When you go out to dig in your garden, take a stroll in the neighborhood park or simply sit on a bench under a shady tree, do you achieve a unique sense of calm? Chances are you do, perhaps without even recognizing the soothing effects of these activities. Twenty-five years of research shows that even […]
décor
Posted inHome
Creative Tablescape Competition Winners 2016
As we have in the past, WestSound Magazine magazine received an abundance of creative tablescapes. The choices were all wonderful — but our tablescape judges, Teri Hern and Linna Lawrence, made the difficult decisions! Thank you to all who took the time to submit their tablescapes. And thank you to our judges for their time […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Gig Harbor Summer Art Festival — Growing into a Regional Destination
The strains of music waft on the gentle breeze in mid-July as thousands of visitors stroll down Judson Street in Gig Harbor to peruse the high-quality offerings of professional artists and artisans who participate in the Gig Harbor Summer Art Festival. Now in its 32nd year, the festival has become one of the largest and […]
Posted inGardeners Corner
Brighten Up Your Garden with a Set of Plant Markers Made from Rocks
Gardeners know that once a garden begins to mature, it can be hard to tell what is actually growing. The solution is to use plant markers. Whether you have a garden this year or are planning one for next year, this is a good time to decide which plant markers to use and get them […]
Posted inHome
Midcentury Enamelware
As wanted as pigs in a sunflower field, as fleeting as floaters from a dandelion puff and as obsolete as the weekly milk delivery, midcentury enamelware kitchen items have more or less vanished from today’s scene — except for decorative candy tins that overwhelm thrift shop shelves and recycle bins. Decorative-metal stove-burner covers and TV […]
Posted inGarden
For the Love of Lavender
In the middle of summer, the essence of lavender wafts through the air with such heady fragrance, an address would not be necessary to find the Blue Willow Lavender Farm. Lush, gray-green plants trimmed into neat rounds form the foundation for the thousands of long stems tipped with lavender-blue heads. The farm sits so serenely […]
Posted inAt Home
Outdoor Kitchens, from Simple to Sublime
Requests for outdoor kitchens are on the rise, from pretty basic to really crazy. While most outdoor kitchens are considered a luxury, there are ways to add them to your space in all budget ranges. First consider how you will use your outdoor space and what you really need. What type of cooking do you […]
Posted inHome
Tools That Almost Never Work
Organizing Culprit No. 1: The Filing Cabinet The No. 1 organizing fail is the one you’d least expect: the filing cabinet. That’s right. For anyone except the most organized people, filing cabinets are where papers go to die. This unorthodox view comes from years of working with client paperwork — the most important and useful […]
Posted inHome
Coming Home to Keyport
When the Butler family saw the house on the eastern shore of Dogfish Bay, they knew they had found their “forever home.” Set in a quiet Keyport neighborhood that drives like a trip down memory lane, the 2,700-square-foot home overlooks a peaceful waterfront setting of docks, tall trees and sunsets. It’s the kind of place […]