Sonata Script #31 – Pull Up a Chair …We Have a Lot to Cover

Giving you a peek into the past week for me and Sonata Home Design. The days in review, my favorite finds on the web, and just a little “this and that.” I always want to give you great ideas, inspiration, creative motivation, light bulb moments, and a hearty “You can do it!”

I know I am not alone in my passion for home decorating, crafting, and nesting. So, please join me each week for this creative Saturday jolt!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

Whether you spent it surrounded by family, hunting eggs in the backyard, or simply enjoying a quiet, peaceful day…I hope it was everything you needed it to be.

Now that the Easter baskets are put away and the last of the Cadbury eggs have been ahem “dealt with”…

…let’s catch up, shall we?

Pull up a chair. I’ll pour the coffee.

Be sure to read to the bottom…I have a fun announcement!

Christmas Called. In April.

Yes, you read that right.

My dear friend Jen at Midwest Life and Style and I have been meeting and plotting (and by plotting, I mean excitedly talking over each other while making lists) because we are already planning the second Twinkling Lights and Festive Bites holiday open house!

I know, I know. It’s April.

The Easter lilies are barely done blooming.

But here’s the thing about a truly magical event: it doesn’t just happen.

It gets lovingly schemed about for months in advance. So while the rest of the world is thinking flip-flops and Mother’s Day brunch, Jen and I are thinking twinkle lights on trees and holiday appetizers.

I am here for it. Stay tuned…more details to come!

Outside In, Inside Out

Spring has officially arrived at our house, and I am in full nesting mode.

The house just got a good power washing, and oh my goodness…there is nothing quite like that fresh, clean feeling of a home that has been scrubbed from the outside in.

Spring cleaning, inside and out!

(This photo is from when we had the house power-washed two years ago. I wish the trees were this green already!)

I’ve also been on the hunt for a new outdoor patio dining table.

If you’ve shopped for outdoor furniture lately, you know it is quite the adventure.

So many options…so many price points…so many ways to accidentally spend an entire Saturday going down a rabbit hole online!

And while I’m getting the outside pulled together, I have also been spending a lot of time in my office lately.

A dangerous amount of time, if I’m being honest.

Because here’s what happens when you spend too much time in one room: you start really seeing it. Every little thing that isn’t quite right.

Every corner that could be cozier. Every wall that is whispering, “Makeover, please.”

My office has been whispering. Loudly.

It’s whispering that it loves wallpaper!

What do you think of these paper options?

One embraces my love of blue and of trees. One is full of happy colors. And one just makes me laugh!

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Does this happen to you? You finally hunker down in a space to get things done, and suddenly, all you can think about is how you’d like to redo the whole room?

It’s the great decorating paradox, and I fall for it every time!

My New Favorite Dress for Spring

Oh, I have to tell you about my new dress!

Puff sleeves…high collar…

An absolute explosion of flowers and color!

I found it and I just knew.

The kind of dress that makes you stand in front of the mirror a little longer than necessary and think, yes, this is exactly right.

I have been looking for any excuse to wear it, and honestly? Running errands counts. A lunch out counts. Standing in my own backyard counts.

If you have been waiting for a sign to buy the fun, colorful, joyful thing… this is your sign.

Life is too short for beige. Wear the flowers, friends!

You can see the dress HERE.

Winston: A Love Story, Continued

Three months.

Three months ago, we brought our rescue dog Winston home, and what a journey it has been.

When Winston first arrived, he was a sweet, nervous soul…skittering backwards, avoiding eye contact, cautious of everything and everyone. My heart just ached for him.

And now?

He looks me in the eye. He wags his tail. He goes on walks like he owns the neighborhood, and he has claimed a certain stuffed nutcracker toy as his most prized possession.

He is the same dog… and yet he is a completely different dog.

If that doesn’t make you a little misty-eyed, I don’t know what will.

Now, we are not without our ongoing issues.

Winston still growls at men (my husband included, bless his patient heart), though even that is improving week by week.

And housetraining? He has mastered the what. We are still working on the when and the telling us.

We’ve hung a bell on the door and are teaching him to ring it when he needs to go out.

(So far, the bell has been rung zero times by Winston and approximately one million times by me demonstrating it to him. He is not impressed.)

We’ll get there. He is worth every single moment.

My QVC Moment — I’m Going to Be on Air!

Okay, friends. I have to share some exciting news!

Some of you may know that in the past, I have given testimonials for QVC via Zoom for skincare products that I truly love and use myself. It has been such a fun experience.

Well…I’m leveling up!

I have been invited to give my testimonial for a TSV (Today’s Special Value) in the QVC West Chester studio. In person! On air!

Eeeeeee! I am beyond excited!

I’ll be sharing my skincare story and how a particular “blue bottle” has made a difference with my skin.

I cannot wait to see all the behind-the-scenes magic of QVC, and honestly, I have been obsessing over what to wear this past week. (This is a very real and very serious consideration.)

The best part? I get to stay with my niece and her family in Philadelphia while I’m there, which means quality time with her adorable twins. That alone would make the trip worth it!

Tune in on Tuesday, April 7th at 9 AM, 3 PM, and 6 PM (Eastern time) to see what I finally decided to wear…and to hear me talk about one of my absolute desert island skincare products. I hope you’ll watch!

Blog Posts You Might Have Missed

My Grandmillennial Spring Home Tour

How to Clean a Canvas Bag (Check out my amazing online auction find!)

DIY Block Printing

Look What I Found On the Web

Kim from Cottage in the Mitten shares this adorable project for kids: DIY Spring Sun Catchers!

My friend, Rachel from The Antiqued Journey, recently published a fantastic new Ebook…Found and Favored: A Beginner’s Guide to Collecting and Styling Vintage Decor. Check it out here!

Easy and delicious…try this recipe from Susan at Hen and Horse Design: One-Pan Baked Salmon with Asparagus in 30 Minutes. Yummy!

A Gentle Reminder

I have been spending time helping my mother navigate some continuing health challenges, and I am so grateful to be available to her during this season.

It is a quiet kind of gift. The ability to simply be there.

And it has reminded me, more than once, not to take a single ordinary day for granted.

So from my heart to yours: go give someone you love a hug today.

Be glad for every single moment.

I mean it.

---

Thank you for being here, and for catching up with me today over this virtual cup of coffee. It truly means the world.

Cheers!

A Little About Me

Shop My Favorites for Spring