reflections on a saturday morning

I had to head outdoors early this morning to beat the August heat wave we’re experiencing here in Southern California.  The forecast is calling for a few more days in the triple digits.  Not that I’m complaining after the mild summer we’ve had so far and the hurricane conditions on the east coast, what's a little heat?

My thoughts this morning are of the decorating kind.  I’ve been busy making lists of what I’d like to accomplish around the house, what’s working and what’s not, what I can realistically accomplish before the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  Sometimes I almost wish that I could wipe the slate clean and start my decorating from scratch.  To somehow go back to that sense of excitement I had when we first moved into Lemon Lane Cottage. 

It seems I’ve been giving advice that I really need to follow myself.  Do you ever do that?  I caution others not to settle, to hold out for what they truly love and yet, as I look around my own little cottage I see areas that I put together in haste only to never really love the results and grow dissatisfied with my own surroundings.

So…this weekend, with the AC blasting, I have started to take down everything in my house that I don’t still (or never have) been totally smitten with.  I will fill in the holes, retouch the paint and reassess.  Leaving walls, shelves and counters empty for a while if necessary, until I find just the right piece that makes my heart sing.

I’ll keep you posted on the progress…