Professional Guidance: An Interior Designer

My life is better because I hire professionals. I don't do my own taxes because DUH. I don't review legal documents because DUUUUH (Yes, I have a lawyer. Loooooong story on how that came to be.) And when my rat wheel of a brain alights on obsesses about an especially tricky problem, I don't try to solve it with the rat wheel that created it.  I seek professional help. So why should interior design be any different?

Mr. Man won an auction at Wistariahurst's Gala for a consultation with Paul Latham, of the eponymous Paul Latham Design. Whoa. In two hours, this amazing man:
- Rearranged our furniture creating better flow and use of space in our downstairs rooms.
-Gave us small, DOABLE projects that will make our home even more awesome. So basically? Blog content for the next year is DONE. Thanks Paul. First project? Space over the kitchen sink.

Before:

After:

Right?

Little Nuggets of Life

Last year my mom gave me a gift certificate to White Flower Farms for my birthday. I knew I wanted EARLY flowers. I wanted bulbs whose 'FUCK YOU WINTER!' boldness shakes off the greybrown (it's one word around here in March), giving one hope that warmer days really are around the corner. Like, the next corner, not the down the street and across the park and around that corner.

I bought three varieties: daffodils, crocus (croci?) and tulips. My backyard is small, so when I noticed that each bulb recommended being planted at a different depth, I decided to planted all three varieties, right. on. top. of. each. other. Big fat daffodil bulbs first at 5-6 inches. Then (trying to remember exactly where the daffodils were) medium tulip bulbs at 3-4 inches. Then teeny tiny crocus bulbs at 1-2 inches. I added some bonemeal and Osmocote (a slow-release fertilizer brand I like) to the bed.

What is it about early bulbs? Even as days get longer and warm to 40 or 50 degrees, I feel certain spring will never come. But then I see a bulb. And-because I am a biologist's daughter-I believe those little brown nuggets of life know more than I do about what season is coming when. Happy Spring!

40 and Fabulous. Period.

Is there ANY. THING. in the world better than enjoying people you love? While they sit at a table around you? Singing? To you? On your birthday? I think not.