salads and drapes





quite a title, somehow i'll tie it all together.

yesterday i was practically craving this salad wrap.
it feels so good to get back to *regular* eating after all the rich food we ate the last few days.

just mixed lettuces, cherry tomatoes, avocado and sunflower seeds with a little salad dressing all wrapped up in a tortilla, it was just what i needed.




yesterday while i was having this for lunch i was reading some older comments on this post and i saw one that i had not noticed before.   it was on the length and width of my drapes.

so you don't have to click back to find it, here is the jist of gloria's comment.

"your curtains need to be hung higher and wider."

yeah, i know.

but...

here's the thing.  i have 3 windows in this room so that is 6 drapery panels.
these 6 cost $600.  remember how that killed me?  i start to hyperventilate just thinking about it.

let's address the width first.
if they were hung wider which would make the window look bigger then i would need 4 panels per window.
$600 just turned into $1200.

next, the height.
if i wanted them to be hung higher which would make the room look more grand (ha) that means i would have to size up to the 96" length.  those panels were almost $50 more.  $50 x 12 = $600.

it may as well been a million dollars b/c if $600 causes me to hyperventilate what would $2000 do to me?

on top of all that nonsense then there is the issue of the walls.
this house is 120 yrs old and has very fragile plaster walls.
a teeny tiny nail going in crumbles the plaster.
so screwing the hardware into the woodwork was the only real option.

so gloria that is why my drapes are not hung higher and wider.

the end.

xo
janet

p.s.

while i'm here i may as well address the other comment i get a lot.
which is why don't i add more color to the room.
the most honest answer is i don't know how to and when i attempt it - it just looks wrong.




this room
is probably the most beautiful room i've ever had the privilege to stand in and there was only one pattern and 2 colors - brown and cream.
plants would make it 3 colors.

and suzanne rheinstein is a genius.


xo
janet



73 comments

  1. Your house is lovely just as it is and I love an all white house too. : ) Live on sista!!!!

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  2. love your blog and have failed to comment to date.
    But this post slayed me :Your curtains and neutral colour scheme seem close to perfection and have an understated elegance that seems to be in tune with the aesthetic that runs like a vein of silver through your posts .
    I only have curtains in one room [bathroom] as we have original shutters . I chose ones in old toile to pool on the floor , isn't that the only good look for curtains !

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    Replies
    1. oh my! a vein of silver...perhaps the most beautiful comment ever left on my blog.

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    2. Yep...I LOVE your writing, Estrella... This post "slayed" me too.
      -Suzanne in Illinois

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  3. Oh putting a nail in any of my walls is terrifying, you hear the wall crumble and 9 times out of ten the wall just puffs open. Lots of things have to be left 'as is'.
    That wrap looks utterly utterly delicious.

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    1. yes,and sometimes you hear it crumbling on an adjoining wall!
      "as is" and "good enough" are my mantra's.

      xo

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    2. Yes. The living room curtain width and length are "perfectly fine."

      I suppose the last photograph is of the Rheinstein room at the Greystone Estate show house.

      Now I'm going to make that salad.

      Sam Twain

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  4. Please listen to you and not others ... your home is an inspiration!

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  5. First of you don't need color in your home I love absolutely everything about it just the way it is and the curtains look great the way they are. It is ridiculous how expensive they make curtains and then you have to purchase all the hardware as well! The salad wrap looks so refreshing and delicious, I'll be pinning that one. :)

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  6. What's the deal with Americans and their obsession with "a pop of colour"? Neutrals are so elegant, why ruin a beautiful room or outfit with a "pop of colour" just because. I don't get it.

    Your living room is beautiful! I love the calm and understated feeling it has. I also think that curtains that touch the floor are very elegant, as well as hanging them on the woodwork.
    Your home is a great inspiration.

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  7. I have to agree with the other commentors. Your home is so lovely and so serene. It has such a peacefulness and calmness about it.

    Besides - your food is the "pop" of color! I'm a ten year vegan and I love my colorful daily salad!!

