What Do You Love Most About Thanksgiving Day?

November 20, 2012 at 11:00 am , by Julie Bain

To kick off the holiday season, we asked Journal staffers to share what they love most about Thanksgiving, that wonderful holiday that’s all about good food, friends, family and feeling grateful (with a little football thrown in). We know you’ll relate to these!

• My girls love to bake (that’s Lily and Sophia in action, right). Since I learned all my baking skills from my mom, they always like to whip up a sweet treat with their “Mimi.” This year they’ll be making my mom’s famous “spice cake” (don’t call it fruitcake!), which I was honored to write about for our December issue. The recipe is on page 106 if you’d like to try it too.
Sue Erneta, fashion editor

• Now that my sister, my cousins and I are in our twenties and living across the country, Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year that we’re all together again, and my life feels about as simple as it did back when I was a kid.
Lauren Piro, assistant editor

• I love that I don’t have to travel on Thanksgiving. Family and friends come to us. It’s a great excuse to stay at home, eat and drink, and sit on the couch. What could be better?
Jeffrey Saks, creative director

• One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories happened last year. My family and I were sitting at the dining table. My mother was in the kitchen, and I heard her in say in a calm voice, “Gab, can you come in here?” I walked in and there was the turkey on the kitchen floor with its juices and grease splattered everywhere. My mom gave me a look that conveyed, “Help but don’t say a word!” (I was called in instead of my sisters because one of them would have fallen to the floor the laughing and the other would’ve shrieked; I’m the least dramatic of the three.) We picked up the turkey, quietly holding in our laughter, and scrubbed the grease off the floor. My mom fixed it up, carved it and served it. It was delicious. We didn’t tell anyone until later. Please note: My mother keeps her floors so clean you can literally eat off them!
Gabrielle Porcaro, associate fashion editor Read more

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Get Personalized Decorating Advice From Nicole Balch

May 30, 2012 at 9:53 am , by Ladies' Lounge

Nicole Balch, the guru behind design blog Making It Lovely, has a special treat for Journal readers. Her fresh and fun home office decor was featured in our July issue, and because she’s a cool and generous lady, she’s offering to do one of her famous inspiration boards (like her recent bathroom one, below) for a room in your house that needs a makeover. Just email a photo of the room you want to redo (it can be your home office — or any room you choose!) to yourstories@LHJ.com. Nicole will pick her favorite and make personalized recommendations for your room, which we’ll then feature right here on LHJ.com.

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Bid on Art to Help Keep America Beautiful

April 23, 2012 at 5:10 pm , by Beth Roehrig

Last week I met with the hilarious and down-to-earth designers Tanya McQueen and Tracy Hutson, otherwise known as The Picker Sisters. (The first season of their show, all about upcycling people’s roadside castoffs into cool designs, aired on Lifetime; they’re currently between seasons.)

Since Tanya and Tracy specialize in turning trash into treasure, they were the perfect ambassadors for Glad’s Mess to Masterpiece Art Auction, benefiting Keep America Beautiful. In honor of Earth Day, Glad asked mosaic artist Jason Mecier to create a few works of art using celebs’ trash, with the resulting animal portraits being auctioned off on eBay. Sounds weird? Well, the results are surprisingly striking. I’m a fan of this slightly angry (but hopefully not rabid) raccoon. Read more

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Our Favorite Flower Trends Spotted on Pinterest

April 13, 2012 at 10:28 am , by Rachel Shippy

While Spring tends to be a mixed bag of sun, rain and allergies, it’s the beautiful flowers at this time of year that really kiss the dark days of winter good-bye. Here are some cheery ideas we found blooming on Pinterest this week…

For more pretty arrangements, petal over to our In Bloom pin board.

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Our Favorite Neon Trends Spotted On Pinterest

April 5, 2012 at 4:02 pm , by Rachel Shippy

I can’t help but notice the growing popularity of neon happening lately and the electric hues are peppering Pinterest boards everywhere (including the Journal‘s!). That’s right, it’s not just for construction cones anymore, ladies! Whether it appears as a handbag, as nail polish or as jewelry, neon can freshen up any look, even in small doses. Check out some of my favorites highlighted here…

You can find more bright ideas on our ‘Neon‘ board.

 

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Our Favorite Stripe Trends Spotted on Pinterest

March 30, 2012 at 11:37 am , by Rachel Shippy

There is nothing I don’t love about a striped pattern – it’s clean, it’s playful, it can be edgy or preppy and let’s face it, the nautical stripes vibe just makes me feel one step closer to owning a boat (can you blame a lady for dreaming?). The Journal‘s fashion editors also had fun with the trend (and with 2 Broke Girls‘ Beth Behrs) in our March issue, and bloggers everywhere are coming up with their own eye-catching ways to feature this design staple. Check out some of my favorites from Pinterest this week…

You can find more on the Journal‘s Stripes board.

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Our Favorite Ombré Trends Spotted on Pinterest

March 22, 2012 at 4:11 pm , by Rachel Shippy

Whether it’s my clothes or the walls of my apartment, it’s safe to say I’m typically drawn to bold, uniform colors but lately the ombré trend has really caught my eye.  If you’re not familiar with the word ombré, it is a French term referring to the gradual gradation of color and is also quickly becoming a favorite of Pinterest boards everywhere. That’s right – it’s not just for paint chips anymore! Here are some of the best ombré pins that made LHJ’s board this week…

Find more colorful pins on our Om Sweet Ombré board.

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