Ever wonder how your Columbia Home Magazine gets published? Recently we made a visit to Fulton, MO to see first hand what goes on at the Ovid Bell Press. This family-owned publishing and printing establishment was founded in 1924 and is a whopping 100,000 sq. ft!  Ovid Bell doesn’t just print for Columbia Home, but also for many publications nationwide. This extremely large warehouse is full of gigantic rolls of papers, where the process begins. The procedure in its entirety is extremely complex and technical, so I’ll break it down for you the easy way:

First, the huge rolls of paper are loaded onto Web press. The paper is then sprayed with CMYK (cyan,magenta,yellow, and black) ink. After getting sprayed, the paper is cut into 8 pages at a time (the cover is done separately). Next is the bindery, and forms are put in order and glued together at the spine (Perfect Binding). Lastly, edges are trimmed and packaged for mailing.

Simple, right?

Sara Baysinger of OBP Sales and Tara Murray of OBP Customer Service gave us the tour and made us feel more than welcome.

“Ovid Bell Press has always done a great job with our printing and I was thrilled to see the cover of our next issue coming hot off the press,” says Columbia Home Magazine Publisher, Betsy Bell. “This is by far my favorite cover.”

This cover Betsy is speaking of features Elissa Igleheart Bertot, a local Columbia woman who decided to take off of work for one year and travel the world with her husband, Vincent. The image captures Elissa engaged in wonderful scenery from one of the many places she visited throughout the course of the year. To be up-to-date on Elissa and her husband, Vincent, and their trip around the world, visit 360degrees360days.blogspot.com

Enjoy the photos and video (Ovid Bell Press Video) from our visit!

-Alana Flowers

-photos and video by Madeline Gibbs

Columbia Realtor and Interior Designer Anne Tuckley grew up in a home of exquisite style with bold, black and white geometric patterns and bright-colored furniture, and now everywhere she goes she strives to surround herself in the utmost of style, particularly based on her nostalgia. She even describes the interior decorating of her personal spaces as “totally reliving her past.” We thought it was especially creative how she incorporated her style into her office cubicle, so we got a closer look at how she uniquely decorated her space.

Her desk, as Tuckley describes, is an industrial piece made of wood wrapped in metal, which she purchased at I.O. Metro. “I love to pull in a bit of industrial. I used to live in the city and do the loft thing, so I like spaces that are reminiscent of that,” she explains. “So much of what I’ve done reminds me of where I’ve been.”

Tuckley believes it is nice to have a picture book in reach for when you need a break. “A Room with a View” is currently lying on her desk, which she describes as “a nice escape.”

The filing system is a wall rack made of wire. Tuckley’s advice for people that have trouble with paper clutter is to keep only the most necessary files, such as what you need in your day-to-day work schedule. With the rest of your long term files, just take photos or scan them, saving them in files on your computer. This method keeps her office clear and reduces the risk misfiling and losing something important.

Tuckley adds a bit of personality to her cubicle by decorating with little metal dragonflies, purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond. She believes dragonflies to be good luck. Tuckley has done this look for her clients in guest bedrooms and bathrooms. To give them the feeling of movement, she positions the figurines like they’re flying out of the space.

There are several DIY pieces that Tuckley added, such as an old frame that she painted white, a chic chalkboard and a repurposed old cabinet door painted black with some decorative chicken wire to hang things. “I was trying to come up with a unique way to display things,” Tuckley said. “Chicken wire made sense, there was enough space to get the clips in.” She spray-painted a table yellow and then finished it with a high gloss topcoat.

Tuckley suggests that everyone try and add some character to their cubicle, as long as you talk to your manager and stick to the same color scheme of the office as a whole. “If you’re in a cubicle, and these are the walls you’re going to be looking at every single day, you might as well bring your own personality into the decorating,” Tuckley said. “This place should be your sanctuary.”

Vist Tuckley’s Web site http://annetuckleyinteriors.info/

-Maddy Bailey

-photos by Whitney Hayward

I recently dined with my parents at bleu at its new location on East Walnut Street.  The last time I was in that location was when Boone Tavern owned the space.  I have to say, bleu has done wonders with the location.  The atmosphere is comfortable, yet refined and the employees are warm, receptive and knowledgeable about the food and drinks. Our waitress even talked about her excitement about the restaurant’s new location and the many more events they are able to host with the bigger space.

http://www.bleucolumbia.com/index.php

While I cannot vouch for all of the meals bleu produces, I can vouch for the five, mouth-watering dishes I shared with my parents. Scanning the menu, we quickly realized there was no way we each would be able to decide on just one dish.  Being the problem solvers we are, we ordered five dishes to share and were barely able to remove ourselves from the table after the feast.

