In eighth grade, the girls in my middle school were required to take one year of Home Economics. The course was cleverly divided into two sections: cooking and baking the first semester, followed by sewing the second semester. Our teacher, Mrs. Blythe, (who wore a flour-dusted apron to match her flour-dusted hair) taught us to [...]

Sacre bleu! I knew there had to be a reason that I am a bit of a Francophile. Along with champagne, Monet, Gerard Depardieu and wine bars, the French are generally credited with having developed what has become the modern incarnation of the armchair. In fact, the word armchair (chaise a bras) was coined in [...]

By Alison Cox
The Fashion: Aprons, Gloves and Footwear
New York, Paris and Milan may be host to spring fashion shows that highlight collections of clothing that most of us will never own, but the Roanoke Valley has its own spring line. And the best part of all? All of these seasonal essentials are available locally.

The Mud [...]