    On a different note, have you heard of a new skin care line by Cindy Joseph called BOOM? She has a website that explains the ingredients of her products and gives demos on how to apply. I'm thinking of ordering from her, but hesitate and would appreciate your thoughts as to the ingredients.

    Thank you!
    Carol

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  8. I love your colors. Easy and soft.

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  9. I can see colour, there's accents of blue in your beautiful room (the painting and the porcelain)! I'm all austere white walls and Jacobean oak floorboards, the madness of my collections are all the colour I need.
    That salad looks delicious. xxx

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  10. I just want to step, lock stock and barrel, into your world, Janet. I'll start with the salad...

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  11. I think your house is beautiful as it is!!! Ignore the comment: Sheree

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  12. But you do have colors in our room… it looks very classical and timeless. I love it! Personally, my eyes are started to hurt when I am looking Scandinavian magazines where the interior design pictures are like black and white photos except there is some detail that is bright yellow or some other bright color. I almost used the color scheme in my house… like me that I didn’t.

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  13. Maybe it is my pms talking, but I don't give a hoot what other people think. I think your house is lovely and you don't need to explain anything. I hung my drapes above my windows and when I open up the crutains in the living room, one of the windows looks ridiculous, so...I always keep it closed. I also do not have a ton of color in my house and it makes me peaceful, which is really a bonus for people who know me, as I am quite hyper at times....
    I love your whole house and I love you style, so there you have it.
    LOL
    Brandi~

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  14. I love the look of your salad wrap. I'm stealing that idea for lunch today!
    Simplicity is so often overlooked as a lack of attention to detail, when in fact, it is an art form.
    Touché on the pricing equation although I suspect your drapes are hung in the way that pleases you most.
    My home in CA is predominantly white and cream which calms my mind and soul. Your home looks beautiful...but then, you know that!
    Have a beautiful Sunday.

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  15. Your room is serene and lovely. It needs no other color. It is simple and calming. It has a restful quality which I admire....

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  16. I would have to respectfully disagree that your room needs more color. It only does if you want it to. I love the look of your home! In fact, I came across a post you linked somewhere with a picture of your home, and that's what initially drew me in to your blog. Your home is the perfect mix of casual and elegant, simple and decorative, with lovely textures. Oh, and that salad looks absolutely delish!

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  17. Janet to me your house looks just right 'as is'.
    Your food and beautiful roses provide the pops of colour.

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  18. I, too, absolutely adore photos of your home. I truly do. I never tire of seeing the images of your home and garden. I think your living room is perfectly wonderful. I, too, have eaten quite a bit of salad these last few days! Enjoy your Sunday!

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  19. Well, "as is" and "good enough" are my mantra too! Used to not be but as I got alittle older I realized everything didn't have to be perfect. I love your room and wouldn't change
    a thing about it. I have lots of color in my house but I crave your serene and calm room with no clutter. I think it is just perfect!
    Lynne in Georgia

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  20. Hi Janet, Your room is very casually elegant and adding color is a matter personal taste. The room suits you - which is all that matters. You are a creative and talented decorator. Well done!
    Sincerely,
    Miranda
    SF Bay Area
    p.s. I'll answer your email this week. Getting a grip on a major bump in the road of life.
    I wonder if it means that I am shallow, because looking at your serene room made me feel better.

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  21. When I want to get inspired to tackle my 'home decor issues' I go to your blog and look at pictures of your home. It's just that good.

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  22. love that salad wrap! as has been stated, your home is elegant and understated. and neutrals are soothing. we have a neutral & understated soothing color palate in our home and everyone comments how relaxing it is.

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  23. Your living room is one of the most elegant I've ever seen. Colour would muddy the serenity of this space.

    Re: drapes, we've been told off about our drapes too. Sometimes it's best just to nod and smile and then do your own thing. Rules are always meant to be broken in decorating.

    xx

    PS I used to love white and grey / black rooms. But my partner complained we were living in an old film noir. So introduced lots of green. Now he says we're living in Willy Wonka land! Men... Best left to their sheds, I think...

