Today's Prescription: Serve some soup!

Cool, rainy days and now I'm dreaming of soup.  So, today I'm highlighting my favorite soup related servers!

A store favorite is the pasta / soup ceramic bowl from Simon Pearce.  Choose from their Corinth, Cavendish, or Belmont patterns.  These are great for pasta, stew, entree salads and more!  

You'll find this Juliska Berry & Thread Pasta Bowl at home in my cabinet, and I love it for serving up some turkey chili on a bed of tortilla chips and sprinkled with cheese!

If you don't like a rim on your soup bowl, check out Vietri's Cucina Fresca Coupe Soup bowls available in several color combinations.  I can picture steaming chicken noodle soup with some warm crusty bread on the side!

Can't go wrong with white, right?  For a simple, contemporary look, check out Rosenthal's soup bowl options like the Rosenthal Loft White soup / pasta bowl. It's under $20 too!

If French Onion is your soup-Du-jour, don't miss Le Creuset's  French Onion stoneware crocks.  Perfect for individual servings of this bubbly, cheese topped soup, but also great for serving warm dips at your next party.   While you're looking at Le Creuset, don't forget to invest in a French Oven Pot in which to make these delicious creations!

For delicious recipes, check out WholeLiving magazine or website.   Here is one I'd love to taste:
Lobster & Corn Chowder

Today's Prescription: Spice up your home for Fall

The change in season means more time inside for many us.  Rainy days keep us cooped up, and these dreary days can be the perfect time to look around at your surroundings and find a few spots in your home to spruce up with touches of Fall colors.  You may have the space the add some new items, or feel free to pack up a couple pieces just for the season to add these new accents for Fall and possibly Winter months.  Here are just a few seasonal suggestions:

Julia Knight made it easy on us this year to choose the perfect colors for Fall when they added Caviar and Spice to their palette.  Used together they'll make a Halloween party festive, yet elegant.  Separated, they can warm up any table and make entertaining a breeze.   Also check out Julia Knight's Argento drinkware collection; amethyst, saffron and pomegranate would be gorgeous hues for the season. 

Linens are an easy tabletop item to change seasonally.  Chilewich and modern-twist both offer festive mats in Fall colors.  Modern-twist's silicone mats have become a store favorite, and we love them all!  From Chilewich, there are countless options in browns, blacks, oranges, and many textures to choose from as well.   

A practical and popular gift from Mariposa is their beaded cocktail napkin box. Add some colorful cloth napkins and a napkin weight for the season (pumpkin, leaf, football, ghost, etc...) and you're ready for company! 

Tamara Childs gilded glass bowls & vases in golds and copper are perfect for the season or year round.  The mini vases grouped together are a store favorite.  At under $30, they are a good alternative to a bottle of wine as a hostess gift. 

Stop in and see us for more ideas, and "like us" on Facebook to get updates on new products and more!

Today's Prescription: Realize that white doesn't have to mean boring.

People choose white dinnerware for many reasons... best for food presentation, for a modern look, numerous options available at many price points, easy to accessorize with colored linens or stemware, worried about getting tired of any color, or maybe they are just lacking in the imagination department.  Whatever the reason, we don't think white has to be a "boring" option.  Sure, you can keep it simple and traditional, but you can also create a very interesting table setting with textured white dinnerware.  We've highlighted just a few of our favorite white collections here:

Juliska Berry and Thread - This textured collection remains a constant favorite among our brides.  They have numerous options for all pieces of a place setting and a wide array of serving pieces available.  The collection also coordinates with their spectacular Jardins du Monde white dinnerware and the colored Berry and Thread pieces.  Busy families love its easy-to-care-for qualities - oven, dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe!

Bernardaud Louvre - If you want dinnerware to easily transition from everyday to formal entertaining, you can't go wrong with the extremely durable Louvre collection.  Options abound here as well as far as serving pieces and accessories.  Their over-sized Latte Mug has become an instant favorite at our store, it's the perfect piece for the upcoming fall and winter season!  While not the most popular of the Bernardaud patterns, I am personally in love with Digital which the photos just don't do justice!  It's a lovely, organic texture that also works for everyday and formal dining.

Simon Pearce Corinth or Cavendish - More contemporary than Juliska, but similar in weight (stoneware), we are always a fan of Simon Pearce.  Their dinnerware coordinates beautifully with their glassware as well.  The style is simple, classic and can work in a modern, traditional or even more country cottage style home. 

Rosenthal Thomas Loft - For a reasonable price, you'll be pleasantly surprised by your options in the Loft product line.  This classic casual porcelain offers everything you need for a place setting as well as oven-to-table items. 

Let us help you choose the right white for your family table!

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Today's Prescription: Back to school prep!

Hey Moms & Dads, after you hit the nearest Target for back to school necessities, come see us for some less obvious back-to-school supplies...

