Let me entertain you!! Outdoor table setting inspiration.

Image from Southern Accents

Image from Country Living

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Image from MarthaStewart.com

Image from MarthaStewart.com

I love a beautifully set table outdoors. There is something so lovely and indulgent about dining alfresco with all the amenities of dining indoors. Enjoying the company of friends, while eating a great meal and enjoying your favorite beverage in the fresh air, surrounded by vegetation, isn't that what summer time is all about?

Things to think about when setting your outdoor table:

• Pick a unique setting in your yard. Instead of dining on the deck or patio, set up a table by the garden or under a big shade tree for some variety.
• Think of your outdoor table as an extension of your indoor table. Use real dishes and glasses. Use cloth napkins and table cloths. Save the plastic for the kids!! Place a row of crystal or glass vases, with your favorite flower, down the center of the table with votive candles in between.
• Don't forget the lighting!! Hang a candle chandelier from a canopy, use lots of votive candles, hang rows of lights from trees or your umbrella, place votives around your deck. Candle light adds such a beautiful sparkle while outdoor dining. Search your space for areas to add the sparkle and drama of candles.
• Add a pop of color. It's the outdoors so have fun with the color. Use all white dishes with pink napkins and colorful flowers. Add a colorful table cloth. Have fun playing with color.
• Think about comfortable seating. Just like in your dining room, you want your guests to want to linger and converse after dinner. Having comfortable seating will keep them at the table longer. Add pillows to the chairs, this can also help to add a pop of color.
• Surround your table with a variety of potted plants.
• I like to set a smaller table for holding extra food and drinks. This way everything is at your reach, no running inside for extras. Cover with a table cloth and flowers!!
• Most of all, have fun!! Enjoy your food and friends!!

I hope the above pictures and suggestions inspire you to dine outside this weekend. I am ready to! Enjoying the beauty of the outdoors is certainly a luxury!!

Crazy days of summer!!

Photo courtesy of Southern Living
Doesn't this photo look inviting? Would love to have dinner at this clean, white and sparkly outdoor table!!

Summertime is full of activities!! I have been busy with year end school parties and preparing houses for guests and graduation parties. All fun, but I am anxious to post again!! I hope you will check back this weekend when I have sometime to post. Hope everyone enjoys the Holiday weekend, hope you find some little luxuries and hope the weather is fabulous for you!! And thank you for reading!! I am new to blogging and the world of blogs; have found inspiration from so many blogs and hope I am giving a little back too!! Cheers to you!!

Martha, Martha, Martha!!!

Martha in her guest house, courtesy of Martha Stewart.com

Just say the name Martha and everyone knows who you are talking about; she is a one name celebrity to the likes of Madonna and Cher. Her name conjures up all kinds of beautiful images of parties, flowers, home decor and clean organized spaces. She has become the world's best known lifestyle expert; Ask her any question about entertaining, cooking, crafting, decorating, home maintenance, and she has an eloquent answer at the ready!!

Martha wasn't always "Martha" to the world. Before she created an empire she was a student, a model, a stockbroker and a caterer. I am sure she wore all of these hats with as much finesse as the one she wears now. The one thing she has always had for herself was faith and a vision. I admire Martha immensley; not only for the empire she has created, but for the way she accomplished this. Her vision and her drive have kept her focused on her goal, no matter what was happening around her or what was said about her. She has always come back with such grace and a beautifully set table to boot!!

If you think about what she accomplished during the climate of late 1980's and early 1990's it's amazing. She built an empire out of "home making", during the era of the "super woman", who wanted to be out in the workforce, full time, and turning their backs on the "June Cleaver" days of their mother's. She made embracing the home and all the chores that come along with it, beautiful and graceful, instead of mundane. Woman everywhere wanted a little "Martha Stewart" in their homes. She is doing what she loves and in embracing that vision she has created a beautiful lifestyle for herself and has influenced countless millions of lives in the process.

Martha Stewart has the most "Luxurious Life", not because she has dined with Presidents and Kings, owns countless properties, has lots of money and lavishly travels the world; But because she dreamed a beautiful dream for her life that was so big that the world embraced it. She believed in her vision, stuck to it, had faith in it and has proven that if all her luxuries are taken from her tomorrow, she is still "Martha"; She will come back bigger and better than ever with even more fans!! Her faith and her vision is stronger than any detractor!! She is larger than life!

So Martha, I raise my glass of crandberry cassis, (properly aged for 22 days in my antique cordial glass bought at an estate sale), to you!! For you are a true inspiration of spirit. I hope to take your lessons of faith in yourself and vision with me on my journey, for they are truly something to be embraced.

