Back in the Swing of Things and a Few Plans

Jan
7
2013
5 Comments

I’m officially back from the holiday break, and unlike a lot of people returning to work, it’s a happy time for me. I feel so fortunate to love what I do, and I’m definitely blessed to have kind and supportive clients and readers who continue to be a source of inspiration. Thank you!

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve taken the time to reconnect with family and friends, as well as spend time in one of my favorite places, the Rocky Mountains. I’m always in awe at how beautiful the area truly is, and I continually return home with a renewed frame of mind.

 

Skiing Sunshine 2013_1

 

Over the weekend, we packed up the Christmas decorations, and although the house is looking a little bare, I like the sense of freshness it brings. Already the days seem longer, and despite the fact that we have a lot of winter to weather, my brain is switching to visions of spring. I think it may be time to add a few pops of color to get us through the next few months, and I definitely want to clean and organize our closets and storage areas.

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Reflecting on 2012 and Welcoming a New Year!

Dec
31
2012
5 Comments

I’m just popping in to wish you all a Happy New Year, and want to thank you so much for making 2012 a year to remember. As the calendar is about to turn to 2013, I can’t help but reflect on all that has happened this past year, and look forward to what is to come. Cheers!

 

Champagne at Midnight{via}

 

I think we’re all guilty of being a little hard on ourselves for what we set out to accomplish in 2012, but didn’t get around to. However, if you take the time to look back on 2012, I’m certain that at least a few lessons were learned and lives were touched. Isn’t that really all that matters?

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House Proud?

Oct
24
2012
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Do you have those days when you look around and all you see is the stuff you don’t like about your home? Forget about the beautiful pillows you have on your sofa or the collection of gorgeous black and white photos grouped on a wall in your family room. Your eyes bypass the good and only notice the scuffs on the wall, the wood trim you’ve wanted to paint out since the day you moved in and the flooring that really just needs to be ripped out.

Yesterday I had one of those days and it seemed to hit me really hard. Perhaps it was the dump of snow that made me realize I’ll be spending way more time indoors and my yard will no longer serve as visual eye candy. Maybe it was a glass half empty day where I’m bracing myself for the cold weather and shorter days. It’s possible it was my Nate Berkus post that got me thinking about whether or not I was house proud. You can call it whatever you want, but the truth is that there are some projects I’ve put off too long that need to become a priority on my to-do list.

 

{via}

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Reflecting on 8 Years {Our Home}

Feb
16
2012
7 Comments

We’re approaching the 8 year mark since we moved into our home- 2 if you’re counting leap years because we moved in on February 29 (I’ve heard that it’s good luck when big things happen on that day!). When we purchased our home it was at the beginning of the housing boom. We were fortunate to buy low-ish, but the downside was that the number of houses to select from was very limited. We ended up buying what we thought was the best house in a price range we were comfortable with, even though it was far from our dream home. Looking back, it was a good thing we didn’t wait for the perfect house to come around because prices jumped dramatically in the year to follow.

Over those 8 years we’ve made some changes to our house, but far from what we originally planned. When we moved in, I didn’t just dislike the flooring, I actually loathed it. Added to that list was the faux granite laminate countertops, the textured fireplace that looked like an iced wedding cake, the cool grey painted walls, the ugly builder grade light fixtures, and the reddish stained skimpy baseboards.

It seemed like a lofty list, but the house was located in a family-friendly neighborhood and was the right size for the 3 of us. I loved the large windows in the kitchen and master bedroom, the ensuite had a wonderful soaker tub and a lot of storage, the kitchen had a large island and walk-in pantry and there was a large family bonus room on the second floor. The positives far outweighed any of the negatives and I knew I could work with it.

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Taking Chances {what are you up for in 2012?}

Jan
5
2012
4 Comments

Happy New Year! I took a much needed break with my family and friends in the Rocky Mountains this past week. I’m kicking myself for leaving my camera in my suitcase most of the time because the snow-topped trees and mountain vistas can’t be beat this time of year. If you haven’t been to Banff or surrounding area in the winter, I suggest adding it to your bucket list. We live fairly close to the area, but I never get tired of the scenery.

{via}

I have to admit I was excited about bringing in the new year with friends in a gorgeous cabin, but I was a bit reluctant about the whole skiing thing. You know those activities you did back in the day that you haven’t done since. Fortunately, I went on a few mountain ski trips as a teen and I skied at a small local hill a few times a year with friends growing up. However, it was at least 10 years since I’d been on skis and I was definitely nervous about the whole thing. Luckily my son and his cousins are fairly new at snow boarding, so I was able to take a few runs on the bunny hill before tackling the chair lift.

Encouragement goes a long way and it wasn’t too much time before my husband and cousins were dragging me to the chair lift. I vowed to myself that 2012 was going to be a year of taking more chances and putting myself out there in a bigger way. Part of me was ready, but a bigger part was saying you’re no spring chick and something bad is going to happen! I somehow shut that voice off in my head and just went for it. I had to trust that everything would be okay.

