The making of a teenage musical

“How can I get through a year of Spanish? How can I not look dumb in track? How can I gain 20 pounds by Friday? How can I make my voice not crack?” These questions, from “Thirteen/Becoming a Man,” are central to 13, the rollicking teen musical that opens at Live Arts on July 23. […]

July 2010: Kids

Sticks and stones Problem: Creating play space in a small backyard “We couldn’t get grass to grow,” says Trisha Willingham of her tiny, shaded backyard, “so we laid down stones instead.” Her home is located in a neighborhood off Rose Hill Drive, and the backyard—in addition to being small—is mostly covered by the overhang of […]

July 2010: Green Scene

True colors, including green   How to design your garden by color? You may think you’re beyond color theory, or it’s beyond you. Oh, just let it all froth up in a Monet-like jumble and somehow everything will work out. But a successful impressionist miasma requires room for a whole bunch of different flowers and […]

NEW! July 2010: Stuff We Love

Around the edges The picture’s the main event, but the right frame makes it feel like a party. Besides putting photos and artwork on their best behavior, frames are can’t-miss gifts. Local stores have loads of great options, including these.  $62 at Caspari, 100 W. Main St., 817-7880 $35 at Caspari $78 at Creme de […]

NEW! July 2010: Your Kitchen

There is no fruit more brazenly flavorful, yet unabashedly tender, than the peach. The immature fruit is hard and green, not unlike a raquetball in size and texture. As the season progresses, and the sun shines and the rain falls, the peach plumps up and gets curvy and luscious, ripening to luminous shades of golden […]

July 2010: Poolhouse rock

  It’s great to have a backyard pool, but it’s even greater when there’s a stylin’ poolhouse nearby. Such a structure can be much more than a place to put your skimmer net. We visited three local poolhouses to scope the possibilities—from family hangouts to in-law quarters to storage of fine wine. Come on in; the […]

July 2010: Real Estate

 It’s been hammered into people’s heads for so long that home ownership is the way to go, that potential buyers forget that’s not always the case. Especially right now, when real estate markets remain shaky in many parts of the country, the home you buy today could fall in value tomorrow. Of course, the decision […]