You Only Need Two Things

I still remember as a child, pleading with my mom to drive through every adjacent neighborhood & down every little street in our town in the weeks leading up to Christmas.... In the darkness of the winter night, houses would GLOW and TWINKLE. That seemed like nothing short of magic to me. My face was pressed to the cold glass of the station wagon's back seat window, as I begged her to drive slowly so my eyes could drink it all in.

Isn't that the same sense of wonder and delight we all hope to feel each year when we decorate for Christmas? During these short, dark days with low grey skies hovering over a barren landscape, we long for light and a sense of hope.

Having done A LOT of decorating in my day, I have learned that it is the simplest of things that make for a lovely, heartwarming holiday house. Really it is just two things that I know will make a big difference in my house and yours....two simple things that without fail delight and make festive the most drab of surroundings:

1. Twinkle Lights--LOTS of them. They aren't just for your tree. Gather them on a shelf (yes, they have battery operated ones), put them on your dining room buffet top (that is mine pictured above with our nativity scene), lace them around a garland on your bannister. And just when you think you have enough lights on your tree, add another string. Really. Their happy twinkle and sparkle will warm your heart.
2. Live Evergreens--small sprigs of green of all different kinds tucked among pictures and books on a bookshelf, plopped in vases, placed around your little holiday tchotchkes, instantly makes things come alive and feel "Christmasy"--(again see the small sprigs in the picture above). Pine roping draped over curtain rods, over doorways, on the staircase...beautiful. And another benefit of this live greenery is the lovely smell that it brings indoors.

Do you find yourself resisting the idea that it could be that easy? Give it a try, and I feel confident you will love the results.... :)

Wouldn't You Like More "Frolic" Than "Frantic" In Your FA LA LA??

During the holidays, we want our homes to be extra beautiful and welcoming, the picture of peace and serenity. But how does a person achieve serenity and peace by bringing out stacks of boxes, emptying their contents willy-nilly, then trying to assimilate all that STUFF into an already full house-- all during some of the busiest weeks of the year?? Sounds kinda funny when I say it 

that way, doesn't it? But that is exactly what most of us do to decorate for the holidays...

Simplicity is at the heart of joy and beauty, but we often forget that at this time of year.  So, as we start to get big boxes out of the attic and spread their contents around the house, I would like to invite you to try a different approach this year...one that will hopefully leave you feeling less frantic, and more peaceful & joyful indeed:

1. Create a staging area--a place you don't mind if it is messy--the attic or basement itself where the holiday items are already stored, or perhaps a guest room. THIS is where the boxes and all of that STUFF will be unpacked and sorted--not in the middle of everything in the main part of the house.
2. Focus on only ONE ROOM AT A TIME...We seldom have huge blocks of time to decorate, so think of one room you want to focus on--or even a single shelf or small area of that room--when you have a bit of time. Take just a handful of items from the staging area to the spot you are working, so there aren't big piles of things to deal with that can overwhelm you. Decorating in small doses helps us to remember that this is a season, not a single event, and a process to enjoy, not an item on our checklist.
3. Decorate with only your most favorite decorations this year and abandon the devotion to decorating things a certain way because it is the way you always have in the past. Bah Humbug! Try something new, follow your heart,  do something fun!
4. Embrace Simplicity--small, subtle, yet sparkly touches around the house can be more beautiful than going whole hog...and they will be less stressful to gather and put away come January 2nd.
5. Share the Spirit--After you have HAD FUN (rather than stressing and fussing) putting your favorite items where they can be enjoyed for the holiday, come back to your staging area. There will be a lot of items left over that you don't truly love or really need, and that is GREAT! Consider donating these to a charity as soon as possible so they can bless someone else's holiday. Your generosity will be so appreciated, and there will be less to put away and more storage room left over when you are done.

Decorating for the holidays is meant to be a celebration, not a chore. Be mindful and selective, so that you do things to adorn your home not simply out of obligation or tradition, but because it truly brings you joy.

Ruby Slippers & Magic Wand?--Your Monthly Homework Assignment...

NCsunrise

Do you remember Glinda the Good Witch telling Dorothy at the end of The Wizard of Oz, that the power and magic she was seeking had indeed been inside of her all along? Want to know what YOU have in common with Dorothy??

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

We don't need any ruby slippers or magic wands (although that snazzy headdress/tiara thing Glinda wears is pretty darn spectacular...where can I get me one of those??). Nothing extra is required, because today's assignment is so simple you really don't need anything that you don't already have. However, doing this month's assignment has the power to change everything.

Here are the two things you need to do:

1. Notice one thing in your home each day that you are grateful for...

My heater just came on as I am typing this. I am very grateful for heat on this cold morning. Also, I love the way the sun is shining through my office window. So pretty. Look around you with an open heart and notice all of the gifts that  we can easily overlook as we all too often furrow our brow and wonder why our home doesn't look like the latest Pottery Barn catalog.

