Some stories are just so awesome that they just have to be shared. This woman has started running groups for the homeless and she is profoundly changing their lives for the better! Don't ever think you can't change the world in big ways thru what seems to be such small... Continue reading

The days and hours pass as I work, and I know I am still determined, and most often I don't know how to stop working anyway. Yet, I need to sit back, allow myself to stop, breathe in life and delve into my soul. I can't hear my heart when... Continue reading

"No matter how little you think you have, share what you've got. The world needs someone just like you." Well, I have procrastinated enough. This blog has been sitting here untouched, and so many things run thru my mind and heart to share, but I just freeze and don't post.... Continue reading

Meals don't have to be expensive or complicated to feel lavish, and sometimes just the addition of one delectable dish or side will make the most simple faire special. Why not channel your inner "Julia Child" and mix up these fabulous spicy cheese breadsticks to serve with this evening's meal... Continue reading

Roasted veggies are a game-changer. If you have picky eaters who hate their vegetables, try roasting them! Here's a tasty recipe from Martha Stewart to get you started. Once you begin roasting vegetables there's no turning back - they're crowd-pleasers - Enjoy! Honey Roasted Vegetables Prep Time 10 minutes Total... Continue reading

With the holidays quickly approaching and gift-shopping ahead, your budget need not go out the window. Why not incorporate a bit of DIY into your gift-giving with lavish gifts homemade with love. Vanilla extract is so easy to make that it's almost embarrassing. A quick mix of two ingredients, some... Continue reading

Summer is here and the coastal regions are beckoning. Visions of awakening to the rythymic sounds of the ocean fill my soul and are made more perfect by picturing myself nestled in to a sumptuous bed perhaps in a room like this, surrounded by a white-on-white bedroom decor. This room... Continue reading

It has been ages since I last posted, yet my heart hasn't forgotten "everything home". I think about homes almost constantly, and fall asleep designing and remodeling homes that I have seen that are in need of loving care. Homes feel almost like live things to me, and are something... Continue reading

This site is dedicated to those who may be challenged by the storms of life, yet who refuse to be defeated. May you rise above your storms and ride the winds to greater opportunity. Continue reading

Simple pleasures in life can take many forms, and they impart the most precious of memories when shared with those we love. A quiet stroll on a sunny afternoon, watching a sunset, or sipping wine or hot cocoa in front of a fire with that special someone is a gift... Continue reading

What ever happened to the apron? Formerly a staple in every kitchen prior to the 60's when I was a little girl, every mom had an array of them, and they varied in design from the practical to the sublime. As cherished gifts of choice for young brides, many aprons... Continue reading

Growing up in the 1950's almost every child settled in as part of a week-night ritual and watched The Donna Reed Show, and I too was one of them. Curled up close to the TV I escaped into a fantasy life that I dreamed of ~ modeled oh so perfectly... Continue reading

Well, "tis the season". The holiday frenzy has begun. Commercials have been bombarding us now for weeks peddling everything from ribbon-wrapped cars, to 40 bazillion inch televisions to Chia Pets. Crayola's commercial chides us "to give everything imagineable". Perhaps memories of a Christmas past may linger in the recesses of... Continue reading

After a very rough work week, and feeling too tired to dress and dine out (insert violin music here), I accepted my "mission impossible" and decided to face the task of cooking dinner. Having forgotten to defrost anything, and after much perusing, out came the frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breasts/... Continue reading

Today is one of "those days", and it is a bit of an effort to remain focused on the positive. Nothing significant has happened, and in fact the same personal and economic challenges remain. But sometimes it can just grind on us, and before we know it slipping into a... Continue reading

Last year as I prepared to move, I did a cursory inventory of my belongings, sorting thru every closet and cupboard to strategize for packing. Admist the quiet and tedium, a still small voice rose up within my heart. "Why are you saving so many things for "special"? The thought... Continue reading

Last year during one of my "Julia Child" moments, I surfed the net for a vertical chicken roaster. I had always been fascinated by them, and curious if they really made the fabulous chicken that people swore. I didn't want one of those flimsy beer can holding gizmos, so I... Continue reading

In looking over weekly grocery receipts we all know that certain items eat up our shopping dollars and one major culprit can be herbs and spices. Quality herbs and spices deliver lavish overtones to our meals and make or break our recipes; but they can also push our grocery budget... Continue reading

Ok, hoping to win the lottery as a plan B for financial freedom probably isn’t the most practical plan, but it doesn't hurt to hope!! However, life dictates that we make a plan or it will make one for us. Can't resist, so I have to tell you that I... Continue reading