If you followed along with Faith's kitchen renovation, you already know about Semihandmade, the LA-based company that makes custom fronts to fit IKEA kitchens. She said ordering from them was "the single best decision" she made through her entire kitchen renovation process. High praise indeed! If you're new to this company, here's what you need to know:

There's really no point to cleaning your place top to bottom right before guests arrive. If they're any fun at all, they're going to make a bit of a mess, right? But you want them to think your house is clean, even if you just shoved those yet-to-be-unpacked suitcases under the bed seconds before you opened the front door with a smile. This is how I clean my house in ten minutes or less.

Our four-legged friends may be happy to eat whatever food falls on the floor, but we know they deserve something a little better! Have you ever made homemade dog biscuits or pet treats? You may be perfectly happy baking them in the oven, but if not, you could always try this Pet Treat Maker from Holstein. It looks like a panini press or sandwich maker, but it presses out dog biscuits instead. (And yes, they're bone- and- paw-shaped!) 

Eat your greens... and your reds, and your yellows, and your violets. That's the message of this bold and informative poster. Want a reminder of just which nutrients are in your fruits and vegetables? Hang this on your kitchen wall. 

Do you embroider, or have you ever thought about trying it? If you're up for giving it a go, then consider this pretty constellation table runner. It might look really hard and impressive, but the steps themselves are easy:

Your parents may have slipped the occasional note or doodle into your lunch bag, but graphic designer David LaFerriere has taken it one step further, adding a new surprise drawing to his kids' sandwich bags nearly every day. He started snapping photos of the mini works of art and now has a Flickr set boasting over 1,100 photos!

Spring is in the air, finally! In celebration, I went looking for verdant and vibrant kitchen things in all shades of green. Here's to the end of dark, grey days and the beginning of a beautiful season — outside and in your kitchen!

Item: Bee's Wrap
Price: $14.00 - $17.00 for sets of three; $12:00 for XL bread wrap
Overall Impression: This is a fantastic alternative to plastic wrap!

Q: I live in a humid first floor apartment with poor ventilation and I cannot keep potatoes good for any amount of time. They sprout incredibly fast and get really mushy. Right now I keep them in a paper bag with a few holes punched in. The paper bag is in a wicker basket with onions. 

Looking for a fresh idea for how to store your pots and pans when you've run out of space in the cupboards? Repurpose a ladder as a pot rack! As far as small space storage solutions go, this is a nice twist on the more common wall or ceiling mounted pot rack or pegboard. It reminds me of this copper pipe utensil rack, but on a larger scale. What do you think? Would you ever try it?