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  24. Your salad and room are lovely......

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  25. I don't know this all made me laugh...it never dawned on me when I see pictures of this room that your drapery should be fuller and longer! and when you want or need color, don't you just open that cabinet door. :)

    so many thoughts and opinions.... Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving. I'm still eating leftover mashed potatoes!

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  26. Pottery Barn has instructions on hanging drapes. Either you hang the rod on the hardwood or you hang 6 inches above the hardwood. I have seen drapery hanging from just below the crown molding, too. Soooooo....according to Pottery Barn, your drapes are hanging properly.

    Secondly, almost 30 years ago, best friend hired a very reputable interior designer. This interior designer said, "NO MORE than 3 colors in a room." I have followed that rule to the this day. And I also learned in two I.D. classes that I took at a state university that a room should have some "black" in it. The "black" could simply be a wood grain, but the "darkness" needs to be there to give a room, especially a monochromatic room, so anchorage or the room will "float" away. You have that to.

    Your living room is perfection.
    -Suzanne in Illinois

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  27. Sorry about the typos--my hands are a challenge these days...
    SOME anchorage... and You have that TOO.
    Pfffff.... :-)
    -Suzanne

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  28. I think your living room is gorgeous and your drapes are perfect. I see no reason why you'd try to pretend the window was larger with hanging the drapes past them...even if someone offered it to you for free I'd still say leave it as is! Why mess with perfection.

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  29. Janet I linked my recent post to your living room because I love it so much.
    I would have difficulty spending lots on drapes too. I thought that the longer length was for a more luxe european flair as I have seen this done before in high end decor magazines!
    When we bang on the walls or drive in a nail you can hear the plaster in between the walls crumbling and falling and our wee bungalow is only just 100 this year.

    Your lunch looks delicious.

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  30. My mother always says 'If you can't say anything nice don't say it at all'. Maybe she should take this advice.

    We live in an old house and our idea when putting up curtains is put them in the wood surrounds and hope for the best!!! I love your curtains and the effect that you have achieved. Your room is something that I am trying to achieve in our home.

    My husband and I went curtian shopping a while ago for one large window. First material I picked the quote was $800 (Australian). Nearly had a heart attack on the spot. Ended up getting a cheaper material (not the $95 a metre I picked first up). When talking to my sister about the cost of them she said 'did you tell them you alread had the window'. But the end result was worth it.

    Jane Australia

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  31. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    1. hi cynthia! i really did not take gloria's comment as rude at all. maybe i worded the post wrong b/c i really just wanted to explain why my drapes were hung as they are. i too have always felt they should be hung wider and longer but it was just not in the cards. i really don't think she is envious or jealous. i think she was just speaking her mind. and btw, you are right, my life is nowhere near perfect. and also, thank you so much for you kind words re loveliness on a budget...that is sweet.:)

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    2. Gee wiz, Cynthia. Next to your rant, Gloria's comment seemed down right humble and circumspect. What gives?

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    3. Yes, you are right. I was having a VERY bad day and came here to escape and Gloria's comment hit my last nerve. I apologize for my rant. It was way over the top. I just love Janet's decor, fashion, mindful eating and she seems to be such a genuinely nice person....I just felt like she was being unfairly picked on and I lost it.
      Sorry.

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    4. cynthia - i really admire you coming back over and leaving this lovely note. who among us has not had a bad day and taken it out on the wrong person? raising hand here! much love and kindness to you. xoxo

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  32. Ohhhhh, Cynthia - please delete that last sentence! That was not nice. Let's take Janet's mantra "kindness is never out of style" to heart. We can learn as much from Janet about kindness as we can about her food, fashion and decor. It's never to late to become a lovely and gracious person. - Jan in Pasadena.

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  33. Janet,

    I think your drapes look absolutely fine and I love your living room. It gives off a very peaceful and calm vibe. If you are thinking of adding color, maybe just place a few more of the blue and white pieces around the room?

