Scouting the location for East Coast Living's next coverstory

This is Summer 2014.  Ned and I are working on the upcoming issue.

One of the downfalls of being self-employed is that it is too easy to end up working seven days a week.  For several Saturday's running, I have found myself in meetings and this past Saturday, I was scouting a location with photographer Ned Pratt.  We are profiling a gracious home on Forest Road for East Coast Living magazine.  The sun was shining and everybody was smiling as we visited the rooms of the home, checking off features we will want to capture in the photographs and text.  Ned and I have almost developed a code or short hand.  He can tell what I will write about by watching me in the room.  I'll exclaim look at this!  And then burble something about the reciprocity of male and female architectural moulding.  I get excited and pace.  Ned stands stock still and squints.  Then we'll start talking at the same time and in one voice say:  got it!  And I know, in our collective minds, we have our cover-image for the magazine.

The textile art of Rachel Ryan has been showcased in ECL.

East Coast Living magazine is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Its editorial mandate is reflected in the tag line, "Inspiring home life in Atlantic Canada".  I started writing for them after tormenting the ever-patient editor Janice Hudson about making sure Newfoundland and Labrador was also reflected in their pages.  It was a win-win situation.  The magazine features home decorating solutions, reports on trends in the design world, and an eating in section with foods found in our region.  And it isn't just about the rich and famous like so many decorating magazines. 

The Summer issue for example had down to earth articles about upcycling curbside giveaways, making the most of farmer's market finds, gardening and decorating with children in mind.

One of the satisfactions for me about working with magazines more geared to the mainstream market rather than the academic journals and art magazines (which I more frequently publish in) is their wide appeal.  I like it when we can talk about creativity and the positive impact it has on our lives.  It often comes with the opportunity to showcase some of our home grown talent, introducing them to new audiences.  

The home of Nicola Hawkins and Andy Perlis was the first home I profiled for East Coast Living - nearly five years ago.