view on a Friday evening

The Kentucky Tuxedo cocktail at Spur Gastropub this sunny afternoon in Seattle.

Photo by Chef Dana Tough.

Post from Margo: Jill Whitmore's Glass Art

It’s a Family Affair

Let’s face it; no one heads out the door intending to purchase anything other than the essentials these days. Gross materialism is so passé, but surely there must be a happy medium? And what better way to help the economy and our new President by supporting a fellow artist?

That’s what I told myself when I bought a gorgeous fused glass necklace Sunday, made by Jill Whitmore. The picture doesn’t do it justice; but you can check out more of Jill’s work at www. Windsinger.com.

Jill and I have both studied abstract painting with Peggy Zehring, whom we both adore. Jill also just happens to be the youngest daughter of dear friend Patti Payne. It was such fun seeing Patti and her daughter Lee Keller pitching in to make Jill’s trunk show at El Gaucho in Bellevue on Sunday a smashing success.

Talk about multi-tasking mavens; these women were running credit cards, packaging up items, finding the perfect necklace, and up-selling earrings, all while being a terrifically talented gorgeous family! Family friend Cathi Hatch was the gracious hostess as always. Hope Jill’s road trip back to La Veta brings inspiration for future artistic endeavors.

guest blogging at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show

I had a terrific time as guest blogger at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show yesterday. Show blogger Flora posted my story on the show’s site today. Click the link above to read it and other guest blogger’s accounts or simply read my recap here:

Bird’s Eye View: Backyard Inspiration from a Bevy of Designers

Fueled on coffee, kids at school, camera in hand— we were on a mission: gather inspiration and ideas to imitate on a DIY budget for maximum backyard impact.

Our 1920’s home on a postage stamp lot is spiffy and chic. The covered front porch and fenceless yard intentionally engages us with passersby. And the backyard offers a private sanctuary… some day. But today? Despite boasting a pleasing wisteria-draped, pergola-topped perch of a deck, this backyard’s a disaster where even our two young sons rarely set foot. The view below? Let’s just say, yuck. Between a 9 year-old Labrador Retriever and a 90+ year old towering cedar tree there’s more droppings than drama in this shady enclosure.

Given its cozy confines, a below deck backyard bookended on either side by two decidedly scruffy garages, we came to the 2009 NWFGS with clear needs. Hubby and I desperately require garden solutions we can replicate on a budget, with bulletproof design and high style that’ll look good from above.

Today’s show sent us home— heads happily spinning— with ideas for layouts, structures, materials and plants to accomplish it all. Our top picks from this inspiring show were:

Graphic, large pavers, like at “Get Away To It All”, mean less cedar and dog clean-up for us. At three bucks per bag for cement, maybe we’ll even cast our own.

Water feature with oomph. Go a little Vegas with a submerged light like at “Welcome to Your Weekend”, invite rusticity like Steve Haizlip’s galvanized roof flashing spout at the “Nature’s Classroom” garden, or introduce whimsy with a Paul Balint-inspired “dock”, complete with cleats and boat’s rope.

Raised beds keep plants higher than dog-height, and closer to the human eye for intimate interaction. We vowed to take Click’s plant list, with its Tasmanian Tree Ferns, variegated Bear’s Breech and… oh heck, the entire list… and splurge on those plants. Designers Martha and Claire were our Show favorite, offering “carefully controlled views” from their garden room, which leads us to…

Consider the design from above. It helps having a tall hubby to take aerial shots. Should’ve known it was a Phil Wood design for the Arb: breathtaking! Mesmerized by the slope of the path and circular gathering spot.

Use minimal sod or Field Turf Northwest’s “Field of Pets” faux turf (booth 701) that inexplicably hooked me with its no muss promise. (Hubby was drawn to the Coast Cabin at this same booth. Cute loft!)

Driveway duty. And finally, where a driveway takes up much valuable real estate… intentionally incorporate it into a living space, like Adam Gorski so humorously showed in his ‘67 Mustang-frosted “A Garden I Love” confection.

Kat Spellman attended her fourth and final (sniff) NWFGS with hubby, and show-going- newbie, Stuart Miner. Kat’s a PR pro with strong plant yearnings. Stuart’s a real estate broker who often trudges through mud to explore Northwest properties in our wet clime. Both like moss, rocks, aspen and flowering currants.

Stuart Miner photo of me at our favorite display garden, "Click".

In today’s paper: Couple’s networking site harnesses the power of shared medical experiences

Journalist Cecelia Goodnow penned a feature for today’s Seattle Post Intelligencer that gives an accurate and engaging account of Health 2.0 and, most importantly in our eyes, how Keith and Jennifer Schorsch took a nightmare of a health journey and turned it into a dream of an online community and resource: Trusera. To read the feature, including its informative sidebar featuring industry expert Jane Serisohn Khan, visit the PI website. Comment there in a show of support for Goodnow’s great research and writing.