2. Write it down.  

This week leading up to Thanksgiving we have a wonderful opportunity to "see" things differently. Taking the next step of writing down that which we are grateful for helps us to really take in all of our blessings. Next Thursday you will have a concrete list of at least seven things ( and I bet you will have many more than that) to read over and feel your heart swell with gratitude. You will be amazed at how much your house has changed in a week. You will see you had the power all along....

Extra Credit: Share this with a friend--Things are always more fun with a friend or partner, and knowing that you each are writing a gratitude journal will make it more likely that you will actually do it. Make plans to share your entries with one another on Thanksgiving--what a blessing!

Remember these assignments are supposed to be fun not overwhelming! I hope this week, and in future weeks, you will take on an attitude of gratitude. This simple shift in what we notice, what we pay attention to,  can change everything about our lives in our houses & in our lives overall, without a single dollar being spent or contractor being called...

What are you grateful for? I would love to hear about it....and SEE A PICTURE TOO!! :)  Be sure to join the conversation on Facebook (have you "liked" Revealing Redesign yet??).

Peaceful & Bright Holiday

How would it feel to have a peaceful, beautifully decorated home in which to celebrate & ENJOY the holidays this year??

I am offering a neat-o package this year for all of my dear clients! Keep reading for all of the details....

A special Revealing Redesign four-week program to get you ready for a joyful, lovely holiday! 

The Peaceful & Bright Holiday Package Includes:

• Week 1--An initial House Call appointment--a fun-filled, informative hour-long appointment with Erin to figure out what is ailing your house, and figure out what to focus on in the amazing weeks ahead!
• Weeks 2 & 3--Two Mini Decluttering Sessions--get the STUFF out the door, and the clutter cleared away before all of the beautiful decorations are hung by the chimney with care-(the BEST holiday stress-prevention strategy!)
• Week 4--Deck The Halls--Two hours of delightful holiday decorating with Erin. Your holiday decorations never looked so good, and you will never have felt so at peace and comfortable in your home as the holidays begin!

A $950 value offered at  just $699!

Program starts the week of 11/18/13, so if you are interested, don't delay! Contact me (erin@revealingredesign.com) before all the openings are filled!!

Perfection Paralysis

As you already know if you read this blog, back in September, my dog suddenly and permanently lost the use of her back legs...

As far as things going as planned, owning a paralyzed dog had not been on my to-do list, but when life hands you lemons, make lemonade...

or order a doggie cart.

Around the same time this was happening in my personal life, I had an initial meeting with a new client who had been struggling with decisions involved with a renovation. When I asked her what was troubling her, she said,

"Well, if I choose the wrong _____ (fill in the blank yourself--rug, paint color, furniture arrangement, chatchka...), then all of the other choices I make for the room will be wrong too, and I will never be able to enjoy it....ever."

This statement stopped me in my tracks.

This woman said out loud what I fear so many of us say to ourselves in private. What often keeps us stuck--paralyzed with things in our houses (and life in general)--is this idea of there being only one RIGHT choice (meaning everything else would then be wrong). The only thing that can really be appreciated or enjoyed is something that is perfect, right?

What a high-pressure, anxiety-producing situation. If I felt that way I would be paralyzed too.

So, as you ask yourself: "What if I make the wrong choice??" 

I then ask you:  So what if you do??

Now, I am not saying that you should be cavalier and spend hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars changing things around your house willy-nilly, without some serious thought and planning (I wouldn't have a job if I thought that was a good idea). However, waiting for the heavens to open and provide you with the divinely-inspired decor items or decluttering solutions you have been longing for is a way to always stay on the sidelines of life and never have any skin in the game.

Lately I have been reading Brene Brown's book Daring Greatly, and I love what she says about perfection:

"...in all of my data collecting, I've never heard one person attribute their joy, success, or Wholeheartedness to being perfect...perfectionism hampers achievement...[and] is self-destructive simply because perfection doesn't exist."

The reality is that none of our houses or lives or anything can be perfect. As I type this there is a paraplegic (and at times incontinent) pup sleeping at my feet, in the hall closet is a heap of summer pool towels on the floor intermixed with winter coats my children didn't bother to hang up, and on the porch a couple of rotting jack o'lanterns awaiting my attention-- but that doesn't mean that I am not proud of my house, or that it does not bring me comfort or joy.

Your house cannot be perfect, no matter how much money and time you spend on it to make it so.  But it CAN feel like home, support you in the way that you want to live, and bring you joy. It can be darn good. 

If we use Hermione as our example, while having a set of wheels to help us move may not be our first choice, we can embrace our imperfections and become comfortable with them--comfortable enough to even fall sound asleep with our short, little paralyzed legs hiked in the air.

"Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."        --Voltaire