We packed a lot into the five days I was in Prague, including a train ride to Karlstejn, a tiny town whose tourism centers around a nearby castle. We lunched at an adorable family-run bistro whose owner made the entire patio of diners laugh when he invited us to follow them on Instagram and pointed to the “like” counter mounted on the wall. Its numbers changed as we got out our phones and liked their page. The kids went wild. After lunch we hiked on wooded trails behind the castle to a series of rock quarries. The largest has been called the Czech Grand Canyon. They were deep and beautiful ..read more

My flight to Prague arrived just after midnight. It was dark and drizzly outside, and I saw nothing of the city on the bus ride to my friend Amy’s apartment. Imagine my surprise when I woke the next day, opened the tall, ornate windows, and found this outside. There was art and architecture EVERYWHERE. The sidewalks all over the city are made with 2’’x 2’’ stone tiles. The patterns vary, but even new sidewalks are constructed this same way. They are easy to walk on and beautiful to behold. The color palette of the buildings is so tight, I actually googled to see if it is regulated. I could ..read more

The flight I booked to Prague included a three-hour layover in Heathrow, which seemed perfect. The 12-hour layover that turned into once my initial connecter was cancelled, slightly less so. But thanks to the wondrous internet, I found an article with such specific instructions on how to tackle a London layover (store your bag here, buy a train ticket there, get off at this stop, etc.) that I quickly downed my coffee and got to it. The recommended stop took me through a sprawling park filled with lounging people and ancient trees, and directly to Buckingham Palace. I know plenty about the ins ..read more

I first met Dani several years ago when our mutual friend invited us over for a craft night. Soon we were all getting together nearly every week to make things. We carted our sewing machines to each other’s houses and gave each other tips. Dani was just learning to sew. Our craft nights eventually came to an end, but Dani never stopped. A forest pathologist by day, she gets out her creative energy at night by sewing purses, clothes, fanny packs, and more. Fast forward a few years, and her hobby is now a burgeoning side business called Icelandic Ponies. She’s impressively prolific, and peop ..read more

I first met Emily Kurth several years ago, when she was running her creative business, Coco & June, from home. As we toured her house and her bright basement studio, she told me how she came to spend her days doing something she loves—making abstract art. “I’ve always been self-directed,” she said, “structuring my days based on what feels good at the moment. But for a long time, I thought ‘That’s not what successful people do.’” Turns out, she was wrong. Coco & June began years ago when Emily and a friend decided to monetize something they were already doing—refinishing old furniture ..read more

Ever spend way too much time dreading something only to have it turn out to be completely fine? Or even good? This happened to me last month when I visited Oklahoma City for the first time. My preconceived notions were so wrong. That City has been working really hard at redevelopment. And I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. First of all, the Omni hotel where I stayed downtown was well designed, with a great sense of place. Tall vertical landscapes dominated by sky and dramatic clouds lined the hallway leading to my room. A pencil drawing of a buffalo hung in the bathroom, and the gold ..read more

This morning I saw the early green leaves of tulips and allium in my garden, which feels promising. Spring is just a few weeks away, technically speaking, though I’m sure plenty of cold days remain. If you need an early warm weather fix in the meantime, I have just the answer: take a trip to Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. Right now they have both an Orchid and Tropical Bonsai show and a Tropical Forest Hawaii exhibit. These plants require warm air to thrive, of course, so walking through the various sections where they’re growing feels like taking a trip to the tropics. The variety and ..read more

Remember when The NY Times said the feeling of 2021 was languishing? I so identified with that. I wish I could say the feeling went away with the start of the new year, but it seems to be hanging around. Just like this pandemic. Sometimes I feel quite guilty about the languishing. I’m a creative person with lots of supplies on hand. Why can I not figure out something to do with them? I know it would make me feel better to create something, but it’s nearly impossible without a real purpose. Give me a reason (that bed needs a bright throw pillow; someone needs help finding a new rug), and I’ll ..read more

The photos I took a few weeks back of the Mo’Town Studio Tour led to the opportunity to take yet more photos at the annual Lock House Studio holiday sale last weekend. The first floor of the house next to Lisa’s studio, which they’ve dubbed the Meditation Palace, was packed with the work of multiple potters, as well as Bryn Perrott’s bold wood block prints. (I got a real kick out of the pink possum shown above in left center.) All the ceramics pieces were intermingled rather than separated by artist, and it was fun to see how their distinctly different styles complemented one another. I l ..read more

Last weekend I experienced my first Mo’Town Studio Tour. The self-guided tour featured stops at five local artists’ studios who together hosted a total of 11 guest artists from other places. The weather was lovely and the event perfectly timed for people like me who hope to get a jump on their Christmas shopping. (Though wouldn’t it be so much easier if everyone could just shop for their own presents? I saw so many things that would be just perfect for me.) We started at Lisa Giuliani’s Lock House Studio. That stop included Lisa’s handmade jewelry and bright, beautiful pottery (which I tota ..read more