Bad loans, bailouts, foreclosures, layoffs… reports of the grim state of our economy are front and center these days, and everyone is paying attention. While it’s distressing and uncertain, the upside is that in many ways, living leaner is an exercise in creative thinking. Instead of producing and consuming with no thought to the future, [...]
Did you know the tomato, that hard-working staple of culinary culture, was first known as the pomme d’amour—the love apple? It’s true, and who could blame early cultivators? These gorgeous fleshy fruits are related to the mandrake, which means “love plant” in Hebrew.
Native to South America, the tomato plant was said to have been introduced to Europe [...]
“I’ll be waiting for you in the shade of the old apple tree,” wrote Harry Williams in the 1905 song that evokes images of a peaceful setting for relaxing, enjoying the beauty of the surroundings and meeting that special someone. After all, gardens are not just for cultivating and displaying prized plantings; they also provide [...]
By Ashley Blanchard
The afternoon light is spilling through the window while I sip hot tea and check email from my white sofa—a luxurious oasis in a house with two young boys. I look up to admire my bookshelves that are neatly arranged with books, fabriccovered storage boxes and magazine files—and I pat myself on the [...]
By Amy Coutee
Certainly there are beautiful, warm and inviting homes all around us. But then there are homes so appealing and comfortable you find yourself unable to leave. Welcome to Frederick Wilt’s Smith Mountain Lake home where, seated on the family’s plush red-patterned couch, you can control the home theater and every light, thermostat, security [...]
By Erin Parkhurst
The smell of warm pine needles returns me to the Midwestern summers of my childhood and the unfettered joy of exploring the woods; the insistent sweetness of magnolia recalls the anticipation I felt watching great blooms unfold on the first magnolia tree my husband and I ever owned. It is no secret that [...]
By Jennifer L Prince
Nancy Lewis, potter
Many of us long for creativity in our everyday lives by fancying something that is both functional and beautiful. The pottery designed and created by Nancy Lewis of Lynchburg fits that bill. Lewis found her love for creating beauty from earth while she was managing an art gallery and pottery [...]
by Meridith Ingram
“This is a story that must be told,” implored Cosmo Kramer to his friends on “Seinfeld,” the hit television show that embodied the zeitgeist of the 1990s. Kramer, known for his wild hair, goofy entrances and myriad quirks, was referring to one of his most memorable and brilliant schemes: a coffee table book [...]
By Jennifer L. Prince
Expectant parents await their baby’s arrival with great anticipation and planning. They stock the dressers with tiny clothes, assemble cribs, and read the latest advice from baby books. So much time, energy and affection goes into preparing for a new little one to live in a home, but what are parents to [...]
