What holiday traditions do you remember? What are the traditions you’ll pass down from generation to generation….
We have a tradition of purchasing ornaments everywhere we go. We have also made some by hand in our early marriage years when we couldn’t afford to go anywhere or do anything.
Ornaments celebrate our memories, memories of moments in time where we were on family trips or celebrated family accomplishments or hobbies.
We have ornaments that represent dance, soccer, tennis, golf and we have beach vacation ornaments or amazing ornaments from trips abroad. We also have ornaments that we made because we had no money to purchase them., they are meaningful and special in their own way and we remember making them with family members.
They don’ take up a lot of room and they are cheaper and easier than buying art or vases or (insert large souvenir) and they are so easy to pack and they provide that same joy of remembrance when you unpack it each year and hang it on your tree. You remember the moment, the experience that you had in that moment or on that trip.
They are not expensive and yet, they represent the journey of your life experiences…. VALUE that! YOU are you… and you have your own traditions, trips, experiences and more that can be expressed through ornaments….
I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas with a traditional Christmas Tree but this tradition means a lot to me…. what means a lot to you?
So here’s the deal…. Covid screwed up everything…. I know you know….. but it’s different for everyone! In my case, the company I was representing closed in April and I had to figure out what to do with the rest of my life! It’s time to embrace change!
I’m 53.. so it was just time to re-invent myself….. I’ve done it many times…. FromBroadwayactress to Interior Designer to Direct Sales leader…. I’m not afraid of change and I’m happy to embrace it. I admit, however, that I was feeling a little lost not having a purpose but I was embracing the freedom of summer.
Actually…. let’s go there, CHANGE is something we can all count on… Why are people so opposed to change? The more we embrace change the more adaptable we are. Isn’t that what we want ultimately? Adaptability to different situations should be a positive trait, right?
Anyway, I was minding my own business.. enjoying summer and the freedom of NOT doing anything for a few months and a girlfriend I worked with 20 years ago messaged me….A new start up?
Okay, okay… I wasn’t going to sell ANYTHING EVER again…. Sales is hard. You can’t take NO personally. Some people want to tear you down because they don’t want to be “sold” on anything… they want to find it themselves or they are jealous because you are taking a risk that they aren’t willing to take and they low-key want you to fail simply because they are not willing to take the risk themselves. Mind you, this is not everyone. People who are confident in their own skin will be happy for you or are just happy being a consumer and that’s okay. At this age and stage, I am very aware of who those people are.
I’m not afraid to tell you I am a product junkie… I love trying things and I love figuring out what I love and don’t love about stuff….. If I love it I can sell it….it’s not about anything other than that. I have to believe in it… and I have to believe to the bottom of my gut that what I am selling is good and benefits others..
Fast forward… Covid taught me that what I am selling needs to be consumable, responsible, needs to solve a problem and needs to be something that can ship to your door. Am I right?
So I stumbled upon a start up…. RISKY, I get it.. but truly, a phenomenal product at a reasonable price and it works! Sign me up!
So here I am finding myself promoting another brand that I feel is GREAT!!! I believe in it… it’s good! Actually it’s GREAT!
Can it help solve the worlds problems… no… but it can help us with hair issues? We may not be dressing up, we may not be doing much socially, but we do have pride in our hair… our confidence may even depend on it.. we wan’t to be a healthy version of ourselves when we do actually get out of this crazy Covid nightmare.
I’m excited for my next chapter. I’m excited that I’m taking a risk on myself because I truly believe that what I am doing now is helping others… and that, my friend, is what it’s all about! If I can help someone feel happier or more confident with their hair or if I can help someone start a business from home and make additional income that can truly help them with their finances or if I can help someone feel connected to a community in this Covid isolation then I am EXCITED!!! Thanks for listening!
I know we are basically home all summer and we have time to water the plants every single day, but it gets tiresome sometimes. Every day you have to pull out the hose or a pitcher and water, water, water….
My mom used to say, necessity is the mother of invention, so when we went out of town to a friends shore house for the weekend, I didn’t feel like asking someone to water the plants, so I got to Googling… is that a word?
