Designing Our Lives

I believe that we design our lives just as we design our homes or offices. We decide what to include, what to revamp, where to spend our resources - be it time or money. It is an ongoing process, I think. Today, I am reflecting a bit on my own life design...and I am soaking in life.

I am also thinking about how all of our lives are a type of weaving...our spouse, children, work, hobbies, family, friends, school, community...just like our designs are a weaving of the various elements.

Life has suddenly become very hectic here and in the middle of the whirlwind of activity between WEAVE IDeAS, networking, volunteer work, family, friends, and the wonderful, short Ohio gardening season, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and I find myself putting on the brakes and stepping back. Stepping back so that I do not miss any of my wonderful life.

It is the last day of school here in our district and my son, Alex, is pretty excited and happy. I am feeling the strumming of a few heart strings and I don't want to rush and miss any of this good stuff. Alex is finishing 11th grade and I know that we are closing in on his last year of school and his last year with us.

I have always taken photos of my boys on their first and last day of school each year. (Alex's first day of 11th grade pictured right) I wanted to record their changes over each year and follow their progress. I have really enjoyed this process and I think that they have secretly felt proud and loved that their Mom celebrated their growth and accomplishments. In retrospect, I should have purchased a fun set of house numbers and had Dustin and Alex hold the numbers that corresponded with their current school year. Oh well...perhaps it's an idea for you or someone in your family.

Alex today - last day of 11th grade - HURRAY!!! SUMMER VACATION!!!

This year's change has been HUGE. Facial hair....omg! Long hair...omg! He drives...omg! College searches...SAT...ACT...blink and I might miss this; I might be too busy to soak up our meaningful shared experience. I believe that we will both relish these memories in the future.


I know that I gave Alex his last ride to school this morning. Next year he will have his own car and will be driving himself. Where did the time go?





Out of the blue Alex decided two years ago that he wanted to play football. Prior to this he had not been involved in any sport - surprise! Football has been a wonderful experience for Alex and by extension, for me. Who knew there was such a thing as a "football Mom?" Pasta dinners for the team, post game parties, baking, set up and take down, games, car washes... the great stuff of life. Don't blink...

Yesterday, one of our "football Mom's" lost her long battle with cancer. She devoted the final year of her life to her sons and their love of football. She was there for everything and again I think about how we choose; how we are the ones who design our lives.

So, it's time for me to slow down a bit. Good design takes time and planning. Rush a design and you have a space that is disjointed or simply doesn't work - and you can feel it.

I don't want to rush through life, missing the all good stuff.

On days like today I am reminded that I need to slow down, be fully present, and enjoy my work, family and my surroundings because these wonderful things are at the heart and soul of my life design. Without them...it's just a white box.

Diana's New Home - Update

It has been an exciting week at Diana's new home. Several items have arrived all at once; the tile, the banquette, and the counter stools. I like it when everything comes together like this.


Diana's new banquette - picture left. It looks gorgeous in person!




We arranged to have the painter put an accent color on a wall in the Living Room and to continue that color on the adjacent wall in the Dining Room. We used Benjamin Moore, E-70 Annapolis Gray. It looks great!! I have a feeling that this will lead to more painting in the future.... My new painters from The Final Coat were terrific and I will absolutely use them again.


Our glass back splash tile arrived a bit early and we were able to arrange for the installation on Thursday. Diana's new home did not have any under cabinet lighting so we were able to have some lights installed just before the tile went in. We knew the lights would really accent the glass tile and we were right - it looks wonderful!! Thanks to Dave Kochis from Coach Electric for fitting us in on such short notice.

New glass tiles with new under cabinet lighting - what a difference!!!

Our Tile installer, Matthew Martin, was a perfectionist - I like that in a tile person. I didn't have to get out the "dots" that I use to mark the spots that need tweaking. For me that's a first and it says loads for Matt and his assistant Sam's level of quality workmanship.



I love the clean, fresh, up to date look of these linear tiles. I think it gives just the right punch and interest to Diana's kitchen.



We have a few more open items in this first phase. Our biggest challenge will be the window treatments. We have some privacy concerns and the "kitty claw" factor - so stay tuned to see our design solution for Diana's window challenge.

Timberframe Journal - Appliance Selections

We have just finished shopping for our kitchen appliances at a local dealer. I think that Lawry made some terrific selections and that he will really enjoy cooking and entertaining in his new kitchen.

There are tons of upgrades - lots of bells and whistles that can be added to kitchen appliances but in the end I think that the client has to decide if they will really utilize those upgrades and if they are worth the investment. I think our most difficult decision was whether to select the built-in SubZero or the KitchenAid - scroll down to see the final decision.

