Rice is nice — or, so I’ve learned — for those who’ve accidentally dropped their iPhones in the toilet or were unaware it went through a full wash cycle when doing household laundry.  Plunging the device in a bag of uncooked rice for a period of time is recommended because it absorbs the water and may reverse the damage incurred by its inadvertent liquid plunge. Mind you…tech Luddite that I am, I’m the last person on the face of the earth who should be doling out advice about iPhones. But, I have it on good authority that…

    With all the holiday craziness,  

This past weekend, finding myself as my family’s beach house for Easter with some time on my hands, I decidedly to embark

 The scent of peppermint was noticed in a meeting this week, which prompted me to share my secret –  I dab a few drops of peppermint essential oil behind my ears for a burst of energy.  It seemed to peek interest, so I decided to blog about a few of my favorite essential oils…   Lavender is at the top of my list.  With hundreds of benefits, lavender is one of the most powerful remedies in the plant world, offering relief for burns, migraines, insomnia, insect bites, skin problems, infections, stress and nervous tension.   Peppermint is not just great…

The scent of peppermint was noticed in a meeting this week, which prompted me to share my secret – I dab a few drops of peppermint essential oil behind my ears for a little burst of energy. It seemed to peak interest, so I decided to share the benefits of a few of my favorite essential oils… Lavender is at the top of my list. It is one of the most powerful remedies in the plant world, offering hundreds of benefits, including relief for burns, migraines, insect bites, skin problems, infections, stress and nervous tension. Peppermint is not just great…

Okay. It has happened. This “say no to social media” chick has joined one of the information highway movements. And, I’ll admit, I’m obsessed–in the stalking newsstands for the latest issue of Tiger Beat so I could cut out pictures of Kurt Cameron and wallpaper him all over my room when I was 11 kind of way. So, what’s my digital drug? Pinterest. Why? Because it’s awesome and serves up a slew of inspirational everything from ‘aha’ words of wisdom to wow-factor home decor. While I haven’t put up a personal page yet–stay tuned, get excited, coming soon–I have been…

After my own migration out of the city last summer, my first “event” in the suburbs brought me to an auction of bird houses to benefit Project Return (www.projectreturnct.org)last week. All this got me thinking about how important a good nest really can be whether its for a moment in time, a start, a stopover or a resting place. While we are all a little batty about home and design at VP+C – here are some that truly are for the birds…

It is uncanny how in sync we are at VP+C. We finish eachother’s sentences

Can opener Hotdog sticks Aluminum foil Cheetos Organic bug spray

After we left Meredith today, we embarked on the shortest leg of our journey so far. Just a few blocks from the publishing company’s HQ is Pappajohn sculpture park, a 4.4 acre emerald green paradise containing 27 sculptural masterpieces donated by John and Mary Pappajohn in 2009. We stayed much longer than we intended to, working on our own digital/performance piece (below), exploring works by Louise Bourgeois, WIllem de Koonig and Keith Haring, and feeling the cool, damp, perfect green grass between our toes. It’s a must-see if you’re in Des Moines. Check out the full listing of works here,…