I recently received an Instagram message from a customer in need of tablescape inspiration for a Valentine’s Day dinner for her and 11 of her closest friends. She, like many of us, felt uninspired by the abundance of sparkly red hearts and chubby little cupids floating around this time of year. I … [Read more...]
The Power of Friendship
Nell Hill’s has brought so many great things into my life, including some of the best friends a girl could ever hope for. Among those is my dear friend Marsee. If you’ve been into the store, you might have seen Marsee zipping about like a hummingbird, creating amazing displays. If you’ve seen my … [Read more...]
An Independence Day to Remember
Sometimes it’s not us who achieve our life dreams, it’s our descendants. In my case, it was my granddaughter Maeve, and the dream was to win the 4th of July pageant. Growing up in a small town in Kansas in the ‘60s, the 4th of July was a huge deal. One year, our swimming pool had an Independence Day … [Read more...]
The Art of Hospitality
When my sister, Judy, comes to visit us in a few weeks, she will be lucky if I have stocked the guest bath with toilet paper and put a few scraps of food in the fridge. But if Judy (or I!) had been lucky enough to have my friend Marsee as a sister, she would have had a different experience. Very, … [Read more...]
The Joy of Dining: A Spring Table at My Cottage
As the flowers poke out of the ground, and the leaves bud on the trees, another force of nature comes back alive: my desire to entertain. In the winter months, Dan and I don’t have folks over as much, preferring to cocoon when we’re home. But one of my rites of spring is dressing my table and … [Read more...]
Cheers in the New Year
Even though our lake cottage is snug, during the holidays, we still manage to fill it with lots of family and friends. One of the keys to fitting in so many folks is to find ways to encourage everyone to spread out through the house, not just wedge into the kitchen like merry making sardines. At … [Read more...]