I cook a lot and I really use my warming drawer. I take great delight in being able to "hold" my food and in serving breakfast to friends and family on warmed plates - to me it's worth having, but to others, perhaps it's unnecessary. That's the beauty of custom - having something designed that's perfect for you.

So here are the appliances for Lawry's new kitchen. Very nice selections!

Vent A Hood Exhaust Fan Liner to be built-into our range hood. I have had this fan before and really liked it's capacity. My next step is to refine the range hood design to work around the timber posts and supports in the wall behind the stove - stay tuned to see my sketches and Lawry's final selection for the design.

Dacor 36" 6 Burner Duel Fuel Range in a stainless finish. We like the commercial quality ranges and all but one (Viking) are only available in a stainless finish - so stainless it is. I think that the oven may be a little small but Lawry doesn't bake a whole lot and there will be an oven in the Cooking Porch so in the end he felt that he can work with this slightly smaller oven capacity indoors. We got a great deal on this piece - sold!

Kitchenaid 42" French Door Refrigerator with bottom freezer - ordered panel ready to receive our custom panels from Rino's Woodworking. The french door model is perfect for us as we have limited door swing space - half doors equals half the needed door swing which will result in better circulation around our kitchen island.

Sharp Microwave Drawer for under cabinet installation. I like having the microwave lower with a slide out drawer for easy stirring and food access. This helps us keep our counters clear and with VERY limited upper cabinets (2), being located under the counter is our best bet for the microwave.

Asko Dishwasher - panel ready to match our cabinets. Rino's Woodworking will provide our custom panels. Lawry has had this model before and says it is soooo quite.

Kitchenaid Dishwasher - panel ready to match our cabinets. Rino's Woodworking will provide a custom panel for this piece as well.

Most of our appliances receive wood panels and will blend into the surrounding cabinets. The stove will "jump" a bit in stainless - I don't mind that. I like stainless (even if it's supposed to be "out" right now) and think that it will be just perfect. Our microwave will be located between two islands and under the counter facing away from the main living room, so this appliance will be mostly hidden. I think it will all be just perfect.

We will have another phase of appliance shopping for the Outdoor Cooking Porch to tackle in our future - complete with outdoor brick oven. I am hoping that I will be invited in the future for some of Lawry's world famous pizza after the oven is installed. :) Love pizza hot from the oven with a glass of wine! Can't wait!!

Spring Cleaning and Good Feng Shui

One of my Mother's rituals that I inherited/adopted is to do a good spring cleaning around the house. She would clean out the winter cob webs and get ready to open the windows and let the fresh air flood our house. Little did my Mom know that she was practicing one of the simple basics of good feng shui. Clear out the clutter to enable the good energy to flow in.



My newly adopted cat, Jax, recently made the need for a good spring cleaning around our house abundantly clear to me when he showed up on our steps with a HUGE cobweb draped about his head. He had been exploring the depths of our 85 year old basement and came up with this beauty. First came the laughter and then I was horrified to think that there was such a cobweb lurking in our house. Can you believe it? Yuck. Time for a good cleaning!!!



Feng shui is the art or practice of harmonizing the flow of energy. This energy flow is ever present externally, as in your home, or internally, as in your mind or emotions. Good feng shui eliminates the clutter to allow the energy to move about freely, not getting "hung up" or trapped by clutter.

My external environment is a huge influence on my internal environment. For me, messy surroundings equals a confusing mental state. If I clear out the clutter, I instantly feel better.

My favorite book on feng shui is "feng shui your life" by Jayme Barrett. It is a WONDERFUL resource on feng shui and I highly recommend it. Great reading, good photos and illustrations, and one of the best features is its easy to follow ideas for implementing feng shui principals immediately.







Jayme's first step in creating good feng shui is to the clear out the clutter. Her motto is "healthy energy is moving energy." How can the energy move if it is being obstructed by junk mail, magazines, dead plants, broken objects and things that don't work anymore? Get rid of it! Don't let accumulated stuff drain the energy out of your space and your mind. Purge!



Jayme has four great clutter-clearing questions:

Do I love it?

Do I use it?

Do I need it?

Does it evoke a positive feeling and make me smile?

These are all great benchmark questions to assist in you determining if something is energy giving and should stay or if it's energy robbing and should go. In past years I have eliminated many things while spring cleaning because they remind me of something unpleasant. Why would I weigh myself down either physically or emotionally?

When I clean out my spaces I am preparing the way for something new and energetic to enter my life. After this long winter - I am joyful and ready. Let the cleaning begin.

I think I will start with cleaning my billowy, white sheers that I use in the summer. I just love the fluttering dance that they do when the wind blows its fresh, new breath into my home.