Caution: The following dishes have an immense amount of garlic. Be sure to have mints, gum or something else to freshen up after!

Under the “Nosh” section, we ordered the following:

• Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Slab Bacon- This was incredible! Small brussles sprouts and bite size pieces of bacon sautéed in what tasted like olive oil and garlic.

• Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Fries- Hand-cut french fries cooked in garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. Probably the most delicious french fries I have ever eaten!

• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus & Grilled Pita- Perfect amount of pita bread, vegetables, hummus and pesto. Easy to share with the whole table!

(The dishes above can also be ordered Gluten free if you ask your server) 

Under “Sandwiches”

• The bleu Burger- 7 o.z. hormone free burger on a brioche bun- covered in confit mushrooms, arugula, and sun dried tomato aioli (We topped it with sharp cheddar cheese) 

Under “Signatures”

• Shrimp & Grits- creamy cheddar grits, garlic shrimp, and onion straws sprinkled on top.  This is a rich dish, so be prepared to share or take it home!

These are just a few of the wonderful options bleu has to offer. I know I am excited to dine there again and try even more dishes.  If you are looking for a local restaurant for a date, business meeting, or dinner with friends or family, bleu is a great option.  Bon appétit!

-Meg Sterchi

As you begin to plan out your menu for the week, you may want to consider taking a peek at our “Fresh Finds” Pinterest board to spice things up. There are so many great food recipe and serving ideas out there on Pinterest, but we have started compiling a few especially scrumptious looking meals. From fresh pastas and vegetables to grilled chicken and shrimp, these recipes are sure not to disappoint.  Go ahead, take a peek!

-Meg Sterchi

As a Columbia Home reader, we know that you are always finding ways to redecorate, reinvent or reorganize your home.  Sometimes finding that inspiration or motivation is harder than it seems though! Let us help you get those creative juices flowing with some tips as to where in Columbia to shop for great new decorations, along with some ideas from our Pinterest boards to make your home dazzle this spring and summer.

Below are a couple of home and lifestyle stores in Columbia to get your started on your redecorating adventure. Columbia is full of so many great stores though and we encourage you to explore all it has to offer!

-S. Stewart Home

-Ashley Furniture

-Hockman Interior Design Boutique at The Marketplace

-Downtown Appliance Home Center

-Tallulah’s

-Lifestyle’s Furniture

-Grace

-My Secret Garden

-Studio Home

Check out our Great Spaces, Trends for the Home, and Tips & Tricks for the Home Pinterest boards for bigger picture ideas for your home!

-Meg Sterchi

“I think if you have an eye for what your style is, you can find great stuff.”

For the past 20 years, Lisa Blakemore has been traveling and collecting all kinds of pieces for her holiday collections. She says she has always decorated for every holiday and her decorations are always revolving. Currently, she has her house decorated for Easter, which is just around the corner. From bunnies, birds and eggs to mantles with easter inspired dishes and greenery, Lisa’s style is fun and classic.  Some of her favorite decorations include her Majolica dish collection (which are English inspired), her old fashioned vignette of her mantels, and her decoupage eggs and tiles.

Lisa prides herself in using decorations inspired by old and reproduced pieces.  She mostly finds her pieces when she travels to places like England, Texas, Michigan, New Orleans, and Mississippi (to name a few destinations). One of her favorite markets in London is Portobello, where she has found many old inspired pieces for decorating. Here in the Columbia area, she says there are so many great places to shop, including The Marketplace and Artichoke Annie’s.

What Lisa loves about Easter time is the natural spring feeling it brings.  She loves to use different flowers, such as daffodils, and natural dyes for her Easter eggs. For her egg dyes, she has used beets (red), carrot juice (orange), and steamed broccoli (green) to create beautiful and natural looking Easter eggs.

Lisa also has a passion for decoupaging.  Recently, inspired by Pinterest, she decoupaged a reproduced German paper machete egg. For a great gift idea, Lisa also told us how she decoupaged a Jerusalem tile, by using the design top of your favorite napkin, cork and a glue gun. You can make about six of these, tie them with a lovely bow and make a homemade tag.

Below are more pictures of Lisa’s Easter decorations that are sure to bring a little “Springspiration” for your home. By Meg Sterchi

As the Assistant to the Publisher here at Columbia Home Magazine and founder of Lily Dawson Designs, Lily Dawson knows all about being busy.  Thank goodness she was kind enough to slow down for a couple of minutes for a short, fun interview!

What are you most excited for this year?

Just this year in general. I’m excited for these next two issues to come out, because they are going to be better than ever. Betsy is also going to have her baby! I’m excited for the Home show as well, where we can meet more people in the community and hook them up with contractors.

