CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Midday Muse: At Home on the Edge of the World

casasugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:00:37 -0800

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I spent some time in Joshua Tree, CA, with friends who've built an eco-friendly house there. These friends love their peaceful home and amazing view (which goes on for miles with nary a house in site), but they also miss the comforts of city life. While I sometimes daydream about living in a place as remote as my friends' home, I doubt that I would be able to hack the extremely rural reality of this life for very long. Do you ever long for a home at the edge of the civilized world, or are you a city gal at heart?

Midday Muse: The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

casasugar — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:30:43 -0800

This year, some friends are volunteering on Thanksgiving Day to cook dinner for the parents of children staying at a Ronald McDonald House. Last year other friends spent time filling boxes at a food bank the day before Thanksgiving for families in need. One of my family members also makes it a point to volunteer during holiday weekends at animal shelters, since the dogs and cats get fewer visitors over those days. While I have yet to volunteer on the day of Thanksgiving, it's something that I am considering more and more. Perhaps next year I'll take time out from entertaining friends and family to volunteer at a shelter, church, or food bank.

Do you volunteer during the Thanksgiving holidays? Does anyone you know? If you have any great stories about giving friends, family members, or acquaintances, please share them below!
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Midday Muse: A Tented Room

casasugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:00:58 -0800

This room, which uses Michael Devine Home fabrics, is quite extravagant. Between the pedestal, chandelier, floor lamps, six different textiles, and floral arrangement, there's a lot going on. Normally, I'd pass over this style of interior design, but I was immediately drawn to its tented drapery. With a busy pattern like the fretwork shown here, I'd pare down the furnishings and accessories to solids and clean-lined shapes, and lose the fringe! The tented drapery is already the center of attention; too much else going on just competes. You could also go with solid fabric for the tenting, and upholster the sofa in a bold pattern to create a focal point within the room. What do you think? I think it's a wonderful alternative to wallpaper, and it creates an intimate setting.
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Midday Muse: Home Scents

casasugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:00:18 -0800

I love the scent of lavender, and try to integrate it into my house in subtle ways. I tuck it into pouches that I sew and then put in clothing drawers, and also have used it as a scent for linen spray. Since lavender grows in my garden, I always have a fresh supply of the herb. Do you have a signature scent in your home?

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Midday Muse: Veterans Day, Your Way

casasugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:00:06 -0800

Yesterday members of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment's Old Guard held a wreath of more than 700 red silk poppies marked with the words "Lafayette, We Are Here" at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the 116,516 Americans killed in the First World War. While you're not expected to hang such a massive wreath on Veterans Day — though I applaud you if you have! — I'm sure some of you out there have done a little something to honor our military veterans on this special day. Have you hung up a smaller wreath for this holiday? Have you decorated with a bouquet of red poppies? Are there photos of your family members or friends who have served? Tell me by commenting below.
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Midday Muse: CARE For a Garden

casasugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:00:10 -0800

This plate of figs, which is held by Palestinian Nadiya Zaqzuk, represents just a little of the bounty that her garden offers. Zaqzuk, a widow who needed a way to support her six children, can now grow vegetables and fruit in a greenhouse that the organization CARE provided for her. CARE's mission is to "tackle underlying causes of poverty so that people can become self-sufficient. Recognizing that women and children suffer disproportionately from poverty, CARE places special emphasis on working with women to create permanent social change."

The new US administration's electoral mission statement was "Yes We Can," and "Change." Now that the election is over, I've been looking for ways to carry out this mission. Do you support or volunteer with any organizations in your community that provide similar services to CARE?
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Midday Muse: Fantastic Pheasant Feathers

casasugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:00:12 -0800

Domino has a wonderful slideshow of table settings to inspire your holiday decorating, each image more stunning than the next. I was particularly taken with this setting, which is given a dramatic oomph thanks to a vase filled with rich brown pheasant feathers. The space is otherwise very simple . . . a white table cloth, white walls, no curtains on the windows, white dinner plates with a subtle brown toile trim. But, the feather arrangement creates an instant focal point and gives it fall appeal. Of course, turkey, not their feathered pheasant friends, will be the feast on Nov. 27, but I can't help but say this setting would be parfait for your Thanksgiving party.
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Midday Muse: The Audacity of FLIPP

casasugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:00:43 -0800

One evening this weekend, I passed by one of my favorite local design shops here in San Francisco, FLIPP (Fashionable Living in Petite Places), and couldn't help but notice the window display. On a settee next to a vintage portrait of Abraham Lincoln, the shopkeepers set a copy of The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama — a subtle and handsome way to show political support. Considering that Obama's challenges ahead are being compared to those of Lincoln, it's also quite appropriate. Maybe this title will never find its way into your home, but I think we can all take a note from this image: with a little staging, perhaps sans the paper sleeves on our hardbacks, books can have a decorative effect in our homes, all the while making a statement.

Midday Muse: Halloween Cards

casasugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:00:26 -0700

I just came across this free downloadable Halloween card from Inside a Black Apple, and it got me thinking. Many of us send Christmas cards sharing family photos, and in grade school we all exchanged Valentine's cards. And, of course, birthday cards are a given. But sending cards for other holidays is really uncommon. This particular card is so adorable though, I wonder, why not send cards to your family and friends on every holiday? A greeting card certainly won't break the bank, although I'm unhappy with the rise in stamp costs these days. And, your message needn't be long; it's the thought that counts. Tell me: do you send holiday cards outside of Christmas and Valentine's Day? Do you receive them? I bet one of you has a thoughtful old auntie who sends them.
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Midday Muse: A Plethora of Pumpkins

casasugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:00:14 -0700

I have a confession to make: I didn't grow any winter squash or pumpkins this year. For some reason, I forgot about this noble and nutritious Fall favorite. This photo, which was taken at the Spargelhof Klaistow farm in Klaistow, Germany, shows off some of the 400 types of pumpkins and squash grown at that farm. While my modest backyard garden wouldn't be able to support more than a few pumpkin varieties, it's inspiring to see the possibilities. Did you grow any pumpkins or winter squash this year?

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