Fall is sooo Yesterday.....



Oh My Goshhh...... Oh My Goshhhhh...... I haven't even blogged about Fall.. The BEST time of the year in Tampa... but..... I couldn't WAIT to post about the yummy new mini candles for the HOLIDAY SEASON now available at Bath and Body Works ONLINE ONLY... (In stores October 3rd)...and they are

3 for $5 !!

Spiced Apple Toddy

Candies Sugar Plum

Merry Mistletoe

Dark Chocolate Mint

Gingerbread

Marshmallow Peppermint

Winter Night

Cranberry Pear Bellini

Winter



Little Yummies Next Page..

Summer Dreams (Part 2)

....So the Birthday celebration continued, and to continue the trend on focussing on myself, I decided to have, for the first time, a birthday party just for us..
The Family..
I didn't want the stress of overly cleaning..
The anxiety of making sure all the delicacies are presented perfectly...
The fear that people aren't enjoying themselves or if one of the kids poop to be fearful of the embarrassment of the smell..
Brandon having a tantrum because of the presence of too many people or him in isolation from the chaos..
I wanted to Dance Dance Dance... (Why don't people dance at parties here?)
I just wanted to have fun, fun, fun...


This year Father's day fell on my birthday, so it was like Christmas morning.. I had purchased a couple toys and supplies for the kids to keep them preoccupied during the Summer which we also wrapped. My first two sons have always loved the thrill of a birthday party... Dylan always believes he is going to get a "Surprise" as he calls it which are DVD's.. and Brandon is thrilled with confetti, streamers and balloons.... Logan is happy with cake... and Trevor, well he is my biggest kid.. he is just happy that there is a FOODDDDD!!!!! hahahaha.. Poor guy...
.. I didn't want much for my Birthday this year as I had to wait another 2 weeks for my most important Birthday Gift ( Upcoming post).... I wanted it to be whimsical, colorful and just all round Happy... How do you think it ended up.. You be the judge..

..Let the Pen Flowwww......

.....are kids still taught to write in Script at school? We called it Cursive and I think it is so elegant and distinguished but did you know that there are different types of Cursive handwriting?

Roman Cursive

English Cursive

Cursive Russian

Cursive Chinese

Click here to learn what differenciates the 4.

photos courtesy of  Horchow

"It Won't Bite... Promise"

........Go easy... a little animal print adds character to any room and shows off a little of your daring, adventurous side (we all have one)... From a simple decorative pillow to elaborate furniture. If you fear color but what something that pops,  you can't go wrong with animal print accents.

D'accord?......Oui...

Coming Soon !!!!....
                                         D'accord Decor

I am now so excited about life that I am bursting. Now that the boys are back at school after Spring Break, I am ready to go all out before the dreaded Summer vacation begins... I started this blog promising to talk about EVERYTHING, but there are some topics that I am so passionate about, that I think they deserve their own blog.... I have already branched out to http://dearlisab.blogspot.com/, which is a very personal blog about my growth through self examination, and now I am going to start my own Decor/Home/Decorating blog, where I will be showcasing model homes that I will visit,( a pastime of mine and my mom's ever since I was a little girl in St. Lucia)........ I will be visiting my beloved Home Goods weekly to showcase what's new that has caught my eye........ and perhaps a couple home improvements that I desperately need to tackle... Thanks to Nate Berkus for reigniting my passion for decorating and the importance of being surrounded by things that make you feel good which is what you have control of, amidst a life that was presented to you on a silver platter that you have no control of.... Stay tuned...

Photo courtesy Apartment therapy

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Ought to be proud..

The Nate Burkus Show has a segment called "House Proud" where proud homeowner who have submitted videos of their abode are picked and featured on the show. Today's home belonging to Sharron Saffert of Arizona swept me away. Ohhh and I featured one of the pieces of furniture in an earlier post of mine..What ....was/Is.....that?





More photos..

I Smell Fresh Paint....

                                                                       It's Sunday!!!. 

Happy Sunday everyone.  At approx. midnight, by all good graces my mom should be walking through my front door. This will be her second trip in less than two months and even though the circumstances for her visits are grim, we will still make the best of it and try to enjoy the simplicities in our complex lives together.

 As we head into Spring, just as new life emerges from the soil, I am finding some of the things that I have wanted to achieve are also beginning to sprout. That is what cleansing and purging allows you to do. Clear your mind/space to make room for less yet more meaningful things and opportunities. I have put a fresh coat of neutral paint on my canvas called my life and I am ready to decorate minimally with quality.


                                                        

Blank Slate... Fresh Paint

Photo courtesy of  Restoration Hardware..

