flap-top trash can in the kitchen that gets dirty and is just kind of gross (think the metal ones at the zoo, but less retro-cool and more nondescript plastic).

So I need to convince the hubs that it is reasonable to spend $99 on a trash can. And that we should get a step-operated one again. (The last one broke and then he hated it. Mostly because it was broken).

I’m currently completely reveling in the red-ness of my kettle. It’s like a smile on my stove! I believe that a red trash can might bring me similar joy. Or at least, less disgust, which is really all I’m looking for just now.

Have a lovely day!

All the little things...

Just a tiny post today.
We needed a place to put the mail, as creditors and bill collectors keep calling and asking, amazedly as we immediately pay the bill "Why did you wait so long?" and the answer always being.. "Well, we, um, sorta forgot.... to open the bill"
/shameface
So I went to my mecca, Target, and bought a mail basket.

But of course I can't leave well enough alone and had to line it with this awesome red wrapping paper.

"Why isn't this a DIY post?" you ask, crestfallen.
"Because this was a fiasco." I answer testily.
"But they're all fiascos." you point out.
"Yeah, but I took this one personally. Go play in traffic." (This is why I do not yet have children).

So, here's my pointers for if you DO want to do this yourself.

1. Don't use cheap (Target) wrapping paper. It's thin, tears and bubbles easily, and makes you swear a lot.
2. Don't use regular glue straight from the bottle. Water it down and paint it on with a paint brush.

That's pretty much it. But now I have a place to find the mail so that we can be responsible adults! (maybe) And it's pretty. Yay!