Today's little luxury is to take a que from Martha's life. Have faith in yourself and who you are. Do what you love and be who you want to be. There will always be "nay sayers", but if you have a true sense of who you are, live your life to the fullest to please yourself and always have good in mind, you will have the most luxurious life of all!!

A Little Respite...........

Frank Roop Interiors

Vicente Wolf Interiors


Is there nothing more glamourous than a Barbara Barry room?

I feel as if I have been rushing around a lot lately; between work, my daughter's school, her activities and general household chores, it seems there is a lot of preparing and juggling to get to the end result!! I know that I am not the only one trying to fit a lot into a day, life is busy!! So I thought I'd take a few minutes off to dream of "restful interiors".

The photos above, to me, represent restful interiors, ones that soothe your spirit. They are rooms that beckon you to kick back for a moment, sit on a comfy couch, put your feet up and enjoy a cool cocktail. A room that gives the feeling of calm and serene when you enter it, like the busy world has stopped for a brief moment for you to take a deep breathe and relax!!

Looking at the rooms above I can imagine how luxurious the fabric feels to the touch. I imagine the clean smell of freshly cut flowers in the air. I imagine the temperature being just right for the season. I imagine feeling calm, relaxed and tranquil. I feel relaxed just to think about it!!

Rooms that put me in this spirit all have the same elements in common:

• Subtle color and fabric contrasts (I've blogged about my definition of these in previous posts)
• Luxurious and tactile fabrics, linens, velvets, silks and chenille.
• Warm color hues
• Lots of plush furniture
• Ottomans in place of coffee tables (I love ottomans!! Will dedicate a blog to my awe of them sometime soon.)
• Carefully chosen and placed accessories that pull the room together, but don't clutter.
• An air of sophistication
• Fresh flowers!!!!
  

I try to incorporate the elements that I find relaxing and soothing into my own home. I love having a respite from the busy day, even if it is waking up 1/2 hour early to have my morning coffee in my most tranquil room, I feel refreshed. Today's little luxury is to take a few moments to define the elements that you find soothe your soul in a room. Incorporate 1 or 2 into your interiors today. It can be as simple as a adding a vase full of beautiful, fragrant flowers or cleaning off a cluttered table and re accessorizing with items that make you feel calm. After all, in today's busy world, isn't the thought of feeling refreshed in your personal space the most luxurious thing of all?

Time for Bed!!!

All images courtesy of Canadian House & Home, one of my favorite magazines!!

I have had bedrooms on the brain lately!! I have 2 clients that are sprucing up their bedrooms. One client is having house guests next week and we have been getting their guest rooms ready. We have had curtains and roman shades made for the 2 rooms, a fabric headboard for one, new bedding and custom shelf tables, the list goes on and on. A lot of things to think about. This afternoon I will be shopping for accessories and early in the week pulling the rooms together. I will post pictures when they are ready. I always get excited when the spaces I'm working on are coming together.

I pulled the above "inspiration" photos from Canadian House & Home, one of my favorite magazines. These rooms have all the elements I like to incorporate in a bedroom

• A restful color on the walls
• White or cream bedding with a pop of color in a headboard, dust ruffle, coverlet or accessory pillows
• Carefully chosen and placed accessories
• Fresh Flowers!!!

Since the bedroom is the place you begin and end each day, I like them to be calm, serene and uncluttered. I like the bed to be dressed in white or cream, it always reminds me of rest and becomes hotel like, luxurious. I am not opposed to color, my daughter has a colorful set, but when I can use plain, soft, plush bedding, I do. Some of my favorite designers, Vincente Wolf, Barbara Barry and Mariette Himes Gomaz take the white bed to a great level of sophistication.

Can't wait to share the "fruits of my labor" with you later this week. For now I am off to find lamps and other accessories. Accessory shopping on a Saturday afternoon, now that is a little luxury to me!!

Inspiration........

My yard

My yard

My yard

Inspiration Photo from Veranda

Inspiration Photo from Southern Living

Inspiration Photo from Restoration Hardware

Inspiration Photo from Veranda

I am excited to spend a lot of time outdoors this summer. I have been working on a list of things I want to accomplish in the yard, not major work, but refining some of the elements that already exist in the space. My yard has a lot of trees, a variety of types and varying shades of green. I am very lucky to have 4 beautiful Japanese Maples that add a pop of deep burgundy to almost every corner of the yard. The landscaping is very natural, almost rustic, with a lot of ground cover, a stone retaining wall and stone lining the planting beds. My house is dark brown stained wood and stone. I am working on a few small planting beds for some perennials but will be adding most of the color with pots on the deck. This is the back drop I have to work with in my yard, or as I refer to it the "architecture of the yard". These are my givens. Without major construction or re hauling of the landscape, I have to work within these perimeters to achieve my desired look.

