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Love Among the Ruins

Written on October 18, 2011 at 3:32 pm
By Doris Athineos

Salvage hunters alert. Chunks of architectural history will be offered for sale in Manhattan (One Centre Street/18th floor) October 24 in a scarcely publicized city auction.  The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commissionis offering facade fragments and ornaments from demolished landmarks and other buildings including terra-cotta tile from the facade of the old Audubon Ballroom and the Helen Hayes Theater (circa 1911).

Old House Gardens: heirloom fall bulbs, perfect for traditional gardens

Written on September 22, 2011 at 4:47 pm
By Rebecca Christian

An old house just cries out for old-timey flowers: brilliant upright hyacinths, peonies heavy with blossoms, buttery Wordsworthian daffodils. A great source for the heirloom bulbs that produce such nostalgic pretties is Old House Gardens (oldhousegardens.com), which bills its wares as “unique, endangered, and amazing.”

For an introduction to antique bulbs, it has a dandy offer of $35 worth of bulbs that can be planted in fall and will work well in your zone.

Frugal Fall-Planted Sampler

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Classic Decorating For Fall And Winter Holidays

Written on September 2, 2011 at 1:55 pm
By Rebecca Christian

Have you noticed a slight nip in the air early in the mornings, and twilight time arriving sooner in the evening, bringing with them the feeling that it’s time to gather in and settle down?

I’m looking forward to autumn, my favorite season, even more than usual this year. What really put me in the mood is a book that swirled down on my desk out of nowhere one day last week like an autumn leaf, Decorating with Evergreens by Robert Waite, who is a floral designer in Utah. The pretty color photographs of Waite’s unstudied wreaths, swags, and centerpieces—created with natural materials like fresh fruit and locally grown greenery—are by Zac Williams.

I was especially smitten with this wreath of bay leaves, wheat, red and yellow apples, and cranberry-hued dried yarrow. Can’t you just imagine how autumnal it smells? I’m picturing myself hanging it on my door, then going inside and putting on the season’s first big vat of chili.

What I like about the wreaths and arrangements in this book is that they are both classic and doable, like this pretty and uncontrived door hanging of greens and baskets let’s the distinctive architecture of the door have its say.

The book is available from amazon for $18.99 in hardcover or $9.59 on your Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/Decorating-Evergreens-Robert-Waite/dp/1423622502

MAGIC CARPET

Written on September 1, 2011 at 12:34 pm
By Doris Athineos

Brad Pitt, Jay-Z and Beyoncé walk on silk, cashmere and wool rugs designed by Carini Lang.  If you’re lucky, you can walk across your own original Carini Lang hand-made carpet for the price of a $25 raffle ticket. The raffle raises funds for Goodweave, an organization working to end child labor in the carpet industry. Made in Nepal, the bedroom-size carpet retails for $6,534.

The organization raises money to rescue, educate and care for victims of child labor. Look for the Goodweave label when shopping for hand-knotted rugs to insure that children were not exploited. “The label signifies that child labor was not used in the rug-making process,” says April Thompson. “We conduct random surprise inspections of companies whose rugs we certify.

This summer a 10-year-old girl, Nirmala, was rescued from child labor during a Goodweave inspection.  Goodweave is now paying for Nirmala to catch up on her education at a GoodWeave center, as well as contributing to her other schooling.

BY NICOLE BITETTE

Keep Your Garden Gorgeous into Fall

Written on August 26, 2011 at 3:49 pm
By Rebecca Christian

This is the time of year when gardens are beginning to look a bit bedraggled. You can keep your garden alive with color and verve, though, with perennials that bloom into fall, some as late as first frost (depending on your zone).

Late bloomers are often the most beautiful, right? Of course there are good old mums, but I find them kind of boring, and ever since I read D.H. Lawrence’s short story, “The Odour of Chrysanthemums,” they make me sad, maybe because when you see them you know winter is coming soon. Here are some fall flowers I find more cheery:

Below are asters (also known as Michaelmas Daisy), in shades of blue, white, pink and purple.

