Hello Y’all

I hope you had a great week! This past Friday 11/18 was the first day it felt like Christmas was finally around the corner. I woke up to a deceptively bright and early sun accompanied by a very cold breeze. Not falling for that ‘sunny view’ from my window though 😀 Having lived in Ohio prior, I cannot tell you how many times I got dressed in the morning based off of that ‘sunny view’ from the window only for me get out the front door and turn back around for a complete change of clothes…the freeze was real! 😦 😦 The lessons learned from those episodes of silliness never leave you. Unfortunately, there were quite a few people lightly dressed today, hunched over and shivering as they literally sprinted to lunch. All that could have been avoided.

The Holidays are here and we all know that after thanksgiving, its literally a race to Christmas and then the New Year.  A time of family, lots of fun, presents and food. A time where all diets are off until the first week of the new year …at least in my world ha ha! 😀

When it comes to Christmas decorating, we all have our likes, personal preferences and family traditions we keep up with or at least try to 😀 Its a time of the year where for some individuals, they just can’t wait to get their hands on some Christmas themed decor. A few others literally look for the path of least resistance; how to pull off a fully decorated home, front yard and a few trees with the least amount of effort. Sound like you?

A friend of mine has a one foot tall Christmas tree where all the decor….and yes I said ‘ALL’ of the Christmas decor in that home goes on that tree. She just cannot be bothered with the stress of bringing out, putting up and taking down all that fluff when she could be spending her time with family doing something else more fun 😀 Another friend has an already decorated tree that comes down from the attic once a year and after the festivities are over, up it goes – back into the attic with a sheet thrown over to keep dust off of it. Imagine having ALL of your Christmas decor done in ten minutes or less!

On the other hand…some of my friends were ‘born’ to decorate. I kid you not. Their inspiration especially during the holidays go into something bordering between ‘amazing to a tad bit overwhelming’ to the ordinary simpleton; turning out homes so beautiful and intricately decorated you would almost believe they had some imaginary help from a couple of Santa’s elves to pull off (on one particular occasion) decorating three Christmas trees, a 2 story house and the front yard.

I am reminded of a trip to Brunswick, OH a few years ago where we drove by one of the most beautifully decorated neighborhoods I have ever seen just before Christmas. The neighbors take those competitions very seriously from what i learned and what exactly do they win? – Bragging rights for having the most beautifully decorated house for the next twelve months I think I’ll pass on that please 😀 😀

But as fun as this all is, the end of the year is a time for taking stock. It’s a time to ask yourself questions like: How much you’ve grown, what you did right and what you need to improve on. It’s also a time to plan and be strategic for the New year. To aim as high as you possibly can so that you’re still within a successful range in spite of life events that we have no control over.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday and let me know what tactics you use to get through decorating this season – for the carefree among us; and for the amazingly creative readers please share what tips work best for you.

Ciao until next time!!

Periwinkle Starr

The past few days have shaken up the American people and the world at large. There is so much uncertainty right now more than ever before; with the protests in response to the election results becoming more aggressive along with an escalating rise in hate crimes.

I always thought that we as a nation were past this but apparently we aren’t. Racism and prejudice has been here all along, simmering beneath the surface waiting for someone who was boisterous enough to call out what people were thinking but had no courage to say or act upon.

As skeptical as i was of both parties throughout the campaign, I have never been as appalled as I was to witness an avalanche of careless statements, racist rants, discriminatory remarks targeted at minorities, women and other faith religious groups from the republican candidate. It was almost otherworldly, I could not believe what I was hearing or the picture that kind of behavior painted to the world as a representation of the party. On the other hand; I felt that the democratic party as wonderful as they had performed as a whole, didn’t really have anything new to offer. It was going to be tweaks to the old plan that on many fronts hadn’t worked for many individuals over the last 4 years.

In life, its easy to throw stones. Its even easier to critic people and give all sorts of remarks and opinions UNTIL we find ourselves in a similar situation. So lets wait and see what would come of the next 4 years under a new governing party.