My thought is to enhance the natural surroundings. I have gathered a few inspiration photos, above, of the feel I want to achieve in my yard. You can see as you scroll down the photos from my yard to the inspiration photos, there isn't a big contrast. Any of these elements will work well in my surroundings. I love to dine al fresco, surrounded by greenery, so I am going to take ques from the photo from Southern Living. I love the weathered teak dining table and chairs; I do not have a set like this. My table is glass and my chairs mesh (never liked this set, my husband bought it, sorry honey!!) , I probably won't get new this year, but I am not worried about making them work in this context. Why? Because I am going to be able to convey the feel
that I love about the photo. It is cozy, lush and rustic. I have the natural greenery. We just had a pergola built on our deck, over the table, with a candle chandelier hanging above,(more coverage from sun than an umbrella which is a problem for us) which helps achieve the cozy feel. I can add potted annuals around, like my inspiration photos from Veranda, that will surround the table, like in my inspiration patio. I can set my existing table to mimic the table in the picture so the table its self doesn't hinder me.
I also love plush seating outdoors. A few years ago I had a wood benches, with backs built on my upper deck. They are in an L shape, like my Restoration Hardware photo. I am going to have cushions made for them this summer and I will probably add an outdoor ottoman in the middle. So even though I am not going to buy a new outdoor sectional, I can achieve the feel with my existing elements. I just got 2 new chairs that have woven sides and cushions, so I am adding some of the elements of that photo too.

The gist of it is, if you are planning on updating your yard this year, you can achieve the feel you are looking for in inspiration photos. The elements don't have to match exactly, you don't have to buy all new; inventory what you have and compare the "feel" to your inspiration photos. Survey the "architecture of your yard". Look for photos that have the feel of your yard. If you have a rustic, wooded setting, such as mine, look for photos that convey that look. If you have a more formal setting, look for photos that enhance that look. Without a major overhaul, the look of your yard and house are your givens. Think about what drew you to them in the first place and try to enhance that feel. I loved the natural feel of my yard. It has been a work in progress for years and this year, with the help of a few professionals, I will continue to enhance the feel I fell in love with in the first place. I will blog before and afters as it progresses.

Today's luxury is to fall in love with your yard. Select photos that can help you expand upon that, it can be as small as adding a few new plants, to redecorating your deck. Is there anything more luxurious than enjoying your piece of this earth on a beautiful sunny day?

Fresh!!!

A beautifully fresh space by Vicente Wolf

Photo from Vicente Wolf Associates website

Spring and it's freshness has been on my mind lately (you've probably noticed this from some of my earlier posts!!). I feel like in the spring and summer the lines of interior and exterior become blurred. People are outside more often enjoying the beauty of nature and want to pull that into their homes. I think that's where the notion of "spring cleaning" comes from; when the world feels so fresh, bright and crisp and smells so heavenly, you want to hold onto that and own it in your own space.

One of my favorite interior designers, Vicente Wolf, does this notion of fresh interiors to perfection. I am drawn to photos of his work in every publication he has been in. He uses a limited palette of colors in his rooms and always uses white walls and trim; but the way he chooses to use color, a hint of grey blue or a dark table or chair leg in an all cream setting, make the space come alive and the contrasts seem so fresh!! I am in awe of the way he contrasts furniture shapes too. Curvy paired with straight, modern paired with antique, he is a master of blending opposing elements and forms together creating pure sophistication!! His rooms appear simple but they are quite a masterful balance of the unexpected. I love the unexpected in design, it is what makes it unique, interesting, awe inspiring and fresh!!

Freshness is what we crave in the warmer months. It is so refreshing to walk into a home that conveys the crispness of the season. In upcoming posts I will talk about adding elements to your existing interiors to make them pop with freshness. Afterall, isn't the notion of bringing some of the feeling of summer into your home quite luxurious?

The Sun is a Fantastic Motivator

There is nothing like a perfectly sunny weekend to motivate you around the house. There is something about the clear, crisp light reflecting on your surroundings that seems to get people thinking about spring cleaning, sprucing up the yard and home improvement in general. I think seeing nature bloom and grow all around us, showing us fresh, bright hues ,inspires us to bring that feel to our personal spaces. A little refresher for the soul!!

