Prepara Herb-SavorI like to make my own salad dressing with oil, vinegar, garlic, and fresh dill. But it's always a rush to use up the dill before it wilts and shrivels. This contraption helps you keep your herbs longer. Just fill up the little basket with water, put your herbs in, and they'll stay fresh and leafy for days.
$29.95, Sur La Table
Stilla Plywood Tray YellowI love the bright and cheerful yellow leaf pattern on this cool tray. It's great for playing hostess and serving up a tray of homemade snacks. Or, better yet, a tray of store-bought food you steathily removed from the container. The tray is 17 inches wide.
$44.00, Relish
Light Blue Pedestal CupHow cute is this coffee mug? I'm trying to cut back on caffeine, but I wouldn't mind filling this up with some decaf. It's also available in several different colors.
$7.95, Fishs Eddy
Sylvan CoastersIf you don't want to leave a water ring on the coffee table, why not rest your glass on a bunny with a flower behind its ear or a bird wearing a garland? These porcelain coasters with frolicking animals are cute enough to leave out.
$48.00, Anthropologie
Lynette Ladybug TimerOn the rare occasion that I'm baking something, I usually just set the timer on my microwave. Still, this timer is awfully cute. It makes me want to bake cookies or something. Or time someone while they make cookies.
$18.00, Anthropologie
Red Nightingale Tea for One SetI like how this little teapot, which stacks neatly on the cup and saucer, holds just enough water for one person. (You didn't really want to talk to anyone else anyway, right?) And it looks pretty enough to keep it out on display.
$21.95, Wrapables
Contessa Nettel CupI love this big coffee mug by Circa Ceramics in Chicago. It holds 12 ounces of liquid and is decorated with decals of an old Contessa Nettel camera from the 1920s. It's dishwasher and microwave safe too.
$30.00, Etsy.com
Rick Bayless Avocado ScooperI wish I had one of these nifty avocado scoopers. Actually, I really wish I ate so much avocado that one of these would be necessary. I should buy more of it. It's my favorite topping for salads, and I could really go for some chips and guac right now.
$14.95, Sur La Table
Bottna MugThis pattern by Anna Danielsson was originally created for use on fabric, but I think it looks great on this cool coffee mug by Iittala, a Finnish company. This mug would look nice on my desk.
$20.00, ShopFosters.com
Retro Ladies Magnet SetI heart these little kitschy magnets. The photos on them are apparently vintage ads for refrigerators. I love the lady in the sombrero with her Mexican fridge. And the Old West lady with her cow spot fridge. Awesome.
$14.99, ModCloth
Marrakech DinnerwareYou know what's cool? Shiny, sparkly red dishes. They are made in Italy using gold leaf that gets painted by hand. (As you might have guessed, you can also buy the dishes in sparkling gold.) Plus, check out the pretty centerpiece bowl.
$12.95 to $14.95 each, Crate & Barrel
Coral Embroidered Hand TowelsTo me, these white embroidered hand towels are less "grandma's house" and more "summer lake house." The elegant red coral actually gives it a fresh, modern look. You can also buy matching cotton napkins.
$24.00 for two, Pomegranate
Chop to Pot Chopping BoardsAs someone who tends to pour half of what she chopped onto the counter and/or the floor while trying to transfer it to a plate, I wish I could have gotten one of these a long time ago. Using this means less food wasted and fewer mysterious stains on the kitchen floor.
$12.99 each, Bed Bath & Beyond
Tiered Elliptical RaytrayThis tiered tray designed by Sandy Chilewich is so funky. Each layer is actually made from stretch nylon Lycra spandex mesh. It's hard for me to look at it without imagining which party snacks I would put in each layer. I'm thinking mixed nuts in the top (or maybe goldfish crackers?).
$125.00, MoMA Store
Flower Fruit BowlThis sleek stainless steel fruit bowl would look amazing in a home with modern furniture. It has a sterile industrial quality that starkly contrasts the rich organic nature of the fruit. Or that's what you can say to impress your friends, anyway.
$58.00, Chiasso
