bed head

I love a well-dressed bed, and I think it’s one of the simplest ways to make a room look dramatically better. Even so, I rarely make mine and have only bought one new set of sheets in a decade.

And I knew we had to get rid of our old down comforter, which was not only filthy (I was ignorant of duvets when we bought it), but also had a tear and was gradually covering our bedroom in small, white feathers. But I think we would have slowly been buried, Pompei-style, had Joe’s mother not bought us a new (down-alternative) comforter for Christmas.

She got me pillows for my birthday, so now it’s up to me to finish the job. I think my problem is that I just can’t get excited about duvets and shams. I can drool over kitchen gadgets, light fixtures, hardware, even breadboxes, but put me in a bedding store and I’d rather nap than shop.

Can anyone relate? What are your favorite household items to shop for—and what would you rather not?

since sliced bread

Two defunct flea market trips have left me in shopping withdrawal. This weekend, cleaning the kitchen did me in. I’m a sucker for kitchen gear to begin with, and things keep breaking—the colander, the creamer in my coffee set, multiple glasses. It had to be a sign.

So I went on a wild online shopping spree to find a few long-awaited items. First up: a breadbox. Okay, not that this comes close to being a necessity, but it does make the counter look neater and I found a few nice ones.

Nigella Lawson provided the inspiration, although hers isn’t sold in the U.S.:This one by Joseph Joseph is close—and made of melamine, so it won’t break:

And this enameled metal one by is Polder is just as indestructible, and cute:

So that just leaves the question–who actually uses a breadbox?