A Daily Dose

These last few weeks have been a bit topsy turvy, 

and last night found me just wishing for a few serene hours;  

with nothing more to think about than what we were having dinner,

 and whether or not I should tackle the gray hair that keeps peeking at me through the mirror.  

While I try to keep current with my media work, 

I have to confess
that my business Facebook page has always been my daily dose of comfort and indulgence. 

At first, I worried about pleasing everyone, and I wanted to fit my posts into an exact design formula, but I quickly realized that all anyone wants is for you to be yourself.

They want to get to know you, then decide whether they like you or not. 

If you just show one side of who you are then people get bored,
and it all starts to feel a little fake. 

I like not planning my posts.
Being able to go from sharing a quick recipe for the perfect scone,
 to gushing about a favorite new designer and exploring the latest trend in treetop homes.   

Of course, not every post will knock your socks off, 

but it isn't meant to. 

It is merely a snippet of a little something that will hopefully make you smile as you pass on by. 

If you want to check out my blue giraffe daily Facebook page, just click the title below, 

and, if you would like some help creating your own one blog or page, just ask.

Wendy and the Blue Giraffe

The Beauty of Ordinary Things

The other day I went to sleep with most of the windows open. It was one of those deliciously breezy nights, where I almost didn't care whether I slept or not; all I wanted to do was listen to the trees, feel the cool air, and dream of sweet, Summer days.

But, because of the breeze (enough to send a vase flying, and knock almost everything off my desk) I balled up a t-shirt and put it against the bedroom door to stop it from slamming shut. As I lay back in bed, thinking my lovely thoughts, all I could think of was that I had just crumpled up one of my favorite tops. Yes, it needed a wash, but now it would also be covered in dog hair, the cat will probably sleep on it, and the image of it being on the floor didn't exactly fit in with all of my idyllic imagining.... So, I got up, put it in the laundry hamper and grabbed a favorite rock off my dresser to place against the door instead (everyone has rocks in their bedroom, right?).

This week, inspired by my favorite rock, I wanted to share with you some photographs of a few ordinary, beautiful things.



Photograph Credits:
CHANDELIER - Wendy's,  BUTTONS - Kate Kessling,  HELLO MAT - The Store,  PLATES - Pinterest, SOAP DISH Pinterest,
MASON JAR SOAP DISPENSER - She Knows,  EGGS - Wendy's,  SHAVING CUP -  Butcher Shop Glasgow,
STRING TIN - Pinterest,  I LOVE CAKE - Pinterest,  ROCK DOOR STOP - Shelterness,  DUTCH OVEN - Ebay

The Memory Dance

I was watching the Rachel Ray show the other day, where uber Organizer, Peter Walsh, was talking to Regis Philbin about how to declutter his memorabilia room. Regis, a collector and a celebrity, is the recipient of so many awards and accolades, and had an entire room filled with wonderful memories; everything from autographed football helmets to vintage posters and designer clothing. But, for all his celebrity status, he was just like us, and his biggest fear was that Peter was going to see it as "too much stuff", and tell him to get rid of it.

But he didn't, because it wasn't about value, or taking up too much space, it was about memories, and I loved seeing the relief on Regis' face when he was told that everything could stay (but it just needed to be a little more organized). Nothing was going to be thrown away.

This was Peter's philosophy...

I have paraphrased what he said, but Peter is right; if something is that important (or sentimental) that you want to keep it, then give it meaning, and put it away safely, or display it well, and, most importantly, have it accessible...... Be able to find it. If you can't find it, or see it, is it really that important?

Watching the show reminded me that I will always be a sentimental clutterer, and I don't have to force myself to live in a spartan house or get rid of things that seem too old, all I have to do is honor my memories, visit them often, and use them to feed and nourish my happiness ...

A Day in Bed

Every designer and health guru will tell you to take the technology out of your bedroom. It should be a retreat; a peaceful space to begin and end your day, to sleep, read, and do whatever else makes you happy. No clutter, no clothes on the floor, no unmade beds, and definitely no television.

But bed can be a wonderful place to be, and binge-watching television has become a current, cultural addiction, so put them together and the odds are that many of your favorite shows are probably already being watched in bed.

We all know a bedroom should be quiet and calm, but it can also be a place to indulge, so if you want to spend a day watching television, why not make a plan, order the pizza, pull up the covers, and have some fun.

Ideally, choose a day, write it on your calendar, and tidy up your bedroom the day before. The point is to make it as minimal and calm as you can, so you can concentrate on whatever you are watching, and feel a little spoiled at the same time. If you can't be bothered to clean properly, just grab everything and get it out of sight; put it in garbage bags if you want, shove it in the closet, or hide it in your teenager's room (they might not even notice).

Then, I would make up the bed with clean sheets and pillows. I know, I know, it's a pain sometimes, but there is nothing more blissful than getting into a freshly made bed. Plan what you will wear, and again, it should be clean, not that shirt that you cooked dinner in last night, or that the dog has been sniffing at all day.

Run the vacuum if you are inclined, or not, but pick up any rubbish or things that shouldn't be lying on the floor in the first place. By now, it should be looking quite nice, and you may even feel a little tempted to go to bed already, but you need to think about food, drinks and snacks.

Plan ahead, and buy some things that you love (finger food is best); you don't want to spend your day rooting around the refrigerator for leftover's, or having to decide between cooking an entire chicken or spooning up an old yogurt. And, do you have a night table to put these things on, or do you need to bring up something? Are you a fancy tray person, or are you a shove everything in a bag type of person? Even if you are the bag type of person, you need a hard surface, within arm's reach, to put your drink on in between scenes (no matter how thirsty I am, I can't hold a drink and watch Sons of Anarchy at the same time. And, I can't watch it at night either, but that's another story...).

So, you have your bedroom ready, and your snacks are organized. Oh, while I think about it, do you need a garbage bin somewhere nearby? Perhaps a little one, just in case your snacks are of the crinkly bag type.

The other thing I would probably do is turn off my phone, but that is entirely up to you. It's your day, and if you don't mind fielding calls and texting then go right ahead.

I think that's about it. Oh, one last thing..... don't feel guilty. For goodness sake, there is no point in planning a day in bed if you are going to feel that you should be doing something else, or that you are being some drain on society because you're not running all over town like an organized chicken with your head cut off. (The world will really be okay without you).

We do all need some time off, and if you decide to spend your time watching television in bed, then that could very well end up being one of the best day's ever...