“She’s disciplined, like all those ballet dames,” Humphrey Bogart said, referring to the effortlessly graceful Audrey Hepburn. But maybe Miss Hepburn, a lifelong smoker, had her own struggles with discipline.
I’ve been thinking about discipline a lot lately. How it works, who has it, and how I can get some more.
In her book Never Say Diet, Chantel [...]

I made one of these Misti Chunky Ribs & Ruffles scarves in wool to wear last year, but it was too scratchy for me. Darn allergies. So I gave it to a friend, bought some acrylic yarn, and tried again. I love the Eve’s rib pattern and flirty ruffles.
I bought the pattern in a knitting [...]

Happy New Year! Welcome to the Chinese Year of the Rabbit.
Just before we adopted Lily our social worker pointed out that we would now be a Chinese-American family. I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but of course she was absolutely right. Among the many wonderful blessings this brings is the fact that we get [...]

Lily, freshly bathed, amongst the groundhogs.
It’s her Special Day at school and that means she gets to bring treats. It’s also Groundhog Day. Every year I think about making this:

But I never do.
This reminds me of something I read in Carolyn See’s book Making a Literary Life. She writes about her old Texan dad and [...]

Matchbook, an online magazine launched just a few days ago by Katie Armour and Jane Lilly Warren, is stuffed to the gills with decorating, fashion, and gift ideas, travel destinations, and even recipes. They hooked me with a section for Book Worms, an interview with Roald Dahl’s granddaughter, and a very charming description of what a “match [...]