Your Monthly Homework Assignment! Creating Your Own Cozy Corner

The beautiful colors outside as well as cooler temperatures remind us that change is coming...and very soon we are going to be spending A LOT more time indoors. How can our pending "hibernation" be an opportunity to pamper ourselves??

You guessed it! This is our quick assignment for the month!!

Now, calm down! This is not about going nuts and feeling we have to deep clean the whole house from top to bottom-- NO! This is about carving out a special place somewhere in your house that is just for you--a place that will hopefully make the long winter months ahead feel a little less dreary.

Where is there a cozy place in your house that you like to spend time, maybe kick back with a book, curl up with a cup of tea, daydream & look out the window? Maybe a comfortable chair in the living room, a quiet spot in your bedroom, or even just your favorite place to sit at the kitchen island...

Here are some simple steps to take to make your cozy corner all the better when the winter winds whip:

1. Take 15 minutes and remove the clutter here- this is your spot to relax, and clutter is SO NOT relaxing. Throw away, put away, or give away anything in this area that does not make you smile or bring you joy. I mean it. REALLY.

2. What would make it even more cozy and comfortable?-- Let's improve on a good thing! Do you need to move a better reading light next to your chair? How about a little table to set your mug or glass of wine on? Would a pillow for your back be just the thing? Is there a basket or drawer at arms length to store the book you are currently reading or your journal?

3. Treat yourself to a special touch or two-- Since we are pampering ourselves here, luxurious things are in order! A plush, warm throw, a lovely scented candle, a small vase of fresh flowers.... whatever would make this spot feel more special to you, treat yourself to these little indulgences.

Remember these assignments are supposed to be fun not overwhelming! I hope this encourages you to carve out a place of your own which will warm the winter months ahead!

Where'd She Go?

I am sorry to say, I haven't been here on the blog much lately... 2013 has been a year of unexpected happenings, and I have needed some time to catch my breath.

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods, and I look forward to being back here on a regular basis verrrrry soon. Blessings to you, dear friends!

A Case Of The Blahs

Okay, so you have bought all new furniture, new carpeting has been installed... paint is fresh and crisp, a few items have been hung on the walls... so why does it still feel so BLAH???

This is exactly what my clients were wondering when they originally called me. Even though they had bought beautiful, comfortable furnishings and had planned out how everything was going to go in the room, the space still felt flat and uninviting....

If all the major components are in place, what could be missing?? You see, what makes a room FEEL FINISHED and FEEL GOOD, is what I call the "top layer," the small but very, very important details that pull a room together and make it sing.

Here is the same space with the Top Layer added in:

Much better, no?

I wanted to add soft colors to the neutral palette, so we found a beautiful area rug to bring those hues in...

Fabrics were selected for curtains and pillows that would pull out these lovely tones, and also make a feature of the stunning vintage art print my clients already owned.

And what to do to tone down & soften a big, black TV that is great to watch, but seems to dominate the room? A shelf holding lovely items above it, adds dimension and beauty and takes the focus away from the large hulking piece of modern technology...

Adding a bit of sparkle and life to the display spaces (a real orchid is a splash of color & is easy to care for) are the final details that make the room feel finished...No more blahs here....just beautiful!

Things Around Here...

Well, I have to admit that this year has been full of surprises. Some I have handled with more grace and skill than others. This past week was one in which I was completely not myself...and that was because my dog was completely not herself...

Two Saturday nights ago she lost the use of her back legs through IVDD, a disease that is common to Corgis, and a thing of which we were blissfully unaware. We thought we were going to have to put our beloved girl down, because it didn't seem like it was going to be possible to manage her care and have her enjoy a good quality of life.  I was just heartbroken and the kids were, too.

After many tears and trips back and forth to the vet, I was able to find help online that made all the difference. I am so happy to say that life is getting back to normal...a new normal!

And thanks to a dear friend, we now have a beautiful new sling to help Hermione get around the yard and do her thing! We feel very blessed and so very grateful for the friendship, help and support of many people. Life is so good!

Writing Your Memoir--The Story Your House Tells About You...

Our childhood homes, our grandparents houses, our first apartments, the first place we lived where we had a mortgage payment due every month......these are the settings where the stories of our lives have unfolded. These places sheltered us and shaped us into who we are today.

 

And what about the place you live in now?  What story does it tell?  A couple of years ago, two dear friends independently sent me the following quote, each knowing it would resonate with me (especially since it is from one of my favorite writers):

"You may have no idea you've produced an extensive memoir, but you have. In fact, you're living in it. According to psychologists who analyze the relationship between our home and our psyches, we often - consciously or not - choose and arrange our living spaces to reflect our life histories."

- Martha Beck

It is a very interesting thought to me that we all have written a detailed story in the choices of where we live, how the rooms are arranged, and by what they contain. How do you feel about your house when viewed this way?  Do your choices accurately tell the story of you?

It is often the case that our houses tell the story of where we have been, but what is most important is that it tell the story of where you want to go.

It can be a difficult thing to figure out. We often are so used to the way things are, and comfortable with the way things have always been, that we don't see how our surroundings can be changed to help us become more of what we long to be. I strongly agree with Martha Beck's assertion that a person cannot change their life without changing the rooms they live in, and vice versa.

SO, where do you want to go in your life? Ideally, our houses  should be a beautiful, peaceful, and nurturing reflection of that idea and dream--then it can truly be the shelter you need to write the next chapter of your memoir and channel the story of your life.