TopShop News | May 2013

TopShop News | May 2013   How are we doing? We love to get feedback from you, our valued customers, and we are always striving to provide the very best in quality products and service. It is important to us to know how we are doing. Did we exceed your expectations? Did we have the products you were looking for? Was your Sales Representative/Design Specialist friendly & knowledgeable? Where you satisfied with the service you received? Is there something we could have done better? When visiting our showrooms; where you greeted in a welcoming and professional manner? Let us know by clicking on any of the buttons below to submit a review on your experience(s) with American Cabinet & Flooring, Inc. We look forward to hearing from you! In Praise of Julia Child & The Well-Cluttered Kitchen by Steffanie Cameron | Build Direct Blog | April 29, 2013 Ahh, the French Chef. For many, the arrival of the 1963 PBS series was a doorway into a whole new world.  In 1948, Julia Child, was stationed in post-war Paris with her husband, and little did she know then, but she'd change America's cuisine forever in the years to come.  She spent much of the next decade writing Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the cookbook that would introduce French cooking to "servantless American cooks" once published in 1961. By then, she had returned to America to settle down with her husband in Massachusetts. Upon getting the word that her book was being published, there was no looking back for the towering dame who'd dominate the food scene for the next four decades.  Photo via Build Direct Blog Julia Child's Kitchen The quaint rural kitchen became the most famous kitchen in America, so, fittingly, at the turn of the 21st century, the Smithsonian Museum adopted it as a permanent exhibit, almost completely intact with the chef's collection of over 800 knives and endless tools, and, yes, those incredible pegboards.  Last weekend, I was kind of wistfully dreaming I could live Julia Child's life and cook in her kitchen. I blame Nora Ephron, rest in peace, thanks to her delightfully fun movie Julie & Julia. The DVD extras came with a long feature about the Smithsonian's adopting of Julia's kitchen when she decided to move into a retirement community at the end of her life. It was a passionate tribute to a legendary kitchen, and I watched it rapt. Today, kitchens often look almost sterile. So clean and clear of clutter. It feels almost like kitchens are meant to be seen but not used.  My Dream Kitchen No one could ever have accused Ms. Child of that sin of kitchen neglect. Everywhere, pegs and clips and hooks were filled with tools and pots and pans. Her kitchen was to cooking what a master carpenter's tool shed is to his woodworking mastery: A place for everything, a tool for every job, with instruments displayed so you simply reach out, grab it, and work. Looking at Julia's well-cluttered kitchen, one can't help but think there isn't a designer alive who'd put that kitchen in a showhome today, and yet it would be my dream kitchen, and I imagine I'm not alone. Julia Child didn't live to eat, she lived to cook. And then eat. And then cook some more. The woman had a mirror and a makeup drawer in the kitchen, for when guests would call, because she spent so much time in there! Toward the end of Ephron's film, you see Julia and Paul assembling that famous kitchen upon moving into the house. Paul armed with a Jiffy maker, outlining pots and tools on these walls covered with a carpenter's pegboards, so they's always know where the pot was supposed to hang. Between that, the endless drawers, the knife slots on her butcher's carts. the magnetic strips filled with knives, and the knick-knacks that made it feel like home for her, the kitchen was a place meant for work, for creating amazing foods, and for sharing them with the world, and we're all the better for her single-minded passion.  Photo via Build Direct Blog Life Happens in Kitchens I'm no Julia Child, but I've taught people to cook for a living in the past, and I believe there is no more valuable nor rewarding skill one can learn in life. Nothing beats being able to walk into your kitchen and make incredible braised chicken, or serve your lover an eggs Benedict on Sunday morning, or whip up the best cake ever for your kid's birthday, or just cook yourself a killer steak when you want a quiet Friday night catching up on your PVR. When you can do it for under $10 in ingredients versus shelling out $40 in a restaurant, you bet it's a quality-of-life skill that makes you happier in heart and mind. And providing that tasty joy for others is even more rewarding, as Julia spent a lifetime teaching us. Cooking can be done with a minimum of tools, but someone who loves to cook doesn't just have tools - they burst at the cupboards with spices and sauces and condiments and all kinds of pantry ingredients. There are books, squeeze bottles, weird utensils, and more that we need to truly excel in the kitchen. Show me an empty, clutter-free kitchen, and I'll show you a homeowner that doesn't cook. But show me a cluttered kitchen that's poorly organized, and I'll show you a cook who burns more than their fair share of dishes. Organized Clutter is Good If any one room should have some organized clutter, it's a well used kitchen of a passionate chef. Looking around Julia Child's hub, one instinctively knows there's not a dish in the world that Julia wouldn't have had the tools to cook. In today's global-village world filled of fusion foods, international ingredients, and a more savvy dining public, you'd think our kitchens would be getting more cluttered with awesome instruments, not less. Don't be afraid to fill your kitchen with tools of the trade. If Julia could do it, so can you. Maybe, just maybe, through the utilitarian-yet-loving tribute to her tool-heavy kitchen at the Smithsonian Museum, Julia Child will continue teaching us the glory of cooking, and the greatness of a well-cluttered kitchen, for years to come. Thanks for the memories, Julia! Due to popular demand... we've EXTENDED our Spring - Granite Vanity Tops -  Sale through the Summer! Check out some of these fun events happening in Denver, CO this month! 25th Annual Cinco de Mayo Festival and Parade May 4-5, 2013 Free Day at the Denver Art Museum May 4, 2013 Furry Scurry May 4, 2013 Denver Derby Party May 4, 2013 Buffalo Bill Birthday Celebration May 5, 2013 May 12, 2015 Tesoro Annual Indian Market and Powwow May 18-19, 2013   Five Points Jazz Festival May 18, 2013 Downtown Denver Arts Festival May 24-26, 2013 Denver Day of Rock May 25, 2013 May 27, 2013 Denver Comic Con May 31, 2013 Attractive. Economical. Simple. Our in-stock Merillat Cabinet Collection features a clean, modern style with a traditional overlay door and a flat center panel design providing a straightforward choice that creates exceptional looks.  All at a price point that makes this collection  practical and extremely simple. Fast. Smart. Simple. Quick credit decisions Simple and fast application process Low minimum monthly payments See a Sales Associate for complete program details and to apply today!

