Heatherstone Curtains

Heatherstone curtains in the New England Bedroom

When I was first married, my brilliant new husband teased me about making what he called Heatherstone curtains--referring to my family’s home on Heatherstone Drive and my mother’s love of decorating (and re-decorating). I took his teasing to heart, worrying about whether I was being too concerned with the surface world and not enough with the intellectual one.

Heatherstone curtains in the Cowboy Living Room

Well, here I am, 42 years later. I have long ago accepted myself for the person that I am and am not so worried about my intellect. It is what it is, and that is that. That husband and I are still friends, though no longer legally tied. And I am still making Heatherstone curtains because they make my home--wherever it is--feel warm and cozy.

I’ve always liked looking at other people’s curtains, and their homes as well, and have enjoyed doing so through various home magazines. I’m afraid this economic downturn (or whatever we are calling it these days) is having a terrible impact on the publishing industry. In the past couple of weeks, I have learned that two of my favorite magazines, Mary Englebreit’s Home Companion and Country Home, have ceased publication. Apparently, Cottage Living, Home, and O at Home have also followed suit. According to the Home Companion web site, they had plenty of readers and subscribers but not enough advertisers to keep up the publication of their magazine. The downturn in housing starts and existing home sales has affected the home building supply industry and that, in turn, affects advertising and publication.

So, where do I head to get my interior design "fix"? The Internet, of course, which has certainly played a part in bringing down our old magazines (and newspapers). Here are a couple of sites I've come across lately:

Hooked on Houses; A fun place to get your house fix

Lookiloos; A peek into the style and stories behind every door

Do you have any favorites to add to the list?