Picture your kitchen counter. Is it a dumping ground for mail, backpacks, briefcases, coupons and family messages that usually get lost in the shuffle? Do you yearn for a serene, organized location to store frequently used items, house grubby shoes and to act as a go-between for your home and the outside world? The solution […]
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Posted inFeatured, Home
How Childproof is Your Home?
Safety is a concern for everyone, especially parents. An important part of raising children is careful supervision of their activities in the home. Parents need to be aware of their children’s surroundings at all times in order to anticipate and prevent potential injury. One of the most overlooked areas in the home is the window. […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
When Is a Towel Warmer Not Just a Luxury Item?
With the onset of fall and chilly mornings, our motivation to pop out of bed each workday and dash to the shower wanes. Many of would prefer to stay snuggled under the warmth of our bed covers. However, there is a way to extend the snuggly, warm feeling in your bathroom while simultaneously providing a […]
Posted inBlog, Gardeners Corner
Collected Yard Debris Get New Life as Next Year’s Compost
Now that fall is upon us, I have started to notice the changing leaves on my way to and from the office. The beautiful colors of fall always bring a smile to my face, but the mess that follows from falling debris quickly turns that smile upside down. It is a necessary evil for us […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
Kitchen Counter Corners — To Use or Not To Use?
I recently read a great WestSound Home and Garden Magazine article by Molly Erin McCabe, “Much Ado About Countertops.” The topic of countertops has fascinated me for some time — a level, utilitarian surface that ends unobstructed or with a wall. How does one design or decide what items to place on kitchen counter corners? […]
Posted inAt Home, Blog
How to Select the Proper Seat Height for Best Comfort
At a restaurant in Seattle recently, we opted for the privacy and comfort of booth seating. When our dinners arrived, however, we ended up eating with high elbows. As it happens frequently in restaurants, the banquette/booth seat cushions were simply too low in relation to the height of the table. The magic number for the […]
Posted inGarden
A Primer on Buying a Hobby Greenhouse
All gardeners have a wish list: new plants to try, a load of compost delivered, a potting shed, etcetera, but there is one thing that always seems to top the list — a greenhouse. Imagine how the midwinter blues melt away as you walk through the doors of this warm, humid haven for plants. It […]
Posted inHome
Creating Pressed Botanicals for Décor — The Art of the Herbarium
Plant gathering and preservation for identification has its foundations in history and early botanical plant hunting. Plants in modern gardens have their origins from all over the world, as botanists journeyed to distant lands. As the West was discovered, Lewis and Clark collected and noted plants along their journeys. New specimens were collected and preserved […]
Posted inPeople & Places
New Life… for an Old Art
When Donna McKeever stumbled upon a rug-braiding class about two decades ago, she fell in love with this nearly lost art. Not only did she find her creative outlet, she wanted to inspire others to pursue it as well. “It’s a very simple art form yet there’s a lot of beauty and simplicity to it,” […]