Here’s where I got creative…
Remember those little watering globes for houseplants? I wondered if a wine bottle would work the same way.
I summoned empty wine bottles from my neighbors and I stuck a bottle, filled with water, in heavily watered soil upside down and let it go! Luckily for me, I had a friend come by and check on them. Some plants needed a extra drink or two but generally, the method worked. The bottles drained too fast for the hot weather, so I went to Amazon. I found terra-cotta watering spikes and I quickly ordered them. Here’s the link! https://www.amazon.com/s?k=watering+spikes+for+outdoor+plants&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
The Amazon reviews said they were fragile but they arrived in tact! Whew!
I watered all my plants super thoroughly to soften the soil, I then soaked the spikes in water to get them ready to insert and I carefully inserted them into the soil so that they were right above or at soil level.
So here’s the bottom line! IT WORKS! The plants definitely drink at their own pace, some faster and some slower due to sun, heat etc. On super hot days your thirstiest plants, which for me is a potted tomato plant and basil plant, will require additional watering because they get so hot they can’t get the water fast enough… but it truly works at keeping your plants hydrated and allows me to not have to monitor them so closely! I’m a fan of my new watering system… even if it looks like my plants have a drinking problem!
I hope this helps you as well! Share this tip with all your plant loving friends! Stay hydrated!
I am a trained Interior Designer but have not practiced in a while! Recently…. My daughter told me she never liked the lime green that I had painted her walls when she was 5! LOL! I tried so hard not to decorate a room in traditional pinks and purple “girl” colors when she was little…. I chose a great palate with lime green and raspberry that was fun and youthful, not too little girly that would transition into teens and I do feel like I did that effectively.
Now she’s 17 and about to go off to college and we are re-doing her room for Christmas into a more “mature” palate. Why, you ask, would I re-decorate her room before she leaves us in 6 months? Well, first of all, I’m ready for a change but secondly, I want her to enjoy it for a while and own it …. I want it to feel like “hers” before she leaves so she can enjoy it as “hers” when she comes back!
I’ll post some before and after shots but the “before” will depend on when she doesn’t have clothes strewn all over the room and on the floor (remember, she is still a teenager)
The “green/blue” lattice and solid will be in the adjacent bath and her room will be a soft gray paint from Benjamin Moore #harbourgray with a geometric print on the window and different scale prints for pillows and accent trim.
With today’s more gray palates being more “in style” it’s hard to transition the “golds” into the gray palates but with some fabrics, I think we can effectively do just that!
Stay tuned for some before and after shots! It may take a month but I’ll get there!
What room in your house do you want to re-do? Some people don’t place a lot of emphasis on this sort of thing but I think our interior has so much to do with our mood and our energy! We need to get energy out of a space… whether we want calm or energizing, bright and bold or muted and serene. What’s your ideal space look like? Clean and simple, colorful, neutral, or do you have a favorite color that really makes you feel good?
Does anyone else feel like they are just coming out of their summer “fog”? I am. It seems to take a while to get back in the groove after having no schedule in the summer. Don’t get me wrong… summer was productive. It wasn’t just sitting by the pool and sipping drinks….. we got a lot of projects done around the house but it has seriously taken me until MID- October to feel like things are settling into a groove! Crazy!
So… The reason I said “Happy New Year” is because I think August or September (depending on when your school starts) should be the NEW YEAR! It’s a time when we start over…. refresh…. get into a routine again after a summer of being less structured. Kids go back to school, Mom’s start to get things in order around the house.. and maybe start to take care of themselves again. Work schedules out of the house seem more relaxed during the summer because everyone is on vacation here and there and Fall, well, everyone is back to business! Even the calendars you buy at the store either begin in January or academic calendars begin in EITHER July or August? How confusing!
I seem to place less emphasis on the “new year” in January and seem to feel a lot more inclined to start over and start fresh in September? How about you?
I begin to eat healthy again after a summer of indulgences…. I begin to exercise again because there is a routine and I begin to organize after a summer of having everyone in the house. September seems to be MY new year!
