April 24, 2016
My friend Lauren recently moved into a new home. Aside from feeling excited, she also felt overwhelmed with new projects to tackle and challenges to overcome. Her first quandary: How to hang art and photos without putting nails in the…
April 17, 2016
I kill plants — especially edible ones. I was so excited when we moved into our place two years ago because I finally could take advantage of our outdoor space. As hard as I have tried to maintain an outdoor…
April 10, 2016
I’ve always regarded the month of April as “green.” This is when all the magazine stories and school projects focus on how we can reduce, reuse and recycle. Lately, however, the greenness seems to have faded. A few years ago,…
April 4, 2016
Local colloquialisms always have interested me. I enjoy reading through the online articles that quiz readers on their understanding of local terms. Although I have lived in Hawaii for nine years and now consider it home, my Cleveland vernacular still…
March 29, 2016
Whenever my family gets together for a big holiday dinner, I’m the one in charge of the mashed potatoes. I like to keep it simple with fewer than eight ingredients: Yukon gold potatoes, butter, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper…
March 22, 2016
Something about the star t of spring makes me want to clear out and clean up. Every year, I make it a goal to do a deep, thorough spring cleaning, emptying my closets and getting the house spick and span.…
March 15, 2016
I always have been a dog person. When I was little, my cousin and I would “borrow” our neighbor’s dogs. We would walk them around the neighborhood, give them treats and belly rubs, and bring them back to my house…
March 9, 2016
Sports always have been a big part of my life. I attended golf camp for seven years as a kid, played basketball through junior high, and volleyball through high school. As an adult, I have made endurance running a passion,…
March 1, 2016
When guests come over, I like to leave all of the room doors open. I feel like it contributes to a sense of welcoming and also makes your space feel larger. However, our home office door is one I usually…
February 23, 2016
One of the easiest ways to transform a room is to add an area rug. The problem is, sometimes it is hard to start afresh when your room already has one. I hate to admit that I have a habit…
February 16, 2016
My brother-in-law sent an e-card to our family chat the other day: “Here’s to all of you who rearrange the dirty dishes in the dishwasher after someone else has loaded it.” My sister, mother and I are all guilty of…
February 9, 2016
I attended a painting party recently. If you’re not familiar, a painting party is when you get together with friends and paint on a canvas with help from an expert. At our painting party, I found myself lagging behind. As…
February 2, 2016
I always have been a fan of an accent color. In my wardrobe, I have belts, sweaters and scarves in bold hues that I use to punch up otherwise muted outfits. In the home, I painted a bookshelf a bright,…
January 26, 2016
One of my big goals this year is to not only cut down on spending, but also to be wiser when I do spend. When it comes to spending more wisely, it does not always mean spending less. Some big-ticket…
January 19, 2016
I often wonder how people can possibly keep up with the changing current of home trends. What was fashionable in one decade is atrocious in the next and then fashionable again later. When I first started writing about homes, my…
January 10, 2016
Much of the landscaping in my backyard has been inherited from the previous tenants. One of my favorites is the red ti plant. It adds a nice touch of color and, even better, does not need much attention. Recently, however,…
January 3, 2016
This past holiday season, our family created wish lists to help one another with picking presents. Naturally, my list was filled with items for the home. My husband noticed that I had added several varieties of storage cubes. He questioned…
December 29, 2015
Every year around this time, I reflect on the year that just passed. This one has gone by much too quickly. Some of my most memorable moments include being chosen as the godmother to my nephew, celebrating my first wedding…
December 20, 2015
For some reason, I’ve never agreed with the saying, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” Yes, it is true there is only one first impression, but I also believe that if you remake something,…
December 15, 2015
This semester has flown by and, in just a few days, winter break will begin. I have put off getting some things done around the house, and cannot wait to finally have the time to tackle the to-do list. While…