1. My guys- Quite simply, my three sons and my husband are my purpose in life and my greatest source of light and joy and inspiration (and exasperation at times – but that’s a whole different story - the things we are the most passionate about in this lifetime will always be the things that evoke the greatest range of intense emotions in us). These guys are my world… my loves…my irrefutable evidence that life is indeed good…they are the most exquisite embellishments in my life and my home.
2. My sisterhood of friends – In my male dominated life (I am so outnumbered in my home), I have come to profoundly value the sanctity of my female friendships. I am truly blessed to count some of the most extraordinary women among my friends. They are kind and brilliant and generous and talented. I am madly in love with them and humbled and enriched by them. They have enabled me to show my children what true friendship really looks like so that my boys will grow up to have discerning but receptive hearts. My home is most beautiful and my days are richest when they are in them.
3. My music – There is a reason why music is a part of so many religious rituals. No matter what G-d you worship (if any), music is one of his or her greatest gifts to us. Music can transport me when I want to get out of my head and “be” somewhere else or it can vividly enhance the experience of whatever I am doing or feeling. It is constantly wafting through my home. My bliss is going to concerts with my family (Gomez, John Butler Trio, Bob Schneider are but a few of our most favorite shows). I love that no matter how old they get, my boys remain willing to share the experience of live music with me. A good concert, it would appear, is always “cool”. If you are inclined, you can check out some of my favorite mixes on I -Tunes <-Click to hear samples.
4. My home – “SO YOU” would be the comment I most hear when people first visit my home. I am not sure if that means the visitor actually likes it or not – but I know, good or bad, it is an accurate characterization. With its almost schizophrenic eclecticism, my home does seem to reflect the people who live in it. “Anything but retail” would be my decorating mantra. Much of what decorates my home is from flea markets, estate sales, people’s basements, the side of the road…it’s almost all found objects that are re-fashioned and re-purposed to suit our tastes and needs. Here are a few of my decorating strategies…
a. I like to blur the lines between inside and out. Window treatments make me a little claustrophobic so my windows are largely unadorned. I try to bring a lot of the outdoors in – all the natural light I can capture and plenty of garden and architectural elements.
b. I tend to prefer an unexpected juxtaposition of disparate decorating elements in all of my rooms (mod fabric on a Victorian sofa frame, industrial fixtures in an otherwise formal room, etc.). I love the synergy between the roughed up and the slightly more pristine.
c. I try not to buy into the notion that there is a “right” and therefore a “wrong” way to decorate our spaces. We are privileged to live in an area where there is simply one sublime house after another. It is thrilling to admire these magnificent structures – but, on a fragile day, one might feel just a little intimidated. The goal is to create our own personal space that speaks to us and evokes a sense of peace and contentedness…then, all the relative comparisons become immaterial.
(outside)
5. My escape – Our cabin in the woods in Waterford, Maine provides our perfect respite from the real world. It is our heaven on earth - a sacred re-treat where we re-connect, re-fuel, re-examine, re-lease, and really really find peace and joy. A simple cedar box with a metal roof that asks almost nothing of me in terms of maintenance, our cabin was designed and built as a reaction to the many challenges that come with living in the oldest standing house in Glencoe (in other words, I actually have storage space in the cabin even though my life there is very simple and I don’t really have anything to “store”, and, the cabin is climatically sound so my kids do not have to eat their cereal with mittens on).
(inside)
6. My fleeting obsessions – OK- right now, I am ALL about the “Flash Mob” thing. I am totally serious. I am addicted to the pure positivity of this whole trend like a drug. There is something about masses of people organized for the collective purpose of merely bringing joy that is so very hopeful…so affirming. It is precisely what I want to believe about humanity. Check some of these out…I dare you not to smile:
(at home)
7. My search for treasures – My favorite material acquisition of the year is definitely our Peace Pole. When my eldest son returned from a summer in Nepal, we noticed these peace poles in many of his photos. With research, we learned about a whole international Peace Pole Movement that we simply had to be a part of. The poles all say, “May peace prevail on earth” in any number of languages you choose. The novelty of our peace pole has not worn off… when I pass it as I approach our home, I exhale and think peaceful thoughts and feel a palpable calm. I would love everybody in Glencoe to have one…we could have all sorts of Peace Pole planting ceremonies and become the “Peace Pole Town”. Find out more http://www.peacepoleproject.org.
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