I’m getting so excited for the summer holidays, who’s with me!? Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day are the epitome of summer fun. Nothing gets me more excited than to start thinking of and dreaming about travel plans, beautiful destinations and bathing suits.

As a lover of design and interior design, I love to see how people all across America are taking traditional themes and reusing them in modern ways.

Summers feel so patriotic with help from the good ol’ red, white and blue. This color theme sparks so much excitement and with Summer right around the corner I had to share some of my favorite images.

 Til next week,

As Mother’s Day is fast approaching (it’s next Sunday!) I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for all the moms out there, especially my own.

I have huge amount of respect for motherhood from witnessing my own mom doing everything she could to make sure I had all the opportunities to follow my dreams. She is the reason I’m here doing what I’m doing and loving every minute of it.

I also know it can be a thankless job at times but no matter what mothers push through fueled on the love for their children and the strengthen within.

Next Sunday is one of the few times it’s all about mothers. While we all get wrapped up in buying the perfect gift, I truly believe this is one of those holidays that is truly about the thought that counts, spending time more so than money is what really touches a mother’s heart. (While some jewelry doesn’t hurt either) Take the time this Mother’s Day to spend with your mom if it’s possible, I know I am.

This past year I’ve been so lucky to have my mom close and I’m soaking up every minute of it.

Til Next Week,

As you know I’m in the middle of a renovation and my home is a bit of a construction zone, but that won’t stop me from decorating for the holidays. This time of year is one of my favorites because the simple beauty of nature shines the brightest right now.

I want to share my favorite (and easy) tips for holiday decorating to show you that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune or take a ton of time to make your house feel festive.

 The first tip isn’t necessarily a decoration but more of a sensory experience and that’s music. I love dedicating one genre to a specific day of the week throughout the year. During the holidays I tend to get tired of holiday music because I play it so much, I combat that by only playing holiday music on the weekends or only at night or in the morning, etc. I also love to go even more specific and create playlists for classic holiday music, these older songs really remind me another time and place when life was simpler.

Second tip is to bring the outdoors in. Go outside and start gathering anything you see, nuts, acorns, pinecones, leaves, etc. The trick is to get a bunch of the same thing and place it in a big bowl, vase or unique container to showcase the volume. You can do this with produce at the grocery store as well, like cranberries or red and green apples.

And finally, don’t forget about the bathroom. Bathrooms get neglected during the holidays and it’s important to put a little attention there. I love to add small tea candles and/or small glasses with a flower or two. I know that when I visit and someone as put fresh flowers and good smelling candles in the bathroom, I feel special.

I hope some of these ideas help you get in the holiday spirit without feeling overwhelmed, because if I have one over-all tip for you it’s to enjoy the moment. The memories we make with friends and family will last forever and the holiday decorations will be put away in January.

Happy Holidays!

First off, let me wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you're enjoying it with friends and family and a full belly, I am! 

Now, on to this week's topic, Black Friday. Many people love it, while others think it’s ruining Thanksgiving. I wanted to share my opinion, because Black Friday has been helping keep my holidays stress-free for years.

First off, I agree that leaving family dinners early or putting shopping ahead of spending time with loved ones, isn’t cool. It’s important to set priorities. Family First. 

Now, it’s important that you do your “Black Friday” homework so you know when and where you are going to get your best deals. I write down everyone on my list I need gifts for and set a budget for each. Once I know who I need presents for, I can get to work and see which stores and brands are offering the best deals.

I love online shopping and so much of Black Friday’s deals are online, which is making this even easier. I really focus on getting everyone done this weekend. If I devote this one weekend to holiday shopping I can really enjoy the holidays. It gives me the whole month of December to be present with my friends and family, and who doesn’t want that?!

Here’s to getting it done and enjoying the holiday season,

I want to slow down every day to focus and put attention on the food I make and what I feed my family. This involves all the senses. Touching the produce, hearing the sounds in the kitchen, smelling the smells and seeing the colors of the rainbow. I believe that being fully involved in all aspects of eating develops presence and gratefulness for our bodies and our food.

What an amazing holiday Thanksgiving is! It’s one of my favorites, because it’s all about family, being together and most importantly eating. I love to make a big deal out of Thanksgiving. I think the more effort you put into the planning, the more everyone feels the love. I want my family to feel how thankful I am for them, and this is more about the time I put into this day and not the money I spend.

I know a lot of people think in order to have a beautifully decorated table you need to have all the trimming and spend a ton of money, I am not one of those people. One of my best tips for setting a beautiful table is to mix-n-match all my dinnerware. I love collecting vintage glasses and plates, even silverware, and giving everyone their very own place setting. The more different the better.

 

This amount of thought really shows everyone that I care more than some paper plates and plastic silverware ever will. Plus you’re being so much better to the environment without all that waste.

Now about what we put on those plates. My family is Greek and we love our traditional dishes. We serve Spanakopita (my grandmother always made it) and Kourabiedes, a Greek butter cookie, traditionally a Christmas favorite but we love them so much we break them out at Thanksgiving. Here’s to making this year’s Thanksgiving the most thoughtful yet.

Thankfully,