Falling leaves and changing colors

It's the time of the year that invigorates me...maybe you too? Temps become cooler, the air crisper, and our routines become synchronized and hitting on all cylinders after the summer of vacations, moves and transfers, and postponed projects. Here on the east coast we are looking forward to the changing colors of the leaves. Here's a peek from Wintergreen Resort.

Lucky you if you have a home where the seasonal colors of gold, terra cotta, burgandy accent the deep greens or soft beiges of summer. You'll be lured by that temptation to pick up the "pumpkin spice" candle or potpourri, adding another hint of autumn to your decor. But, if you are staging your home for SALE, don't be fooled into thinking how you LIVE is how you sell. It is not. Keep it simple, and remember you are highlighting the home's best features, and the key is selectively removing items, to invite the prospective homeowner to envision their own lives happening in this very space. And their idea of the perfect season might be spring pastels and lighter colors. Happy decorating....happy staging!

Curly Hair

It's been three long months, three months of letting life get in the way: you know those things you gotta do versus wanna do...where does the time go. This morning, already 2 hours since I jumped out of bed around 5am, and it's still dark outside. In that Van Gogh sort of way: navy blue sky, not black like an hour ago, but with a hint of gray toned to match the icy cold of concrete. I blink my eyes and slowly the skyscape lightens, but doesn't brighten. It reminds me of a movie set for a horror scene...a little spooky, with everything lying dormant for winter's long months yet to come.

Just days ago in the Grove at this time of the day I was slipping on the thin monogrammed cotton pique Sonesta robe, rolling open the heavy sliding doors, stepping out on the balcony to see the gold, orange, and violet of the sunrise rise over Biscayne Bay. Waking was warm and reassuring of better times to come. Thoughts of abundance, good fortune, and vibrancy wafted over the waves of the bay. Back home today, gloom seems to prevail in northern Virginia and quietly the television news recants the stories of fire, bombs, and other misfortunes of the week. Reality is somewhere in between. So, though the sun may be hidden today, I have a dose of sunshine within and I know it will take me thru the next months. Sometimes you forget that all is not lost: it just takes a good haircut and humid weather to bring the curly hair back again.

I'm looking forward to delving back into my cruise mementos and sharing these with you.

Happy New Year! Kiko