new york close up

After sifting through our new york photos again I found a few more gems. This time they are all about texture, patterns, and intricate details.

southern living fame

My dog, Inleaf, and me are all featured in the May issue of Southern Living. The article is written by Tom Black and beautifully illustrated by Cary Jobe's photography. I am thrilled and grateful for the publicity! Thank you.

happy earth day

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

— native american proverb

reclaiming the garden

Gardening has always been a big part of my life, but for the past few years my own garden has been woefully neglected. Family, work, art, and life has gradually encroached on my precious gardening time and lately I have been too embarrassed to face the weeds and the decline.

This is about to change. This weekend I met with Tracey, (blogger friend, horticulturist, garden consultant, artist, and almost neighbor). We had a wonderful time walking around my yard in the warm morning sun, discussing options, admiring the good, noting the bad. Tracey's positive attitude and practical advise, made me see the garden and the practice of gardening with new eyes. I am truly inspired! The daunting job of caring for our acre of our overgrown land, will be broken down in small manageable projects. I have promised myself to stay on task and to rediscover the joy of digging in the dirt and stopping to smell the roses...

new york first hand

We are back from our wonderful road trip that culminated in New York. As predicted there was not enough time for all the things on our wish list, but just being in this fantastic city for a few days was a genuine treat. We walked in Central Park several times, visited the American Museum of Natural History (highlight for the boys), strolled around the village, listened to music in Washington Square, ate fabulous meals, especially the dinner at Sel et Poivre on Lexington Avenue, and toured Columbia University, where my oldest son hopes to attend college.

 

Near our hotel we witnessed night time filming for an upcoming movie called Did you hear about the Morgans? with Meryl Streep in one of the leading roles (no we did not actually see her, but just the idea that she was nearby was good enough). We had breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien every morning, complete with organic granola, baskets of baguette, tasty jams, and big bowls of double-shot lattes. There was a tiny bit of shopping too. I found some mother-of-pearl buttons at Tender Buttons on 62nd street, and a few yards of beautiful reproduction cotton fabric at Purl Patchwork. We had a wonderful time, just long enough to lust for the next visit...

 

renewed

The new inleaf site is live. I am so pleased. It is simple and nice to look at, but the true beauty lies in the functional and easy to use the back-end. I could not have pulled this off without my friend and web master Matt Mitchell. He has implemented my every whim and request, while patiently guiding me through the ins and outs of web programming. Thank you Matt!

We are off on our much anticipated New York trip this week. Thanks to all of you who left wonderful  suggestions about places, people, and things to see and do. Our travels will be richer because of you. I may fit in a post sometime during the week, but if not I promise to provide a plentitude of images and impressions when I return.   

my wash room

After a lifetime of doing laundry in dingy basements, garages, and laundromats, we  finally have a real laundry room.  The small space next to our second floor bedrooms, was carved out and roughed in a couple of years ago, when we did a major house renovation. For many reasons, mainly financial, we have not finished the project until now. 

My lovely husband did all the work - laying, sanding, and staining the floor, making the shelves, installing the soapstone counter top, and all the painting... I was available for advice and good cheer throughout the project (yes, I know he is a very special man). I also love the new high efficiency washer and dryer, so roomy and quiet. Another favorite is the basket system for the boys sports gear. Here they find their jerseys and shin guards, and when they return from practice their grimy garments go directly in the dirty laundry bin. In theory their stuff never leaves the wash room unless it is on their bodies. I am no domestic diva, but I have to admit that this laundry room brings me happiness. No more hauling of baskets up two flights of stairs, or looking for boys' boxers in the dust piles on the basement concrete floor.