A new year swings by as the snowflakes fall...somewhere.
I am thinking about the freshness of a begining, and I am drawn to the idea of not trying so hard to make something different but look to the old.
We spent a couple days of new and old years in thirties cabin in the woods.
I fell in design joy with the totally retro look. The head of the deer, the paneled walls in a deep knotty pine, and those stacks of picture plates from each state. Simple and evocative. A picture of our friend - makes us think of a writer in his cabin.
I feel like my mind wants to travel back to the "good old design days". I had a chance to read a couple magazines from the sixties, And enjoyed the quaintness.
Here is one of the plates that made the whole journey feel interesting.
Certainly there are ideas to use to develop the cozy feel, without getting trapped in the mothballs of time. Computers and touch tone phones are wonderful inventions.Ones that I would not like to give up.

The year draws close.
A time of new beginnings.

Lets celebrate the good and get ready to discard the dated feel.
One can freshen up, by letting go of things one no longer needs.

See things from a different angle, that can have a profound effect on life.

May 2008 be a year when dreams take shape, and goals are focused and met.

Happy New Year

Winter and holiday frenzy is fast approaching. I take the easy way out, believing holidays are for socializing with friends and family, and leave the gifts and fuss to a minimum. Food gifts are my favorite. Chocolates, champagne, fresh or dried fruit, or home made cakes and jams. I do love the feeling in the air, even all that hokey music does make me want to dance.
Enjoy the moments, Ice-skating, walking in the cold, drinking hot drinks, listening to live music - it all makes life so much sweeter.
I have some simple decorating and entertaining ideas to share.
Will be adding those later in the week, so stay tuned.

How do you make this Thanksgiving a celebration to remember?
Besides the standard fare of Turkey turkey with all the trimmings, what to do to evoke design envy in friends and relatives hearts alike?

One of our friends was a talented baker, and he use to make turkey bread. a big bird bread, shaped like a turkey. That memory lingers on, I picture turkey bread every year. That, and when the same friend having moved to America, wondered who Kieving was that everyone was thanking once a year ...must have been some hero.

And I recall my mom's pet turkey (we never met, it was all hearsay by the time I heard it) but Turkey Lurkey would walk my mom and her siblings to the bus every morning, and the bus driver would let Turkey Lurkey catch a ride to school and drop her off near home. Turkey Lurkey would walk home, and await the end of school and the bus drop off. Then she would waddle over to the bus stop to greet the returning members. Well, one afternoon Turkey Lurkey failed to appear. The story is that someone decided she was the right size for the pot, so poor Turkey Lurkey never made it back to the bus stop, but she must have made a meal to ignite envy.

However, back to the important stuff: design envy, and the achieving of same. After all every turkey may look the same plucked, but a well dressed table is a thing of beauty.

Cutting out turkey mats for under the plates would make a statement. So would using turkey cutouts from your local party store.
Create a fantail from your orange and gray napkins and thread through the fork tines, for an eye catching look. Combine with orange berries and persimmons. Silver platters and bowls with silver orange and white votives would add a festive touch. Use washed fruit or berries or silver leaves,in coordinated colors, to decorate your food.

Low table decorations with persimmons, pears & branches would give a colorful look, another version of the red and green. You could repeat the colors in the napkins and glasses. Use brown accents to echo the turkey feathers. Serve up the food on colorful plates alternating with wood accents. Wooden bowls and candlesticks.

Bring the outdoors in, with branches of fruit or leaves and herbs, Make rings of rosemary and apples, hang on the back of the chairs, or hook over the candles.

Scent has its own magical appeal during the holidays. Give the kids some fun crafts to create, get them started on home made year-end holiday decorations. Chains of paper and cardboard decorations, strings of beads and berries, foamies cut to your theme.

Take some great photos that you can use for decorating for the next family gathering, or to create gifts. Make a collage to frame or to use for invitations, calendars or gift wrap. A personal gift that keeps on giving, memories are always a joy.

Give your guests some herbs, sweet pumpkin muffins or cinnamon soap to take home - the scent will linger like thoughts of good times.

Most of all, reflect on all we have to be thankful for, and enjoy the feast!

Its time to make that table look festive.
You look fabulous, what about your home? Stand in the doorway and give your place a strangers once over. Is it looking shabby? Are the pictures all over the place, and does it all look stale and boring?
Sometimes simple changes can be the most effective. Turn your furniture to create comfortable seating areas. Add a few lively pillows to give sparkle to the couch. If the drapes are sad remove them. Hang up some lace or a simple sheer.

A bowl of fresh flowers does wonders to the coffee table. How about bringing out your coffee table books that are gathering dust? 2 or three should do it, choose the best ones, and take note of the covers. Remove them if the binding works better without them.

Group your collections, so that guests can enjoy what you have.
Dust and wash so they shine. Less is more, pack away the everyday and decorate with holiday pieces. Remember to create groupings.


Dust the lights, and the shades - the guests are coming.
Perhaps your lights need new bulbs or does the shade need sprucing?
Add some trim with the help of a glue gun, or invest in a new shade.

For the table bring out your most luxurious looking tablecloth. This means you want something that is full covers generously and hangs well. No holes stains or tears. If your budget doesn't run to expensive cloths, hit the local fabric store and consider all the wonderful dress fabrics you could sew or put together with an iron or glue. Silk polyester with a lace top? Perhaps a warm and cozy fleece? You can add bullion or bobble fringe or trim to give the cloth a finished look. The trusty glue gun can work here too.
Do watch out for highly flammable fabrics when mixing with candles.

A centerpiece that relates to your color and theme or overall design is great way to enhance the table. repetition of one smaller item, or a large piece. Create a custom look by combining fruit, foliage and flowers on an interesting base. None of this needs to be real, although it is an added bonus if you throw in some genuine leaves. Glitter and gloss even moss, are all possible.

Create place names using the same items you used in your
centerpiece. A slice of fruit or a twig and leaf, even a flower with a tag. Or create tags from simple labels found at your local paper store.
If there is no room on the table, make a tag from a leaf or another found item , and attach to back of chair. You could use a decorative cord to do this.
A bangle or giant toy diamond ring would make fun napkin holders, or how about a flower or a leaf? Use the same colors to tie in the glasses & silverware.Combine with raffia or bendable sticks.
Pink flowered tablecloth with red and green accents could be a fun theme to work on.


Give each guest a tiny memento of their visit. A few cookies you baked, a glass you painted, even a few bars of tiny chocolate or soap. Some dollar stores or the local toy store have lots of fun cheap items that you could use- package with raffia or fabric, and sit back to enjoy the entertaining.