Contain Yourself

My usual obsession is small bowls and little dishes, and while that is by no way waning, I have recently become quite enthralled by...containers. Particularly, stainless steal containers. 

There are still a few of these available at Crate and Barrel for quite a steal of a deal--perfect for packing cookies for a picnic, keeping snacks handy on the counter or even filling with jelly beans. Just pick out the licorice ones first. One size fits most.

This set from the West Elm has a variety of sizes like a conventional canister set, but don't be limited. These would be great on a desk to hold supplies, crayons and markers on your art table or necessities in your bathroom cabinet. 

I can't figure out how to buy these or how much they cost, but they are awesome...the future. I can't even find them again, so maybe they don't even exist.

Of course, I want every stainless steel tiffin, lunchbot or other small container I see, but I already have a few in the pantry.

I also have my grandmother's stainless steel canisters which still look great after all of these years. Mom used them forever before passing them onto me. The handle on the top unscrews so you can fill them with whatever you are storing inside for easy labeling. My point is that stainless steel products last forever, look great in just about any space and have a timeless beauty. There's my rationalization and now I'm going to buy some more. 

Bowl

The holidays and high entertaining season are upon us and who doesn't need a new serving bowl to help them along? Here are four amazing options:

This four-piece server can do triple duty. Imagine, filling all three smaller vessels with different treats? Or perhaps you fill the largest piece with a salad or some pasta? And you fill the others with garnishes? The possibilities are endless.

This serving bowl will bring some warmth to your table.

This monster of a bowl (eighteen inches in diameter) could do amazing things for you all through the holidays--big bowls of pasta, roasted vegetables or a leafy green salad could all be served to the maddening crowds. 

This black and gold bowl, although not as big as some of the others, will bring drama to the dining table. Colorful food like edamame or a melange of small tomatoes would only look more gorgeous in this vessel. Buy two.

Stack It Up

Serving tea sandwiches is just one way to use a tiered serving piece for entertaining. New or vintage pieces can add drama and heighth to your buffet or appetizer arrangement: think more delicious things in less square footage.  Plus, tiered serving pieces can make smaller treats, appetizers and canapés more accessible to guests and creates a welcoming presentation.  No surprise, I have several tiered serving pieces in both ceramic and metal, some new and others vintage.  I use them frequently for sweet things as well as starters and think you should have at least one in the batterie.

This stackable wooden one from Merchant No. 4 is perfect for cheese or charcuterie.

This glass and metal example from Crate and Barrel is simple, but the materials allow it to go with any type of serving pieces.

This wood and metal tri-tier also from West Elm takes a cue from a couple of the vintage finds in my collection.  Keep your eyes open at the thrift store and estate sales for classic ones or look on Etsy and eBay for some wonderful vintage versions that the above examples are based on.