This weekend I took inventory of what I want to accomplish around my house this summer. I want to:

• Refine a few areas around my yard, add a few planting beds, define the area around my daughters swing set adding a seating area near by and add splashes of color by adding potted plants around (I love potted gardens, I will blog about this later)
• Add a pergola to my deck for better shade from the sun and extra seating for comfort.
• Add some detail and paint to the small bath

Being inspired to work in the yard this weekend made me think about how a few small improvements can make my space much more enjoyable. I feel lucky to have a beautiful setting with lots of trees (4 of which are fabulously colorful Japanese maples), lots of green and lots of space. I decided I am going to add a few things that will enhance this feeling and make it more comfortable to enjoy. The pergola is really going to help since we get a lot of sun and I haven't been happy with the coverage the umbrellas have given us, I've tried many!! I'm excited to get started!! Some of it I will do by myself and some of it I will hire done. I will blog about these projects as they happen.

Take inventory of your yard, list what it is that you enjoy about it and think of ways you can enhance it's potential. Add seating around a garden you enjoy so you can spend more time around it's beauty, add low maintenance potted plants in an area you need color but don't want to fuss with; there are many things you can do. Being inspired by your own surroundings is a luxury you should take advantage of!!

Let's raise a glass to .... Wine!!!

I really love to have a glass of wine. To me, it is a relaxing, somewhat indulgent event. I place a nice glass of wine on my list of "life's little luxuries". To me it is important how I have this experience. Not just any wine will do. Not just any glass will do. I like to have it in a relaxing environment, while I'm cooking, with a nice dinner or with friends. Slurping a quick glass at the kitchen counter does not cut it for me!! I like to savor the experience, making it almost a celebration!! Sounds high maintenance? No, I know what is important to me in the enjoyment of the glass of wine and I'll get it myself, thank you!! I think that's pretty low maintenance self service!! Isn't that what the idea of luxury is all about? Finding something you really enjoy and having it the way you enjoy it!!

In line with The Luxurious Life, I have become a "keen observer" of wine, over the years, so I know what I like to drink. I am not a wine expert, by any means, I just know what I like and expand upon that. I am a White Wine drinker. I have several varieties I really enjoy, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Vouvray, Viognier, Muscadet are some of my favorites. I do not enjoy Chardonnay, most of them are too oakey for me. I have composed this list over years of trying different wines, going to wine tastings, attending wine dinners, talking to Sommeliers at restaurants and the experts at wine shops. Since I have an understanding of what I like, I can get suggestions of other wines or brands that will fit my wine criteria.

To me, the glass is also an important part of the experience. Drinking wine out of a paper cup or one that is too heavy takes the luxury out of it for me. I like a very thin crystal glass with a larger bowl. Reidel's Sauvignon Blanc glass is my favorite. The thin crystal allows you to view the wine, the larger bowl allows you to swirl the wine freely and I like the way the delicately thin stemmed crystal balances in my hand!! Sounds like a party to me!! I also have some glasses that have a little curve and shape to them, seem very feminine and indulgent.

Today's little luxury is to explore something you really enjoy and find out how you can expand on the experience. If you like to drink wine, find some new varieties and try a new wine glass!! Invite some friends over to bring a bottle of their favorite type and have a wine tasting. Be a keen observer of what you enjoy so you can add something new to enhance the experience!! Knowing what you like and how you like it is the best luxury!!

Define your luxury. Celebrate your home!!

Orange roses, simply displayed, is luxurious to me!!

To me, a luxurious life is one full of the things and people you love. It is a "rich" life where one really takes the time to know what is important to them, what their interests are and is able to keep themselves focused on this, build a life around it. It is the simple pleasures that you incorporate into your life everyday that define this idea of luxury for me!!

I associate luxury with the home, not only because I am a designer, but because this is where we actually "create" our lives. Our days begin and end in the home. It is a place where our spouses, children and loved ones live. We use it as a place to gather with people who are special to us, sharing meals and the things that are important to us. It is a place full of special moments, precious memories, family heirlooms; a place where we celebrate good times and find comfort in the bad times. It is a place full of life!!

I think the home should be celebrated!! Take inventory of what you have in your home. Edit out the clutter and showcase what you love. If you love your Grandmother's dishes that have been hidden away, display them or set the table with them tonight!! If you've always disliked the vase that Aunt Hattie gave you, but feel you must display, put it away!! Make a list of the projects you've been meaning to do and put them in order of what is easiest to accomplish and start one!!