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Fun Finds for Dorm Rooms

Written on August 2, 2011 at 3:08 pm
By Rebecca Christian

I haven’t lived in a dorm room since 1974, but the finds at Deck My Dorm (deckmydorm.com) are (almost) enough to make me willing to risk flunking Biology 101 again — never did master memorizing all 208 bones of the human body, though I passed by a whisker the second time, when I took it Pass/Fail. The site has bedding, accessories, and trunks with stylish flair from vintage to shabby chic to classic.  Here’s a rhino sticker trunk, which the student can decorate with mementos and use for packing and as furniture. It comes in various sizes and colors from traditional to neon, starting at $134.95.

Rhino Sticker Trunk from Deck My Dorm

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Life as the Trad Home Intern Continued… The final Installment

Written on July 29, 2011 at 1:30 pm
By Julianne Hilmes

Today is my last day as the TradHome intern and this is my last blog post. It’s kind of sad! It still feels like I just started but I have to keep reminding myself that I’ve been here since May. Before I start summing up the summer however, I can’t forget I made it to two final product previews this week – one for Mohawk flooring and the other for Loctite adhesives.

At the Mohawk preview, they discussed how one of their objectives with their carpet was health and wellness. Apparently “healthy carpet” is googled more than “stain-resistant carpet,” so they are working to make more healthy and natural carpets. They even use recycled plastic bottles in the creation of some of their “greener” material. Way to go Mohawk! I also learned that in order to demonstrate the durability of their carpet they had rhinos and elephants live on them in zoos – and they stood up to the test!

At the Loctite product preview I learned about their new super-strong construction quality adhesive and their three categories of super glues. I proceeded to experiment with the glue samples they’d given us and squeeze the container too much before taking the lid off, only to have it ooze out suddenly and glue my fingers together. Good thing they also happened to share tips for getting your fingers un-stuck.

I really can’t believe how fast this summer has gone. I learned a lot. Not only about Traditional home, but also interior design, the magazine world, the corporate world, and the 9-5 world. Given that all my past gigs have been flexible hours waiting tables or babysitting, that last one took the most adjustment.

It’s been such a great experience to work here. I sat in on staff meetings and the Meredith All-Employee Meeting. I got to go to taste panels, photo shoots, and a lot of product previews. (Not to mention I learned a fair amount about those products!) I was in contact with people all over the country. On any given day I could have been in communication with people from L.A., Atlanta, and New York. I called, I emailed, I ordered, I tracked down tracking numbers! I got product donations for the gift bags for our Classic Women and worked on the tablescape for the Holiday Entertaining shoot. I wrote some video scripts and filled out my fair share of slideshow request forms.

I will say, I’ve finished up many of those slideshow request forms in the past few days, and I think I’ll be happy to not see one again for a while. My brain needs a little vacation – a girl can only think of so many ways to describe a room. It is kind of fun though, to write descriptions for images in a way that doesn’t sound repetitious. It’s kind of like solving a puzzle, and I really like puzzles. Nevertheless, there are some words that no matter what I am describing, just seem to follow me.

Julianne’s Top Slideshow Words:

Charm, rustic, warm, elegant, glamorous, cozy, perfect, palette, lovely, nook. Example:

“The cozy corner banquette”

“A cozy place to eat breakfast”

“Make the master bedroom cozy”

“A warm tropical feel”

“Shades of warm browns and pale blues”

“An elegant evening”

“Elegant domed ceiling”

“The elegant appeal”

“The elegant chandelier”

“An antique daybed and elegant linen sofa”

“The neutral palette”

“A blue-themed palette”

“Brown and blue palette”

“Demonstrates country charm”

“The chandelier dangles rustic charm” (double whammy)

“This dainty breakfast nook is the perfect complement to the sunny yellow walls” (double whammy)

“Curtains draw to create a cozy little nook” (double whammy)

“The master bedroom is cozy with a warm caramel palette and a nook for the bed” (The most incriminating of them all)

I certainly can’t forget that I was given the opportunity to blog! This has definitely been one of my favorite things. I have always loved writing (hence the journalism major), and being able to write about things in my own voice is always fun. And of course, thank YOU for reading!

Lastly, if you want to pick up a copy of the September issue, (and why wouldn’t you want to?), you should  check out the masthead – I was giddy with excitement when I saw it. Someone’s name appears last under the “editorial” section.

Well, thus ends my first foray into the 9-5 world. Adios!

