By Lisa May 27th, 2013
People that know me know that I admire anyone who can grow anything. But even I am inspired by these innovative ways to bring herbs and leafy greens into a kitchen. This hanging herb planter by Plow and Hearth is great looking and more importantly self-watering! It can be used indoors as shown or outdoors. […]
By Nancy April 24th, 2013
Normal color vision Red-green color deficiency/dichromate Did you know that around 8% of men but only 1/2% of women are color blind? I am not color blind, which is of course very helpful in my profession, but sometimes we work with clients who are. It’s helpful to know what a color blind person sees, or doesn’t […]
By Nancy March 27th, 2013
Rugs are like art. They are personal, unique, and their patterns can have fascinating history. I have a brother-in-law from Egypt, and each time he and my sister visit his family there, they bring me back a small rug. Each one is different from the other, and I treasure them as I do my other […]
By Nancy February 13th, 2013
I just met a local artist, Jean Berry, and am so excited about her work! I’m always in awe of people who can put pigment on a canvas in a meaningful way, but some of her paintings have SO MUCH ENERGY that I am just blown away. For Jean, painting is a very intuitive process, […]
By Nancy January 16th, 2013
Get some of your favorite photos off your computer and out where they can be seen by turning a wall in your home into an art gallery! Using a range of sizes, shapes, and frame finishes makes a wonderfully creative statement, and you’ll get lots of practice using a hammer and nails. Following are some […]
By Lisa August 17th, 2011
I’ve come across some great furniture pieces with hidden storage. Just imagine how discreetly organized we could be! Somerset Storage Cocktail Table from Kincaid The Chatham Storage Coffee Table from Lane The Petra Lift Top Coffee Table with Hidden Drawer Storage from Sitcom And finally my favorite. It stores books in a hidden compartment and […]
By Lisa August 8th, 2011
I threw my first outdoor party this summer-the rehearsal dinner for my son. I’ve never tried to decorate our backyard; in fact, although we have a nice backyard, we don’t have a master gardener’s backyard or one with a beautiful pool. We have a suburban backyard with woods that have been somewhat dethroned by oak […]
By Lisa December 31st, 2010
Like many of you, we entertain larger numbers of people than normal during the holidays. In our house that means multiple episodes of empting the front closet to accommodate guests’ coats. It’s a yearly discussion: do we lug our coats upstairs and hide them in our bedroom to make way for company or to we […]
By Lisa September 27th, 2010
I love how calling a technique by its French name sounds so sophisticated! En plein air painting means, literally, “in the open air” and refers to the act of painting outdoors. Of course artists have long enjoyed painting outside, but in the mid-nineteenth century working in natural light became a focus for Impressionistic painters. In […]