No one moves to the Midwest for the weather. In the heartland, we have hot summers and cold winters. But in the fall, there are a few days so perfect, I swear I’d never live anywhere else. The trees are ablaze, the sky is azure blue, and the air is crisp and cool, sweetened with the smell of falling … [Read more...]
A Feast at Stoney Oaks Farm
Linda was on a mission. She and her husband, Mike, were hosting a farm-to-table feast at their home north of Kansas City to benefit their church. She stopped by Nell Hill’s on her hunt for the dishes and linens and other supplies she would need to create a beautiful fall table in her barn. A … [Read more...]
Inspiration for Thanksgiving and Fall Dinners
There’s the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving. Beautiful, perfect. Then … there is the Garrity Thanksgiving. Not so beautiful, not so perfect. In fact, after the last friends and relatives wobble out our door after a raucous day of thanks, my home is more fit for a hazmat unit than a photo shoot. I guess … [Read more...]
A Fall Home’s Tour at Lisa’s
About 10 years ago, I asked my friend Lisa if she would do something huge for me. Could we feature her home in my book Feather Your Nest? Lisa is no stranger to crews invading her house with cameras, tripods and big boxy lights. Her beautifully renovated historic colonial has been featured in lots … [Read more...]
Change Your Perspective: Dinner with a View
Sometimes we just need to escape for a bit. To leave behind the rancor of the daily news and pause in a place filled with beauty and peace. Sometimes, we need to free ourselves from the quagmire of the daily grind and feel the thrill of a magical moment. Sometimes, we need to put down our long to-do … [Read more...]
Fall Doors that Say Welcome
Every day, my husband, Dan, takes our golden retriever, Lyric, out for a walk around our little lake community. Good thing they aren’t trying to rack up steps on their Fitbit, because I think they stop to chat with neighbors as much as they walk. I like that about our neighborhood. Folks are warm … [Read more...]