P.S. If you want to keep up with me, you can follow my tumblr: juliannehilmes.tumblr.com

What is your very favorite bookstore of all time?

Written on July 27, 2011 at 10:03 am
By Rebecca Christian

What is your very favorite bookstore of all time? The closing of Borders last week reminded me of mine, and of how sad I was when it closed in 1992. Here is what I wrote about it in a column for the Telegraph Herald in Dubuque, Iowa, at that time:

It was a big event in our small world when we found out last week that Small World Bookstore was closing. It was a little beacon of peace and light in a television world. The best children’s book store I’ve ever been in, Small World crammed plenty into a tiny space: It had plump pillows to plop down on and a potpourri of books, toys, puzzles, games and cards selected with taste, an awareness of social justice issues and a sense of whimsy. Perhaps must importantly, the unhurried people who worked there knew books and cared about kids. The shop’s logo — “A bookstore of discovery for children and the people who care for them” — was no hype. The store was giving MTV and Nintendo a run for their money; that wasn’t the problem.

In a remarkable and moving letter sent to the store’s regular customers in February, owner Judy Essman explained, ‘Some of you may remember that in 1990 I was treated for breast cancer. The treatments were thorough, and 1991 was a year of vigor for me and Small World Books. This year brings the unfortunate news that the cancer has returned  and will slow me down considerably as I embark on new treatment. Because I need to conserve energy and turn to more relaxing activities, I will retire from the bookstore business.

“We have loved hosting your birthday parties, doing book talks for your mothers’ groups and classrooms, bringing in special entertainers and authors, and daily answering your questions about books for children.” Judy went on to tell about employees’ future plans and her own: “I will study seed catalogs in preparation for this summer’s garden, weave on my long-ignored loom, and spend more time with friends over tea.”

Ever the bibliophile, she concluded by suggesting books that help explain illness to children, and added, “When you see me in the store or in the community, don’t be afraid. Having cancer is not the end of the world. In fact, it can bring about changes that enhance our lives. Please let your children know that it is fine to ask me how I am feeling. Their direction questions and honest statements are breaths of fresh air!”

I remember seeing Judy with her head wrapped in brightly colored scarves when our family started shopping in Small World a couple of years ago. It crossed my mind then that she may have been through chemotherapy; but on Judy — tall, slim, elegant, coolly intelligent — the scarves seemed more a matter of style.

I caught up with her recently and told her with what deep regret I went to her close-out sale. I wasn’t the only one. Judy’s mailbox has been full of love. Customers young and old, some of whom barely knew her and some of whom are living with cancer themselves, wrote to tell her what the shop has meant to them and to wish her well.

Judy is less inclined to mourn the shop’s closing than she is to celebrate the joys it has brought her these last three years. Chief among them was the knowledge that she could run a business according to her principles and still succeed commercially. “I knew from the beginning I wanted a multicultural, multiracial, nonsexist store, and that I wanted to be small scale in how I used resources. We used donated bags and didn’t print anything we didn’t have to. During the war in the Gulf I talked about peace-making and conflict resolution in our newsletter. People responded because it really is a small world, and we really need to know each other.”

What about those life-enhancing changes cancer has brought her? There are many. She and husband Ray Makeever are closer than ever before, and despite having lost a breast, Judy says she feels more womanly, and more proud of being a woman, than she ever has. She’s physically braver, too, as she learned this past fall on a solo hike she took on a strenuous trail in the Cascade Mountains. “I do think by having to look death in the face I have become more willing to take risks. I decided I would rather die on the trail with a broken ankle or from an encounter with a bear than to miss seeing the top of the mountain.”

And most of all, she has realized how many people she matters to. “I have absolutely been surrounded by love and concern,” she says.

Ernest Hemingway’s definition of courage as “grace under pressure” means more to me now that I have seen the example of Judy Essman’s uncommon grace.

Websites for People Who Love to Read

Written on July 21, 2011 at 3:49 pm
By Rebecca Christian

I’ve noticed that people who love design are often also attuned to the beauty of language. And so I offer some of my favorite websites and newsletters for word nerds.

