February's Class At The Farmhouse!

It is time for another fun evening of learning and inspiration at the farmhouse!

In February we are having our (Dis)comforts of Home Workshop focusing on clearing clutter, creating comfort and finally discovering a home that nurtures and inspires you--YES, your house can do that!!

It is always such a fun evening, and a great opportunity to learn how to think about your house in a whole new way! We talk about how to create a home that feels good on a soul level, how to manage all of that STUFF (the dreaded clutter and all the stuff you love), and what things often stand in the way of our houses functioning at their best. AND there will be lots of time for your specific questions as well!

If your house has felt out-of-whack, out-of-date, and out-of-sorts for far too long, I hope you will join us! 

Register today if you are interested in creating a whole new feeling of possibility and peace in your home in 2015! Spots are limited, since I want to keep the class small and intimate--so don't delay! (We were completely filled last time…so hurry and get your registration in!)

Here are the details:

When: Thursday February 5th, 2015 at 7:30pm

Where: Locust Hill Professional Center 327 W Baltimore Pike Media, PA 19063 (across from Wawa Corporate Center)

Admission: $25

Click HERE to register

Hope to see you there!

Don't Forget The Icing

Cake is good, right? But cake is even better with icing!

You see, a lot of us have rooms that represent a really solid, moist, delicious cake--but we don't know what to do to add the icing that will make it sensational. 

This is what I call the "top layer"--the decorative elements that when put in place make for a whole new kind of pulled-together, stunning space that is so much more than the sum of its parts. 

The room pictured here was just that kind of thing. 

My clients called me to help them pull the room together.  A lot was already in place: a bed and duvet they liked,  walls freshly painted in off-white, curtains they had just purchased, family heirloom tapestries brought back from India a couple of generations ago...

But how can all of these things be brought together in such a way that the room will really sing?

I knew a few things would make a big difference…and here is the result:

I wanted to make a feature out of the antique tapestries that were so unique--so we had them reframed, and hung them front-and-center over the bed. 

Also, to give the eye a bit of a break from the many patterns in the room, we incorporated a new white coverlet and pillow cases. The additional throw pillows resonate with the colors from the wall hangings. The center pillow is so different with its terra cotta stitching and mirrored details--also from India, I practically jumped up and down when I found it!! :)

New lighting throughout the room was needed, and after I gave them my input for what they should look for, my clients found lamps while on vacation--blue and white to fit with the color scheme.

My clients, who are dog lovers, had a collection of what they affectionately called "Big Dog, Little Girl" prints that they also wanted in the room.  To make it strong visually, we created a gallery across the other walls of the room, grouping these pieces together. 

Simply adding the right details in the right way can make all the different parts come together into a delicious, beautiful result! 

Your Vision For The New Year (How To Attract More of What You Want, & Less of What You Don't)

A vignette of my vision board that I created at this time last year...

It is really hard to get somewhere if you don't know where you are going…but I bet you feel there is somewhere you want to go and all kinds of things you want to create with this glorious new year stretching out ahead of us!

Maybe you want 2015 to be a new kind of adventure, but you aren't sure what that is yet. 

Maybe there is just this nagging in your gut or a longing in your heart, but deciphering what that sensation is trying to tell you is hard amid all of the noise and commotion of everyday life….

Maybe this is the year that you want to embark on a renovation--either of your house or of yourself!

The thing is, if we could only just picture it (whatever "it" is) then maybe we could find our way there.

That's why this is the perfect time of year to make a vision board….

I have found that one of the best ways to figure something out,  to create a way to move forward, is to stop using words...at least for a little while. A vision board is just the ticket in--a way to translate the language of our hearts. 

Have you ever created a vision board before? A vision board is a collection of pictures, a collage of sorts, that helps to "get on paper" what is in our hearts. Because images can speak to our souls in a way that words cannot, gathering pictures that pull at our heartstrings and then displaying that board where we can see it every day, focuses our attention and helps us to create more of what we truly want in our lives. 

This is why I will be teaching a workshop on creating your vision board for the start of the new year: Follow Your Heart Home--Creating A Vision Board For 2015

Join me for an amazing evening of visioning with some scissors, glue, and a few other ladies to quietly encourage one another as we map out the amazing year ahead. (Of course, there will be wine and cheese, too!)

Three of the ten spots available in this workshop are already taken!  If you are interested, please don't delay--CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

Here are the details:

When: Thursday January 8th at 7pm 

Where: Locust Hill Farm 327 W Baltimore Pike Media, PA 19063 (across from Wawa Corporate Center).

Materials: Poster board, glue, and magazines will be provided! We ask that each participant bring 2-3 additional magazines to share as well for a great variety of images. :)

Admission: $15 until December 31st (from Jan 1st on, cost is $25)

Here's to an AMAZING 2015!!

Taking time out for yourself to become clear on exactly what you want to create in your life is a powerful thing! Hope to see you there! Click here to register now. 

How To Trim Your Tree

Just this week someone asked me the darndest question:

"Can you tell me how to decorate my Christmas tree?"

This time of year, a lot of us are bundling up in our mittens and hats to go pick our tree, while others of us may be hauling an artificial one out of the basement…but what I didn't realize is that many of us never really feel all that satisfied with the way it looks once we have it all trimmed. 

Well, that's not good!

SO, I thought it would be fun this week to share some tips and tricks that I use when decorating my own tree as well as my clients' trees that can really help this centerpiece of our holiday decorations to look dazzling and magical. :) So here goes: 

1. Be Bright-- the first and most important thing you are going to add to your tree is lights, and lots of them. The formula I most often hear for properly lighting your tree is to use approximately 100 lights per each vertical foot of the tree.  I know this sounds like a lot of lights, but once you see the difference this makes, you will never go back to a mere two or three strands sparsely sprinkled on the branches! The reason the number of lights is so important is because the glow and sparkle they give is really what makes the tree come alive visually, and gives it that magical twinkle that literally lights up a room. This year, add more lights. Really. It is a game changer. 
2. Be Consistent--In order for your tree to have visual impact, you need to have elements on it that make it look cohesive and consistent. Usually the best way to do this is to use garland and/or ribbon as well as matching glass balls or other large ornaments all over the tree that are all of the same color scheme. Trees that don't have this grounding element can look chaotic, with each ornament different from the next, and nothing pulling the whole thing together visually. Once you have these foundational elements in place, you can comfortably go on to the next step where you can then add a little of the sentimental chaos….:)
3. Be Sentimental--The part of our tree that makes it so meaningful are the ornaments that we have collected over the years that are significant to us. To be honest, these are NOT the things that will most likely give your tree the "wow" factor…but they are, after all,  what we love about Christmas! After you have completed step two where you have given your tree an overall balance and color scheme, the sentimental ornaments should be sprinkled throughout the limbs, between the colored balls and garland, completing the look of your tree!

I hope that these few ideas help you to feel more confident as you deck the halls this year-- AND I hope this year you are able to step back and smile with pride as you look at your gorgeous, glowing, glittering tree!