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I'm just not very interested in decoration.

I think there is always a need for pure design. With pure design, you don't need so much decoration.

It's fun to think about plants not just as decorations but as functioning parts of our yard's ecosystem that attract wildlife to the garden. We have hummingbirds, tons of bees, and many monarch butterflies. The kids love it! Though we're very laissez-faire with the garden and never put chemicals on it or even water it much!

Grilling takes the formality out of entertaining. Everyone wants to get involved.

That's why we're doing this, to defend our traditions a little. I don't have anything against it (Halloween), but it's not our tradition.

The most important thing for having a party is that the hostess is having fun. I'm very organized. I make a plan for absolutely everything. I never have anything that has to be cooked while the guests are there. The only thing I might have to do is take something out of the oven and carve it.

I have a good house for hosting, so we had the barbecues, and some of the guys over for Thanksgiving, even Christmas.

My favorite thing about decorating is mixing different periods and styles. If you have something that's old, and you really do want to mix those styles, then you have to add something that's obviously modern with it. You can't put a kind of a mediocre thing in the middle.

I love the culture of grilling. It creates an atmosphere that is festive but casual.

Decorating has always been my hobby.