Yslan Hicks
Where I live: In the midtown area of Little Rock, with my husband, writer Bill Jones, and our three geriatric cats, Lulu, Serena and Samantha.
Occupation: I teach in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where I also design costumes for productions. There is no better life for me than nurturing creativity in students who feel a passion for the performing arts.
My favorite space is: our front porch.
Why? The porch is long and generous in width with a built-in flower box. I've tried to create a welcoming space that is dotted with plants and seating areas. Bill and I sit on the bench and watch as the birds, squirrels, bunnies and chipmunks exhaust the feeders. Occasionally big birds like hawks and Mississippi kites make an appearance. We made a decision to move our Adirondack chairs from the backyard to the front porch and what a great decision that has been! Now we have a comfortable alfresco space for reading and research. We have a small table with matching chairs complemented by a lantern that we bought at the Greek Food Festival to celebrate the fact that our first date happened there 10 years ago. Being outside prompts conversations with our neighbors and we adore two neighborhood black cats, Stanley and Randy, who drop by for snacks.
If I could make one change to improve this space, I would:
Get a puppy. The sooner the better. And a goat. But don't tell Bill that I said that.
HomeStyle on 07/04/2015