Once grown exclusively as a hobby of the wealthy, orchids are now available to every interested gardener. Perhaps you received one as a gift and wonder what to do after the bloom fades, or perhaps you’ve seen them for sale and want to buy one. They are not throwaway holiday plants if you understand how […]
décor
Posted inAt Home
Downsize Your Home — Upgrade Your Life!
Why downsize? Just look around your home or any other. Americans love stuff, and we consume more than people in any other country. We live in larger homes than any other country. We like having our things — they bring us comfort and happy memories. For my husband and I, downsizing was part of a […]
Posted inGarden
Deer De-Fence — Protecting a Collector’s Garden
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that, upon moving to Bainbridge Island after growing up in southern California, followed by a dozen years in parched Houston, Carol Folse would become enchanted by woodland spring flowers. Folse and her husband, Parker, fell in love with Bainbridge during a vacation to Seattle in 1994. While in […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Soulful Art
The hand-stenciled sign on Annette Fourbears’ small Indianola studio says, simply, “Baskets.” That’s definitely an understatement because this multifaceted artist also paints, sculpts and writes poetry. One of her most-visible public artworks is the 17-foot “Wheel Totem Pole” in Ventura, California, that the city commissioned for one of its parks. Here in the Northwest, however, […]
Posted inHome
Evocative of a Schoolhouse
In the historic community of Grapeview, it can be hard to find your way around the first time you visit. Lots of tiny dirt roads finger off from the main road, featuring funny names that are often nearly identical. It nods to the legacy of each independent, pioneering settler, starting with the first homesteader, Lambert […]
Posted inHome
Solid as a Rock — Tips on Selecting the Best Countertop for Your Project
Countertops are the workhorse of both the kitchen and bathroom. They are used for a myriad of tasks including preparing food, paying bills and doing homework, serving buffet food, holding small appliances, facilitating daily hygiene routines and more. They are subjected to a wide variety of abuses including hot pots, acidic foods, alcohol-based personal care […]
Posted inAround West Sound
A Visit to SkyeLandeSea Farm is an Immersion in Magic
To visit Spirit of Horse Gallery at SkyeLandeSea Farm is to immerse yourself in artful magic. It is a result not only of planning but also of minds open to serendipitous revelations. A pair of ancient, carved Tibetan temple lions acknowledge your arrival. They give no sense of guarding. They simply announce a different way […]
Posted inHome
Luxe Petite — A Lot of Luxury Packed into One Little Home
It started as a dare of sorts. A joke. A thought exercise, really. Joe and Judy Gates, owners of Joe Gates Construction of Poulsbo, were daydreaming. What if they built themselves a new home from the ground up? What would it look like? What features would they choose? Most importantly, how big would it be? […]
Posted inGarden
Ambergardens Provides Food for Body and Soul
Life’s journeys are unpredictable. People’s interests and talents steer them down a path that may seem pretty clear, but life will always offer up some crossroads and detours to spice things up. Laura Ambers Pittman-Hewitt started out on an artistic path, studying music and visual arts in college. The economic realities of the early ’80s […]