What a daunting assignment for an interior designer: Redecorate the Queen Mary 2. The ship relaunched earlier this summer after $132 million in renovations. Alison Clixby, director of hotel design and projects for Cunard and P&O Cruises, had to make the ship look fresh and contemporary while maintaining the look of luxury. She also had […]

Doughnuts are my kryptonite. Fried sweet dough dipped in glaze, and then dunked into a cup of steaming hot coffee? Yes, please. And I will give this to you straight: once or twice a year, I’m all in. I load up the car and take the kids to our favorite doughnut spot and we throw […]

It’s been a hot, dry summer and many gardeners are lamenting the lack of color in their flower gardens. While it’s true that this is a quiet period for many perennials, there are plenty of flowers that are blooming — and plenty more on the way. Let’s take a look. First, there are the annuals. […]

Somehow, despite 16 years of being a parent, I have never had to deal with lice. You could say that’s because I’m really clean, but you’d be wrong, first because I haven’t mopped my kitchen floors all summer, and second because lice infestations have nothing to do with cleanliness or a lack of it. I […]

NEW YORK Get ready for the next wave of coffee culture. Consumers are learning more about coffee — how it’s grown, roasted and prepared. They’re attending tastings called cuppings and they’re being asked to drink fine coffee black to experience its true flavors. They’re also spending more for gourmet beans and fancy grinders. “Coffee in […]

J. Paul Moore, who owned a garden center in Tennessee for more than 30 years, can’t count the number of times people asked him how to kill moss. He and other experts, however, say moss deserves more respect, as a versatile and beautiful addition to any garden. “It’s stunning in the winter when everything else […]

My vegetable garden is producing more food each day than I can eat, but I’m trying to keep up with it by freezing, dehydrating and storing the bounty. And of course, I drive around with zucchini in my car, always looking for a willing recipient of some summer squash. But I am also deliberately letting […]

For new parents, the urge to keep little ones entertained and enriched can often lead to a home so full of baby gear and toys that grown-up style all but disappears. It doesn’t have to be like that. Designer Theodore Leaf of Los Angeles says he works with many clients trying to keep their whole […]

We haven’t always had luck at the state fair. I’m not really sure why we keep going back, except that my youngest son loves the barns full of animals. For sure, the animals are the best part. Still, even as the agricultural aspect of the fair is dwarfed by the midway, each year we try […]

There’s never a bad season to reconnect with neighbors at a block party. Some neighborhoods get together at Halloween. Others bring out the fire pits and snowball shields when winter comes. But summer’s long, lazy days make it prime time for block parties. Some tips for a fun and easy gathering with neighbors: Organization Many […]