Green Scene: News and ideas for sustainable living

Changes in latitudeWant to help stave off global warming? Plant a native tree Unusually warm spells this winter feel nice, but not quite…right. The National Arbor Day Foundation’s newly released Hardiness Zone Map reflects quite a shift in temperature for many areas over the past 15 years, and that can mean changes in the tree […]

Homepage: Shelter sites you don't want to miss

Let’s talk        www.designtalk.homevisions.com/ At DesignTalk, style gurus impart knowledge to those of us who are domestically challenged (or simply in need of a few good ideas). Besides offering well-organized articles on everything from décor tips to step-by-step DIY instructions, the site lets visitors post their own questions, which are then answered by DesignTalk’s interior […]

Style File: Design, living and trends for home and garden

Feeling artsy?Design your own stained glass—and plates, and clocks, and… Back in the Dark Ages, people used to shop at retail stores, which bought their wares from wholesalers, who in turn had procured the goods from manufacturers. The future looks a whole lot simpler: You, the customer, buy directly from the factory. And while you’re […]

Abode: Not-so-nice and clean

You can’t get away without cleaning your house. (Well, you can hire someone to do it for you, but if you’re reading this we bet you fall just outside that particular category.) And no amount of supermarket-style perkiness can disguise the, well, down-and-dirty nature of the chore. You’re on your knees, you’re up to your […]

Abode: Entertain this

Well, now you’ve done it. You’re throwing a dinner party in one hour. The soufflé is in the oven and well on its way to greatness, well-chosen wines are chilling or breathing according to their needs, and oh-so-tasteful music is cued up on the stereo. And your house is a frigging mess. Here’s how to […]

Abode: A greener clean

Yes, disinfecting is important (see above). And no, you can’t do it with your Superman laser-gaze. But that doesn’t mean you need bleach. “People think there’s nothing else that can disinfect, but it’s just not true,” says Elizabeth Dance, owner of local earth-friendly cleaning service Eco Clean. Dance uses hydrogen peroxide instead, which lacks bleach’s […]

Shopper’s world

Truth be told, there’s pretty much nothing better (in my small world) than sitting at my office desk, looking like I’m a very busy professional, when I’m actually typing things like “Discounted Marc Jacobs bags” into Google. Online shopping. I whisper the words to myself in a kind of awe. But really, have you ever […]

The agony of defeat

I’m not at the Super Bowl (www.nfl.com). I may be the only sports writer in America not at Media Day five days before the big event. ESPN is there.  So are Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports along with all the major networks.   You’ll see that weasel Pat O’Brien asking stuff for Access Hollywood. Even those […]

Sweet and spicy cure

If ever there was a comfort food, it has to be soup. Forget Oprah with her mashed potatoes, and forget everybody else with their chocolate chip cookies and carbo-loaded bread. What could be a better serotonin booster on a bleak, snowy evening than a warm bowl of thick chowder? The owners of The Carving Board […]

Take a side

Quick: Hoos or Hokies? If you’re the type who has a deeply considered and passionate response to this question, Restaurantarama has A) nothing in common with you, and B) just the restaurant for you. Seriously—we are not a sports person. Blame it on one too many withering glances from not-at-all-well-meaning jocks in our high school […]