Mid-century marvel

Harrison Yocum had a passion for plants, rocks and minerals, and filled his home with his beloved collections.

Kitchen must-haves

Do you really need that "Star Wars" R2-D2 Talking Pizza Cutter, all the rage on the Internet? Or a machine that whips out breakfast sandwiches that look a heck of a lot like Egg McMuffins?

Where We Live: Bel Air Ranch Estates

Editor's note: Our series explores Tucson neighborhoods' homes, vibes and people. Look for the Where We Live series monthly in the Home + Life section of the Arizona Daily Star.

Treasures revealed in a midtown Tucson backyard

Jack Klein was a beloved physician who opened South Tucson's first medical practice after moving to town in 1948. For 30 years, the civic-minded eye, ear, nose and throat doctor served the square-mile city, providing free physical and eye exams and eyeglasses to thousands of children.

Residents relish history of old homes

Editor's note: This is the next in our series exploring Tucson neighborhoods - the homes, the vibes, the people. Look for the Where We Live series monthly in the Home + Life section of the Arizona Daily Star.

Tour Jefferson Park homes, next Sunday's featured area

Remember "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," the Oscar-winning 1974 Martin Scorsese flick? A home that once served as a filming location for the movie will be part of the Jefferson Park Historic Neighborhood home tour next Sunday.

Walkable Sam Hughes

Editor's note: This is the next in our series exploring Tucson neighborhoods - the homes, the vibes, the people. Look for the "Where We Live" series monthly in Home + Life.

Eat like you're Irish

Everyone is Irish for a day come St. Patrick's Day.

Living with art, creating a home

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Pablo Picasso

Life, love, adventure are home's decor

Life is an adventure for Joanne Good. Take a look around the home she shares with Ted Good, her husband of 62 years. Memories of the life they built together are woven into the fabric of their comfortable home.

Tucson's past alive in historic districts

Alice Riesgo Galvan sits on her front porch in Barrio El Hoyo, looking out at the home across the street where her husband was born nearly 80 years ago.

Retirement was opportunity to remodel home

There's been little lounging for Sue Von Borstel since the Pima County employee retired a year ago.

Blenman Elm: Where city's history thrives

Church bells ring gloriously as Linda Phelan putters in her garden. On clear evenings, she sits atop the roof of her home in the heart of the Blenman Elm neighborhood, gazing at the night skies.

Some practical resolutions

With 2012 in the rearview mirror, it's time to ponder the possibilities for 2013.

Holiday's on track

Every Christmas when Joe Mensching was a little boy, his dad would secretly lug the model train set from the basement of the family's Chicago home to the Christmas tree upstairs.

Crafting memories

Michael Mansour, 8, enthusiastically stuffs a heart-shaped, handcrafted fleece pillow for his grandma while brother William, 6, loads sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles.

Control the sun's dark side

Sunshine - it's a Tucson trademark. While we embrace our status as one of the sunniest cities in the nation, it's important to protect the interior of our homes from too much of the good stuff.

Sweet pan de muerto a holiday tradition

José Franco rises in the cool dark before dawn, and heads to the bakery.

Look who's moving in

They are nomads of the Sonoran Desert, hiding out in crevices and under rocks, waiting for their next meal to scuttle by.

Old World whimsy

William and Rosalie Clapet gaze out over the glorious Santa Rita Mountains that perfectly frame two pristine church steeples in the foreground.

It's the chef's night out

John Broderick loves grilling up dinner, cooking on his patio three or four nights a week.

Pillows for fun, profit

During a family visit not so long ago, Tucson mom Tania Armstrong and her sister dreamed up a business they could launch together, creating hand-sewn, decorative pillows that could transform the look of a room.

Exhibit aims to make world of numbers add up for kids

MathAlive is designed to be fun for kids with 40 interactive exhibits on display through Sept. 9. But it's serious business for co-sponsor Raytheon, which is on a mission to boost lagging interest in math and science among kids in Tucson and the U.S.

Pool safety and views, too

As adoring grandparents, Pat and Ron Jones were thrilled to take care of their baby grandson while the child's parents headed off on a vacation getaway.

Designing a safe and welcoming dog yard

With 78 million pet dogs in the United States, chances are there is at least one adorable pup in your backyard right now.

Paradise found

Nearly 40 years ago, Ted Barthels and his wife built their dream home on 40 acres far from town, with a circular fireplace constructed from rocks they gathered from the desert and a 12-sided great room designed to look like a Navajo hogan.

Converting space into a home office

Millions of Americans climb out of bed each morning, saunter down the hallway and roll into work in their jammies.

Xeriscape paradise

Mark Tylutki knows all of his desert garden babies by name. There is Trichocereus Flying Saucer, with a glorious pink bloom. There's tall and twisty Pedilanthus macrocarpus and Harrisia jusbertii, with stunning white blossoms that smell faintly of honeysuckle and vanilla.

Before you dive in

Much of Gail Georgenson's life has unfolded around her backyard swimming pool.

Catching the iris virus Love blooms in iris garden

Gordon Jensen first tried his hand at growing irises more than two decades ago, when his daughter was selling rhizomes for a band fundraiser.

Catching the iris virus

Gordon Jensen first tried his hand at growing irises more than two decades ago, when his daughter was selling rhizomes for a band fundraiser.

Green by design

Organic isn't just for strawberries and eggs anymore - consumers are filling their homes with eco-friendly décor.

HabiStore: el lugar para quien busca gangas

Si estás buscando una mesa de comedor para 10 hecha a la medida con sillas lujosas de gamuza, o una cómoda de segunda mano, HabiStore es el lugar para ti.

HabiStore: Habitat for bargains

Whether you're looking for a custom-made dining room table for 10 with luxurious suede chairs - originally priced at $10,000 - or a used commode, HabiStore has it.

Quirky home reaches true potential

When Linda Strader peeked in the windows of the neglected straw-bale house, she knew she had found her home.

A little bit of country

Jim and Sally Knipe grew up as country folk in Pennsylvania farmland.

The right mattress is a ticket to dreamland

For years, Carol Brandon and her husband, Byron, snuggled up on a lumpy old mattress.

Artist breathes new life into old shed downtown

A visit to Tin Shed Studio is a step back in Tucson history. The 1,400-square-foot downtown studio, originally built in the teens, has housed an auto repair shop and a cab company. Colorful splatters on the concrete floor provide clues to the building's earlier incarnation as a paint factory.