Ever since right after World War II, America has been gadget happy - in a good way that saves time. The 1950s were known as a time of gadgets and inventions to save housewives time at home to enjoy their families..

The proliferation of televisions in American households and the initial sponsorship of "soap operas" on TV by detergent companies in the late 1940s and early 1950s led the way to 21st century infomercials hawking gadgets of all kinds for the home and garden.

One neat gadget for the kitchen in the bright yellow polypropylene banana slicer. You just lay it atop a peeled banana and push it through with consistent, even pressure to slice the fruit. The result is a set of 1/4″ thick slices for cereal, sundaes, or fruit salads without messy hands.

This slicer is avaiable on the Internet from SOLUTIONS company or at your local home and garden store for about $4.00. Lightweight, it makes 18 slices with a save cutting edge that will nto cut fingers and is fully washable in the dishwasher.

This looks like a transparent table cloth, but it stand up all by itself for a lovely addition to the dining area of your home.

This device is built of study transparent acrylic and known as the Essey Illusion Table, with a larger version called Grand Illusion. When you first enter the room containing this table, you might think it is a floating tablecloth.

The hanging "corners" of the solid tablecloth support the entire structure in order to keep the table standing. Under dimmed lights, it is especially intriguing and beautiful for candlelight dinners and holidays. Colors include all of Transparent, Matt Ice, Grey, Brown, and Pearl at ESSEY.COM.

Each table is only 3mm thick and hand made in Denmark, with each number actually slightly different in its folds, so these can become inexpensive collectors' pieces. The Essey tables were named Best New Product at Top Drawer in London for 2007.

Artist Rain Harris has designed a style of fine art room divider encased in her art.

This unique first offering in her line is entitled "Americana" and has been on display in exhibition at the Ohio State University's Wexner Center Gallery in Columbus, Ohio.

This fine art piece is 60 feet long, constructed of wood paneling imprinted with a series of forest images such as deer, log cabins, fences, birds and other rural features. The imprints are Victorian wallpaper images that Rain Harris carved into the wood surfaces with a router. The wood is inlaid with a paint that is a powdery blue, accenting the image patterns and the cut and carved scenes.

Rain Harris can be found at creating other works in other medi, including clay and porcelain at The Clay Studio.