[Olga's Kitchen from Issue15 . Photography: Donna Griffith]

We here at Covet Garden like spaces that have beauty and brains. We went through our back issues to revist some of our favourite kitchens. There's a mix of streamlined to colourful, but they are all amazing examples of how to fix up a kitchen without spending scads of money by using personal items such as art work, budget-friendly finishes or a new paint job.

[Arounna and John's kitchen from Issue18 . Photography: Ashley Capp]

Kitchens are hard working rooms. We cook in them, we hang out in them and you will always find us in the kitchen at parties. Which explains why impersonal "where-the-hell-do-they-keep-all-their-stuff?" spaces don't really inspire us. Now clever storage solutions, such as Arounna and John's  lockers-turned-bins... that's the kind of idea we can get behind!

[Kurt and Lori's kitchen from Issue9 . Photography: Michael Graydon]

Each of these kitchens have a "why didn't I think of that?" appeal. You'll notice at least three rooms with white laminate cabinets. Yet each is made unique by such details as handmade countertops, colourful backsplashes or plain old interesting use of space.

[Tara and Terry's kitchen from Issue13 . Photography: Kim Jeffery]

The easiest way to makeover a kitchen is with colour. We love the way Tara and Terry were able to reimagine their home's existing cuisine (who wouldn't want to buy the house for that stainless steel sink alone?) with a refreshing coat of green paint? A few upcycled items, like the sliding freezer door, and a kitchen island also give the space a modern update.

I'm going to hang a gallery wall in my kitchen this weekend. What inexpensive update would you most like to try?

Last week, we were lucky to have to trek only up the street to a local auction at World Headquarters where our friends from Smash were emptying out their basement storage area and had a whack of awesome goods up for grabs. Now, it's pretty easy to come home with a lot of garbage if you're not careful; the desire to WIN sometimes clouds better judgement. Example: last summer, we took a road trip to Pen Yan, New York, to a barn auction and bought an antique rocking chair that promptly fell apart when we loaded it into the car, gross horsehair stuffing clumped out of it and blew around the car that was now too full for us to spend more cash at Target. But, we were stubborn and drove it back to Toronto where  landed straight in the trash when we got home.

We were smart (and sober) this night and came home with a sexy pair of heavy gold and glass lamps that require re-wiring and shades but their scale is intensely satisfying. I'm thinking a beautiful peacock blue for the shade in a simple drum shape and we'll have a pair of beauties on our hands. I might be selfish and be using them in my own bedroom as it goes through a transformation I'll be sharing shortly. That's the one downside to auctioning — sometimes it's tough to let go of your prizes. Have you attended an auction? Tell us about your great find or your big mistake, no judgement!

We're pleased as punch to feature another insightful post from interior stylist Jenn Hannotte of Russet and Empire Interiors back to the Covet Garden blog. Jenn believes in accessible and collaborative design that stems from narratives we create with objects we love. Her work has been featured in Design Lines,  Remodelista, Apartment Therapy and the Marion House Book to name a few. She lives with her two daughters in the West-End of Toronto.

I love to buy yarn and then dream about all the great things I will make — a tea cozy, a hat, a sweater for Lily. The truth is, I’m a dream weaver. I envision myself having a knitting project on-the-go at all times because I like to think I’m that gal. You know, the kind of gal who curls up with a cup of tea and can knit for hours. And I was her — once.  That was a while ago yet I still have a collection of lovely yarns around my house in various baskets and bowls. When I look at them I feel like a fraud. So, this months’ square foot project was to think of a way to use up all the bits of wool around my home.

I was inspired by Alexx’s four hundred squares-blanket featured in Covet Garden Issue 7. I like the  idea of making a bunch of little things that could then become a bigger thing. I’ve always wanted to learn how to crochet so I found a helpful how-to crochet a circle video on YouTube. I began with circles of different sizes and they were so cute and easy to make that before I knew it I had used up all my yarn. Looking at them gathered together on the floor it came to me — I'll make a scarf. Who can have too many scarves during the winter? Not me that’s who!

And that’s not all.  I then sold one of the that bowls that I used to display my yarn! 

Let's recap:

I started by wanting to reduce my "stuff" foot print to 1,600 square feet. Last month's square foot total was 1,594 square feet

 • 18 balls of yarn = 4 square feet 

 • 1 bowl =1 square foot

New total = 1,589 square feet

Last year we blogged about Best in Show, Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne's awesome guide the making your own dogs out of yarn. Muir and Osborne have a new book out called Knit Your Own Cat, which shows you how to stich your own feline. We got an opportunity to ask the duo about tips and tips for making wooly pets. They also sent us a copy of the book to give to one crafty Covet Garden reader. Read to the end for contest details.

My first question is already answered...Are there British Shorthairs? Yes!

Covet Garden: What are the most important things to bear in mind when sizing up to make a larger version of your cat?

Muir & Osborne: Proportion, you may need, for example, to increase the length of the legs, shorten the back etc. Work with the photographs from the book and alter anything you feel doesn't look right, you may also need to make some sort of armature if you are going for a life-sized cat, as it could sag with the weight of the stuffing. 