What are some of your New Years Resolutions?

None. I don’t believe in them. I think you should always try to improve your life.  If you aren’t doing something that you want to, just do it. Make a change. Funny thing is though that I was born on New Years Day.

Why do you love Columbia Home Mag?

I started in September of 2011, but I like having a finished product every two months so you can see the fruits of your labor. I love being able to see all of your hard work pay off.

What are you most excited about for the April/May issue?

The Super Hero Party spread and the parks guide. The guide will be a fun map, where people can hang out in Columbia, that our graphic design intern, Dana, is working on.

What makes you happy?

Seeing people’s reactions to the stories we put in the magazine and how they’ve touched their lives. It makes me happy that we are putting content out there that people are really enjoying.

Favorite activity to do in Columbia on a weekday/weekend?

On the weekend, I like going out to one of Columbia’s many great restaurants. My husband and I love to go to Sycamore.  During the week I like to meet up with friends at local hangouts like Bleu and Addisons.

What is your favorite part of your house?

We just started retiling a lot of stuff in our house with this Mexican terracotta tile. We actually drove down to Santa Fe to get it. We also have a Mediterranean theme in our house with exposed beam work. Oh and my dad makes bird cages! We have these awesome, ornate handmade pieces made by him all throughout our house.

Favorite winter/spring clothing items?

I like to layer a lot. My fur vest is one of my favorite winter pieces. In the spring, I like to wear super high heels that I couldn’t wear all winter long.

What is your favorite way to relax or let off steam?

I enjoy spending time on Pinterest or catching up with friends who have moved away on the phone.

Where do you like to shop?

I do a lot of shopping online, but I also love Elly’s Couture downtown.

Do you have a favorite bar?

I don’t go to bars often, but I do love Room 38. I also do more of my late night drinking at Sycamore or Cherry Street Wine Cellar.

Favorite Columbia event recently?

Recently, I really enjoyed the Heart Ball at The Reynolds Alumni Center. I also love doing the fashion shoots, because that’s where I’m trained. I love every single part of my job (and she’s good at it all, says Publisher Betsy Bell).

If you could have one talent/skill that you don’t already have, what would it be and why?

I would love to be a good artist and to be able to draw something really pretty.

What music are you in love with right now?

 Adele, Florence & the Machine and my husband I have been to over 30 Dave Matthew’s Band shows.

-Meg Sterchi

Recently, I had my final Mom’s Weekend as an active Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Missouri. My roommates and I decided that for our Friday night activity we wanted to do something casual, but fun with our moms. So, we decided to host a Mother-Daughter Cocktail/Game Night Party. (On a side note, I learned a lot about what it takes to get ready for a party. Cleaning an old, dirty college house is quite the daunting task! I was ready for bed as soon as the party began! Don’t worry, I mustered up enough energy to enjoy the night with our awesome moms!)

Each mother daughter pair was responsible for bringing one or all of the follow: appetizers, drinks, and/or board games. Dips seemed to be the favorite of the appetizer choices, along with wine for drinks. We had bruschetta, cheese spreads, shrimp salad, mini cupcakes, a chocolate caramel dip with apples, and various dips. As for board games, we kept entertained with Catch Phrase, Scene It, Scrabble, Trivial Pursuit, and Cranium.

My mom decided to make Artichoke Mushroom Dip, Crab Rangoon Dip, our favorite Duca d’Amalfi white wine, a Blackout chocolate cake, and plenty of board games. Let’s just say my mom likes to come over prepared. Below are her delicious, mouth watering dip recipes. These serve around 10-12 people (depending how hungry everyone is!). Enjoy!

Artichoke Mushroom Dip- Tailgate crowd pleaser as well!

2 cans of artichoke hearts (drained- not marinated)

3 (4 o.z.) cans of sliced mushrooms (drained)

1 cup of Mayo

1 cup of Light Mayo

3- 3.5 cups of shredded parmesan

1 pressed cove of garlic or a ¼ teas. of garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all together. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges just start turning brown.

Serve while hot or warm (it actually tastes just fine cold as well the next day) with crackers and/or veggies.

Crab Rangoon Dip- PEOPLE WILL BE LICKING THE BOWL

(Be sure to order ahead: Fried Wonton Strips from your local Chinese Restaurant)

2 packages of light cream cheese

2 cans of crab meat (drained)

½ cup light sour cream

4 green onions (chopped)

1 ½ tsp. Worcheshire sauce

5 Tbl. Shredded parmesan cheese

½ tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves of fresh garlic, pressed

Salt, to taste + Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with fried Won chips or strips and/or veggies.

-Meg Sterchi