If I have a spare moment, you can most likely find me leafing through magazines or design books in search of inspiration or furthering my professional education.  Often I can get through things pretty quickly but every once in a while I find a picture that stops me in my tracks.  Sometimes, I stop because there are key elements I'm drawn to, sometimes it's because there is nothing appealing and I stop to improve it in my head.  Rarely though, do I find pictures that inspire me in total...not so with the shot above.  I was immediately hooked.

What do I love about his room, you ask?  Here we go:

• Blue velvet tufted sofa...I imagine the sofa has been in the family forever and was recovered in this sumptuous color a few years back.
• The combo of the window pane fabric on the chairs with the floral accent pillows reminds me of a sports coat and tie...I'm a sucker for menswear.
• Two rugs...traditional wool knotted rug over the textural sisal creates a beautiful high-low moment.
• Accent fabrics are colorful and unrelated...I often wish I had to courage to do this in my own home but I have a hard time relinquishing control.
• The architecture of this room is shown off proudly...only one window is adorned with drapery.
• And how about that wall sconce?  The room is more traditional and then we get this rustic fixture on the wall, yet another high-low moment.

I'm going to continue to study this room and believe me, one day I will adopt a devil-may-care attitude toward throw pillows.  I promise I'll share when I do.

This phrase can apply to so many things in our lives.  It could be a small tweak in your golf swing that starts producing that straight shot you've been after.  It could be a correction to your eyeglasses that clarifies everything you see.  It can even be a shift in your attitude that clears away the clouds and lets the sun shine.

Regardless of the situation, change is a real and necessary part of life. 

Since opening a month ago, I've been troubled by the north third of the shop.  It felt like a dance floor, wide open, no interest.  I put some thought into it and on Memorial Day my sister and I did a little rearranging.  The minor changes we made have had a major impact. 

Bye-bye dance floor! Hello cozy, comfortable vignettes.  I'd love to show you a few before and after photos, but I'd rather you come in and experience the space for yourself.  See you soon!

I LOVE MUSIC! There is rarely a moment in my daily life that is not filled with some melody, whether actual or imagined.  You see, I think life should have a soundtrack. No movie or TV show would be complete without one, so why not compose one for your own life.  

Mine is filled with all types of music, but the standards of the Great American Songbook play the most prominent role. Composers and lyricists like Cole Porter, Ira & George Gerschwin, Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern produced music with meaning that is as relevant today as it was 50 or more years ago. Their notes and words have been given voice by thousands of singers, but the four above are the ones I will never do without.

Dinah Washington, Stacey Kent, Michael Feinstein, and the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald never disappoint.  They are tender, they are riotous, and they are honest. They bring calm and comfort every day!

Give them a try...you won't be disappointed!