Carafes are an elegant way to serve water with lemon, lime or cucumber slices. They also work great for iced tea, lemonade, orange juice and more. But lately, I’ve been using them to pre-mix up our favorite cocktails when friends come over. Margaritas or cosmos just look so nice served in a pretty carafe. Plus the left-overs fit right in the refrigerator door.

Clockwise: Eva Solo carafe  comes with a drip free lip, Menu water jug has a self-close lid that opens when you pour and closes back up when you set the carafe back down. And the Menu black and white top carafes have a self-opening silicone and stainless lid and a classic milk-jug shape.

Have you ever wanted to serve sushi or other delicious item at a party but worried about how to keep it cold for the entire meal? This clever serving set by Menu solves the problem neatly. 

The three-piece set includes a porcelain platter, melamine lower tray and a stay-cool gel pad that you freeze. Place the cooling gel pad in the melamine tray and then top with the porcelain platter. Your sushi, oysters, fruit or cold-cut platter will stay at the perfect temperature for the entire meal. Of course, the porcelain platter is great on its own for everyday use as well. As is the melamine tray.

Spencer Peterman is a master craftsman. He creates these incredible salad bowls in his workshop in Massachusetts. First, he goes on the lookout for fallen trees rotting in the woods. His favorite are those trees that are covered by moss and dirt. In those trees, is wood disfigured by the beginnings of decomposition. When he turns that wood on a lathe, the result is a strikingly unique bowl.

Each bowl is kiln dried to 6% moisture to stabilize the wood and prevent future checking and cracking. They have a food-safe oil finish to bring out the beauty of the wood.

These days it’s great to find a solution to make entertaining a little easier. We fell in love with Bella Cucina Artful Food. Everything is hand-made in small batches from high-quality ingredients in the true artisan tradition.

The artichoke pesto is fabulous and a best-seller. Use it in a warm artichoke dip (recipe on the jar), to top pasta, as a bruschetta topping.

For a delicious brunch idea, top a poached egg with the Spinach Artichoke Bruschetta Spread. Or try adding it to an omelette or scrambled eggs.

Bella Cucina also makes a thoughtful hostess gift.

Iittala believes lasting everyday design. It’s easy to buy short-lived, meaningless things that go out of style or stop functioning…and eventually end up in a landfill. Iittala doesn’t believe in “throwawayism.” Every item in their collection is meant to last in terms of both design and quality. Their dinnerware collections, for example, are designed to both stand on their own or mix and match with other patterns, colors or styles. The plates, bowls and platters are multi-purpose tools to give you the flexibility needed for everyday use or large-scale entertaining. The colors and patterns also combine to give you freedom to replace broken pieces or freshen up your collection over time.

Their team of artisans and designers keep continue to keep the old-world craftsmanship and quality alive. Every product is made in Scandinavia with a human touch, as they’ve done since 1881.

We love Iittala’s philosphy and their products.