You know what? It wasn’t exactly like riding a bike, but I put one ski in front of the other and made my way down the hill (with a few lessons from my husband’s cousin). I came across obstacles (icy patches and heavy powder) and somehow found a way to get through it all. I reached the bottom of the mountain and a sense of accomplishment set in and I was ready to try another run (well after my burning legs had time to rest)!

{via Amanda Eck on Pinterest}

I see this time and time again with home improvements. It’s often the first project that can be the most intimidating, so you put it off. You think- what if I choose the wrong paint color and have to repaint? What if the table comes and I hate it? What if I choose that fabric for the drapery and it doesn’t go with the sofa? What if, what if, what if…So you end up doing nothing and you feel like you’re always at the bottom of the mountain waiting for courage to finally set in.

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Thoughts About Christmas…and Life

Dec
17
2011
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Where do you spend Christmas? Do you travel back to where it all began in your home town or does everyone come to you? Almost eight years ago we moved to our current home which is over a 3 hour drive to either of our parents or siblings. Since that day we have always spent Christmas back home and I have to admit that I became a little less motivated to decorate our home for the holidays because of it. Of course we’ve always put up a tree and a few other decorations, but it has been pretty minimal. I love to decorate and I always thought that someday when we were hosting Christmas again, I’d go all out.

This year I became inspired to do more after realizing that Christmas isn’t a day that comes and goes, rather it’s a season. When I truly grasped that it isn’t about putting all my chips on that one day and getting caught up in the hustle and bustle preparing for it, I actually found that I wanted to do more leading up to Christmas than less. One would think doing more would equal additional stress, but the strange thing is that I’ve found more joy because of it. It simply took a change in mindset. No more living for what’s to come. It’s about enjoying each and every day.

{via the Nester on Pinterest}

I’m going to be honest and say that there are a few things we decreased this year. We downsized our gift buying and attended less parties. We’ll also be sleeping over at less places. Sometimes you have to take a step back and re-evaluate what works best for your family. Families grow and change. I believe in traditions, but if you’re doing things purely for tradition sake then you’re missing the point. Change is good and it’s necessary.

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Are You Living an Inspired Life?

Nov
3
2011
3 Comments
Go Confidently in the direction...

{via Flickr}

I think it may be the onset of fall (cold weather, darkness setting in earlier, the busy-ness of activites) that can make us feel a little je ne sais quoi- FLAT! I’m not saying I personally feel this way. In fact, most days I’m happy, excited, full of energy and ready for what’s going to unfold. But, I will say that I’m ready to get into my PJ’s and curl up with a good book or watch a favorite TV show much earlier than I am in the summer. I don’t see that as a bad thing, just a change in my regular routine.

I was speaking to a friend the other day and it seems like so much is going on in her life right now that she’s finding it difficult to ignite the spark of change. You know that feeling of being overwhelmed, held down, uninspired and not knowing what to do to turn things around. It seems like a common theme- kids unmotivated at school for no apparent reason, husbands coming home from work and plopping down on the couch, mothers fed up with making all the meals and keeping the house together- day in, day out. We’ve all gone through phases like this in our lives (at least if we’re being truly honest) and it seems impossible to get out.

When I stopped and thought about what led me to where I am now in my life, I can’t really pinpoint one incident. I’ve had several “a-ha” moments, but I can’t say any one in particular was an absolute game changer. What I can share is that until I got really honest about who I was and what my passions were, I fell into this trap so much more than I do now. I consciously made a decision to stop living my life to please others or to fit in society’s box. I put one foot in front of the other on a path to living in a way that felt right for ME. And you know what? Things started to turn around. I began to see things shift and the authentic me really started to emerge.

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Are You and Your Home Speaking the Same Language?

Oct
24
2011
3 Comments

I have a confession to make. I don’t always practice what I preach. I am the biggest advocate for creating a home that nurtures your most contented self. In fact, my career involves helping people do this on a daily basis. In a sense I’m like the shoemaker. It’s not that my home is a total disaster. There are rooms I absolutely love being in and most areas are properly organized. However, I don’t feel greeted when I open my front door and, although my kitchen is washed in beautiful sunshine most days, I don’t have the gourmet aspects I crave- yet.

I used to tell myself my next house would be the one I’d really make into a home. This house was only temporary and I didn’t want to sink a bunch of time and resources into it. It was okay that it didn’t reflect our family and that it wasn’t my dream home, because I would have that in my next house. How many times have you told that to yourself?

“A house is made with walls and beams. A home is made with love and dreams.”  ~Author Unknown

It wasn’t that long ago that I realized how much our environment can affect our lives and how the state of our homes can represent something much deeper. For instance, an unfinished room can indicate something left undone in the past, such as a relationship that ended suddenly. Every time you enter this room you get a wave of negative emotions that can alter your mood for the day. This down feeling is something I experienced every time I entered my office. It is a room that is mostly for ME, so it was at the bottom of my to-do list for a long time. Then I had a revelation- this is the room I spend the most waking hours in. Shouldn’t it be beautiful? Now, with only a few finishing touches left to go, I enter each morning with a smile on my face, stay much more focused and organized, and best of all, totally inspired. (I’ll be blogging about the transformation soon.)

By tapping into your instincts and noting your reactions, you too can create beautiful rooms that nourish your eye and nurture your soul.

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