A Path I Didn't Know I Wanted to Take

We frequently use the word "path" to describe a figurative journey.  Follow your path...take the path to....it's your/my/our path...

                             

About six months ago I started a new "path" after being offered a job at a furniture store. I wasn't completely sold on the idea of working in sales, but I was just sitting at home not really doing much so, I thought, why not? Especially since I really enjoy "home" decor stuff...color, pattern, fabrics, furniture, decor, etc., and watch HGTV et al incessantly.  This might be THE opportunity to combine an an interest and make a little moo-lah. Isn't that what successful "people"  are always saying??? Do what you love and you'll be successful?  I like people, I'm outgoing, I enjoy home fashion, yada-yada, so it seemed like a no-brainer..... plus with just hubby and I in the house, there really wasn't enough going on to fill each day so I took the plunge.

But I was unsure and uncomfortable at first. I have always done "admin work" for a variety of companies; always working in an office atmosphere. It had been, for the most part, enjoyable and rewarding work, and tasks became easy for me; it was a comfortable place. Now I was't completely comfortable. In fact I was really uncomfortable. Fear of rejection mostly, but also fear that I wouldn't feel successful as I had felt with my previous jobs.

It took a couple of weeks to feel comfortable enough and start to develop the confidence to start "designing" for customers/clients rather than just write up an order for things they selected. The confidence came from feeling like the customers needed my help because I knew, in my heart of hearts, what they were buying wouldn't coordinate or look right.  I felt like it was my "duty" to advise them so their room would look its best. I truly wanted the customer to feel they had a special experience, was happy with their purchase, and enjoyed the whole process of furnishing their room.

In the last three months I began working on whole room design with a few clients. It has been fun and exciting to visit their homes and help them put together a space that they love. Most important to me is that I feel I have earned their respect and trust a a true professional.

I like this path...and I can see it expanding and evolving. I think I am intuitive with this work. You are part artist and part therapist for each client. Its all good for me. I'm planning and learning all the time and I think I know where I want it to go....but mum's the word right now.

Mon Coeur...Mes Amours

Here's to the three loves of my life...

To RL and SC
     You are (in no particular order but all equal) amazing, wonderful, intelligent, charming, kind, humorous, inquisitive, beautiful/handsome, sweet, caring, supportive, and loving, and I couldn't be more proud of two people than I am of you.  Lucky...that's the way I feel that I get to be your mama. 

To BLT
     I'll make this short and sweet...I will love you for always.

Happy Valentine's Day to all... Now go and plant a big ol' smooch on your loved ones lips!!!

Yes, Pleassseee!

Heavenly treats...

On our recent trip to SF, we stopped at the Ferry Building (where the iconic clock tower is down by the piers) for look-see and to pick up some fav treats. Miette bakery is one place where we put the brakes on and stop in.  I bought these cookies (graham cracker for me, chocolate wafers for hubby) to enjoy with our cafe/coffee/java/joe. Any-hoo...they didn't last long once we got home!  OMG...they were so delish we proceeded to gobble them up in a couple of days. Any excuse to walk to the kitchen to get something required a stop-and-grab-a-cookie.... you know for the energy need to walk the 10-20 steps from any room in the house to the kitchen...medicinal purposes right?

Okay girlfriend, go ahead and order these yummies if you are intrigued by the idea of enjoying treats that made me and hubby act like we were starving and shoving cookies down our throats (ok no one "forced" them in our mouths...I know) .  I will be placing MY order.....in fact no time like the present.  Now where did I put that credit card....

Enjoy!

P.S. visit their website at https://www.miette.com.

I Love Me Some Sparkle!

Recently the hubby, RL, and my sis, CB went to see the Bulgari jewlery exhibit in SF.  It. Was. Amazing.  There were 150 pieces in total, but what we especially wanted to see was the eight pieces that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor.  But let me veer off course for a bit so I can explain how/why I REALLY wanted to see her jewelry....besides the fact that I love lots and lots of sparkle.

Background:  Elizabeth Taylor, love her or leave her, lead a life befitting an acclaimed actress and (certainly) one of the most beautiful women ever to take a breath.  I have always like her movies, well, most of them anyway, since I saw her in National Velvet when I was a teenager.  

