I have always revered books as objects. Not only did I “publish” several great works before the tender age of ten (i.e. I had a few excellent, hard-working teachers who harnessed the power of lamination and did a masterful job of stapling), but I also spent countless hours arranging and […]
Happy De-sigh-n Month! You might be wondering: why the sigh? Well, this is because I am a conflicted person. Let me try to explain… The realm of interior design brings me a great deal of joy, But it also brings me pain. I already have far more things than I […]
As I have mentioned a few times during Home Improvement (HIMP) Month, my husband Rob and I knew we loved our house from the get-go (i.e. from the first time we saw the photos online), but one thing we didn’t love from the get-go was the color of the house’s […]
It is perfectly normal to want a living space with lots of light. In fact, you might even say that this is a healthy human desire. But I have learned that there is such a thing as too much light. In the following post, I will detail how I came […]
Thankfully, our house was in pretty good condition when we bought it. Though it was built over 45 years ago, it was not really a so-called “fixer upper.” And the inspector sang its praises after he did a lengthy walk-through. Strangely, however, the walls were in far from perfect shape. […]
Lately, in honor of Home Improvement Month, I’ve been suggesting that you “hug your house,” as if this is an obvious and everyday practice. In case this has left any of you scratching your heads and wondering if I’ve inhaled too many paint fumes, let me try to explain. Well, […]
Do you want to re-decorate your space? Are you intimidated by the process? Are you hoping this won’t take an infinity? Well, decorating is an extremely important facet of Home Improvement Month and I am happy to say that there is an excellent course you can take, taught by speed […]
Here at The Home Tome headquarters we have officially (and arbitrarily) declared this to be Home Improvement Month, a.k.a HIMP Month (not to be confused with HUMP Month, HEMP Month, or GIMP Month.) We will be celebrating do-it-yourself projects, projects that are hired out, and projects that remain woefully un-done. […]
A few weeks back, before things were blooming outside, my friend Suzanne at Inspire; to breathe posed the question: have florals hit your home? She has all kinds of cool flowery items with a vintage feel around her house: framed wallpaper, sweet paintings, and funky little boxes. Check them out […]
I love my town – and I have a virtual canvas tote bag, over there to the right, to prove it. Nyack has great restaurants, lots of nice shops, a view of the Hudson River, and scads of beautiful hiking trails surrounding it. All this, and it’s a short drive […]
If I turn my face toward the sun and close my eyes, I see red. When I go back to my native Wisconsin, I see lots of barns that are red. If I get a paper cut while sorting the mail, the liquid that oozes out of my finger is, […]
Our friend Michael recently organized a poetry night here in Nyack. About 25 of us (or more?) got together and ate delicious soups, made by Michael from the Staff Meals from Chanterelle cookbook. Then, we all shared a poem that we love. I appreciate when Michael hosts these events because […]
I recently promised myself that every time I passed by a thrift store I would go inside and quickly scan for treasures. (After all, how else am I going to get my 15 minutes of fame on Antiques Road Show?) I also recently promised myself that I would not become […]
There is no shame in garbage picking. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Some of my favorite pieces of furniture are items I plucked straight off the street on garbage day. For example, I recently picked up a great yellow table in Tarrytown, NY. And years ago, […]
We were recently on our way to Sunday brunch at The Castle. Yes, the Castle – how pretentious does that sound? I’m talking about Castle on the Hudson, a hotel and restaurant located in nearby Tarrytown. Its medieval-style tower can be seen up on the hill while crossing the Tappan […]
Shannon and Jocelyn meet. Jocelyn admires Shannon’s magnificent and wonderfully-lopsided jade plant. Shannon announces that she is moving away from Nyack, all the way to Colorado. Jocelyn is disappointed, since they only just met. Shannon kindly offers to leave her jade plant behind in Jocelyn’s care. Jocelyn is thrilled, but […]
