in the kitchen

I knew this year would bring a lot of change, and it looks like first up will be a relocation -- heading back to New York! I have mixed emotions (have been missing NYC a whole lot, but I really enjoy my life in Orlando -- it is a blessing to feel at home in more than one place), but I immediately focused on one of the best and worst parts of settling into New York: where the hell am I going to live?

There are a lot of great things about living in New York City, but I'm going to come right out and say it, the kitchens aren't one of them. My current place in Florida has a brand-new kitchen with a modern appliances, an enormous island, and cabinet space for days. Every kitchen I've had in NYC has had a weird layout, tiny appliances, mismatched cabinets, and like, no drawers. Seriously.

I was browsing around cb2.com a few days ago and noticed they have some really great options in their kitchen collection -- just the things I'll need to dress up and organize a tiny space:

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There's really no place to hide in a tiny kitchen, so even your practical items need to be chic and attractive. This space-saving gold dish rack immediately caught my eye -- it's almost like a little art piece. This soap dispenser is no-nonsense and a much neater look than a crusty bottle of Dawn.

I never know how to decorate the walls in the kitchen, but I like these retro wooden numbers. Gotta represent the BK!

No cabinet space means you can't necessarily have all of the glassware you might want. There have been times in my life when I served wine in juice glasses or made cocktails in coffee mugs. But champagne is one of my favorite parts of being an adult, and I love these sturdy, modern glasses (perfect for a klutz who is prone to knocking things over) - they come in clear, but I'd go with the pink. This pineapple ice bucket isn't really a necessity, but it sure is pretty and will be just the thing to distract you from notice I'm making your rum and Coke in a Starbucks mug.

I don't drink tea, but I wish I did...does that make sense? I'm also a sucker for a pop of bright yellow, so I think it would be smart for me to have this teapot on hand, just in case. These little teacups are awfully zen and awfully cute.

I'm sure a lot of people use this little cart as a place to store cocktail makings or maybe extra linens, but I'm thinking even more basic -- sticking this guy in an unused corner will probably double (or even triple) the storage space in most New York kitchens. An extra work surface, plus shelves to store dishes, pots and pans, maybe even utensils -- perfect.

I have a couple of cute, slightly precious, dish towels hanging in my kitchen, and I never, ever use them for fear of getting them dirty. A few of these black (and impossible to stain) towels would be greatly appreciated.

Anything that's sitting out on a counter should be practical and pretty. I love these dip-dyed canisters for flour and sugar, dog treats, or anything else you like to have on hand (candy, and more candy).

And because there is no shortage of cute home goods, here are a few other things I have my eye on...

Pretty glass bottles perfect for juice and water (I like keeping fruit infused water around to curb my diet soda habit)...proper spoons for prepping salad are a very adult thing to have...print bowls that you can easily mix and match...a touch of marble is lovely, even in a tiny kitchen...I'd like to pick up a couple of wire baskets for storing dish towels and cookbooks...a super sharp cheese board that doubles as a display piece.

And with my collection of mismatched plates and silverware, I think this is everything I need to stock a kitchen that will be used mostly to store take out and heat up leftovers. Time to reactivate my Seamless account...