In the middle of another organizing project, I found notes from a few years ago when I was captivated by the idea of summum bonum, a Latin expression introduced by the Roman philosopher Cicero that means the highest good. I thought it would be amazing to write a memoir of…
We’ve all heard the famous axiom of Chicago Architect Louis Sullivan (1856–1924): form follows function. Frank Lloyd Wright elevated the teaching of his mentor to argue over his lifetime of work that form and function are one. So many others have argued that what we create must be aesthetically pleasing—beautiful—and…
I have loved tearooms and the tea experience all my adult life. Sunday high tea in Stirling, Scotland, in the home of an elderly woman after a walk around the village green was high adventure—and a cheery, calming presence—for a young, newly arrived college woman. J. and I fell in…
Kim brought a layered berry blitz torte to our home to go with the charcuterie we served before music theatre. Maybe she brought it to step up our light food and beverage offering (an unintended pun; we saw A Chorus Line that evening). She “wrapped it” in a newspaper clip with…
We branded a farm in Kansas that we now find out our back door each Saturday in the summer at the Old Town Farmers’ Market. When we’re home we’ll walk with Freddie and coffee and trade news with our owner/grower friend. She called this week and credited our work for…
A favorite client texted to say he and his wife were in the area of our loft having dinner and would like to come over with wine and dessert to share triple good news. They arrived with a trio of small-plate wonders. I could focus on those. They were beautiful.…