Every few months, I hear a THUMP THUMP against the side of my 13th-story window. I pull back the drape and wave to the man (I’ve yet to see a woman!) dangling from the side of my building. He cleans and swipes, pausing to wave back, smile, and pose for a photo. “High-rise window cleaners see some crazy stuff,” says Cody Durham. “And, believe me, it’s hard not to look.”
When it’s just the two of us for dinner on a weekend night—or a holiday—I often pull out pretty dishes, paper mats, and delicate stemware and set a festive table. Fun place settings elevate the specialness of an ordinary Friday or Saturday evening. “Because,” according to Angie Hester Cook, “life is a celebration.”
Several years ago, Anne Elizabeth McIntosh and I chatted on a sunny Florida beach. Ours was the polite conversation people have when neighboring umbrellas and beach chairs are close to one another. What book are you reading? Where are you from? We ran into each other again at the airport as we boarded the same flight back to Nashville. And once more on the parking lot shuttle bus.
Since then—via Instagram—I’ve watched Anne Elizabeth’s luxury concierge business sprout, grow, and flourish. What I’ve learned—if you want to know anything about Nashville, Anne Elizabeth is the one to call.
In 2009, when Rachel Marks and her husband married, the young Jewish couple struggled to find the perfect ready-made ketubah. “There weren’t many options back then, and the artwork was more traditional than we wanted,” says Rachel. So, the trained landscape painter designed a ketubah as a keepsake of their special day.
Hassan Sharaff had “no gardening experience whatsoever” when he and his dad built a greenhouse in their suburban New York backyard. While he experimented—on a small scale—with growing crops in water, he researched hydroponic farming and developed his business plan.
When I spoke with Alexandra Mosca, I learned a new word. Taphophile— one intrigued with gravestones, cemeteries, and the art and history that goes along with them.
Marilee Nelson did not intend to found and build a toxin-free home cleaning company.
Exploring Megan Gill’s package-free shop, The Good Fill, is like wandering the luscious aisles of a candy store. Every which way you turn, shelves and bins and shiny containers entice with zero-waste options for those everyday items we all use. From personal hygiene products to home cleaning supplies, customers refill jars or bottles they already own and forgo tossing more plastic in the trash. A former hairdresser, Megan “witnessed a
To cut costs and recoup expenses, many property owners rent out their city apartment or lake house or condo at the beach. Although some balk at the idea of other people sleeping and lounging in their vacation home, the rental process can work and offset the cost of a second residence. Nancy Fox, property manager extraordinaire, knows how to make the rental process a good experience for owners and guests.
At the height of the pandemic, when grocery staples were in short supply, my husband returned home from the market. He plopped three packages of chicken wings on the kitchen counter. “They were out of breasts and thighs. It was wings or nothing,” my husband said. But how do you make chicken wings into…. dinner? Ashlea Carver Adams, and her foodie site – All the Healthy Things – to the
“Who will read this? I don’t think people care that much about the royal family.” A devastated Katharine McGee took the manuscript from her agent and put it aside. For six years. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. This is a good idea,” she thought. In the meantime, the Princeton/Stanford grad plugged away at her day job in the publishing world. As an assistant editor, she “developed and edited
Ashley Campbell is a stickler for thank you notes. “When I was growing up, if a relative sent a gift and didn’t receive a written thank you, everyone in the family heard about it,” laughs Ashley. She watched her perfectionist daughter struggle with the cute kids’ stationery Ashley had on hand at home. Dear Grandma and Grandpa ran off the page with the traditional note cards. “Kids in kindergarten and
In a world with disturbing news coming at us from every angle, Evelyn Henson’s art makes me smile. And don’t we all need a little happy these days? Loaded with bright colors, delightful animals, and spirited landscapes, her colorful art is “meant to brighten your day and bring sunshine to your home for years to come.” Mission accomplished. As I browse the splashy paintings and mugs and beach towels and
I love pretty clothes and shoes, but I don’t have the budget for Chanel or Prada or Gucci. I’d only given The RealReal website, and its high-end apparel, a cursory glance. “Take a harder look,” Julie Wainwright encouraged me. “Not all our brands are luxury, and I bet we recirculate some of the lines you do buy.” Julie hasn’t changed. The 62-year-old is still energetic, confident, beautiful, and whip-smart. And
When her husband suggested she start a business with her mom, Rachel Berkey laughed out loud. “That’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard,” she scoffed. “With her sewing skills and your business background, I wonder if you might build something together,” he persisted. On maternity leave from her high-powered Boston consulting job, the new mom and Harvard MBA couldn’t stop processing his idea. During 3 am feedings and drowsy diaper
How does it feel? I ask. Check Yes or No winds down, and a stadium filled with 20,000 fans erupts. Amid the claps and screams and shouts, what goes through your mind? Marty Slayton Jordan is way too kind and modest to admit the experience is one gigantic rush. But don’t you know it is?
In my hunt for entertaining shows to stream, I stumbled upon a gem. V is For Vino features an affable host, unpretentious wine speak, lush vineyards, and a glimpse inside the kitchen of a local chef. Available on Amazon, the trio of first-season episodes gives me the urge to pack a bag and head west to California. The lead vocalist for a rock band, Vince Anter landed in Los Angeles
A man smiled and handed a crisp $100 bill to the young woman doling out maple and blueberry and key lime doughnuts to the early morning risers. Nodding at the long line of folks behind him, he wanted to buy breakfast for all of them. “My eight-year-old son recently passed away,” he said quietly, “and this was his favorite place to go at the beach.” Surrounded by beautiful white homes
I always hesitate to pay full price for a pair of sandals or a great new blouse or the cute black dress I love but don’t really need. Invariably, the item will go on sale shortly after I bring it home. I realize many retailers have price adjustment policies. Bring the item back to the store, and they will happily honor the sale price and refund the difference. But I
Let’s imagine for a moment….A resident of an apartment building slips on the bathroom floor, hits her head on the counter as she falls, and, sadly, dies. She is on the ground for a week until someone finally discovers her. All kinds of ugly things have happened with her body in the meantime, and the home absolutely reeks. Who cleans this up? If I ever stopped to think about it,
