Written by:  Lisa Anderson

Lazy Susan  

Function:  Noun

1)  a revolving tray for foods, condiments, etc., placed usually at the center of a dining table. 

2)  any similar structure, as a shelf or tabletop, designed to revolve so that whatever it holds can be seen or reached easily. 

Who knew there were so many different types of “susans”!!

We have traditionally used them for storing food in our kitchens…

As your home…  

Written by:  Dusty Miller

Waffle- waf-fle

Function:  Noun

1)A light crisp battercake baked in a waffle iron. 

Function:  Verb 

1) To speak or write evasively.

 2) To speak, write, or act evasively about.

Function:  Noun

1) Evasive or vague speech or writing.

I won’t waffle – I haven’t written a blog since last year despite multiple indirect but not so subtle suggestions that in order for our company blog to reach its maximum potential, we must all participate.  So, when August rolled around and the blog words related to the kitchen and we got to choose the word, I was once again ready to craft a masterful contribution.  

“Belgian Waffle” hair….  Which I might consider if I had enough [hair] to do anything with...

Or maybe waffle patterned socks complete with a very decorative bedazzled top band…

Written by:  Robin Pittman

Summer Sky

We have been blanketed by some overwhelming heat down here in the South for the past couple of weeks, haven’t we??  Heat so stifling, that even being completely submerged in a pool offers little relief!  I find myself looking for any excuse to stay inside in the air-conditioning…while eating ice cream, of course.

Despite my longing for the coolness of the days in early fall, I can’t help but acknowledge that we had some breathtaking displays of beauty in the summer skies for the past few days!  The crispness of the deep blues in the sky next to the whiter-than-white clouds was mesmerizing to me.  I found myself driving with my camera in my lap, snapping pictures whenever I had the chance to capture an image while out and about.  (hey, at least I wasn’t texting while driving, right?)  

Written by:  Laurie Lehrich

Nationalism vs Patriotism

Nationalism- na·tion·al·ism

Function:  Noun

1. national spirit or aspirations. 

2. devotion and loyalty to one's own nation; patriotism. 

3. excessive patriotism; chauvinism. 

4. the desire for national advancement or independence. 

5. the policy or doctrine of asserting the interests of one's own nation, viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or the common interests of all nations. 

6. an idiom or trait peculiar to a nation. 

7. a movement, as in the arts, based upon the folk idioms, history, aspirations, etc., of a nation. 

Patriotism- pa·tri·ot·ism 

Love of and devotion to one's country.

I started out with the word “nationalism” and while looking into what it means to be a nationalist, I thought I would find some heart warming images and words that meaningfully represent our love for the good old USA.  What I found was interesting in that the words nationalism and patriotism tend to be interchanged frequently.  Many people think they mean the same thing, and evidently, they do not.  

Check out this blog post by Tom Harper that describes their respective definitions with George Orwell’s “Notes on Nationalism” written in 1945.  I think history has shown that not much has changed in the last 60 or so years.

http://whohijackedourcountry.blogspot.com/2006/07/patriotism-vs-nationalism.html

I like the Patriotism definition best.  It is purer of heart and meaning, without compromising others’ love of their homelands, and it really focuses on the positive love, devotion, and service to one’s country.  So if it is OK with you, dear readers, I will swap these words out for the purpose of this blog and share some patriotic images with you that I hope will stir some emotion and pride in your country.  

Some of these images require no explanation.  Take a moment to remember.

Below, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  

Written by:  Kelly Hamilton

Tea Party

Function:  Noun

1) The term Tea Party is a nod to the “protest by a group of Massachusetts colonists, disguised as Mohawks and led by Samuel Adams , against the Tea Act and, more generally, against “taxation without representation”. The Tea Act (1773), passed by the British Parliament, withdrew duty on tea exported to the colonies. It enabled the East India Company  to sell tea directly to the colonies without first going to Britain  and resulted in colonial merchants being undersold. The protesters boarded three British ships and threw their cargo of tea into Boston  harbor. The British retaliated by closing the harbor.”  This iconic event is known today as the Boston Tea Party.

 Sited: "Boston Tea Party." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 21, 2010) 

Since the focus of this blog is to take the word of the day, whatever it may be, and apply it to design I thought I would highlight some unique teapot designs… 

Written by:  Patricia Danzig

Morale- mo·rale

Function:  Noun

1) emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., esp. in the face of opposition, hardship, etc. 

So much comes into play when considering morale.  It is something that can change from day to day or hour to hour.  Morale is most commonly thought in reference to “the morale of the troops.” This certainly fits in with our theme this month revolving around patriotic words, however, the definition definitely does not end here.  We all face hardship and opposition in the many aspects of our lives: physical challenges like sports, mental ones with tests at school, and any time we find ourselves pushing harder than normal.  I do believe “whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” and find it necessary to expose myself to those areas which make me uncomfortable.