Up to that time I was aware of who she was and had only known her as an "older" actress....wrinkly (according to my 15 year old or so eyes), bloated, suffering from substance abuse, and considered past her prime.  Then I saw NV and, even as a teenager, I couldn't believe how beautiful she was as a child.  So that's when I became a fan, and I would watch her movies whenever they came on television (pre-VHS rental, DVD players, and waaaaayyy before streaming and Netflix and all the other ways we view movies today).  My most favorite of her movies is Butterfield 8, for which she won an academy award...and she deserved.

 She played a fiesty call girl who was involved with a married man played by Laurence Harvey.  She becomes disillusioned with him, her life, everything, and in the  end, she dies in a car wreck; if you haven't seen this movie, I recommend it.  But I digress.  

Back to my story: So we all know ET amassed quite a jewelry collection from her husbands and beaus and admirers throughout the years.  A book was published showing all of her collection and when it came out I really wanted it, but it was pricey and all of my hints to hubby went unnoticed.  One day I was in the, now defunct, Borders and lo and behold, my ET book is on clearance!!!  I snatch that tome and take it home to ooh and ahh over.  I love all of the stories that were written about the pieces, the beautiful pictures, and everything, not ever thinking I'd ever have the opportunity to ACTUALLY see her jewelry.  

Fast forward to 2013 and I find out that there will be a jewelry exhibit at the deYoung Museum and some of her jewelry will be on display.  Oh joy. Oh rapture.  I need to see this.

I finally manage to talk hubby in to going up there with just a couple of weeks left before the exhibit leaves the bay area.  And I'm glad I did.  Talk him in to it I mean.  We wandered through the exhibit and had a wonderful time...he even enjoyed it despite his reservations at first.  Afterward, we meandered through several galleries before our stomachs were growling and we needed lunch for sure.  The place were going to go to (Izzy's Steakhouse) wasn't open for lunch so we headed over to another meat palace, Hillstone's, for some grub.  Let me say, we really wanted beef, pork, or any other delicious barnyard buddy because we were really hungry.  I saw this place reviewed on a bay area PBS show and the reviews were good so I thought we could give it a try.  All I can say is YUM! One of the best meals we ever ate in SF...and that is saying a lot for the place.  The wine flowed and the eats were so amazing; it was a wonderful time.  Most of the convo centered around the sparkly sparkle of the exhibit.  We were reliving seeing all of the spectacular jewelry, especially the ones owned by ET.

Oh Beautiful...For Spacious Skies

So last week, as I was driving home from work, I see one of the most beautiful sunsets ever.  Ever.  The sky looked like it was a bright, bold painting of orange, pink, purple, gray, and blue.  It was stunning.  In fact, so stunning I just had to snap a picture.  At first I did speed up thinking I could get to the coast to take some pictures, but the Earth is spinning about a million miles an hour (actually I think it's more like 1,000 miles per hour, but I am trying to illustrate the fact that it was starting to get dark real fast...so sue me) so I knew I wouldn't have time to catch the beauty above me.

I pull over to the side of the road, whip out my trusty iPhone and make a feeble attempt at being an amateur Ansel Adams and snap-snap-snap away.  OK. So only one picture was decent.  The other three were "wonky" and I trashed them.  So here is my photo:

This picture does not do justice to the gorgeousness (must be a word cause no auto-correct HeeHee) of the sunset, but I was overwhelmed at how pretty it all was.

Last night I start home and AGAIN there is another amazing sunset.  Is it always like this and I just never noticed???? I mean unless I was on a vacay and forced to admire the scenery around me ("cause we paid good money to come here" according to the hubby)????  I left late yesterday so the sun was almost down, but I managed to snap a couple of photos, and break the law in the process by using my phone while driving distracted...oy vey.  Anyway it was worth it I think, though I might think differently if the CHP had pulled me over and given me a great big ol' ticket.

I hope I see more of this beauty. I think we all should just step outside, even for a moment, look up at the sky, or stand at the top of a hill, or wherever you are, and take in all that nature has for us. It was so emotional for me to see such sights...as I said before it was simply overwhelming. Any problems or issues of the day seemed unimportant compared to what was before and above me. Wonderful. Wonderful.

Adieu mes amis.