    Linda
    xo

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  34. Not only is this room beautiful, but your entire home is (especially love your kitchen!). And I love your posts on fashion, food, and beauty, and everything else you post. And I also love how supportive all of your readers comments have been! On so many blogs, as in real life, people seem all too eager to criticize; so nice to see none of that here! As Lynne in Georgia said, as I get older I am finding that good enough is, indeed, good enough! Why waste a precious moment sweating the small stuff?

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  35. I personally love your home. Very soothing. What I don't understand about todays window dressings is why we are encouraged to make our windows look higher and wider and bigger and larger etc. The windows are the windows, they are still going to be the same size even if they are over dressed. I figure if you want a larger window, install a larger window. You aren't fooling anyone with extreme over dressing. Hang a reasonable drape you like and be done with it. I love yours.

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  36. I totally agree with you on the neutral colors...and plants do add a third color, plus you have red in a surprising place. :) Neutrals are restful. Your home is lovely.

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  37. i love your living room - i imagine it smells like tuberose. it feels lusciously calm and welcoming.
    i love your salad wrap - i'm copying it tomorrow : )

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  38. Have we become a nation of perfectionists? Constantly critiquing others on trivial, superficial things, in search of the perfectly decorated home, like the one's we've seen on television or in catalogs. Is there not more to life than the placement of our curtains or the amount of color in our rooms? I cannot remember the author, or the exact quote, but I think it was a Greek philosopher who said, "My only wish is that a home's occupants be as interesting as the home." From what I can see, your home is cozy, comfortable, serene, clean and inviting. It's also genuine and unpretentious. And if I were invited to your home, the last thing I would notice is the placement of your curtains. I deplore an overdecorated home. It's like living in a jewelry box. My philosophy is, human beings should be an asset to the space. If you cannot picture a book, a person, or a cup of coffee in the room, then what's the point?

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  39. I have always loved the calm serenity of all the rooms in your house. I remember when you first posted about those drapes - they were lovely then, and still just as lovely.
    The salad wrap looks delicious!

    Barbara in Northern CA

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  40. Your room is perfect, peaceful and enviously beautiful. You do not need to change or explain a thing. I adore it.

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  41. It really just all comes down to taste - and that can be personal ;) x

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    1. Amen. Taste is personal. No reason to come down so harshly on the person who made the observation. I think constructive dialogue is okay. I, myself, am often perplexed on the curtain issue. I read the original comment and thought it benign, and not a personal attack on Janet. Come on people....I think even Janet would probably appreciate adult conversation and not a perpetual teenage gushing love fest.

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  42. I LOVE that room -- wouldn't do a thing to change it! Love your blog too -- calming to my soul.
    Jeanne

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  43. The colors in your room are perfect, and the small pops of blue is just enough! Don't stress over the curtains, they are fine. Yes, maybe they could be hung a bit higher, but really, they are just fine and your justifications are worthy.

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  44. I was an interior designer for over 20 years, and your drapes are perfect for the size and scale of the room. Love the colors, as I've told you before, and the touches of blue are lovely. You're truly very talented. I'm still stuffed from Thanksgiving.

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    1. thank you kathy. i had no idea you were an interior designer.

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  45. Janet, I made your white chili enchiladas for dinner last night and we really enjoyed them! I am a salt hound so I added it along with garlic. the white chili is a good alternative to the red bean chili I like to make during the winter. So thanks again for the receipes.

    About your house. It is lovely. It is fun to see what you do with the various rooms. That is what is so fun about reading blogs. Basically, you have the generosity and spirit to invite us into your home and life. I hope to always be as gracious a guest as you are a host.

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  46. Your room is one of my favorites. Three words describe it--serenity, style and simplicity. If I were to start over, I would love to copy your style.

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  47. Morning Janet! I'm sorry but is this HGTV's Rate My Space? I can't believe anyone would feel free to criticize one's home decor on a blog unless the blog owner requests advice!

