The Top Layer

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I guess that it is accurate to say that I think of rooms in layers, almost like the stories of  a house. Without each one, something is missing and the whole thing just won't work well as a whole.

The topmost layer of any room can only be considered after all the foundational work is in place. You have started by removing all that you don't want in the room anymore, the paint color has been selected and is on the walls, there is a rug down if needed, the pieces of furniture are there and  in the location you want them.

I find that this is the point where most people feel the room is finished. How untrue!

The picture above is of a room that I have been working on for a wonderful friend and client. Her family room was at this very point this weekend when I arrived with the items to pull it all together.

Carefully selected pillows, curtains, lamps, ottomans, & accessories chosen for their color and style all came in and were put in place.

Wow! What a difference.

Things are layered in and moved around to get the best look. Suddenly things begin to resonate with one another, and the whole thing has cohesion that it didn't have before.

The space looks pulled together and intentional. The way the room feels is enhanced, and you are compelled to go in and take a seat.

Oh, hi, Rupert!!

The top layer is in place and, of course, a friend to enjoy the room with is the cherry on top!

The Tale of the Lost Kitty and the Incredibly Cool and Spooky Abandoned House

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Once upon a time, there was a tabby cat who was more like a dog, and remarkably similar to your best friend from college who you still see every chance you get. Loyal and loving, funny and forgiving, he lived a good life and made the dog wait upstairs whenever he wanted.

One day not all that long ago, (in fact, I believe it was the day before yesterday) he decided he had had enough of the dog and the people and the four walls around him, and he asked to go out,  just as he had hundreds of times before. Despite the icy cold, he nonchalantly waltzed into the nearby woods to go enjoy being a cat and all the freedoms that go along with that.

And then he didn't come back.

Not for his evening meal, and not even through an incredibly bitter and dark night.

The dog and the people feared the worst when late the next afternoon he still hadn't returned. It was time to go on The Quest to Find the Kitty.

Donning the warmest of warm clothes, fighting the annoyance of static in their hair, managing to latch the door with thick mittens, they set out as the sun itself was setting. It would be an adventure that would end at dinnertime, and would be remembered for at least the next year. 

There was snow in their fur, and fear in their hearts, but they still forged on into the deep woods.

And then strange shape came into view on the horizon! An abandoned mansion that they had only heard tales about, and never seen up close. Could kitty have gone in there?!??!!!

They called and called, watching their breath fog the evening air and waiting for the response that didn't come. Perhaps if they walked around the perimeter of the house, carefully watching their step among the dilapidated garden beds, they would find their kitty.

Around the front of the old house they went, and still no sign of their lost friend. Their spirits were as broken as the shattered windows of the empty house.

With their hearts heavy and their stomachs empty, they headed for home. What would Christmas be like without him? Where could he be?

And then.......just an hour later, there came a meow from atop the deck's pergola.

He had returned!

Despite being asked many pointed questions, he would not reveal a single detail about his two day absence. He just politely asked for his dinner, and told the dog to go wait for him upstairs.

Getting Sentimental

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Whenever I can get a few minutes in the evening, I have been slowly working my way through the rooms of the house, decorating as I go.  There are so many little trinkets that make me smile as I unwrap the tissue paper, and the ones pictured above are no exception. This little wax candle choir and angels have been my favorites since I was a little girl. It was my mother who bought them as a little girl herself back in Freeport, Illinois,  at the Woolworth's five and dime store.

It can be the simplest things that fill us with the Christmas spirit!  Hope you too are taking the time to enjoy the many gifts of the season!

How To Drive Yourself Christmas Crazy In Three Easy Steps

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Last week the turkey and stuffing were barely cleared from the table before my kids were chomping at the bit to get up to the attic and pull out all the Christmas STUFF. That Friday night I had my twentieth high school reunion, of all things, so I got all gussied up, patted them on the head, kissed my husband, and went out for the evening. They barely looked up as I walked out the door, since they were knee deep in red and green boxes and thrilled to pieces to be decorating (don't know where they get that from!). The next morning I stumbled downstairs, desperate for a cup of coffee, and this is the scene that greeted me just outside my front door:

I loved that Frosty looked like he had an even better time than I did the night before, that there were still pumpkins waving from the background, and just outside the picture frame there was even a rotting gourd sitting on the trunk.

Anyways, the whole thing got me to thinking about how easily we can make ourselves nuts at this time of year. You may already do at least one of these things each holiday season and don't even know it--

Want to hear my three simple steps?:

First,  indiscriminately get tons of stuff out.

Second, put none of your other stuff away.

Third, pretend that all that stuff makes you feel happy, peaceful, and festive.

I have really been scrutinizing each thing I am getting out of those red and green boxes this year and making sure that I truly love it. It is too easy to get out all of the same decorations year after year, just by force of habit, and never take a step back to get some perspective on what it looks like, whether or not we like it anymore, or how it truly makes us feel.

Having extra stuff around is stressful, so take advantage of the empty Christmas boxes, and put some of your normal decor items away for the next six weeks. It will be like seeing an old friend again when the time comes to pack up all the Santa stuff.

Lastly, the point of all of this shuffling about is to make an outward sign in our homes that this time of the year is different. For those of us who are Christians, we are waiting for, and then celebrating Jesus' birth. For those of us who celebrate a more secular holiday, it is a special, festive time that is meant to be about being joyful and enjoying our family and friends. Make sure that your home puts you in a peaceful state, that you can put your feet up and enjoy the warmth of the fire or watch the candles glow. Be sure  you don't feel crowded, cramped, or encumbered by that extra Christmas pillow on the couch that Aunt Judy gave you ten years ago that you never really liked anyway.

What can you do differently this year to make it a more meaningful  and peaceful holiday?