Be a keen observer of your own home, go to the space that makes you most comfortable there, take inventory of what draws you to that space and start incorporating that feel into the other areas of your home. I am a firm believer that our environment effects our mood. If you feel your home is chaotic, too cluttered, you are going to carry this feeling with you where ever you go. You want to feel calm and relaxed in your home, this way you can focus on the tasks at hand and enjoy your family without feeling overwhelmed. What makes you feel calm? Is it the color blue? Think about it and figure out how you can add it to your home.

Today's luxury is to "define your luxury" in your personal space. Once you discover it, no matter how small, focus on it and expand it!! Use the things that you've tucked away for a special occassion. Make celebrating your home the occassion you've been waiting for!!

Warm mine up, please.......

A palate I love, warm with a touch of sparkle


A warm, rich mix of fabrics


Yesterday I blogged about how being a keen observer of spaces can help you start to identify your personal design style. Designers, by nature, are keen observers. We are always disecting components of rooms and evaluating why the choices made in a space work or don't work together. I can't tell you how many, countless, interior magazines, books, trade shows, design centers, show houses, hotels lobbies, restaurants, etc... I've poured over and been in awe of how the details bring it together so elequantly or think about what could be tweaked to give it harmony. Our job is to take all the countless elements of a space and bring them together so they are pleasing to the eye and create an atmosphere that is comfortable to be in.

In my job, I am exposed to many different styles, but am always, personally, drawn to warm, cozy, eclectic spaces with an element of the "unexpected". There are certain types of details in spaces that, everytime I see them, I feel comfortable and want to have in my own home. For me, personally I choose:

• Warm, rich paint colors, such as browns, deep taupes, rich celedons
• Textured fabrics, chenilles, velvets, silks all mixed together
• Subtle pattern mixes (as discussed in a previous post)
• A mix of accessories different styles and periods for that eclectic look, alway with a touch of sparkle!!
• A variety of furniture styles. I don't buy matching sets, even my dining room table and chairs are variety.
• The unexpected, this can be a modern piece of furniture or painting in an otherwise traditional room, a color that goes well, but is surprising in how it's used, formal and informal pieces mixed. Something that works very well in the room but is out of the norm.

Although I appreciate many different styles and types of design, I know what I like to live with and have learned to identify these things; even through the endless amount of choices out there I know what range to look for that will continue to please me. Start evaluating your own style, start to recognize the types of things that you always look at twice or give you a comfortable feeling when you are around them. Keep a list, learn to recognize them when shopping, hire a designer to help you sort them out. After all, isn't creating a home that is distinctly yours and a pleasure for you to be in the greatest luxury of all?

Being a Keen Observer.....

Trattoria Stella, Traverse City, Michigan

Today, there are so many choices out there. Lots of colors, lots of tiles, lots of carpets, lots of sofas, lots of fabrics and lots of places to find them!! This can make starting a home improvement project completely overwhelming!! My best advice to help you through this is to learn to recognize what you love!! Knowing what draws you to a certain space or style can help make sorting through the sources easier!!

I believe that part of knowing yourself, is knowing your "style". Once you know this, it is easy to stay focused on making the choices that follow that style. There are several ways to accomplish this, collecting pictures of interiors you like and design journaling are a few, but today I am going to talk about "being a keen observer". This is really easy and fun. Whenever you are in a space that you like, whether it be a friend's house, a coffee shop, a favorite restaurant, think about what it is in the space that makes you feel good.

Look around the space that makes you feel comfortable. What is the lighting like? What colors are they using? How many colors are in the space? How are the textures combined? What type of furniture do they have and how much? Really disecting the space and asking yourself why it appeals to you can help you put together a plan for your own interiors. A good designer will take the time to help you figure this out at the beginning of a project, looking through photos, personal items and asking lots of questions. I can't tell you how happy it makes me feel to hear "you really captured me" from a client at the end of a project. Observing your environment in this way can help you to start to figure out your own style, what you like and don't like about an environment. It is also important to ask yourself these questions about a space that you really don't like too; disect what it is that is bothering you about a space so you don't bring any of that feel to your own surroundings.

