Have you impressed yourself today?

The Barefoot Contessa's beautiful new "barn". Image from House Beautiful

Breathtaking!!!! Image from House Beautiful

Image from House Beautiful

What a lovely way to dine!! Image from House Beautiful.

I love covered porches!! Image from House Beautiful

Bringing the indoors out!! Image from House Beautiful

A gorgeous welcome at the front door. Image from House Beautiful

I love Ina Garten's, also known as the Barefoot Contessa, aesthetic. Her homes, her food, her table settings and the gracious way she entertains all have the same warm feel. I love watching her show, to me it is about more than the food she is making, it's about creating a lifestyle. As you are watching her prepare food and set her table for her friends or family, you get the idea that this is how she would be whether the cameras were rolling or not. She seems genuine and lovely; This is reflected in her aesthetic, the way she chooses her personal items in her homes and her table settings, perfectly reflect her. You can see the common thread of this in all her homes. She has given us a glimpse into her lifestyle that is as lovely and warm as she appears to be.

The way she presents, on her tv show, is very pleasant. She is teaching how to prepare meals, but is doing it in a comforting and calm manner that makes you feel you can try to create what she has without being intimidated. Her homes, to me, have this same feel. They are very well detailed, have beautiful furnishings and rich materials, but the way they are pulled together becomes warm and welcoming, not overwhelming and intimidating. You get the feeling, by looking at the spaces, that you would feel comfortable sitting at her table. Her choices of furnishings and accessories are sophisticated, clean and "simple". There is not too much or too little, just the right amount to create a lovely atmosphere that says, "come join me", not "don't touch".

The Luxurious Life, is about creating a world for yourself that pleases you. It's about making personal choices that reflect how you feel and make you happy and not about making choices that you perceive will impress others; It's about impressing yourself!! It's about making choices about comfort and style that make you happy to come home at night and proud to have others see what you've created. I think that Ina Garten has done a fabulous job in reflecting herself in all her choices about food, decor and entertaining. Everything about her says, "Welcome, I'm glad you're here".

Ask yourself this question, have you impressed yourself today? How do your personal spaces reflect you? Are you happy with the home you've created? Do your spaces make you happy, not in terms of what you "think " will impress others, but truly reflect your style? A truly luxurious home is one that you've created just for you and your family; one that reflects what your interests are and is set up for the activities you find important, for how you live. Everyone can have a luxurious home, it just takes some self exploration to find it!!