    ANYWAY, I have saved copies of your pics to my personal documents folder for reference as I strive to get a simple uncluttered yet CLASSY home decor. I adore your home and think often of downsizing and can't wait for that opportunity.

    In the meantime I will continue to look to your style for inspiration!!! And those drapes to my eye look to be proper scale and fullness for the room size.
    Sincerely, Jeannette

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  48. Janet, dear, these are your drapes and you are to hang them any way you want to ... this Internet thing has so many of us in a defensive posture, as we volley comments and opinions back and forth ... it's not like anyone else has a say in our decorating unless we invite suggestions. I absolutely to love your drapes. I love them so much that I used your photo of them as my inspiration when I was searching for fabric and a style for making my own drapes. I finished four of the panels last week, with four more to go when I can carve out a day to work on them.

    Here is my blog post where I confessed to my own drapery dilemma (the one where your photo appears). http://hartwoodroses.blogspot.com/2012/09/drapery-design-dilemma.html Thank you for having such lovely, simple taste, and thank you for providing such inspiration to folks like me that you don't even know.

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  49. I love your living room just the way it is! It looks like you used an ikea sofa (correct e if I am wrong). Do you have the white or Svanby beige cover? I really like it and we might be moving soon, so I just wondered. Also, you should write a "decorating on a dime" post because your place looks great and I know you are frugal.

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    Replies
    1. no, it is a pottery barn basic sofa with white slipcover bought with 20 yrs worth of american express rewards points.:)

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  50. funny- i love your living room the way it is also! to me- a pumpkin for autumn or a lit tree for christmas adds just the right bit of color. to each his own, but your style is one of the reasons i am attracted to your blog! thanks for all the inspiration and your example of perfect editting!

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  51. I absolutely love your living room and all of your house just as it is. The lack of bold color and the simpleness of your design style is fabulous. My home too lacks a lot of bold colors. Mainly I use black, white, cremes and tans. I love it and wouldn't want it any other way. Too much color is too much stimulation for my brain to handle! Anyhow, your home is just lovely...and thank you for sharing it with us. Have a wonderful day!

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  52. Not a frequent commenter, but wanted to chime in. I am a person who loves color, but I've been recently thinking I have too much of it! When I look at your room, it gives such a sense of calm. And I do see color in your room-- whites/browns/blues, plus didn't you just paint the interior of the cabinet red?

    And your curtains look lovely to me just where they are.

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  53. hmm... I like it all exactly as it is.

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  54. Curtain length, width, height . . . isn't that subjective? There need be no Curtain Police. Thank you, Janet, for opening your home, heart to your readers, plenty of whom continue to return to follow your style and design aesthetic.

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  55. Janet I LOVE your room and its color scheme. Very peaceful and serene.

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  56. I think your room is perfection! I normally would agree about hanging your curtains higher and wider, but for some reason I never thought that about your room. I love looking at how you decorated it. It's a room that screams comfort!

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  57. I love your drapes - as these exact ones seem to be not available anymore, I have been thinking about these ones... MATINE TOILE DRAPE WITH BLACKOUT LINER - in the greenish colour - for my bedroom. What do you think of those?

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    Replies
    1. Thanks a lot Janet, I think these will be my christmas present for this year

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  58. I'm definitely tardy to this party...with one comment...Colors and the feeling, therein, resonate differently within each of the cones in our eyes. What is comfortable and enveloping to one is boring or jarring to another. Suzanne Rheinstein's use of neutrals is without equal and your beautiful little slice of cottage living is a nod to her perfection!
    It's a shared 'Eye-Cone-ology', Janet...and I love it!
    xoxo, Chris

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  59. I agree with Chris; besides, a room should please the person who lives there, don't you think? I don't know anyone who likes my 'clutter', but I love it; every bit holds memories for me. I'll stop now; I feel a rant coming on . . . (-; Great blog and I love your food pics! ~ Linne

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kindness is never out of style.

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