Every season has its golden child. Its pride and joy, the thing we celebrate above all else. Spring has her cheerful bulbs poking their heads out of the ground after a long sleep, and bright, succulent greens. Summer has the warm breezes, serious … read more

If you love fall, Halloween is a great time to follow your whimsy and decorate your home. We asked two local women — Port Orchard’s Deb Howard and Gig Harbor’s Becky Curneen — to share their tips and inspiration, based on 30 years … read more

Fair Trade is an alternative way of doing business — one that builds equitable, long-term partnerships between consumers in North America and producers in developing regions. When purchasing a Fair Trade item, you can buy with confidence knowing it means the goods were … read more

“It’s very purple,” one visitor commented about Glee Palmer-Davis and Dennis Johnson’s Hansville A-frame cottage and garden. The color of the body of the house is an intense purple that leans toward violent red-violet. Called “Fabulous Grape,” the color suggests a grape candy … read more

Garden fashion leans toward fickleness when it comes to color. Do you remember gardens before the turn of the century? Pastel flowers filled the borders, while mauve, pink and gray ruled the color palette of both interior and exterior spaces. If you vowed … read more

Hydrangeas are among the most popular shrubs in West Sound, and they make beautiful wreaths. Floral wreaths can cost as much as $50, but if you have your own hydrangeas, you can make a wreath for less than $6. Early fall is the … read more

When Seattle transplants Andrea and Jonathon Rowe opened the tiny Marina Market on the pier in Poulsbo in 1998, they didn’t imagine that 18 years later they’d be running a popular, international, boutique grocery store selling everything from exotic craft beers to wooden … read more

Halloween Fun Fact: Ninety percent of parents admit to secretly snatching some candy from their kids’ Halloween trick-or-treat bags! Never carry your pumpkin by the stem. It’s part of the visual allure, and if the stem snaps, it can accelerate the pumpkin’s rotting. … read more

A few years after Ruth and Brian* built their home on Haven Lake, Ruth decided she really needed a potting shed to house her books, seeds and vintage family garden tools. She drew up a concept picture and turned to her every-handy husband. … read more