TopShow News | April 2013

TopShop News | April 2013 SPRING SALE! $100 GRANITE Vanity Tops That's right! Quality in-stock 31" and 37" granite vanity tops with a precut sink hole are on sale for the super low price of $100 each with a variety of colors to choose from! (*price does not include sales tax, measure, installation, or delivery)   Come and see us today and take advantage of this amazing offer while supplies lasts through April 30, 2013!   Easy Green: 23 Ways to Reduce Waste at Home by Laura Gaskill | Houzz Contributor We all know that growing landfill mass and, sadly, even trash floating out at sea are real issues, but it can be hard to know where to start if you want to make a difference. Thankfully, it's actually quite easy to cut way down on your household trash by making tiny changes in your shopping habits and daily routines. If you would like to reduce the amount of trash your household creates but are not quite sure how to do it, these 23 tips can help. They are all easy to implement and can add up to a reduction in waste that makes a difference.    Living Room and Entertaining      1. Switch to digital downloads of movies and music if you haven't yet.      2. Ask for and give consumable or homemade gifts. Think event tickets, dinner reservations and edible treats.      3. Stop junk mail and paper bills, and cancel subscriptions that you don't read. Bedroom and Wardrobe      4. Be picky. By choosing to buy only what you love and know you will wear, you can slim your wardrobe and love it more.      5. Shop vintage.      6. Bring cloth shopping bags of your own... even to the mall.      7. Mend and tailor instead of toss. Take a cue from our grandparent's generation and work with what you have. Kitchen      8. Buy soap in bulk and decant it into reusable containers.      9. Keep lots of cloth towels on hand instead of paper.     10. As long as it is relatively clean, you can reuse aluminum foil several times.     11. Give old clothes and linens a second life - cut them up and reuse them as cleaning rags. Buying Groceries     12. Shop farmer's markets, produce stands and natural food markets - you will find the freshest and most local food that's minimally packaged.     13. Avoid buying single-serving packages. Pick the larger containers instead.     14. Keep plenty of reusable bags around. If you have trouble remembering to bring bags, try keeping stashes of them in your car, by the front door, in your office and anywhere else they might come in handy. Dining     15. Use real dishes and cloth napkins every day.     16. Try an alternative to plastic wrap. Place a plate on top of a bowl to store leftovers in the fridge or purchase reusable dish covers. Pets     17. Our pets don't ask for much, but that doesn't stop us from wanting to buy them all sorts of things. Keep things simple and stick with a few favorite toys and accessories.     18. Buy your most frequently used pet supplies in bulk to cut down packaging. Bathroom     19. Simplify your beauty routine - fewer products means less waste.     20. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels for cleaning.     21. Buy the biggest packages of toilet paper you can find to reduce packaging. Downtime     22. Make friends with your public library. If you haven't explored your local library lately, consider giving it another look and borrow a book, movie or music CD instead of buying.     23. Rethink leisure time. Relax in your backyard, cook dinner for friends, walk in nature, go for a bike ride, have a picnic or read a book - from the library! You are reading an article originally posted on houzz.com.  Fast. Smart. Simple. Quick credit decisions Simple and fast application process Low minimum monthly payments See a Sales Associate for complete program details and to apply today! Attractive. Economical. Simple. Our in-stock Merillat Cabinet Collection features a clean, modern style with a traditional overlay door and a flat center panel design providing a straightforward choice that creates exceptional looks. All at a price point that makes this collection practical and extremely simple. How are we doing? We value feedback from our customers and strive to always provide the best in quality products and service; it's important to us to know how we are doing.  Did we exceed your expectations?  Is there something we could be doing better?  Let us know by clicking on any of the links below and write a review on your experience(s) with American Cabinet & Flooring.  Angie's List Facebook Google Places CitySearch Yahoo Local Yellow Pages DexKnows Houzz