My mother has always enjoyed and excelled at all kinds of handwork. She sewed, knitted, crocheted, and in the seventies, she even did some groovy macramé. In the early ’90s, around the time her first grandchild was born, she became a quilter. She was particularly suited to this handcraft because it requires an artful eye… Continue reading A Quilt-themed Birthday Party
Every year, one of the things I most look forward to is creating a large floral centerpiece for my Christmas table. I always begin this process in competition with the herds of rampaging deer foraging in my yard for cedar, magnolia, boxwood, holly, and loropetalum. When I bring in this ridiculous overabundance of greenery, I then have… Continue reading Christmas Centerpiece Conundrum
Since 1863, when Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a federal holiday, the turkey has been the symbol of the celebration. Benjamin Franklin even wanted to make the turkey our national symbol instead of the bald eagle, writing in a letter to his daughter that “the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird…” No disrespect… Continue reading Thanksgiving Table Settings–No Jive Turkey!
When I say flower power, I’m not talking about “sex, drugs, and rock & roll” or “make love, not war.” And I am certainly not advocating bra burning (at my age, that could cause a natural disaster). No, think less Woodstock and more “Downton Abbey.” I’ve always been a huge fan of British period dramas,… Continue reading Flower Power: How To Have Cost-Effective Arrangements Year-Round
