We have a favorite little beach we frequent just north of Malibu. It's just a 20-minute drive from home. It's well off the proverbial "beaten path," but, being the introverts that we are, we want to ensure that we have the place mostly to ourselves, away from boisterous people, especially those with dogs off leashes. …
How a game helped me design our home
What games taught me about interior design.
Ooh, baby, it’s a wild world
If you look closely, you will see evidence of an aphid attack on our new rose blooms. https://videopress.com/v/TGy1FMhp?preloadContent=metadata A hawk dogfight. OUR BACK YARD seamlessly flows into open space, and from our vantage point on the patio, it’s one big high-def, wrap-around entertainment center for watching nature at work. While sipping coffee, a coyote might …
For the love of art: Meet this creative couple
Collaboration in the world of visual arts is a rarity. But allow me to introduce you to a couple that have created a perfect blend of their skills. And their collective output is consistently provocative, aesthetically enlightening, and just downright whimsical and entertaining. A frog for the garden. Water-based putty over wire mesh. Repurposed bolts, …
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The art of giving
Photo by Alecia Paolini WHETHER IT’S FOR THE HOLIDAYS, a birthday, an anniversary or any other celebratory event, nothing beats receiving — and giving — a gift made by hand. Our featured artist today is Gene Paolini, who hails from Northern California. He has been a craftsman and woodworker all his life. He got introduced …
It never rains in California, but it pours
NEITHER SHERRY NOR I grew up in the desert, so we are acclimating to what constitutes inclement weather in these parts. Our back yard on a rainy night. Photo by Sherry-Lynn Lee. I grew up on the East Coast, where the heat of summer afternoons was punctuated by lightning, thunder, and a downpour. In winter, …
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Hand-made gifts are the best
IT’S BECOME SOMETHING OF A FAMILY TRADITION to hand-craft our gifts. Since we have been in lockdown for the past umpteen months, there really was no excuse this year. Sister Francine and her husband, Mike, created this beautiful little rabbit out of redwood. They aren’t sure of the genesis of the wood stock, but I’ll …
There’s something fishy about these ornaments
SOMEHOW, AMIDST THE FLURRY of moving during a pandemic, settling in a new home, producing new music and a book, we forgot one little thing: decorations for our tree. We were happy enough to have an actual tree. Sherry procured a live specimen and even got it delivered. So that was an accomplishment. But, in …
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And how does your garden grow?
Sherry takes a break and relaxes in our new greenhouse. We are putting the finishing touches on construction of a greenhouse kit. It's made of aluminum framing and UV-filtered plastic panes. We've had the kit hanging around for some time. After erecting the frame and attaching the windows, we noticed a long-term weather warning for …