I think restaurants are great places to do this. Most of the time we frequent spots that, not only have good food, but make us feel comfortable while we are enjoying it. Ask yourself why you like to be in that space. Restaurants are also good places to get ideas about food display and table settings. This weekend my family and I ate at Trattoria Stella's in Traverse City, Michigan. I really liked the atmosphere there. It is part of an old medical building that is being restored, so first off the setting intrigued me. I liked: the way they combined the old brick with the highly polished wood of the new bar, the simplicity of the table settings letting the architecture take center stage, the subtle lighting which gave it a real cozy feel, the presentation of the food and the weight of the wine glass (silly, but always important to me!!). The food and the service was good too!! I always am drawn to very warm, cozy feeling spaces with lots of textures and this I try to bring into my own spaces.

When you are planning on working on your home, take the luxury of visiting some of the spaces that you really enjoy and taking the time to sit, observe and ask yourself why. You can then list the things you like and how you can incorporate that feel into your own home. Take that list when you are looking for items for your home and it will help you focus only on those things that fit within the list. This will save you countless hours of sorting through the stores because you have a direction. Saving time and surrounding yourself with what you like, isn't that luxury?

A Subtle Effect.....

Same color palate, different patterns and textures.


Same color palate, a geometric, a big floral and an animal print. Here the animal print is small and works as a neutral.


Same color palate, a geometric, an abstract, a stripe and
a large paisley make a very interesting, elegant and
textural mix. The different patterns work because of
the common color palate.


Mixing patterns is a good way to give your space an interesting, polished and pulled together look. There are many ways to approach this, you can go big and bold, keep it neutral, mix lots of patterns or be subtle... the possibilities are endless!! Today I am going to talk about the art of keeping it subtle.

Keeping your pattern mix subtle can be a restfull, elegant way to add pattern into your room. Subtle pattern mixes involve a smaller color palate and a mix of textures to keep it interesting. They remind me of the 1940's Hollywood Glamour interiors which relied on texture, high sheen and shape to achieve their beauty. This type of pattern mixing is the most elegant, but it can come off bland if not done properly since you are dealing with such few colors. If you like this look, I recommend using a designer (I always recommend using a designer!!), but I am going to give a few tips for pulling it off!!

The first thing to think about is where to use pattern. In a subtle mix, you don't want to over power a room, so a good rule of thumb is to keep it in the accessories; a patterned rug, pillows and draperies are good places to start in a subtle pattern mix keeping the main pieces of furniture solid fabrics that have varying shades and textures of the theme. Pillows are the best way to add pattern to a room. They are a great way to experiment because you can use many and they are easily replaceble if you don't like the outcome.

• Start by selecting an inspiration fabric. This will be the starting point for the mix.
• Select at least 2 more fabrics with the same color palate but different patterns. Remember when mixing: a large print with a small or geometric works as does large florals and stripes. Polka dots are easy to mix too (see above window pane pattern and polka dot).
• Remember texture is important!! Vary the textures, mixing velvets and chennilles with silk always works.
• An animal print, if the pattern is kept tight and has only 2 colors, can be used as a neutral.
• Tie the pattern mix to the room by using one of the background colors of a fabric as the wall color or solid fabric color.
• Most important, have fun!! Your interiors should reflect you and if the pattern mix pleases your eye, that is all that matters!!

Fabrics can be glamourous and luxurious. Today bring a little luxury to your room by trying a subtle pattern mix!!

Monday, Monday... The party is over, but the good times have just begun!!

Remnants of a party.........



As I'm walking around the house this morning, picking up remainders of the weekend, containers from the take out dinner I didn't have to cook, magazines I was looking at while lounging , dolls my daughter was playing with; I keep thinking, I miss Sunday!! Sunday is a lazy day. When I think of Sunday I imagine, reading the paper with a cup of coffee, having brunch with family and friends, browsing at the bookstore. The word Sunday, for me, conjures up a quiet relaxed atmosphere. Sunday is your best friend!! But today is Monday; Monday has a bad reputatation. Monday is the day that the week starts, the day when you have to do all the things you put off during the weekend, the day work starts; People call it the "Monday Blues". I will begin my mad rush of carpenters, drawings, carpet samples, paint samples and getting my daughter ready for school in about 10 mins!!

But to put it in perspective...... Monday is a new beginning!! It's the first day of the week, a new opportunity to start the projects you've been putting off or getting a new perspective on the ones you are working on. It's a challange to start learning something new during the week, contacting an old friend or for accomplishing something you've been putting off. You have a whole new week ahead of you that could be whatever you want it to be!! Monday is a Fresh Start!!

Today's little luxury is simply Monday. A lovely day, that sometimes gets mis labeled. Make Monday a great start to a terrific week ahead!!