Christmas Christmas Decorating in Old Town Alexandria Decorating for Christmas In Old Town Alexandria comes alive this month in a new Youtube video.  I discovered the Homeworthy channel a year or so ago and about once a week I check in to see some of the latest, most imaginative interior designs from around the country. One of my favorite episodes from last […]
Cultural 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Yesterday Michael and I trekked into Washington to check out the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival celebrating the Culture of the Ozarks. Held annually (except of course for the pandemic years) since 1967, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage  brings together artisans, cooks, musicians, and storytellers from around the world for performances, demonstrations, and […]
Landscaping Elephant Ears in the Garden 2023 This seems like a great week to talk about gardens/gardening/landscapes given the rain and now heat and humidity. Three of my very favorite plants for the summer garden are elephant ears, caladiums, and hardy begonia All do well in shade – of which I have a lot – and provide foliage and color well into […]
Landscaping Our Dream Backyard – the Final Reveal! After seemingly endless months we bought patio furniture, strung lights on the pergola, installed a  Weber gas grill on the covered porch, and luxuriated in our new space.  All the while praying fervently that my garden would forgive months of neglect and abuse and rejoice with us in full and resplendent glory  – which it […]
Landscaping Our Dream Backyard – Part Three We started our backyard project on July 12, 2021 with the porch.  In November we began rebuilding the raised beds and then, with that done, started on the hardscape.  The original plans needed a few adjustments but Joan, our landscape architect, was on hand daily and progress was inevitable! First the old patio had to […]
Landscaping Our Dream Backyard – Part Two Armed with plans, permits, and my favorite contractor in place, we watched optimistically as our falling apart deck was demolished.  With that done, digging began for the footers to support our new covered porch.   Let me pause here for a moment to say when you add a roof to a porch it triggers a […]
Landscaping Our Dream Backyard – Part One If the pandemic taught us anything it was that outdoor space/green space matters.  Home offices took on enormous importance but also the ability to get outside, whether to eat, play, read a book or join in an endless series of Zoom meetings. So in mid July 2021 we took the plunge to completely transform our […]
Uncategorized Na La is the new National Landing Na La is IN, National Landing is OUT.   At least for the summer.  The National Landing Business Improvement District (created with the great Amazonian announcement of 2018) has adopted Na La as the moniker for an event series taking place over the summer.  As Tracy Sayegh Gabriel, executive director, noted, it was “a shorthand intended […]
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