Mellow Yellow.....

Still haven't been to a spa.. Not sure what I am waiting for... but the dentist is my spa. You know you will feel better and look better after you leave there, perhaps not immediately, but eventually. More importantly, you get to lay in a recliner for 2 hours with a flat screen directly in your face. You get a couple numbing injections in your jaw bone and then you relax. It's time for a root canal. The drilling begins...... WAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!............. CRAPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!......... I AM NOT NUMBBBBBBB!!!!!!!! The poor dental assistant flew up in the air...poor fellow.... Doctor then injects into the nerves.. and drilling continues...
Ahhhhhhhh. blisss... " I wonder what the kids are doing to Trevor now?" hehehehe.... Oh well.....

                                                    Feeling Mellow Yellow

Tanning lotion anyone?

How are you going to be soaking up the sun this Summer? Here are some pieces that will be sure to add a little luxury to your lanai while you enjoy resort style comfort.

How IKAT material is made..

Earlier today I created a post about a pillow I discovered with an interesting print. I wanted to know a little bit more about how it was made hence posting this video. However, I don't know whether my hormones are playing games with me again but my interest in how the fabric was made immediately diverted to wondering how many callouses are on those skilled women's fingers, how long do they work everyday, how much material is produced by doing this by hand but more importantnly how much do they get paid and how much profit is made. You know we purchase items and don't really think of how much goes into creating it. We think when we spend a lot on our purchase it's because much time and energy was put into creating it other than it being great quality but here is the debate. Do we spend a lot so that those women get paid more? hmmmm.

Bzzzzzzz...

 I would love to see this pillow up close. Busy as a bee and quite interesting. It was inspiried by the Ikat method which is a combination of dyeing and weaving.  Can't imagine it on a printed piece of furniture but that's what makes us all unique right? Truly stands out. Surely feels like Spring here in Florida!!




                                                               Sumba Pillow

Wake up!!!

    I'm a Gemini, yes sir-ry.. and I am very close with my twin "Lisa B"..... She sometimes closes her eyes and dreams that she was born at age 40,  (excited about that age) she was single, wore white capri shorts all the time, lived in the Hamptons or Cape Cod, actually I think moreso Cape Cod (away from Hollywood celebrities), owned a house like the one from Home Alone and had every room decorated with different furnishing in different colors so she could enter depending on my her mood.. This room from Horchow would be the room if I felt "blue" (no pun intended). So bright with simple sophistication, yet peaceful..

Lisa, GO TO YOUR ROOM NOWWWW!!!.... YES MAAAAA!!! :-)

      No need to squint your eyes... I have already done it for you. hahaha.. Could you imagine being grounded and sent to your room to this? I think I would have eaten more brown sugar from the canister and watched television on weekdays which was a no-no at my house... It is the amazing craftsmanship of the fabulous Judson Beaumont...

 You could view more of Mr. Beaumont's designs here .... Sooo KEWL!!!!

Purple...The Macho Man's Pink... Part 2!!

Today is the feast of the Epiphany in the Catholic religion, which, correct me if I'm wrong, all Christmas decorations should commence their journey to their camphor scented storage bins.

So I think I have a solution for my depressed husband....

PURPLE....THE MACHO MAN'S PINK.. Part 1!!

      What was your color theme this year with your Holiday Decorating? Was it the traditional Reds for Christmas or Blues for Hanukkah? Well this year I wanted a non traditional COLOR!!!! Now, it is no secret that I always wanted a little girl, ( have you seen those cute too-toos out now) but God has blessed me with four ..umm I mean three beautiful young men who can't get enough of me and I adore immensely...However, I still yearn for the vision of pink somewhere in my house...Sooo... This year I told Trevor (my husband) that the decorations will be a surprise. Zgallerie, Home Goods, Michaels, Kohl's, Old Time Pottery... here I come!!!
       The beauty about having a neutral original palate in your house is that you could accessorize with different colors depending on the season or your mood...I LOVE THAT!!!.... when I was a little girl growing up in St. Lucia, I couldn't WAIT for the Christmas season for my mom to pull out the big dusty box with camphor ball scented Christmas drapes, table cloths and crocheted chair backs (sah tay kah sutee!! fooooo..HAHAHA).. It would just put you in a cheerful mood that made you want to skip-to-da-doo... So this year, at the Reid's, the theme is the formal area was PURPLE.. with hints of pinks, lilacs, and lavenders which had me tickled, and convinced me that my morning breath smelled like cotton candy...hehehe...my husband may object however.... When my husband returned home the day I decorated...he couldn't peel the smile off his face...  My plan worked!!! He loved the color scheme!!!