Lunch Supplies - For your toddlers hitting preschool for the first time, we've got soft, quilted, smaller backpacks, as well as some colorful snack sacks and lunchboxes.    Teach them early to be eco-conscious by getting them their own stainless steel water bottle. Improve your tools for making and packing healthy lunches for your family by investing in a quality cutting board from Epicurean and a Kyocera Utility Knife to make slicing a cinch!

Preschool - If your little one will need to take a nap at home, check out Barefoot Dreams "Nap to Go" set.  This blanket and pillow set is deliciously soft!

Skills - Make sure his or her bookshelves are stocked to keep them interested in learning to read. We've got various selections from Usborne books for a variety of ages.  For those learning to write, try Melissa and  Doug's Write-a-Mat placemat, it's an educational way to keep them busy at the dinner table. 

Family Dinners - Ok, not a requirement of back-to-school shopping, but we hope you'll be able to enjoy a family meal at the end of most days whether its homemade or take-out.  We suggest serving it on modern-twist's eco-conscious, fun, colorful silicone placemats. 

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Today's Prescription: Pittsburgh gifts!

We're often asked for gift ideas that are "Pittsburgh themed". Sometimes the shopper is buying for a co-worker or friend leaving the city or maybe they are traveling and want to bring something from their home town.

Our most popular gift by far in this category is a piece from Riverside Design Group, a local company located in Lawrenceville, PA dedicated to sustainable design.  They have created several beautiful collections, but Plates with Purpose tends to be the most popular as a "Pittsburgh" gift.  Fifteen percent of the proceeds of any Plate with Purpose benefits various Pennsylvania (mostly in Pittsburgh) charities such as Habitat for Humanity, Family House, and the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.   Although glass, the plates are packaged well and with some extra TLC (i.e. bubble wrap) from us, we've had many customers successfully transport their gifts tucked inside their luggage all around the world. A subset of this is a small collection called A Platter That Matters that is ONLY available through our store.  Inspired by Riverside Designs' charity plates, we have partnered with select charities and Contemporary Concepts makes the donation to the designated charity (HEARTH, Down Syndrome Association of Pittsburgh). 

If your recipient is a Pittsburgh sports fan, we'll likely prescribe a set of Pittsburgh Penguins Tervis Tumblers, or a Steelers Tervis Mug.  People LOVE their Tervis Tumblers which are perfect for hot or cold beverages and the double walled construction keeps drinks insulated longer!  Got a big kid on your list, we usually have a selection of novelty Pittsburgh items like the boxing puppet in a Steelers jersey. 

Help keep someone's Pittsburgh memories alive with one or more of our WQED DVDs about Pittsburgh like the "Things That Aren't There Anymore" or "Kennywood Memories" DVDs.  These would make a great gift for a family. 

Today's Prescription: Colorful wedding gift ideas!

Buying a wedding gift for a fun, casual, artsy, creative couple?  If so, we suggest you forgo the traditional and go bold and colorful!  Here are a just a few of our favorite fun and colorful weddings gifts:

For under $75, choose four food-grade silicone placemats from modern-twist. These eco-chic mats are priced at $14.50 and up and are available in several solid hues and many cool contemporary patterns.

A truly contemporary couple will surely appreciate the modern aesthetic of vibrant Kosta Boda.  We have votives, bowls, vases and more available at a variety of price points.  Many shoppers make a Kosta Boda bowl or cake plate their "go-to" gift for newlyweds.   

Just because they're "everyday glasses" does not mean they have to be ordinary.  A set of four, six, eight, or more USA-made Esteban Prieto tumblers would make a lovely gift.   Photos of these lovely glasses do not do them justice!  Choose all matching glasses or get a mix of colors for more casual entertaining. 

Let us help you find the perfect gift for all of your upcoming events!

Today's Prescription: Christmas in July

Many of us are struggling through the hottest day of the year and I'm asking you to think about Christmas!   Stay inside to beat the heat, but shop online for 2011 Holiday ornaments that we already have in stock!  Many of these are limited editions, so don't miss your opportunity to add to your collection or even to start one for someone special. 

Here are just a few of this year's ornaments you won't want to miss:

We think Mom might appreciate the beauty of Reed & Barton's 2011 Sterling Silver Snowflake ornament.  2011 marks the 5th edition of this lovely, elegant holiday ornament.

A consummate collector will appreciate one of the 2011 Lladro collectibles.  Choose the traditional bell or ball design or either shape in the re-deco version.  The "Born in 2011" figurines are perfect to mark the birth of  special little boy or girl this year. 

Lunt is offering a new collection of silver-plated, hand-cast and Swarovski jeweled ornaments this year.  The Jeweled Holly Christmas Ball would make the perfect gift this season. 

My own tree wouldn't be complete without Swarovski's annual crystal ornament.  The 2011 Swarovski Snowflake is another beauty worth owning.  We still have some 2010's in stock too if you missed out last year!

While these are all great holiday gifts, consider a 2011 ornament  to commemorate any occasion this year - weddings, new homes, babies, engagements, etc...