I'll be back

I won't be around for awhile, but I will be back.

Suzanne Somers' Home

magical . . .

The Other Unloved Color

A while back I learned that most of my readers disliked the colors orange and purple. I have recently done a post on the color "orange", but I don't think I changed anyone's mind. Most of you continued to dislike it . . .

While visiting my friend Greet's blog , "Belgian Pearls" http://belgianpearls.blogspot.com/ I saw the most amazing purple rooms. Greets was happy to share these images with you. Are these not the most beautiful spaces . . . and don't you dare miss that orange chair . . .

So, I am wondering, have I changed anyone's mind with this "Purple " post?

Time to Pay it Forward

A few weeks ago I won Oakview Cottage's Pay it Forward!

http://cstower.blogspot.com/ I have never won anything and it was very exciting to wait for a surprise . . . The package arrived Tues. and it had this beautiful apron , a note pad and the sweetest card from Cindy S. Cindy made the apron herself ! I just loved it. But, so did my youngest daughter Leah, and I am afraid it has already left me . . . You see, Leah's birthday is this coming up Sat. and for her Birthday we have been getting things for her kitchen. Her colors are black and white and the apron matched her dishes perfectly. I admit I was just as happy to see her take it as I was to receive it . . .always the mother. . . So now it's my turn to Pay it Forward ! Just leave a comment and I will have a drawing. You must agree to continue to pay it forward . If you do not have a blog, just leave a e-mail address with your comment. Thanks again Cindy, from both Leah and I, we loved it.

Design Lesson ~ Declutter

because things have a way of piling up . . .

Get to know Ms. Bowers

Dallas, Texas designer Shannon Bowers' home shows how one can take a once dark Georgian House and turn it into a pale "European Dream", bathed in sunlight.

Shannon is the daughter of Houston designer Pamela Pierce, so she comes by her passion for decorating naturally. I can definitely see Pierce's influence in her daughters work . . . can you?

Bowers decorates with practicality in mind . . . as a mother with two young children, she will tell you her home is filled with activity. So she wanted it to be as serene as possible, note the lack of pattern.

Like the homes she decorates for clients, her own home reflects her personal sense of style while allowing everyone to feel at ease . . . Beautiful, warm and comfortable. I love her style, how about you?

The Power of Color

Color has the power to rev up a decorating scheme or calm it down . The choice depends on the room and the hues that you crave.

Color is very personal . . . most of you know that I have a strong dislike for the color "Blue," but I read over and over that it is a calming color. Trust me, it does not calm me, and my poor daughters have been programed to hate it too . . .

Are you fearless when it comes to color, or do you prefer to live in the land of "Beige" ? I guess if the "land of beige" comes in the form of a "Sara Scaglione" room, we could all live quite well . . .

You're Styling . . .

You can admit it or not, but you're styling . . . Look around , your style clues are everywhere. Which colors do your wear? Do you dress for comfort or elegance? Do you dress in bold pattern or time tested classics?

Be honest . . . what do you really love? Start collecting things you respond to, pull pages from magazines, pick up a few paint chips and fabric samples. Keep your options open and leave the editing for later.

I am working on my new guest room! Can you guess what style it is going to be? Look around and tell me, just how are you styling?

Style Maker

"Darling, it's simply Eddie."
http://www.eddieross.com/eddie_ross/