have you seen my Chanukah Tablescape in the latest issue of Joy of Kosher Magazine yet? My goal was to move away from the cliche’ of royal blue Chanukah decor and inject some fresh & modern spirit into the holiday. Truly all the items in the spread are my favorites but I’ll highlight just a few: Sabre’s Old Fashioned Tart Slicer... Read more
Have you seen my latest tablescape featured in Joy of Kosher Magazine? Let me know which was your favorite featured item! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway to win a selection of the items featured on this page! Hurry the contest ends November 9, 2011. Read More
With apples being in season as well as a traditional Rosh Hashana staple, we’ve rounded up some ways to use apples as a decorative accent for your yom tov table. Carve out apples and fill with tea lights/votive candles. Fashion a honey dish out of an apple. Here’s the quick how-to from Pauline Assa via The Jewish Hostess: Take an apple... Read more
By: Oksana @ Order Matters Before your kids head back to school, you have got to get in command and establish a center for your home operations. Do you have a family command center? I do. Let me give you a brief tour. I have a small nook in my kitchen by the window with a wrap around counter. I designated this space as my command center. I wish I had... Read more
By Oksana @ Order Matters To many, just the thought of organizing is overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Today, I urge you to embark on an organizing journey using baby steps. All you need to do is start with organizing one drawer and then continuing with one additional drawer at a time. Here is the prescription for the “drawer order:” 1.... Read more
(Image via Centsational Girl.) You can kinda say this picture was my inspiration for this month’s Joy of Kosher tablescape. Except I found this picture after designing the magazine spread. You’ll just have to take my word on it. One of my favorite finds from the tablescape is the Le Cadeaux melamine dinnerware. These triple thick dishes... Read more
Decorating with red can be tricky. The key to creating a pleasing scheme is balance. In the first space pictured, red is used as an accent color. The rest of the color palette is a range of neutrals from creme, to naturals (such as wicker and straw), and finally black. A few details are worth pointing out: The window gives away the secret that this... Read more
The David Citadel Hotel in Jerusalem seems like the last hotel to become kid-friendly. Yet the new kids’ space designed by Sarit Shani Hay (we’ve mentioned her work before, here) makes this elite hotel a must-stay for kids at play. The 1,000 square foot lounge offers areas for imaginative play and computer stations for the older set. The... Read more
By: Oksana, the Order Maven Growing up in the former Soviet Union, much of our summers consisted of weekend trips to the dacha, a country house. My mother had to expertly pack and plan out the meals for the entire weekend as there were no stores, restaurants, or other facilities anywhere in the vicinity of the dacha for the duration of our stay in... Read more
White washed, pickled, limewashed, distressed. This look may be weathered but it sure isn’t tired. Adding accents in a lime washed finish will add a touch of casual elegance and summer charm to any space. For the home… Ballard Design’s Belgard Cabinet. Ballard Design’s Sofia Sofa. Pottery Barn’s McKinley Bookcase. Ballard... Read more
Palmer Weiss, a San Francisco based interior designer, shared her tips, via WS Home, on how to work with color. Love the burst of orange and the subtle aqua ceiling. Tailored drapery in a fresh color combination. Classic with a colorful, modern twist. Feel things out. Color makes me happy. It’s very emotional, very visceral. Living in... Read more
UPDATE: Congratulations to Lorene, winner of the Stuck On You labels!! By: Oksana, the Order Maven Oy! It is time to gear up for camp. And you’re right, just like most parents out there, I am not exactly jumping for joy. However, after doing it for some years now, I know how to get my groove on. I am a big fan of planning and routines... Read more
Gain a wider audience for your blog by becoming a guest blogger for Savvima.com! We’re on the hunt for “expert” bloggers. If you have a special love or talent for any of the following fields we would love for you to contribute to Savvima.com: Cooking: Kitchen tips and fabulous recipes (preferably tied into the current season or... Read more
UPDATE: Congratulations to Ilene Rosen winner of the giveaway! Have you seen the latest addition to your magazine stand? The second issue of Joy of Kosher is on sale now and that scrummy looking cheesecake on the cover is calling your name. Aside from Jamie Geller’s fab recipes the magazine also has inspirational features such as this one… If... Read more
By: Sharon, aka ‘fashion-isha’ Let your gorgeous Shavuos floral centerpieces inspire you for colorful and vibrant summer dressing. We all love to have flowers on our Yom Tov tables…but on Shavuos we especially love to put extra care into our arrangements and create beautiful and colorful tablescapes. Here are a couple of fabulous and easy... Read more
The New York Times has a profile today of a Mimulo, a flower shop in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, owned by two young women, Chani Frankel and Freidel Levin. On Friday afternoons, the headquarters of the Chabad sect of Orthodox Judaism comes alive as men in black jackets and hats stream like worker bees in and out of the subterranean entrance on Eastern... Read more
These pre-Pesach days my broom is on active duty. There’s no time to stow it away in the broom closet but I can’t stand how it constantly crashes to the floor. Simply cut a “finger” off of an old pair of rubber gloves and put it on the end of your broom. Now the handle will grip the wall and keep it standing at attention. Read More
Your camp counselor might have led you to believe there is only one way to properly fold a t-shirt. Who knew the Japanese have their own method? It is so clever, it makes me feel like a truly inept American. Do you have a system for keeping clothing uniform and neat in shelves and drawers? Read More
Turquoise is so last year. With Pantone announcing Honeysuckle (described as a reddish pink) as the official color of 2011 you are sure to see enough pink over the next few months to make you reach for the Pepto-Bismol. The Times has an interesting article on the perhaps non-coincidental comeback of the pink bathroom. Pink bathrooms were common in homes... Read more
If you’re a stickler about keeping your walls free of tape and sticky putty residue then you will appreciate a new product called StickyStock. StickyStock, made by PaperSpring, is a paper stock that sticks like a post-it note for up to 6 months without leaving any residue. It is great for hanging photos or notes on stainless steel refrigerators, mirrors,... Read more