Going to the dogs

Chapter 1: Suspended Adam Jones. Chapter 2: Suspended Tank Johnson. Chapter 3: Watched Michael Vick be indicted by a federal Grand Jury. Chapter 4: Vomited. Chapter 5: Bought stock in Pepto Bismol.

Storm front

It’s getting so that we actually have to look where we’re going when we walk along the Downtown Mall. No more staring at our shoes hoping to avoid tripping over the grout-thirsty uneven bricks. The bigger danger these days is walking smack into the chained-off alfresco dining area of one of the Mall’s many restaurants […]

We caught you looking sweet!

Sorelle Williams Occupation: Third-year economics major at UVA Where we spotted her: UVA Grounds Style sense: Sorelle loves fashion and often buys cute, preppy items when she is on vacation. She picked her Lulu Lame dress from a boutique in Concord for its fun sailor pattern and springtime feel. Her versatile Jack Rodgers shoes are […]

We Ate Here

We love The Flat. How could we not? It’s just so cute, and the spot—a diminutive brick box tacked on the back of the Jefferson Theater—seems so perfectly suited to what’s served: a simple menu of fluffy warm crêpes folded into fan shapes and served in no-frills napkins. We had ours with tomato, feta and […]

Leaf by leaf

Two thoughts on the subject of trees: First, when I lived in Aspen, my constant argument against all those people who kept gushing over how beautiful Aspen was amounted to, “Beautiful? But it only has three kinds of trees!” (aspens, cottonwoods and pines). I would then treat these poor people who were so unschooled in […]

Your kitchen's soul, revealed

Sometimes a design trend looks attractive as heck on the surface—and then when you start to consider actually implementing it in your house, problems arise. We’ve noticed open kitchen cabinets everywhere from design rags to the chic-er local kitchens we’ve visited: simple shelving with no doors, showcasing rather than hiding cabinet contents. There’s no denying […]

True hue

A new book says point, click and color your world. We recently got an eyeful courtesy of Sally Fretwell, an architectural psychologist (how ’bout that job title?) who until recently lived in Charlottesville and has just published a book called The Power of Color. Filled with photos of tropical fish, Venetian canals and showy flowers, […]

6,078

When lightning strikes, it’s time to keep the fridge shut, plug in a vintage phone and write a letter to your auntie. Specifically, that number reflects Dominion customers in Charlottesville and Albemarle who were affected by storm-related power outages in August 2006. Clearly, this time of year is high season for thunder crashing, lightning flashing […]

Porch places

A trend in some larger cities right now has neighbors restoring the old-fashioned front porch culture that once flourished in most towns. That means they sit in plain view of passers-by, exchange niceties with those on the sidewalk and hold gatherings that welcome neighbors stopping in. What makes this possible in some ‘hoods, while others […]