Island Flair in Coronado

It’s the downstairs shower wall that essentially sums up the style of the newly renovated Coronado home owned by Holly and Art Croft. The 24-inch-by-24-inch Jungle Floral Equatoriale tiles with their broad green leaves capture the look of verdant tropical rainforests found in Holly Croft’s native Hawaii, as do the many tropical plants she’s placed around the first floor. And throughout the main living areas, the furniture, light fixtures and warm colors of the textiles —from upholstery to drapes —create a tropical if modern sensibility. Learn more about Croft’s collaboration with interior designer Jen Pinto of Jackson Design and Remodeling and see what they achieved in the remodel in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s magazine, Hot Property Estates.

Sicily's Accursio Lota Shares Summertime Dishes

We’re at the apex of summer and it can be hard to come up with comfort food that’s soothing like a warm hug but doesn’t dissolve you into a puddle, like the Wicked Witch of the West. I think we’ve got you. Chef Accursio Lota, owner of North Park’s Cori Pastificio Trattoria, has made a career of creating dishes that bring out the love in the food of his native Sicily, using seasonal ingredients. So, the heat of August doesn’t faze him—and it shouldn’t faze you. Not when you can make his tomato risotto, tuna crudo, and sumptuous lemon mousse. I learned how so you can make them in your kitchen. It’s all in my latest story for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Renewing the Heart of the Home Following Loss

As anyone who has lost a life partner knows, there’s a fine, even delicate line between keeping memories alive and starting new ones. It can apply even to a home redesign. Yes, to changing this, but not quite ready to redo that. Six months after Lori Mohr lost her husband Jim to CTE trauma she felt it was time to update the Del Mar home they’d shared. Designer Susan Wintersteen and her colleagues at Savvy Interiors worked with her to create a tranquil transition to her new life. This story in the San Diego Union-Tribune real estate magazine Hot Property Estates, tells her story and the process of that transition.

Food2Soil: Save Your Scraps!

I'm so wowed by Food2Soil Composting Collective and delighted that my story about who they are and what they do has been published in today's The San Diego Union-Tribune Home & Garden section. If you live in the City of San Diego and you've been wanting to do something about composting but don't have the space or the time, do what I've started doing since meeting them and use their service. You collect your vegetal scraps in one of their 5-gallon buckets, layer it with bark they give you, and when the bucket's full, drop it off at one of their neighborhood drop off sites so they can do the hard work of composting. Easy peasy! And you get all the compost you can sift for your own garden. Thanks to photographer Nancee Lewis for the beautiful photos!

Oh Nuts! and How to Eyeball Carbs

Have I mentioned lately that I write two monthly pieces for the American Diabetes Association on food and nutrition? This month’s articles just dropped. The first looks at the nutritional benefits and pleasure of eating nuts. As I say, “What’s as crunchy as potato chips, has more flavor than pretzel rods, and is healthier than both? Nuts, of course!” You can learn why they’re so good for you—and how to eat portions that stay within your food plan.

My second piece is a quick explanation of how to eyeball a serving of carbs—especially helpful when eating out and you don’t have a scale. I’ve got examples of serving sizes for bread, fruit, cooked cereal, milk, and meat/fish among many others. Plus, the visual image to have in your head by visualizing measuring cups and even using your cupped hand or the image of a deck of cards. If your good health relies on portion control, lots of useful tricks like these can help you stay on track.

Lighter Hues, Smart Design Give Santaluz Home New Life

Paula and Mark Waxman’s 2003 Monterey-style Santaluz home came with walls in shades of dark gray and taupe, and the flooring was dark beige tile — all of which appealed to them when they bought it in 2012. It had been a model home for the community, so it came with black wrought iron fixtures and coffered ceilings. While it had an open floor plan, the home was so dark it didn’t feel open. Eventually, the couple decided it was time to bring light into the home. Arise Interiors owner and designer Traci Taylor did just that, with a focus on trained chef and baker Paula’s large kitchen. My story in the July 2022 issue of The San Diego Union-Tribune’s real estate magazine Hot Property Estates shares the transformation and the journey to getting there.