So… I am taking it on… Got new glasses to start off the “new me” and I’m back to cooking healthy and eating better! I’m reflecting on the past with perspective… and dreaming of my future.
Are you ready to see some posts because I took most of the summer off? What do you want to hear more of? Here are my passions: Decorating, entertaining, fashion & accessorizing, product junkie, food and cooking, parenting, travel, some DIY projects, and Organization and business! I feel like my years of experience can serve me well as I’m venturing into the “mature adult” phase of my life! Tell me what you want to hear more of! I’d love to share!
I am actually trying to lose some holiday weight that’s accumulated over many holidays I think…. but in the meantime, while I am NOT purchasing clothing since I do plan on being thinner….. I can accessorize my current wardrobe with some jewelry and look thinner in the process! It also helps me to feel complete when I go out… even if I’m wearing an outfit I’ve had a while, jewelry simply dresses things up a bit… even a t-shirt as shown below! (great for travel too)
Women typically wear a pendant necklace… usually something meaningful to them or just simply trendy or nothing at all. Notice how adding a few longer thin and lightweight necklaces can actually draw your eye vertically…. making you not only look thinner but even taller than you are! Your visual lines are vertical not horizontal.
Layering jewelry is also very trendy right now… but it can be intimidating at best! You want to know how to do it right… and that is what I sincerely love about eSBe Designs Jewelry!
I have learned a lot by representing our designer and well, it’s like Garanimals! Everything mixes and matches flawlessly… because we have ONE designer.. not a design team but one talented American designer that designs every single piece!
So while you are exercising and eating healthy to shed a few pounds to get into that swimsuit….the right jewelry can transition you flawlessly into the next size down.
Are you tired of your wardrobe? Accessorize! It’s a sure-fire way to update that little black dress or that sweater! Whatever the wardrobe… the accessories give it that UPDATE!
It’s all about the shoes, the handbag and the jewelry! For REAL! If you are wearing the same little necklace you’ve always worn… the dress looks the same. If you accessorize with new updated pieces… it can look like an entirely different outfit!
As you go into the weekend, I will challenge you to freshen up your accessories and if you need help, Text me…. or send me an email with a photo of your outfit! I’d love to help you select some pieces to update your wardrobe!
Here’s two photos I took last week…. same new jewelry…. two completely different looks…. What if I had only worn my little necklace I had always worn? Think about it and let me help you! So much fun to create new looks with new pieces! I love my job!!!
Okay.. .this is not about eyes but EYEBROWS! They are necessary! I am kind of blonde….. so my eyebrows are pretty thin and light…. check out the photo above! Which Eyebrow looks better and makes my eyes stand out more?
( waiting )
I’m not telling but you can guess below! I used a product I got at Sephora that I love! It’s like a mascara brush for your eyebrows! Not only does it enhance the natural color but it tames them with a gel! It’s like double duty for your eyebrows! Have you ever tried a product like this or this one? Tell me about it! Let’s share the best eybrow products you’ve tried!
Some trends are worth trying toupdate your wardrobe withoutchanging your wardrobe!
Personally… I love updating with accessories! They are easy, they always fit, and they give your existing wardrobe a lift! Don’t get me wrong, I love shopping for clothes too but I tend to be more “safe” in my fashion choices… while updating with accessories!
Here’s a few for Spring according to Glamour Magazine!
1. Round Glasses – Now personally… not sure they will look good on my face… so I may pass on this trend unless I happen to try some on I like….
2. Open back flat Mules – Doable! Fairly comforable… not particularly easy to walk in but cute! I’ll try this one!
3. Tassels! I love this trend! You’ll find it on hand bags, belts and jewelry! (probably more too) I’ve been wearing some tassels for the past year. The jewelry designer I work with, Sara Blaine, from esbe Designs Jewelry introduced tassels last year and we have added more! She is truly a visionary when it comes to accessories!
Here are a few of my favorites! Add them to your wardrobe at ANY price point! If you’d like to check them out… go to my Virtual Catalog and then shop my website or message me! I’d love to help you shop trends for less!