Among my faves is The Writer’s Almanac, the written version of the daily dose of literature that Garrison Keillor delivers with many an eloquent wheeze on public radio. You can sign up for this daily smattering of poetry, prose and literary history to come to your inbox. I especially like the poems the newsletter leads with; they can really put you in the mood for a season or a holiday, whether it’s the lyrics to “Too-r-loo-ra-loo-ral” on St. Paddy’s Day, a Shakespearean sonnet on Valentine’s Day (“Who is Silvia, that all our swains commend her?”) or on ordinary days, fun poems like Billy Collins’ funny one, “Taking off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes.” http://mail.publicradio.org/content/506927/forms/twa_signup.htm

Garrison Keillor

I also like Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day. When it brings a word that is new to me, I play a little game of seeing how long it takes me to work it into a conversation. I still haven’t managed with yesterday’s, “netsuke,” meaning a small and often intricately carved toggle used to fasten a small container to a kimono sash. http://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/

American Life in Poetry sends a weekly email of a column by former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, which I like because he often introduces me to a poet I didn’t know before.  The setup is a poem plus Kooser’s commentary. One poet I discovered through the column is Karin Gottshall, whose poem “More Lies,” begins, “Sometimes I say I’m going to meet my sister at the cafe/even though I have no sister- just because it’s such a beautiful thing to say.” http://www.americanlifeinpoetry.org/email.html

If you’re an aficionado of letters, you will like Letters of Note, which has the subhead “Correspondence deserving of a wider audience.” It comes with intriguing subject lines such as, “Okay, you lazy bitch,” or “Idiot of the 33rd Degree.” Here’s a description from its website: “Letters of Note is an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos. Scans/photos where possible. Fakes will be sneered at. Updated every weekday. Edited by Shaun Usher.” You’ll read letters by everyone from Winston Churchill to Iggy Pop, including a letter of apology to his girlfriend from Michael Jordan, written on notebook paper during a high school chemistry class. http://www.lettersofnote.com/

I also like Arts & Letters Daily, which is a website, not a newsletter, featuring ideas, criticism and debate.  A current sampling of its offerings includes an essay on dog behavior, a study of how deeply scents are linked to memory,and an ode to dining alone. http://www.aldaily.com/

Does anyone else have websites or newsletters to recommend?

Life as the Trad Home Intern Continued…

Written on July 19, 2011 at 10:01 am
By Julianne Hilmes

It is sweltering out right now. I liken walking through the heat and humidity outside to walking through soup… or a sauna… or a steam room! It is seriously impossible to go outside for more than a minute without breaking a sweat. Luckily, I can keep cool with my new Copco Tumbler. Copco, I remembered as I made my purchase, is a member of the Wilton product family! (Learned that little nugget at their product preview).

I just got my tumbler yesterday as a Greener way to get my iced soy lattés to go. After two or three a week I start to feel guilty using all the plastic. It certainly took me long enough to get on of these, but finally, a solution!

On a different note, my internship is winding down for the summer. I only have two weeks left here! But that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping busy. I went to my second tasting and have one more scheduled before I leave. I spent two days last week on another photo shoot, (just as unglamorous as the first, but still just as fun). I’ve been to more product previews: Home Depot and Sleep Number, and have Sealy, Loctite and Mohawk Flooring still to come.

At the home depot preview, I learned that they will be carrying an even larger number of Martha Stewart products for the holiday season! It was a little strange seeing lighted Christmas trees and shiny red ornaments on a hot day in July, but that’s just how it all works in this industry.

The Sleep Number preview was really interesting. I learned about a lot of their products but one thing in particular caught my eye. They have a line of linens that works with your body throughout the night to keep you at the right temperature while you sleep. This way you don’t wake up from temperature changes, dripping in sweat or shivering. I loved this. Mostly because if I had sheets that kept me just cool enough all night, I could have my down comforter on my bed every night! And I really do sleep better if I have my comforter. I like to burrow down underneath it, what can I say.

I’ve also been working on getting items in for our Holiday Entertaining photo shoot. I’ve ordered fabrics, ribbons and wrapping paper. Christmas in July – it’s real. As a slight aside, I really hope everyone picks up a copy of the Holiday issue, if only just for this entertaining story. Watching all the pieces come together has been very exciting, and I know, from looking at the tableware and the fabrics and wrapping paper and ornaments and ribbons, that this is going to be a gorgeous story. I can’t wait to see the photos!

Two weeks left and still plenty to do. Stay tuned…