Ready or not, it's here … the holiday season. For most of us, the first step in making the holidays magical is dressing our homes for the season, from trimming a tree to decking the mantel to setting a table for parties and feasts. Before you crack open all those boxes marked Christmas Decorations … [Read more...]
Happiness is on the Menu in this Kitchen
When Leslie walked through the long-neglected house that was to become her family’s home, it was the kitchen that tugged at her heart the most. The house, originally scheduled for the wrecking ball, had stood empty for years and was in bad shape by the time Leslie and her husband Dan discovered it. … [Read more...]
A Visit to Kansas City’s Grandest Homes
Historic homes have always captivated me. As a kid growing up in Atchison, I loved the grand old beauties in the town’s historic neighborhood. The years Dan and I lived there, in our 130-year-old Greek revival, were some of my favorites. It was a labor of love for us to help preserve the home’s … [Read more...]
All that Glitters: Embracing Nostalgia for the Holidays
What are some of your favorite memories of the holidays? For me, as a kid it was secretly unwrapping all my gifts, playing with them, then wrapping them back up and sneaking them back under the tree. As a teen, it was working at my parents’ clothing store, making bows for customers’ packages. As an … [Read more...]
Marshall Watson Shares on the Art of Elegance
Normally, lunch for me during our busy fall and holiday season is a few quick bites squeezed in between appointments. So I couldn’t wait to attend the elegant Committee of 100 annual luncheon a few weeks ago at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo. I love this benefit event, which … [Read more...]
Add a Touch of Fall with Bittersweet
Bittersweet reminds me of my childhood. In the fall, my friends’ families harvested strands of this woody vine, which grew naturally in the woods around our hometown. Their moms snipped bits from the vines, which were covered in dazzling orange berries, and used them to create beautiful fall … [Read more...]