The other evening after a full day Sally said to me, “Today it felt like several days came at me all at once!” I agreed heartily. I have set several resolutions and goals for myself and the business, all of which need to be worked on and launched in parallel. (More on that another day…) The consequence, is a very fast pace these days… Some might call it relentless.

 In spite of the fact that time is one of the few things you can’t get back, I’ve made the seemingly incongruous decision to take a certain amount of time in the morning, around noon time and in the evening making it sacred, where I will not talk or think about work. I believe in the long run, it will enable me to work more efficiently and effectively.

What prompted this decision was that I found myself looking at very particular kinds of images as I was going through more old design magazines this past weekend. They were all restful and serene.

In one, I might imagine myself reading a book,

while in another; it would be sipping a morning cup of tea or hot chocolate as I backed myself into the day.

Maybe a little inspirational reading before the day begins.

A place to read at the end of the day.

I suppose a nap here and there would be most restorative…

I put this in because I love butterflies. Butterflies make me feel good.

Hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday!

 Cheers,

Note: Other than the second to last image,which is taken from John Saldino’s book Style these are from old design magazines I’ve been purging. I realized after the fact that I didn’t note which picture came from what magazine.

Recently I had an experience that I would like to share with you. And I’d like to know if this type of experience has affected you, too.  It was the power of something (in this case wallpaper) to make me happy. This is about the power of the visual to satisfy us, to make us smile, to bring contentment.

I had a new wallpaper sample pinned to my bulletin board at the office. I came into work the next morning and, as my eyes lit upon the wallpaper, an immediate smile came to my lips. It was enough of a reaction for me to stop and gauge my senses. I realized (yet again) the power of the visual to influence me and change my attitude for the better.

This is what my world of interior design is built around. The principle of making spaces for us to inhabit that make our lives better. And the further belief, that if we make our lives better, we are able to pass that feeling along in every interaction we have with others that day.

Sample on my bulletin board

This wallpaper is a beautiful blue-azure, with hummingbirds. The artistry in making wallpaper goes well beyond what most of us think about. An artist creates a little piece of art for each pattern of wallpaper. So much about this particular wallpaper is the delineation of the birds – their attitudes, their feet, their wings, their tail feathers. All of this detail comes at our eyes in one big rush – we just take it in and appreciate. In my case, it made me smile. It made me happy to see those hummingbirds, in their particular attitude, and it started my day off right.

Beautiful, and atmospheric, drawing of Hummingbird

Think of the countless ways you and I could start our day off right by creating the right environment in which to live. Ahh, what a goal to aspire to!