And, if you haven’t checked them out already, what exactly is this Trusera you’ve heard me talk so much about? As LinkedIn’s founder recently explained the online communities: MySpace is the bar, Facebook the backyard barbecue, and LinkedIn the office. So where’s that leave Trusera? In my eyes, it’s the kind of waiting room at a doctor’s office you’ve always wanted— germ free and friendly… where folks like you, facing similar health challenges, chat and exchange valuable insights and resources in a warm, engaging manner. Stop by! www.Trusera.com

Photo credit: Jennifer and Keith Schorsch by Meryl Schenker for the PI

Hearst magazines select Bowles for Chicago event inspiring entrepreneurial gals

O List alum Rosanna Bowles has been hand picked by the editors of Hearst’s Country Living magazine, to headline the lunch discussion at this year’s Women Entrepreneur gathering May 30 at Navy Pier in Chicago.

Come hear what inspired Rosanna to launch her internationally acclaimed tableware design house, Rosanna Inc. Gain insights into where Rosanna pulls her inspiration, what gives her energy, and how she’s taken teacups and dishes from her warehouse in Seattle to everywhere from the gift shop at Buckingham Palace and beyond.

Congrats Rosanna!

ten million plus, read about our client Keith Schorsch and Trusera in Men's Health magazine's Best Life

We’re proud. 10 million readers of one of the industry’s strongest performing magazines, Best Life by Men’s Health, are getting an insider’s look at our client Keith Schorsch of Trusera’s tips and strategies for a healthier life through healthier eating. In her timely article on spending less and eating better, writer Anne Kadet interviewed Schorsch to learn what he and wife Jennifer do to live the kind of life where healthy eats inspire healthier habits and families.

In the February Men’s Health issue, Schorsch tells about his comeback from Lyme Disease… the very health challenge which led him to launch the powerfully intuitive and warm online community and health resource, Trusera. Kadet’s article details how Keith and wife Jennifer spend more time with their boys while relying on a “strategy for maximizing nutrition while minimizing time in the produce aisle.”

It’s a great read for those of us looking for ways to cut costs, save time, and eat better.

Dr. Baxter Blogs on Sir Paul McCartney, Red Wine and More

We love hearing industry news from Dr. Richard Baxter and we love it even more now that we have the straight scoop from him via his addictive Blog “Plastic Surgery Arts”.

Dr. Baxter’s a top-rated cosmetic surgeon with clients from around the world. He’s a member of the Emerging Trends Committee of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a faculty member at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, Chief Medical Officer of Calidora Skin Clinics, and Medical Director of Healthy Aging. Baxter also is the author of Age Gets Better with Wine, being published by the Wine Appreciation Guild this summer.

Look for him in next month’s Spa magazine too!

Book cover courtesy of Dr. Richard Baxter.

A Snapshot of Trusera in Charlie Bermant's Seattle Times Column Today

Keith Schorsch's company, Trusera http://www.trusera.com/ , was the feature in Bermant's Interface column in today's Seattle Times. It read:

Trusera helps patients share health solutions

What: Trusera, Seattle

Who: Keith Schorsch, 44, founder and CEO

Mission: Create a social-networking environment for sharing health-care information.

Second opinions: No ache or pain is ever unique; someone has had it before you and may have something that might help. Trusera tries to connect people with others who have dealt with ailments and have gathered solutions doctors may not always suggest.

Secondhand cure: "We are connecting people facing disease with other people who have already been through the same thing," Schorsch said. "We use social-networking tools so they can connect online. We give them access to all the information they need in order to make up their mind about a specific health option."

Add to your cart: Schorsch started Trusera after a five-year stint with Amazon.com, which pioneered the process of user-supplied product reviews. Trusera has a stricter information vetting process and doesn't allow reckless information to go unchallenged. At the same time, Schorsch thinks "getting information about the latest health-care options should be as easy as shopping for a book online."

Employees: 13

Financials: The private company doesn't supply specific revenue or Web stats, other than that it is not yet profitable but attracts tens of thousands of users each month. Its financial model is simple and old-fashioned: Content is free but includes a word from sponsors. For now Schorsch said an extensive group of angel investors is keeping the company afloat.

Not all bad: Trusera is finding an economic silver lining in customers who are seeking less expensive solutions that are available online. "A lot of people are going through health experiences that are shared by others," Schorsch said."They are looking to conserve their savings so they go online to see exactly what they are facing. As a result, the economic downturn has provided a real opportunity for us to get more customers."

--Thanks for giving folks a feel for what the Trusera community is, Charlie!