Sunny days and summer lights

New items from the President’s Choice Lawn and Garden collection are just hitting stores now. There are several styles of solar lights, both for in-ground and tabletop use, that run in price between $3 and $40. My favourites are small acrylic domes in red, green, blue and clear colours that can be used for accent lighting on a path or in a water feature (set of four sells for $15), and tabletop lanterns with brushed metal tops and acrylic sides that have a cut-glass design. These sell for $9 each. For more on what’s out there in solar lights, read my Hot Home Products column in this weekend’s Toronto Star.And pray for sunny skies!

Fabulous flea market

We know, we know. You’re really ready for a spring décor treat. But you’ve just paid your taxes (price of living in a civilized society, my dears, so don't begrudge them too much!) and you’re feeling a bit skint? Make a note on your weekend calendar to pop into Kimberley Seldon’s Designer Market, being held  at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District, 55 Mill Street, this Saturday (May 2) and Sunday (May 3). Modeled on the famous Marché aux Puces  in Paris (although I think I prefer the smaller, more modest Vanves market), you’ll find antiques and fleas, vintage pieces, modern classics, fabric, trim, furniture and collectibles from 40 vendors. Admission is $5 at the door.

Genius spray ideas (and for cheap!)

Tired of all your stuff but finding that there’s not much room in the budget to buy new decor treats? Then empty out the change jar and pick up a couple of cans of spray paint. These days, there’s one for every material, including plastic (I like Krylon's Fusion for this), metal, wicker and even glass. I asked a couple of my stylin’ pals to come up with one great idea for using spray paint to resurrect an aging accessories as a glam new objet.

Designer William (I‘ll share my chic) Macdonald (416 362 0889) suggests spray painting hot colour on all your old garden pots — plastic, metal or terracotta. (Or go all white for a cool look, especially nice if you use an all-green planting theme, IMHO) Use a gloss paint that will bounce the colour off all that sunshine!

Arren (Bananas – in a good way) Williams recently spray-painted a tarnished silver granny-ish tea set white to create a cool centrepiece. He’s also seen walking away far too often (he says) from Value Village or Goodwill stores with vintage lamps that he takes homes and sprays new life into (see pic at left).

Janette (I live to spray) Ewen is a self confessed spray paint junkie. Her most recent project was to spray paint slightly fusty looking wrought iron chairs in high gloss lime – a ridiculously simple way to get a high-end look for peanuts. The secret, she says, is all in the application – Janette always uses a Rustoleum Comfort Grip handle (available at Lowe’s for about $7), which goes over the nozzle and helps to give a more even finish. Like William, she thinks choosing a gloss finish adds polish to any spray paint project. Speaking of gloss and polish, you should check out the new line of kitchens Janette has designed for Dolcemano – all smooth, slick surfaces with hits of eye-popping colour, which I especially love on the interiors of open-fronted cabinets.

Sew sick of dreary recession news?

When the going gets tough, the tough get sewing. This is the perfect time to rediscover your inner seamstress. Been a while since you even hemmed a pant leg? Never mind. If you need inspiration or even a little instruction, check out the CreativFestival which runs from April 24-26 at the International Centre. This two-day event includes seminars, workshops and demonstrations of the latest sewing, knitting, crocheting, scrap booking, paper crafting, beading and quilting techniques. My suggestion for a don’t miss event? The highly talented Dilys Tong from Sew Be It Studio, who will be there to show recessionistas how to create runway-worthy fashion without having to sell a kidney to pay for it. "We call it chic-o-nomics," says Tong!

Great design comes in every size

After a long, dark winter that saw me spend way too many dull days in tired tee's and worn jeans, I finally got off my duff took some time out my extremely busy schedule to go downtown and see a fashion show hosted by LolaAndGigi.com, a Mississauga-based boutique that sells clothes in sizes 12 and up — both from a retail location and online. You scoff that this has nothing to do with housewares? Well, I can’t devote ALL my time to testing slow cookers, you know.

What a pleasure this event was. Having generous proportions myself, I’ve been dismayed at the dismal quality and matronly designs often found in larger sizes. What am I, chopped liver?, I want to shout,  after pawing through racks of shapeless polyester shifts that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy? I absolutely fell in love with the pieces by Vancouver designer Diane Kennedy, who makes gorgeous stuff in eco-friendly fabrics such as bamboo, which is a dream to wear. I don’t think I can live much longer without the Martini Wrap Dress from her spring collection. Kennedy’s line is available at Lola and Gigi, where I’m headed next week for a spring shopping spree. I think I may have to insist on having the Boudoir dress, a delicious scalloped black lace overlay with a subtle nude lining peeking through. Because women of all shapes need at least one fab black dress in the closet.

Wonderful walls

Graham and Brown is developing a reputation for snagging great designers from the world of fashion and art  to create its wallpaper lines. (Check out the Marcel Wanders Line I  featured in Conversation Piece.)

A very cool recent addition is Barbara Hulanicki, founder of the iconic '60s British boutique BIBA, which included among its patrons Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Marianne Faithful. (On trips to England in the '70s my mom used to buy my sister Cathy  BIBA lipsticks -  I can still remember the frosted white one - very swinging London!!!! ) The boutique closed in the 70s, but Hulanicki continued to create great fashion and interior design throughout her career.

