Life at

Dear Friend,

To me, Idea Houses are just what the name implies: new houses loaded with ideas for visitors to use either at their present homes or to incorporate when they build or buy their next one. That's why I asked my friends David and CherylNewall to join us for the opening of our Tallahassee Idea House. They have visited many of these houses over the years, and I always like to see how they react and if they relate to them. Well, there's no question that they both thought that the Florida house's all-season outdoor room was a take-home idea. I think that you also will find some terrific take-home ideas when you read this year's Idea House special section, starting on page 103, or when you tour one of the three homes. Either way, I know we have combined with our national sponsors to give you lots of inspiration. So if you are anywhere close to Chapel Hill, Austin, orTallahassee, please stop by for a visit. I would enjoy hearing your thoughts about how we can make our 2004 houses even better.

When I saw the picture on page 88, I remarked how young Andre Viette, an old friend of mine, looked. Senior Writer Steve Bender quickly corrected me, pointing out that the photo was of Andre's son Mark. Well, I want Mark to know that I apologize for the error, but I didn't make a mistake about how I felt when I spied the photograph of Mark's peppers and vegetables. Both Art Director Craig Smith and I agree it is a knockout. Please enjoy Senior Photographer Van Chaplin's vivid images and Steve's spicy words that flavor "Salsa From the Garden," starting on page 86.

If you don't like salsa and if you feel that Idea Houses are just a dream, you can still enjoy the regular columns that Southern Living publishes every month, including a wonderful weekend escape (page 42), a checklist of what you need to do in your garden (page 80), reviews of books about the South (page 64), and helpful hints for cooking and food preparation (page 186). I'm sure that this month-and every month-we have something that is especially perfect for you. Thanks for reading.

John Alex Floyd, Jr., Editor

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Aug 2003
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