Chris Nordquist
In a post a couple of weeks ago I asked for your help in meeting an everyday challenge: how to make something special out of the less-than-inspiring flowers that are usually available at the supermarket. The parameters were simple: everything (except the vessel) had to come from a genuine supermarket or bodega (no farmers’ markets […]
Demolition has started. We’re committed. It’s a little unnerving to see our home in ruins, but it’s also exciting to really begin the process of making the place our own. Before I start sharing progress photos, though, I thought I’d show you some “before” pictures of the space and tell you a bit about the […]
When I went to the market today, I thought I’d grab the bull by the horns and try to make a nice Valentine’s Day bouquet out of a dozen red roses. They’re not the most original gift (I got a weary look from the clerk when I checked out), and the special Valentine’s arrangements on […]
Someday I’d love to have a great florist (and we know a brilliant one –Zeze Flowers in New York) deliver fresh flowers to the house every week. I’d come home on, say, Tuesdays to see what beautiful seasonal creation they’d left on the dining table (and, while I’m fantasizing, in our bedrooms too). In reality, […]
So much about Rio de Janeiro is spectacular –the monolithic granite mountains that leap from the sea, the jungle that surrounds them (and the shantytowns that climb their sides) and, of course, the long beaches lined with rows of sleek modernist buildings on the land side and a wide band of exuberant human activity at […]
We’ve walked through this entryway for nearly two years now. The time has flown by, but a lot has happened too, including Julia growing from a tiny baby to a walking/talking/singing/dancing little girl with a rapidly expanding vocabulary and a strong mind of her own. We’ve loved this apartment in West Chelsea, but, if all […]
The ornaments are boxed, the needles are vacuumed and the tree is lying at the curb. The place feels clean and roomy, but also a little bare. A fresh start for a new year is a good idea, but it always makes me a little sad to take down the Christmas tree. After a few […]
I love a family craft project. This year our annual quiet New Year’s Eve dinner in Southampton somehow blossomed into a party of 22, and I wanted to add a little sparkle to the Holiday decorations to mark the occasion. As of about 9:00pm on December 30, however, I hadn’t done anything about it. I […]
During the Holidays, most of us end up in a sort of decorating/cooking/baking/eating/drinking/entertaining hyperdrive. It can be great fun, but it can also be too much, and it comes too fast. This year, with a wide-eyed toddler to entertain, I’ve been looking for ways to streamline and simplify our Holiday preparations and carve out […]
I hope imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or at least of paying a compliment. Earlier this week I dropped by my friend John’s house in San Francisco for a little Holiday cheer (and consultation on his bathroom renovations), and I wanted to bring him a little gift. Early this year, John had brought […]
