Williams Sonoma

Related Tags :

  • Blog Posts Feed for recent blog posts

    Add Some Charm To Your Fall Kitchen With A Teapot!

    image
    Anna Yu on Oct 12, 2009 2:20 PM PDT
    Instead of waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning, I like to pour myself a cup of hot tea and enjoy some buttered toast. Maybe I was British in a past life or maybe it's the fact that coffee has the opposite effect on me, but I do love tea. However, even the best tea leaves need to be brought to their full potential with piping hot water. That's why a whistling teakettle full of boiling water poured into a teapot with tea leaves--never tea bags--can be almost as relaxing as a day at a spa. If you still have an old one your mom passed onto you that's full of nicks and dents, it's high time for an upgrade. One of my favorite and affordable options is this classic stainless steel teakettle from World Market, a steal at less than $20. If you're looking to splurge, this teakettle designed by Frank Gehry for Alessi is a design snob's dream. I even found some electric kettles so you don't have to watch over the stove. And of course, these tea kettles can also be used to heat up water for your instant noodle cups. Check out my slideshow for more teakettles that will have you whistling while you work too!

    Sitting Pretty: Chic And Comfortable Tufted Furniture

    image
    Anna Yu on Sep 17, 2009 10:08 AM PDT
    Unlike many of my friends, I actually like firm furniture and beds. If I sleep on a soft and mushy bed, I wake up with a sore back. Guess I could blame it on my semester abroad in Taiwan where I slept on a bamboo mat for four months. Hard as a rock beds and wooden furniture are now my priorities when shopping for my home. That's when I discovered the beauty of tufted furniture! I know tufted pieces can seem really old fashioned and taken right out of Versailles, but I can imagine just getting one or two and having it look super chic with my minimalist (read: IKEA) furniture. Best of all, it's a nice balance between firm and soft. I really like the convertible couch found over at PB Teen which doubles as a sofa and a full size bed, and this velvet ottoman from Brocade Home which does triple duty as an ottoman, coffee table, and extra seating. I can imagine Goldilocks finding tufted furniture "just right." Take a look at my slideshow for more!

    10 Outdoor Entertaining Tools You Need For The 4th Of July ...

    image
    Anna Yu on Jun 30, 2009 8:21 AM PDT
    The 4th of July is rapidly approaching and I've been busy figuring out how I'm going to go to all the barbecue parties and picnics I said I'd go to! (I mean, how could I say no to juicy burgers, grilled veggies and cold drinks with all my friends and family?) Anyway, I know I have plenty of capable people who can work the grill as well as Bobby Flay so I can definitely count on a delicious meal. They've got the grill and the charcoal ready, but the last time I went to an outdoor grilling party, I noticed that all their tools have seen better days. I'm looking to replace their ratty and singed oven mitts with a suede bbq grilling mitt instead. There are some things that they didn't know they need too like the magic seasoning sheets that lay on the perfect flavor. For more outdoor entertaining tools that will make your 4th of July (and beyond!) tastier, check out my slideshow!

    Father's Day Gifts For The Gourmet Foodie

    image
    Anna Yu on Jun 4, 2009 8:29 AM PDT
    Father's Day may be on June 21, but it's never too early to starting thinking about what to give him. Is he the kind of dad whose favorite room in the house is the kitchen? Does he like to try out new recipes or know exactly which wine to pair with each dish? Then forget the tie tacks or golf clubs, your foodie father would love something that would appeal to his gourmet taste. If he already has his dream grill and you can't pry him out of the deck on nice days, then consider getting him a monogram steak brand and carving board that will have him feeling even prouder about his grilling abilities. And if he likes to kick back and enjoy a nice cold beer, maybe he should consider making his own beer with a homebrew kit. Check out my slideshow for more gift ideas for dads who like to enjoy the finer things in life.

    Decadent Springtime Goodies For A Deliciously Trendy Easter ...

    image
    Alex Gambardella on Apr 8, 2009 10:23 AM PDT
    If you belong to an Easter-celebrating persuasion (or were just a non-religious lucky kid who got to cash in on all the good holidays), you may fondly remember waking up every Easter Sunday to a trail of plastic grass leading up to a basket filled with chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, Cadbury eggs, and other festive treats that can now be blamed for your current cavity problem. While memories of my annual basket hunt also conjure up feelings of embarrassing stupidity and anxiousness as my parents would sit on the couch and laugh at my inability to find my basket just within the confines of our tiny living room, the payoff of finally uncovering the bucket of bunny-themed goodies was always worth it. Sure, those days of spoiling your ham dinner by scarfing down candy all day are probably long gone by now, and it's rare that you'd be easily lured out of bed by a handful of jelly beans like you used to (not unless you were promised a double-shot latte to wash them down with), but you're not too old to appreciate the holiday's sweetest indulgences, especially when they're inspired by some of the finer things in life! From exotic chili-infused chocolate bunnies to hand-painted marshmallow eggs, Easter candy isn't just limited to the 5-pound bags of candy-coated eggs from Walgreens! Instead of just snoozing until next Valentine's Day, the world's high-end chocolatiers and candy companies are always coming up with new ways to cash in on the sweets-centric holiday to fuse traditional favorites with modern flavors to produce most chic (and most yummy!) Easter treats. If you can get through it without drooling, check out the slideshow for some more couture candy finds for this Easter holiday!

    Mmm, Cupcakes... Save Money And Make Your Own!

    image
    Anna Yu on Mar 9, 2009 5:17 AM PDT
    We all indulged in our fair share of cupcakes when we were kids, but now the petite pastries are here to stay as a decidedly grown-up treat. But ever since viewers saw the ladies of "Sex and the City" enjoying cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery nearly 10 years ago, cupcakes have become somewhat of a chic indulgence, with cupcake "boutiques" all around the country specializing in the mini treats. From classic red velvet to exotic flavors like passionfruit, cupcakes can be savored by anyone young or old. The drawback to these cupcakes are the gourmet prices that accompany them- I once paid over $3 for a cupcake from a specialty bakery and the frosting tasted like glue! Since then, I've decided to try my hand at making my own cupcakes. Anyway, isn't part of the fun of cupcakes the decorating and then consequent consuming? So save some dough because I've found everything from a getting started book to darling gift boxes your friends will line up around your house for! To see more, just click the slideshow!
  • Narrow the results by :


soapnet