For my many blog readers NOT residing in the state of North Carolina … what can I say? So sorry! It’s unlikely you can hop a plane or hitch a ride to the after-Market sample sale  in High Point later this month that we are hosting. Crack open your piggy banks. It’s cash ONLY but the markdowns are mammoth!  Some friends and I  are cleaning out our warehouses and we have everything from furniture to lots of accessories! The sale is in the TEXTURE showroom and they have plenty of special deals as well. Tell your friends, put on your digging around attire and come have fun with us!

My mother would love this cobbled together elegance – from mismatched tables and chairs to jelly jars full of flowers. (Just don’t serve pizza in a box!) To mix holiday themes, think of this as a Mother’s Day valentine to my own inimitable, stylish mom many miles away. To my one-true mom and all the nuturers in my life, a happy day to you!

Do you know the difference between a present and a gift? Are they exact synonyms? Hummm, not quite. Presents are won or earned. They are coveted and reward-like. I think gifts are of slightly higher order. Gifts are bestowed and given freely rather than due. Gifts, I believe,  are tangible tokens of love.

Something to think about as Mother’s Day nears. Personally, I’m shopping for special gifts for the moms on my list. And, large or small, expensive or hand-made, the very best gifts are wrapped with creativity and care … like this little firestarter below to inspire weekend shopping. For now, it’s a wrap!

Some of my earliest creative exploratories as a child came at Easter time. I loved to color eggs (and I still do). I remember all the egg coloring accoutrements of my childhood: the pungent vinegar, primary color tablets, hot water, crayons, decals and, of course, the pristine eggs themselves – hardboiled, expressionless and daring me to be creative. Easter is about a week away. Young, old, or in between, it’s time to…

I think it’s pretty well known that I love opposing ideas. But, I am hardly a combative type. I like the fun, the challenge and the richness of bringing disparte things together. One of my favorite juxtapositions is the idea of “necessary indulgences.” Necessary suggests bare-bones, no-frills, got-to-have-it-to-get-by. Indulgence, of course, is pure whimsy and frolic. Ah, I know you’re with me! In combination “necessary indulgences” are quite the exotic potion.

I’m not a rule-maker, but I love a list. Indulge me. Today, I’m happy to share three of these little necessary indulgence jewels: channel your inner princess in a posh-rural setting; make a pretty potion; and take a time-out to air-out.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. These are precisely the kinds of things I’m doing as you read today’s blog. It’s called holiday. Vacation is the ultimate necessary indulgence. Be back to the drawing board soon.

May I be the LAST to wish you a happy Valentine’s Day and blow air kisses and hugs across cyberspace. Actually, I think love, romance and passion ought to be an everyday affair. C’est la vie! Don’t you agree? That’s my kernal of truth for the weekend!

Interior design is my first love. But a very creative and very logical next step has led me and the LSI team to the world events. After all, it’s really a short hop, skip and a jump from creating beautiful interiors to staging fabulous events, parties and even weddings. In fact, it’s my clients who’ve reached out and asked us to creatively mastermind and manage special events from A to Z. I believe the Luxe Life can be a place or an event, but it must always be an experience. This is oxygen to me! Take a look at a few of our eventful snapshots below.  And if you want to elevate your next special occasion, call!

I love juxtapositions so no wonder that self-deprecating everyday funny girls (and BFFs) Tina Fey and Amy Poler decked out in glitter and lamé (with Liberace as a backdrop) just make my day. And, certainly my Sunday night.

Happy Friday. Will you be golden globing on Sunday nite?

May we be among the last to say Happy New Year! (Presumably you stayed up past midnight last night.) Today we’ll hear lots of buzz and chatter about resolutions, those high-minded, lofty plans we have to reinvent ourselves for a fresh new year. I always try to look at things from a different point of view (yes, I’m a contrarian), so I’m focusing on what I call DEresolutions. These are small-but-significant things I’m going to subtract from my life to make it better. DEresolutions are all about loving life and removing obstacles. Here are my top five:

1. Leave home more. I love my space, but I want to break out of my comfort zone.

2. Banish pomme frittes from my diet (excepting special occasions).

3. Stop trying to do less. So I like to be busy and stimulated. Is it crime? Embrace activity!

4. Ignore negative thinking. I’m sandbagging here. This is an easy one. I naturally gravitate to optimists.

5. Don’t run a marathon. Can I learn to be satisfied with the mastery of just 13.1 miles?

image via.