I may have given the impression in these pages that I’m a devotee of naturalism in all things. That is far from the whole truth. In fact, under certain circumstances, I am a big believer in artifice and surface decoration. . . . → Read More: Toenail Polish
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Just when I thought it was safe to go back to my mailbox after the deluge of Christmas catalogues, a new season is now overstuffing my little box. Now is the time of the seed catalogues. Each afternoon I bring in at least one or two, with their bright, optimistic, and oh-so-tempting covers. Brilliantly colored tomatoes, exotic greens and lettuces, abundant flowers. All can be yours for the price of a simple packet of tiny seeds. . . . → Read More: Seductions of the Seed Catalogues During the early years of my marriage, as my husband and I adapted to cooking and living together, we learned to share a tight kitchen space and limited list of equipment. The one item he would never touch, however, was my beloved cast iron frying pan, purchased at a hardware store in my days as a poor student. “You have a relationship with that pan, and I don’t want to come between you,†was his comment. Since then I’ve added many fine pots and pans to my batterie de cuisine, some of them fairly expensive. Yet all of them remain mere equipment, without the emotional aura of that beat-up, homely, black skillet. . . . → Read More: Why I Love My Cast-Iron Pan I’m very happy to move indoors for the season. I’ve already written about how glad I am to take a break from the garden at the end of a busy season. It isn’t just about stopping the hard work of managing a large collection of flowers and vegetables. I actually enjoy the dark and quiet evenings of the deep winter. . . . → Read More: The Pleasures of Winter One of the things I use to keep myself creatively focused is a bulletin board of inspiration. On my bulletin board are photos that struck my fancy, paragraphs from articles that grabbed my attention, and postcards from places I’ve either been recently or want to visit someday. I recommend this exercise for anyone trying to devise a creative vision, be it for fashion, decorating or the direction of your life. . . . → Read More: Creating an Inspiration Board I have surprised myself by developing a love for mid-century design. After years of seeing this kind of stuff reviled and ridiculed, it’s getting easier to find fellow hipsters who share my interest. . . . → Read More: MidCentury Design: Made in the Shade For the most part, I’m not much of a collector. Outside of books and my vast assortment of kitchenware, I tend to be more of a ruthless pitcher than an accumulator. A holdover from the tough discipline of living in shared houses and studio apartments in my early years, I suppose. Despite that, I . . . → Read More: Vintage Tablecloths One of the advantages of living in the suburbs is that I finally have enough space for a small vegetable garden. Back when I was living in D.C., I had only a tiny postage stamp in front of my townhouse, and considered myself lucky to have that. Now I have a space ten . . . → Read More: Heirloom Tomatoes Are a Treasure |
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