While there’s just a hint of psychedelic glam in Hulanicki's new line of papers for Graham and Brown, the colourways - bold blacks and dreamy greeny-blues stamped with crisp silver detail - are thoroughly modern. They’d be perfect for a feature wall, or as a block around a fireplace or behind a bed. If you’ve got real design confidence, you could try one on a ceiling. Like, wow, man!, that would so be groovy!

A bargain on tools for boats, bikes and buggies

Breaking news for tool-heads — and anyone else who plans to do weekend work on a boat, bike or car. Canadian Tire is selling Stanley’s 149-piece mechanics tool set, which usually runs about $300, for $99. No guff – check out the flyer! Now pay attention – this deal only runs this Saturday and Sunday at CT. The folks at Stanley tell me these tools are made out of  chrome vanadium, have easy-read laser etchings, and  that the ratchets have a “quick-release mechanism for securing and changing socket attachments as well as single finger directional switching and long shanks for more torque”. Dude, I do not even know what  that means, but I just know that my sweetie would be very impressed because he's constantly trying to explain to me what torque is and why it's so important in the world of tools. At this price, I’m very tempted to run out and get one and give it to the Big Guy as a surprise present! Or I maybe should  nab one now and put it away for Father’s Day! I've got more news coming up soon on my fave Stanley tool – but I’m not going to share details until it’s actually on store shelves. Which means you’ll have to come back here – often!

Take your tea's tempertaure

Remember when grey became the new black? Well, now tea is the new coffee. Or perhaps it's the new wine. In any case, Canadians are increasingly enjoying all sorts of specialty teas, loving both the delicious flavours and the health benefits. What many folks don’t realise is that the taste -  and salutorious effects on one's health - of different teas are best when steeped in water at specific temperatures. So the new cordless variable temperature kettle from Breville is perfect for those who drink lots of different types of tea. There are settings for green, white and black teas, as well as oolong. There’s also a setting for French press coffee. My daughter Emma and I, who are both nutty for tea, are having so much fun with this new machine, which sells for about $150. We sip from a new "find" and say things like "aah, a witty, yet unpretentious little tea!". I've discovered another reason to love this machine - it heats  water to almost the exact temp I need when I'm making home-made yogurt using powered milk (see post further down). That saves me a ton of time. More in an upcoming Hot Home Product column.

Organizational challenges

Organization is the theme of my next two Hot Home Products columns, so I did what I always do when I need information or inspiration on the topic. I called Estelle Gee of Orderly Lives, which helps homeowner with everything from moving to assistance with juggling the day-to-day to-do list. Estelle says she likes “stuff” as much as the next person. But she adds, “ At some point, stuff can start to overwhelm your ability to function efficiently.”

To determine if you’re at that point, answer the following questions.

• Have you been severely disorganized for at least five years?

• Do you hoard?

• Have you repeatedly tried and failed to get organized?

Nodding your head? Estelle has a few tips that might help turn things around:

• Establish a physical limit ("when the newspaper pile reaches 18 inches, I’ll recycle it”).

• When clearing out a space, ask yourself the following about each item: Do I like/want/need/use this? Do I have room for this? If I were moving would I take this with me?

• Keep a few samples of a collection and display them beautifully. Give away the rest to someone who’ll appreciate them.

• Remember that that electronic organizers, daily planners, and storage bins don’t actually organize you — they’re simply tools that can support good habits.

•  Make a 21-day commitment to yourself to stick to a new habit. By then, it will become second nature.

The KitchenAid stand mixer has been a staple tool for home cooks for decades. I love my purple KitchenAid, which I use several times a week (especially like the dough hook, which I'll use this weekend to make Hot Cross buns). This year, KitchenAid  is celebrating the 90th anniversary of this icon  with a dreamy recipe concocted by well-know chef and dessert-meister Anna Olsen  (I'm a big fan of  Anna, who recently signed a promotional deal with Home Hardware.) If you haven't decided on a fitting finale to a family Easter/Passover meal, this one might just fit the bill.

 

ANNA OLSEN'S CELEBRATION CHEESECAKE (Serves 12 to 16)

Crust

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup graham crumbs
4 tsp sugar
dash of salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

2 1/2 lb. cream cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1 vanilla bean
1 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean
1/4 tsp salt
5 eggs, room temperature
fresh berries, for garnish
icing sugar, for garnish

For crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, graham crumbs, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add melted butter and mix until an even crumbly texture. Press crust into a lightly greased 10-inch springform pan, pressing up the sides a bit. Bake for 12-15 minutes, then cool.

For filling, reduce oven temperature to 300°F. Cream cheese in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy, scraping sides of the mixer work-bowl frequently. Gradually add sugar, again scraping sides often. Add in flour, scraped seeds from vanilla bean, vanilla extract and salt and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and again, scraping sides. Scrape filling into springform pan. Place into a baking pan with edges, and fill pan with boiling water 1 inch up the sides.

Bake cheesecake for 90 minutes with the oven door cracked open slightly. Allow cake to sit at room temperature for an hour before chilling. It is essential to chill overnight. Gently run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before removing springform ring. Top cheesecake with fresh berries and dust with icing sugar. Cheesecake cuts best with a hot, dry knife.