Real Flowers in a Ceramic Vase: The Glaze Question
The internet’s whole vibe on ceramic vases is that they’re basically foolproof. You buy a vase, you fill it with water, you jam some tulips in, done, this is the…
Mattress Protectors and the Dryer: Mind the Waterproof Layer
Somebody asked me last week, over text, completely out of nowhere, “can you put a mattress protector in the dryer or does it melt.” That was the whole message. No…
Sofa Beds: Two Jobs Done Well or Badly?
I’m on my knees on the floor of what my mortgage paperwork optimistically calls a “second bedroom,” measuring the gap between the window and the closet door with a tape…
Vases Without Flowers: What I Have Tried
I bought a bunch of ranunculus from the corner store on Clement Street for fourteen dollars, got them home, cut the stems at an angle like you’re supposed to, put…
Nesting Tables: Sizing Them Around Your Sofa
I’ve measured the arm of my sofa eleven times since March. I know that because I started keeping a tally on a sticky note stuck to the fridge, next to…
Pendant Lights in a Bathroom: Where They Can and Cannot Go
I once dragged a genuinely beautiful milk glass schoolhouse pendant halfway across three counties, got it home, and hung it directly over my clawfoot tub before I’d thought through a…
Outdoor Rugs in the Rain: Does It Really Not Matter?
I keep a rain gauge on my back porch that I never look at, but I will tell you exactly what I do look at every single time a storm…
Throw Pillows in the Washer: What Actually Survives
I pull four throw pillows off my couch every single night, set them on the armchair like I’m clearing a job site before the crew shows up, and about twice…
A TV on a Sideboard: Convenient or Awkward?
My sister walked into the living room in October, took one look at the television sitting on top of my new (to me) sideboard, and said, “That looks like the…
One Night Out or a Whole Summer? Patio Cushions and Bad Habits
Okay so picture this. It’s a Tuesday, not even a nice occasion, just a random Tuesday where my roommate Casey decided we were “doing a little grill situation” on the…