Design magazines and home decorating catalogs tend to feature sprawling backyards with big wooden decks and room for everything from decorative fountains to artificial ponds.

A lone, painted white bicycle sits at the side of Usery Park Road near Bush Highway.

A lone, painted white bicycle sits at the side of Usery Park Road near Bush Highway.

If you love that mother in your home, get rid of those babes spread out on the coffee table. I’ve had it with them. They’re not good for either soul — male or female! Why do we contemplate airbrushed, digitally altered, Botox laden, breast-enhanced illusions?

The placemat is a favorite at many dinner tables: The often-whimsical plastic version catches the slip of spaghetti from a youngster's fork, while a nice cotton placemat elevates the dining experience just a little without having to set down a whole tablecloth.

Attorney General Tom Horne paid a $300 fine Wednesday -- $582 with surcharges -- to settle a criminal misdemeanor charge he left the scene of an accident without leaving a note.

Boots may be for walking, but the sneakers at Mesa’s Mountain View High School — at least four pairs of them — are made for painting.

A federal judge on Tuesday slapped down the latest efforts by the state to block the Tohono O'odham from building a casino on the edge of Glendale.

Soar into Spring Kite Festival; Fiesta de la Primavera; Prescott Highland Games; Payson Wildlife Fair

Looking for a fresh way to liven up your garden walls? Think plants, not paintings.

HEALDSBURG, Calif. — Sometimes visitors to MacMurray Ranch, the 1,500-acre (600-hectare) spread owned by movie and TV actor Fred MacMurray for a half-century, want to know: Where's the heliport? Where's the screening room?

I have to admit that this column is going to have few readers. For one thing, here is the only mention it will have of the name Jodi Arias. That’s it. Sorry.

New video and 911 calls are painting a clearer picture of a massive fight that broke out during a fraternity party at a Tempe apartment complex over the weekend.

Long a companion for artists, the color wheel can also be a handy tool for gardeners.

JUNEAU, Alaska — The week after Alaska's 90 day legislative session comes to a close, its capital seems to slow down and take a huge sigh of relief.

Perhaps to alleviate the dreariness of long northern winters, Scandinavian style tends toward folk-art florals, crisp checks, plaids and stripes, and wood furniture left natural or painted in colors that evoke the region's natural beauty.

If you watch the trailer for “Renoir” – a new period drama from French filmmaker Gilles Bourdos – a variety of adjectives are bound to come to mind: conventional, humdrum, lackluster. Sure, they’re trying to sell the story of one of the all-time great painters in a mere two minutes, but nothing about it grabs your attention – let alone, compels you to sit through the actual film. Luckily, this is not exactly the case for the movie itself, which is exquisite to look at but unfortunately devoid of any real insight into Pierre-Auguste Renoir. You come wishing to learn about the artist and his work, but instead leave dwelling on the film’s more engaging supporting characters.

Sometimes the best view isn't what you see through a window but what catches your eye underneath it.

On Sunday, the popular PBS restaurant review show, “Check, Please! Arizona,” hosts its first food festival at CityScape in Phoenix. While attendees enjoy a plethora of food and wine samples and live demonstrations from award-winning chefs like Robert McGrath and Chris Bianco, one humble festival booth — Pittsburgh Willy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs — takes the next step in its Cinderella story.

I recently moved to a home with acreage, but quickly realized that even large lots have small or quirky outdoor spaces that must be designed carefully and thoughtfully.

“The Four Seasons,” a set of four 15-foot fiberglass sculptures by American artist and filmmaker Philip Haas, are on display at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix until April 28.