the blog

If you are one of those gifted people who Christmas shop all year long and tie it up with a bow in one day, then today might just be a pat on the back. But I still want you to play along.  You have 2 things to accomplish  Make a List. Include  everyone you hope to buy a gift for. Family, teachers, coworkers, the dog walker, etc. List everyone so you have a good visual of what you’re dealing with. If you have ideas (or gifts!) Go ahead and fill those in too.   Buy one gift. Add a gift...

The whole point of this month of preparation is to get our priorities in order. How we spend our time shows our priorities so this first step is quite possibly the most important. Your task today is to take a good look at that calendar and be sure the big things are there. If you are type A all the way, this could be a quick scan and check. But I would urge us all, types A,B and all the other letters, to pause and be sure the important things are there. Cross reference school calendars and work schedules or...

We start next week is here is how to get ready… Monday is the day! Are your ready to spend just a few minutes each day working toward making the holiday season work a little more smoothly? Here are just a few things that will set you up for a great challenge…  Before you begin...  Grab your calendar. It’s the number one tool for this. I’m old school and prefer my paper calendar all day, every day but I also like to print  a blank one I can mess up and work things out in. Find somewhere for your notes....

Don’t hate me for what I’m about to say. I am very aware of the date on the calendar. I am not trying to rush, panic or push anyone. My goal is to relieve future stress not create current anxiety but the truth is the truth… We’re about to blink and wake up and it’s Thanksgiving and then 3 seconds later it’s Christmas.  Some of you read that and were all “LET’S GOOOO!” And others are hiding, shaking under your bed. Some of you felt both at the same time.  Oh how I love the entire holiday season… I like...

Like so many other things, the pendulum swings back and forth on the “painted furniture trend.” I hate to use the word “trend” because it’s truly not a trend. Painted furniture has been around for about as long as furniture but if it is “on trend” is what ebbs and flows.  I even went as far as to consult my collection of design books. This one is from the 1940s but here are two great examples of a mix of painted and wood furniture in two historic homes.   Lyman Mower House in Woodstock, VT 1823  Monticello in Charlottesville, Va...