Puttin' on the Ritz: Domestic Diva

A breath of fresh air.

Ritzy things don't have to be glamorous. They can just be colorful and fresh and add pop to your life. The one defining factor is that they cost more than their ordinary stepsisters.

Kitchen Chic
H. and I visited our friends overnight at their lovely country home in Taghkanic, NY [Columbia County] and on Sunday, Cara led me around the town of Hudson for some shopping. Am going to blog separately about Hudson, because I loved it. But we happened upon Casa Urbana Apothecary & Salon, a store I could get lost in for an hour, and I discovered the Cucina line of biodegradable, delicious-smelling household cleaning products. www.cuhudson.com, www.fruits-passion.com. 

Bought the generous 16.9-ounce pump bottle of Cucina Glass Cleaner in Sanguinelli Orange and Fennel; used it just now on the glam black granite countertops here in our condo and they look better than ever, way shinier than when I clean them with the special, pricey granite spray cleaner I bought. This spritz leaves them glossy and pretty. If it's possible for a clean countertop to look somehow sexy, this one does. [And now I'm thinking of that steamy Glenn Close/Michael Douglas kitchen-counter sex scene in 1987's  Fatal Attraction, but that's not what I really meant.]

The price was $10 but 25% off sale, so $7.50. Casa Urbana had this fabulous fig perfume too, completely intoxicating but out of my budget Sunday at $50-plus. Should I be sad or glad that I could get a cleaning product to make my grungy kitchen look good but not a fragrance to make my tired skin smell good? Both kitchen and skin work hard and deserve a treat.

Paper Chase
My other domestic diva find is the beautiful Lilly Pulitzer square paper plates and reusable tumblers I got for Figgy's impromptu birthday party last week. Eight tumblers, $14.95. Pack of large dinner-size paper plates, $6.50.

So lovely and cheery, it's impossible to be depressed when drinking water from the cups or eating crumbs off the plates; http://www.lillypulitzer.com/. [Search Accessories & Gifts, then Stationery, but much cheaper to buy in a store so you don't pay shipping. I got mine at Paper Boutique on Bellevue Avenue in Montclair. I can't find any other Lilly Pulitzer in town--though my eagle-eyed friends Anne and Elly can, in clothing thrift stores--so thank God for the stationery line.] I put the tumblers in the dishwasher, top rack. This tableware says party in a sweet pink way.

Good night.