It’s official. Today I am once again the mother of a teenager. It seems like just yesterday that a 5 pound baby was placed in my arms. (2 week old Sweet Boy with an enamored Ann Curry.)   As a rule he doesn’t like photos. It’s “One and done.” Begging him for “just one more” he shows his funny side by giving me “the model pose”. The move has been hard on him. He’s been eating lunch alone at school every day. As his mom this breaks my heart. You remember middle school don’t you? ... View the Post

In the last few days that we were packing up our home in Phoenix we lived in a hotel. One night I was out rather late taking the dogs for their last evening constitutional before bed. I spied an extremely thin man sitting on the curb by the back door we were nearing. Rudi the dachshund seems to have the uncanny ability to sense when someone needs a dog. Time and again Eric and I have remarked that he would have made an excellent hospital aide dog. At our approach the man’s face lit up. (Wiener ... View the Post

Have you recently downsized and are struggling to make your new living arrangements work?Two of my all time favorite clients, Ron and Suzi, were so saddened to hear Mr. Décor and I were moving. Over the course of 8 years I had decorated two of their homes with Mr. Décor as my wonderful handyman. Last year they moved into a wonderful senior living complex. We worked together to downsize from their 3000 square foot home to a 1500 square foot apartment and their place turned out beautifully. Suzi ... View the Post

I recently had a client with an empty room and a minimal budget. The carpeting was in excellent condition and the paint color was a nice neutral. I did suggest that the dated window covering come down. When the clients budget allows, simple panels will shine until then a clean look is fine. Media cabinets can be pretty expensive. My solution was to take an IKEA “Kallax” bookcase and turn it on its side. The television can sit right on top and baskets can later be added to control ... View the Post

I found this darling dining set in an unloved corner of Goodwill. It was just what a client was looking for. It was a well built mid century set made of maple by Mainewoods furniture. All of the pieces received a good scrubbing and light sanding. Other than one area on the tabletop that needed a bit of wood filler, it was in amazing shape. I always begin by painting my pieces up side down. Then I give them a day…or two depending on my schedule… to dry before flipping them over to ... View the Post

I love stripes on walls. I love horizontal stripes.I like vertical stripes. I like striped walls in offices. I think they look great in reading nooks. As well as in wee closets. They are even better in bathrooms.When done right, they can look fabulous on ceilings. Right before we moved from Phoenix I found a bedspread for Sweet Guys room that he liked.You may remember I had just used some Rit dye on some bedding we already had for a temporary solution. But he loves stripes and the price was ... View the Post