http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/home.aspxHome & Garden Blogen-usCopyright 2012, CincinnatiMagazine-NAThu, 23 May 2013 09:43:47 GMTMon, 27 Feb 2012 15:15:03 GMT1http://emmisinteractive.comHome tours are a wonderful way to gain an appreciation for architectural nuance and good design. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County offers a slight twist on the idea by having the homeowner come to you. Well, sort of. The library is offering a “Cincinnati Houses” program series. Every other month, you’ll hear a presentation at the main library by the current homeowner about the history of his or her noteworthy house. Coming up in March, UC DAAP professor Patrick Snadon speaks about Elmwood Hall (Neoclassical villa) in Ludlow, Ky. The month of May brings a talk about the Boulter House (Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian) in Clifton and Riverside’s Matthew McWilliams house (Greek Revival) comes up in July. You’ll find more info at the library’s website: www.cincinnatilibrary.org/news/2012/mycincinnatihouse.html.http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10353025sgoldberg@cincinnatimagazine.com (Sue Goldberg)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10353025Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:15:03 GMTForget the orchid and the basket of massage stones. And you don’t have to remodel, either. These really easy steps will have you relaxing in your own spa retreat by the end of a weekend. 1. Introduce your color.If Cool Mist and Seafoam Green are not your colors, don’t use them! As Winifred Gallagher explains in her book House Thinking, colors and objects can be relaxing or energizing because of the personal memories they invoke, regardless of what the scientists and designers tell us about them. If you are soothed by bright pink, your spa should be bright pink. 2. Add sound.If you haven’t checked out portable speakers in a while, you’re in for a treat. Starting with the new Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile speaker at the high end, there’s a huge assortment of speakers at many price points designed to work with iPhones and MP3 players. The ...http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10348001mhayutin@cincinnatimagazine.com (Marnie Hayutin)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10348001Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:17:09 GMTMy oldest daughter makes a great peppermint bark candy every December and gives it away for gifts. Last year, in an effort to find candy canes made locally, we purchased some from Aglamesis Brothers. They were perfect. This year, running short on time, I stopped in the local Kroger and resigned myself to buying some imported canes. Imagine my surprise when we found Doscher's old-fashioned candy canes: hand-rolled, hand-twisted and hand-packaged. Five to a box for about $3. And they've been making them right here in downtown Cincinnati for about 100 years. Score! Here's the recipe: Arielle’s Easy Peppermint Bark 24 ounces of white chocolate15 candy canes, crushed (may need about 20 if using canes other than Doscher’s) Have on hand: 13x9-inch baking sheet or jelly roll panParchment paperHammer (or mallet)Rubber spatula Melt white chocolate in microwave. Put candy canes in sealed quart or gallon-size plastic ...http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10327996sgoldberg@cincinnatimagazine.com (Sue Goldberg)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10327996Sat, 17 Dec 2011 20:48:34 GMTThe holidays…a time for family, friends, and plenty of opportunities for things to not turn out quite right. No worries. From decorating, to hosting, to just being a great guest, we offer our holiday secrets gathered over the years from Cincinnati’s best party planners. Work with your décor—not against itMost people focus on their decorations first and then figure out where to put them. Designers say you’ll be more successful if you look at your room first and then decide what decorations the room needs. Look at how much space you have (do you need a tall, skinny tree for a small room or a big, fat tree to fill a great room?) and follow the color scheme of the room. When the tree and ornaments coordinate with your home’s interior style, the entire room becomes part of the decoration. Hire a bartenderWhether you’re throwing the neighborhood Christmas ...http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10323756mhayutin@cincinnatimagazine.com (Katie Brooks and Marnie Hayutin)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10323756Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:44:04 GMTSpent a wonderful afternoon last Sunday staying warm and dry inside the Taft Museum of Art with the latest exhibition, George Innes in Italy. (Sundays are free!) Innes’ Italian landscapes are warm and inviting, and the scenic paintings took my mind off the constant gray skies and misty rain waiting outside. This former home of Cincinnati notables is also dressed to the