No matter what happens, we must never forget that we are first and foremost ‘human beings’. Irrespective of race and or ethnicity. We must realize that we all face the same daily struggles and are not immune to the feelings that govern the rest of mankind.

If you hate an individual or certain ethnic groups just because of their race (which they had nothing to do with), then that says something about you as a person. If you are genuinely happy, healthy and living a productive life or if you have some things going for you or you’re working towards your goals, dreams and life ambition or if you love yourself and are appreciative of the life you have no matter how perfect or imperfect it may be; you would not have the time of day to spend hating or harboring any ill towards anyone because you’re too preoccupied being your awesome self. That’s food for thought.

No one knows what the way forward is or what the future holds for this country but it is sometimes said that it often gets worse before it gets better and our only hope is to be the change we want to see in others.

Ciao until next time!

Periwinkle Starr

Happy Halloween Y’all!

I trust you all had a fun weekend and for all the others who managed to get through all the events that make Halloween what it is; thank God its over! This year has been so hilarious with all the happenings in pop culture and politics; it would be difficult to not have costume ideas. I had the pleasure of participating in the North Texas ‘Making Strides Against Breast Cancer’ Walk this past weekend and I kid you not, I was walking alongside Donald Trump, The Mad Hatter from Alice not too far behind and Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad around somewhere :)….just to name a few, it was so much fun!! 🙂

In this post I want to talk about sprucing up your space – whether its your home, apartment or office cubicle; you name it, I’ve got you covered!

Decorating a space can be likened to telling a story about who you are and what you love. It reflects your taste, personal style and mindset. Decorating a space can sometimes be so intimidating that a few of us NEVER-GET-STARTED. We fear that its just too much of a hassle, or the fact that we go through different phases or seasons where our likes change so randomly that we feel there isn’t  a need to decorate because come a few months down the line, we would loath ‘that huge iron bird sitting on the mantle over the fire place we thought was so cool and eclectic’….ahem <coughs> 🙂 that was me not too long ago…ha ha! 😀 😀

I have a few questions that can help you get started. Lets start at the top of the list:

• What is Your Budget? How much are you willing to spend? And I’m referring to situations where your’re decorating an apartment you intend to live in for a few years as opposed to a home that comes with a longer time line.

• What is Your Space Like? Do you have a lot of space that looks empty and bare no matter what you do and want a smaller and more cozy feel to it?

• What is the Existing Color Scheme of The Space? For example, If you have cream painted walls and  a cream colored carpet as most rental apartments; and you’re not willing to repaint the whole space, you can opt for darker toned furniture for better contrast.

• What Style Best Describes You? Are you a lover of all things ‘comfy and chintz’ or do you like a more contemporary upwardly mobile look to your space? There are so many styles but everyone has a dominant style expression.

• Less is More. There is a fine line between a well decorated space and clutter. You do not need one of every shade of pottery or ten different paintings hanging on your wall just because your grandparents unloaded their house. There’s a show for that and its called ‘Hoarders’ 🙂 Don’t be afraid to sell or give away things you’re not using or don’t have any use for.

We only live once guys so why not feel great about the space you’re in right now instead of waiting till your dreams come through (and they will)! These are a few pictures of some pieces that brighten up my space. Let me know your thoughts and what has worked for you so far.

Ciao until next time!

Periwinkle Starr

Thinking back on my view of an artist, I had always imagined the greats. Such people as Leonardo Da vinci, Michelangelo and Mozart were the epitome of what the word ‘artist’ meant. Never would I have considered myself one. I remember being 4 years old with a keen sense of what I wanted to wear for the day. I would change clothes multiple times in a day. Dressing up was so much fun that my Dad had to move my drawer out of my reach and instructed our nanny not to let me change clothes unless it was absolutely necessary….haha.

Looking back with wistful eyes, I realize now that the artist in me was already alive. The beauty of this blog is my exploration of art, architecture, photography, fashion consulting, lifestyle, food, space planning and so much more…sharing life experiences and appreciating where we are with a keen awareness of where we want to be.

So lets keep exploring this amazing journey called life!