Our thoughts are with the Belgian people. This picture is of the Flower Carpet in Brussels, Belgium in 2012. Once every five years, the already lovely central square of the city is transformed into a spectacle of delicate beauty – blanketed by an immense carpet of flowers. If you ever get the chance to see […]
Fireplaces have been a part of warm, inviting environments for thousands of years – probably since shortly after humans discovered that fire was not simply something to be feared and avoided. The one above is from Inchcolm Abbey, on Inchcolm Island in the Firth of Forth just outside Edinburgh, Scotland, and dates from about 1100 […]
Unseasonably warm weather has brought an early spring to north Texas. Even though this post is about the LOAP Alpha, I’m opening it with a shot taken out of the window of the upstairs master at the SoMoToHo, which I’ll get back to in future posts very soon (promise). This Mexican plum joins saucer magnolias, […]
This building is right across the street from the Great Market Hall in Budapest. Folks go to the Hall to experience the bustle, shop the awesome array of goods and foods, and admire its architecture. But, as this building attests, one shouldn’t focus too narrowly. Extraordinary surprises abound, if you just look. The Alpha is […]
The world is full of wonderful places and spectacular buildings. I wouldn’t even try to rank them. Yet, when you think of a beautiful environment where people live, work, and play, Paris is always among the places that come to mind. The first pic is the interior of the Musee d’Orsay, Debra’s favorite museum. Frankly, […]
The Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg is an example of a spectacularly successful renovation project. During the Soviet era, it reportedly was used as a vegetable warehouse. Today, it’s stunning, inside and out. While our goals for the LOAP Alpha aren’t quite so lofty, we’re shooting for a pretty […]