nines—and trumpeting its 10th year of holiday splendor. Antique and vintage collections of ornaments and Christmas décor fill several display areas in the galleries. We loved the Tootsie toy trucks, antique paper dolls, vintage Christmas cards and WWII-era striped glass ornaments. The dining room table was set in all its splendor with a beautiful collection of china, crystal and silver. Can’t wait to see what they find for next year. The Taft Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am-5 pm. The Innes exhibit runs ...http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10323247sgoldberg@cincinnatimagazine.com (Sue Goldberg)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10323247Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:21:36 GMTHow many times can we listen to Carol of the Bells? It totally depends on who's performing it. Here's what's on my iPod right now. What's on yours? 1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen—Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLaughlin2. Wizards in Winter—Trans-Siberian Orchestra3. Carol of the Bells—John TeshThis great guitar version is also on my dinner party playlist year-round.4. All I Want For Christmas Is You—Mariah Carey5. Gabriel's Message—Sting6. Faeries—Mannheim Steamroller7. Sleigh Ride—Debbie GibsonIt's such a perky version!8. O Come All Ye Faithful—Steven Curtis Chapman9. 12 Days of Christmas—Straight No Chaser10. What Child Is This?—Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocellihttp://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10323140mhayutin@cincinnatimagazine.com (Marnie Hayutin)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10323140Fri, 09 Dec 2011 17:01:21 GMTHere's my final list of this year's top Halloween costumes, now taking the evening Trick-or-Treaters into account: 1. The WEBN Fireworks2. Angry Birds3. Garden Gnomes4. Twister Board Game5. The Cast of Glee What costumes made your list?http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10308284mhayutin@cincinnatimagazine.com (Marnie Hayutin)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10308284Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:23:37 GMTIt was a rainy morning for school parades, but the weather didn't dampen the creativity. Here are the best costumes I've seen so far. (Sadly, my own "soccer player of doom" did not make the list—costumes were never my best thing.) Let me know your favorites today! 1. Angry Birds2. The WEBN Fireworks3. A "Smartie"--with dozens of packets of candy safety-pinned to the costume4. M&Ms5. A board gamehttp://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10307789mhayutin@cincinnatimagazine.com (Marnie Hayutin)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10307789Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:46:45 GMTIt’s late October, the time of year when I normally think about adding some cold-hardy blooms to my landscape. But serendipity came into play—a profusion of wildflowers are still thriving in the backyard.Last spring, we planted flower seeds along our backyard fence in an effort to minimize mowing and trimming. The plants had a mind of their own and didn’t begin to grow until late summer. Because it was a mixed-seed packet, I wasn’t sure what had sprouted, but I liked the look of the stems, growing ever higher, with their wispy/feathery leaves. It turned out to be several delightful colors of Cosmos.Not knowing much about them, I was sure they’d be short-lived, but instead, we are enjoying a profusion of blooms even now. They make beautiful arrangements, and cutting or deadheading encourages them to produce even more abundantly. Their vivid white, fuchsia and pale lavender petals vibrate ...http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10307147sgoldberg@cincinnatimagazine.com (Sue Goldberg)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10307147Fri, 28 Oct 2011 14:13:41 GMTThat is my question.In a few weeks, I'll be entertaining about 60 family members in my home as part of a weekend of festivities. This party is intended to be casual—we're wearing jeans and eating a take-out Italian buffet. Here's my dilemma: Do I provide tables and formal seating, or do I allow people gather where they may and be, well, casual?Advice from friends and family so far has been mixed. On the one hand, nobody is comfortable with the mental image of our less-coordinated relatives trying to juggle platefuls of pasta and a glasses of red wine. On the other hand, my home dates back to a no-Great Room era, so there are lots of small rooms and absolutely no space to set up large rented tables. A forkable menu is a given—I'm already there. But should I consider café tables? Can anybody help?    http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10301489mhayutin@cincinnatimagazine.com (Marnie Hayutin)http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/hg/homefront/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10301489Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:28:57 GMT