Blogs

One man in the sun alone
Walks between the silence and the stone:
The city rises from his flesh, his bone.
--Archibald Macleish

These were the words quoted this morning by Mayor Bloomberg at the Ceremonies for 9/11. Nine years later, I still miss my friends from Marsh & McLennan, Aon and Cantor Fitzgerald, especially my classmate Calvin. I am still haunted by the vision of the towers falling.

And I will never forget

...being at a...

How do you feel when you enter your home? Is it relaxing and inviting? A little bit elegant and understated? Is it dark and dramatic offering a glimpse of Gatsbyesque cocktail parties? Or is it more practical to suit the dog and the kids? Did you do it yourself or have the help of an interior designer?

Entries and foyers are all about first impressions, a chance...

Over the last 9 months, I have had the great privilege of getting to know a phenomenal group of women in the interior design world (and great gentleman too). We have shared design successes and frustrations, asked each other questions and gotten to know one another all via Twitter. Now, we read each other’s blogs and comment and sometimes we even blog about each other! We follow each other...

The other night as I was driving home under the branches heavy laden with snow, I couldn’t help but think how the music I was listening to fit the mood of the view. It was Scarlatti’s Sonata No. 118 as played by Horowitz.

The first time I heard this music played on a piano was by Chick Corea at Caramoor. I was in love with the purity of the sound....

1. Loosen up. When I was in Fairfield's Interior Design Program, I discovered that I rendered pretty tightly. I envied one of my classmates, Maggie, who had this loose relaxed style of watercoloring. It was beautiful. DD loves to watercolor and I have joined her. It is so much fun! And it has really loosened up my drawing style. I still prefer my pastels...

1. Furnishings need to stand up to kids, dogs, shoes, food, and general lounging about. It’s worth spending the money on good quality seating that will last a long time. Talk to your upholsterer or designer about scotch guarding or using more resistant fabrics. And there’s nothing wrong with slip covering during the toddler years.

2. Avoid sharp edges, especially on glass tables. Rounded edges will...

'Don't say that I will depart tomorrow--even today I am still arriving.

Look deeply: every second I am arriving to be a bud on a Spring branch, to be a tiny bird, with still-fragile wings, learning to sing in my new nest, to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry, to fear...

I have to confess that I am a Social Media convert. A year ago, I would have harumphed at the thought of connecting on LinkedIn, would not have imagined enjoying writing a Blog, and laughed at the name Twitter - oh, so unprofessional. OK, I still think the name Twitter is a bit much, but I love Twitter.

First, the great fun in blogging and other forms of social media...