1970s Split-Level Home Reconfigured for Modern Living

In this new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune real estate magazine Hot Property Estates, I featured the work of Julie Smith of Jula Cole Design, who who recently completed a remarkable makeover of a Del Cerro house that had had all the now cringy components of the 70’s, including orange shag carpeting and shiny floral wallpaper—not to mention warrens of dark, tiny rooms connected by mazes of hallways. For this young couple, both of whom are doctors, she created a sleek, yet warm home that’s been totally reconfigured to open up rooms and bring in light. The imagination and vision that both the couple and Smith had to recognize the potential of that house makes the results all the more inspirational.

2022 WaterSmart Winner Coverage Begins

I’m back to reporting on the winners of the various San Diego County water authorities’ 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contests. I love that there are individuals across the county who are committed to turning water glugging lawns into creative, colorful, drought-tolerant gardens—and that they are recognized for their efforts and successes.

My first story in this series focuses on Denee and Bryan Felber of Chula Vista, who won the 2022 WaterSmart Landscape Contest for the Otay Water District. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out their beautiful front yard, which includes statice, lavender, two types of lantana, Myrtle leaf milkwort, and a very cool senna shrub. There’s a dry river rock bed that helps direct rain runoff to the plants instead of into the street. And they even had room for a small “lawn” of drought-tolerant dymondia by the front entrance. The garden is filled with reds, yellows, purple, and green, so if you think drought-tolerant plants mean monotony in the garden, you’re very wrong.

First Place Award in Architecture and Design Writing

Last night at the annual San Diego Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Awards, I received a plaque for first place in Architecture and Design writing in the Online and Daily Newspaper category for my March 26, 2022 story, “Mid-century makeover: Couple preserves past, embraces future of La Jolla Shores duplex,” which appeared in The San Diego Union-Tribune’s real estate magazine, Hot Property Estates.

I also earned awards for my UT story on the late chef, Anthony Sinsay: “Beloved San Diego chef’s passion for heritage lives on,” and another UT story, “Clean eating recipes help sustain a life — and renew a passion for food,” on local cookbook writer Rachel Riggs.

Back in 2017, I had earned several first-place awards, including “Best in Show” for my food blog San Diego Foodstuff. With that award I figured I’d hit the pinnacle of local journalism awards and decided to take a hiatus. This was my return to the JAwards, mostly because I felt passionate about my piece about Anthony and wanted to honor his memory one more time. And, well, you can’t enter just one, right? So, I entered two more and won awards for all. It was nice to be back.

Encinitas Nonprofit Tool Library Lends Gardeners the Tools They Need

If you’re a San Diego gardener—or about to become one—and find some tools are too pricey or will rarely be used, instead of buying them, why not check them out from the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation’s tool library? You can read my new piece about the organization in my newest story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Home & Garden section. I’ve got everything you need to know, including a link to their inventory list, to help you get over there and pick up what you need—or even test out what you might want to plunk down money for.

More Helpful Food-Related Tips for Those with Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association, for whom I write two blog posts a month, just published two more pieces. The first offers a variety of tools, such as scales and apps, to help people stay on track with portion control. The second addresses noodles. Can people with diabetes actually eat noodles and still manage their blood glucose? The answer is yes, but using alternatives to conventional white flour pastas. Here are several suggestions.

Noodling Around with Noodles

Revamped Ranch in Encinitas

The 1950s were a prolific time for building ranch-style homes. San Diego architect Clifford May, considered the father of ranch houses, once said that the ranch house was “…everything a California house should be — it had cross-ventilation, the floor was level with the ground, and with its courtyard and the exterior corridor, it was about sunshine and informal outdoor living.” But the 1951 one-story home owned by a couple in Encinitas lacked the wide-open spaces characteristic of how people think of ranch homes today. Interior designer Megan Siason of M Studio Interior Design expanded and opened up the house to make it easy to live in and entertain family and friends. Check out how she did it in my new story for The San Diego Union-Tribune’s magazine Hot Property Estates!