CG: While we're planning to knit a companion for our British Shorthair, what are the most creative uses you've seen for knitted pets? (ie. a mobile made of cats)  

SM & JO: Earmuffs, epaulettes, charms, corsages — you can put them to all kinds of uses as household or personal accessories, but we find that one of the best uses is as doppelgangers to freak out your own pet. We've got photographs (which we'll send you if you like) of our and friend's pets looking disturbed by their mini-me's.

CG: Any hints on stopping your cat from playing with your wool when you are trying to knit?

SM & JO: You could keep the wool in a box with a hole in the top, try using a shoebox. Make a hole in the lid and pop the ball in the box and thread the yarn through the lid, this stops the ball of wool rolling around in (what a cat finds) an irresistible way.  Or you could perhaps knit in a different  room to your cat.

CG: Could one knit a cat with wool spun from their real life cat's shedded fur?

SM & JO: Someone has knitted a Husky from our dog book from their own Husky's fur, and we also know someone who has knitted a hat with fur shed from their Maine Coon. So assuming you have a long haired cat, it should be possible to knit a cat with cat fur, but you'd probably need to consult a spinner to be absolutely sure.  For more information there is a book called 'Crafting With Cat Hair' available on Amazon.com.

CG: If you are a relatively new knitter (or if you have five years of knitting, but still haven't progessed past making scarves), which cat should one start with? 

SM & JO: It's probably best to start with one of the one colour cats like the curled up British Shorthair or prowling Black Cat,  the kittens are also pretty simple and also small, so fairly fast to make. In the introduction on P6, it gives you suggestions as to which are the easiest and which are the ones to work up to when you are feeling more confident. 

To win a copy of Knit Your Own Cat, leave a comment below telling us what you would do with a feline mini-me. A life-sized British Shorthair named Ronnie James Dio will select his favourite response. Contest ends February 29, 2012 at 11:59 pm.

Champagne has long been the beverage of choice for celebrations — going hand in hand with such holidays as New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. It’s festive associations are, I think, due to several factors: the signature “pop” of the cork, the frothing bubbles when poured, the elegant stemware reserved for it, it’s exclusive (and pricey) nature, and the fact that once opened, the bubbles don’t keep long so you generally need at least a few friends to finish the bottle, lest it go to waste.

Luckily for those among us who like to employ Champagne (or any of it’s sparkling brethren) to celebrate more mundane occasions, such as a new haircut or the release of the latest Ryan Gosling movie, there is the Champagne stopper. As a single gal who loves bubbly, this is my favourite wine accessory after the corkscrew. The Champagne stopper is a handy (and affordable) little cap that fits over the top of any Champagne or sparkling wine bottle, securely keeping the bubbles in and fresh once opened. One of my favourite sparkling wines (the name Champagne being reserved only for wines from the Champagne region of France) is Ontario’s own Henry of Pelham’s Cuvée Catharine Rosé Brut, which you’ll find at the LCBO for $29.95 a bottle.

While I love Champagne on it’s own (or with some nice sushi), like Daniel and Ben from issue 5 of Covet Garden, I am a big fan of the French 75; a cocktail of gin, sparkling wine (I don’t waste good Champagne when I’m mixing it with other ingredients), lemon juice and sugar. It’s a great drink for entertaining as it is simple to make and looks very elegant (be warned however that it is deceptively potent!).

French 75

1 ½ ounces of gin

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

1 tsp super fine sugar

6 ounces chilled Prosecco or Cava

Combine the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a champagne flute or a Collins glass and top with chilled Prosecco or Cava. Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Valentine's Day is less than a week away.We talked to Dani Elwell of Jaidens Petals/Cindiloowho to recommend her favourite ways to say "Be Mine" with flowers.

If you were ever to meet me in person, you’d think I grew up a tomboy. However, the one aspect of my life that is ‘girly’ or ‘pretty’ is that I work with flowers. I love making ‘the pretty’, as I like to call it.

Everything we do at Jaidens Petals is fairly loose and garden like. To enhance that vibe or look we usually source out a fair amount of old crusty bottles and mason jars to add to it. Even on Valentines Day.

In the modern world of flowers, I think roses get a bit of a bad break. I enjoy making roses the focal point of a lot of the arrangements I make. However it has to be the right rose. Big fat real garden roses, petals that open almost like peonies that are lasting and feathery, fragrances that make your lungs crave more. I love it.

This is the arrangement I’d like to receive from my husband on Valentines Day. Deep and dark and all-enveloping. Rich and full and textured. In a word, luscious.

“Heart” is a relatively new dark red/almost black rose on the scene. It falls into the same world as Black Magic Roses or Black Baccara but opens like a garden variety. Its gorgeous and it lasts. I’ve added some delicious blue hyacinths, red skimmia, bits of a purple variety of eucalyptus called “agonis”, and steel blue viburnum berries.

While creating it, I had to play the right song. The relationship between music and food and flowers is always so tempting. I’ll spare you with my cheese fantasies. Quirky mysterious and the equally beautiful rose Fiona Apple added the right soundtrack to my creativity. I grabbed the Cy Coleman tribute record “The Best is Yet to Come” and picked “Why Try It Change Me Now?” It was released a couple of years ago and like my Valentines arrangement, it haunts me. Give it a try.