What helps improve morale is inspiration.  I would like to share the following quotes and photos as some of the ways my morale is lifted:

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. “
Pablo Picasso

Written by:  Laurie Lehrich

Artisan- ar-ti-san

Function:  NOUN

a person skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson. 

I believe it is a safe assumption that we all appreciate the skilled artisan touch whether we find that in handmade chocolates, leather goods, textiles, cheeses and breads, metals, or any number of other mediums.  

Written by:  Rachel Martin 

Freedom

Function: Noun

1)  The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

2)  Absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic government

3)  The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved : the shark thrashed its way to freedom.

4) The state of being physically unrestricted and able to move easily

In our culture we enjoy the freedom to express ourselves through words, music, fashion, art, architecture, design, literature, and in many other walks of our lives.  We have been given the gift to freely grow and demonstrate our styles, our tastes, and our accomplishments in art and design.

This is not the case in many parts of the world.  There are many oppressed peoples who need for food, water, shelter, medicine and the most basic freedoms we experience in our day to day lives.  Yet, so many of these peoples continue their rich and vibrant art forms.  Many of the worlds talented artisans struggle to simply feed their poor or nomadic families.  

As a society we do have opportunities to help, to teach, and to learn side by side with artisans throughout the world.  We can bring some of our freedom to their lives and to their art forms and to their economic situations.  There are many philanthropic arts organizations that teach communities how to generate jobs and and create income with their skills.  They teach business skills and make connections between retailers and artisans.  Our ability to help brings more art forms into our vocabulary and helps nourish the people of our world. 

Written by:  Mary Kathryn Timoney

Plutocracy- plu·toc·ra·cy 

2. a government or state in which the wealthy class rules. 

Plutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth…” - wikipedia 

Before the equal voting rights movement managed to end it in the early 20th century, many countries used a system where rich persons had more votes than poor. A factory owner may for instance have had 2000 votes while a worker had one, or if they were very poor no right to vote at all. Even artificial persons such as companies had voting rights. In the US, it would take until 1945 before persons living on welfare and persons in personal bankruptcy would get voting rights.”

So, how does this relate to design? 

Not so long ago, choices for items that were “designer inspired” were few and far between for those of us on a budget.  Over the past few years, our choices have been increased exponentially. Wherein we only had “one vote” when it came to finding high design, i.e. that lucky find at a flea market or garage sale where the seller had no idea of the item’s value, we now how numerous “votes” broadening our opportunities.

Today we see designers’ collections at outlets such as Target, Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware, as well as affordable items that are inspired by very expensive pieces.

Given today’s economy, even the finest designers and shelter magazines are regularly giving tips on how to include luxury in our homes on a budget.  Here is an example from an article in “Traditional Home” Magazine. 

How are you weaving luxury into your designs during a recession?

Joe: It's all in the editing I think. We learned early on that good design doesn't mean that everything needs to be expensive. We try to infuse a "high-low" element in all of our designs. Thrift store finds or auction house steals get re-imagined while at the same time we invest in a few choice pieces that the client (or us) just "have to have." Luxury is what you make of it. To one person it might mean having a silk velvet sofa. To another it might be as simple as that perfect throw pillow that brings all the colors in a room together.

Parrish: Our clients seem to be the happiest when they are comfortable with their family and friends . . . in these hard times, that is a luxury. So we make them feel as comfortable with our designs.

http://www.traditionalhome.com/design_decorating/marketplace/20YoungDesigners_ss9.html

And from “House Beautiful”…

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/ideas/easy-home-decorating-0610

12 Easy Decorating Ideas You Can Do in a Day 

Small decor changes make a big impact in a home's look. Here are fast and inexpensive quick fixes from five interior designers.

Display Children's Art

Display drawings in a colorful frame, or in a white frame with a colored mat. Hang them in an otherwise unimaginative space. They're full of spirit — and meaningful. —Eric Cohler

Paint the Lampshades

Buy an inexpensive paper shade and paint it red — Farrow & Ball's Blazer is a gorgeous scarlet. A red shade makes the light incredibly romantic and flattering. —Joe Nye 

Bring on the Branches

Put branches in a container. You could even then go to Home Depot and get a small spotlight to light them from below. It casts fantastic shadows into empty corners. —Jean Larette 

Accessorize with Books

Stack art, design, gardening, travel books — whatever you collect — on a table. Books are my favorite accessory because they're so personal — they reflect your interests. —Joe Nye

Written by:  Lisa Anderson

Stars and Stripes

Function:  Noun

 1) a nickname for the flag of the United States of America

I love my country just as much as the next person but, there has to be a better way to show your patriotism in your home than plastering things like this to your wall.