How to Say No, Politely

When it comes to the most important words in the language, right up there with Thank You, I Love You, Please, and Dinner is Served… is No.
You already know this, but we all (maybe especially us girls) need reinforcement now and then.
I saw this on TheEverygirl.com, a terrific blog I’ve recently discovered, and thought we could use it about now…


Design Notes From Aspen’s “New” Hotel Jerome

Luxury hotels these days out-do themselves to out-“design” one another with decidedly mixed results. While many are impressive, few are inspiring in terms of ideas you might deploy in your own perhaps more modest domestic context. A hotel we visited in Aspen last week made me want to, well, get a room. Ladies and gentlemen,… Continue reading Design Notes From Aspen’s “New” Hotel Jerome




Quince and Lace Curtains

I love flowering quince. One of the earliest blooming shrubs, usually right behind forsythia, or “for Cynthia” as I used to call it, quince is one of those things you can just stick in a vase and it’s beautiful. Going through seven million photos the other day I ran across this one taken few years ago… Continue reading Quince and Lace Curtains


Girls Just Wanna have Funghi

The post title refers of course to the famous Cyndi Lauper song “Girls Just Wanna Have Funghi,” but it later changed to “Fun,” which may be the version you are more familiar with. And do you remember this one… It ne-e-ver rains in California/But girl, don’t they warn ya/It pours/Man, it pours… It’s kind of an… Continue reading Girls Just Wanna have Funghi





It’s Snuggle Season – 10 Ways to Love Your Bed!

House Beautiful has a column every month called “I Love My Bed.” It’s a hoot to peek under other people’s covers, isn’t it? Maybe you shouldn’t answer that. Anyway I wrote the one in November about designer Bunny Williams, which you can read here. I did not actually get in bed with her, but we did… Continue reading It’s Snuggle Season – 10 Ways to Love Your Bed!



In the Wake of Westminster – Going to the (Paintings of) Dogs

Is anybody still giggling over the Affenpinscher Banana Joe winning the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show? Is anybody still wondering what the heck an Affenpinscher is and why this little black monkey dog was named Banana Joe? I reckon it is because monkeys  like bananas, but the dog’s home is in Holland. Why didn’t they name… Continue reading In the Wake of Westminster – Going to the (Paintings of) Dogs