Sandy's Garden - 2009

Gardening, cooking, flowers and design - what could be better?

Gardening is a form of therapy for me. I love the smell of dirt and feel most at peace when I am digging in the dirt. I even enjoy small doses of weeding - it makes me feel good. So, I am very excited that spring is here and it's time to garden outdoors again.

I ordered my seeds a little late this year and my greenhouse did not really warm up until recently, so I am a bit behind schedule.

I have always had some type of garden, wherever I lived. Currently, we have two veggie garden beds and one cutting flower bed. I keep expanding our garden a bit every year. My wonderful husband tills the soil and humors me when I ask for more and more garden real estate, more labor to turn the soil, and more assistance with planting and harvesting. Little did he know when we got married (3 years ago) that he would be a gardener too. He loves it now and I think that I have him hooked. We walk the garden most evenings reviewing the day's progress with a glass of wine and some wonderful conversation. More garden therapy.

For the past two years I have been trying to grow flowers for decorating my home in a cutting garden. A cutting garden is typically planted in rows to grow flowers en-mass with easy access for cutting. My first year was not successful. I planted wildflower seeds and had just a few flowers. Last year I had better success. I started seeds and had quite a few varieties that I could cut along with some glads and dahlias thrown in. The joy of having a constant supply of fresh flowers has spurred me on to plant a few more varieties along with my vow to keep better notes this year about what worked best and to plant my seeds earlier next year.

Here is a nice article recently published in The Cleveland Plain Dealer about growing a cutting garden. I especially like the list of best flowers for a cutting in this article. I will tuck this list away for next year as I have already planted this year's seeds. I like starting seeds because I can select the exact color and variety that I want.

The 2009 Flower Seed List

Inca II Yellow (Marigold/African)
Tempo Watermelon (Impatiens)
Grandiflora Choice Finest (Phlox)
King Size Mixed (Larkspur)
Cascade Blue (Lobelia)
Madame Butterfly Mixed (Snapdragon/tall)
Bells Of Ireland
Evolution (Salvia)
Double Mix (Acroclinium)
Tiger Paws Mix (Aster)
Pastel Shades (Statice)

Chabaud's Giant Double Improved Mix (Carnation/tall)

For decorating around the yard I selected the following grasses this year:
Jester (Millet)
Purple Majesty (Millet)

Pennisetum Ruppelianum (Fountain grass)

Seedlings in my greenhouse

I saw this picture of a table setting by John Bossard for Erin Vorhoff in Southern Accents. What a gorgeous vase of Bells of Ireland!! So - I have started Bells of Ireland and we'll see what happens. :)

Bells of Ireland

I always grow marigolds - super easy from seed. I have always heard that they are a good bug repellent. I am not sure if this is true, but they looks so nice in a garden that I add them here and there.

Aster - Tiger Paw variety.

Impatient - Watermelon

Acroclinium







Fountain Grass

Purple Majesty Millet

The Veggie List for 2009

Jalapeno Goliath Hybrid Pepper
Packet Big Beef Hybrid Tomato
Roma Tomato
Sugar Lump Tomato
Blue Lake Bush Bean
Cannellini Bean
Red Cloud Hybrid Beet
Stonehead Hybrid Cabbage
Sweetness I I I Hybrid Carrot
Poinsett 76 Cucumber
Packet Mammoth Dill
Packet Fairy Tale Eggplant
Genovese Basil
Cilantro Delfino
Red Salad Bowl Lettuce
Simpson Elite Lettuce
Delicious 51 Muskmelon
Eclipse Supersweet Pea
Golden Summer Hybrid Pepper
Red Beauty Hybrid Pepper
Connecticut Field Pumpkin
Early Scarlet Globe Radish
New Zealand Tetragonia Spinach
Summer Medley Hybrid Squash
Waltham Butternut Squash
Silver Princess Sweet Corn
Kleckley Sweets Watermelon
Red Norland Potato
Norkotah Potato

The 2008 Garden Plan pictured above was pretty successful. The new trellis system for tomatoes was excellent!! Great way to tie up tomatoes.

This year I am trying a summer medley mix of squash. Packet said to start indoors - starting squash indoors is a first for me.






I have such trouble with cucumber beetles. My seedlings look so happy - I almost hate to take them outside.





This year I have planted Big Beef, Roma, and Sugar Lump (cherry) tomatoes. The seed company also sent me several packets of experimental varieties and I started those tomatoes as well. The experimental variety was slow to germinate and is a little less hardy looking so far.









The cabbage is desperate to be transplanted. This weekend I hope. We wait until the danger of frost has passed here in Ohio - May 15th. Hurrah - we're there!!!


Happy planting day.