Looking Ahead to 2011

The year is coming to a close and I want to thank everyone who reads, comments, emails, follows, and subscribes to my blog all year long.  Having a blog is great fun and I've enjoyed getting to know new people and fellow bloggers near and far.  Thank you all for your support and friendship. 

And lest I carry on like Sally Field at the 1985 Oscars, I'll move on now to a few of my plans for 2011. Nothing strenuous or exciting like climbing K2, but it's good to get even the little things down on paper:

1) Spend more on fresh flowers and less on imported cheese

Sure, I love French cheese (who doesn't), but it would be best to eat it less often. Sometimes I balk at the bunches of fresh flowers at Whole Foods, thinking do I really need to spend $12 on flowers? But then I get home and while putting away the groceries realize that in three days the flowers will look better than a half-eaten $9 wedge of St. Andre and I regret not buying the flowers.


2) Consider drapes for the living room and bedroom

I have lived in my house for ten years and never considered myself a drapery kind of person. They always seemed too fussy and too puffy for my taste. Shutters have been my window treatment of choice since there is not much privacy in the city and shutters allow light to come in while shielding views from the neighbors.  But the idea of adding drapes is growing on me.  Drapes to bring warmth, coziness, pattern, and color to my rooms.  Yes, these are definitely on the list for 2011 and I've recently become smitten with these crisp chocolate brown checked drapes.

Interior design by Pamela Pierce. Southern Accents Magazine, Nov/Dec 2003. Photography by Tria Giovan

3) Finish painting the walls upstairs

This is self-explanatory.  I changed the colors of my walls from taupe to white this summer and am very happy with the change, except that I haven't finished the rest of the house yet.


4)  Post a photo of myself on my blog

I have been reluctant to put my face "out there" on the web.  I have a "day" job and wonder what will happen if a colleague or client discovers my blog. Will they think it's frivolous, silly, or unprofessional?  One of the benefits of having a blog is getting to know other bloggers.  I enjoy seeing photos of bloggers and putting a name with a face and sometimes even a voice with a face.  People like to know who they're communicating with, right?  So, I resolve to post a photo of myself on my blog profile and leave it up. For at least for a month anyway.

5) Buy or make a Christmas tree skirt

For years I have deluded myself into thinking that a Christmas tree skirt is unnecessary and it's just not so.  The tree looks fine with a few nicely wrapped gifts under it, but after Christmas when the boxes are unwrapped and the gifts are put away, one is left with a bare, cold, metal stand that just doesn't look good.  A piece of burlap or leftover fabric draped around the tree would be better than nothing.  Enough said.

6) Post more of my own photos

I will make it a point to never leave home without my camera this year and will attempt to post more photos of my home. Even if it's a simple grouping of items lying around the kitchen, like the first photo above,  taking my own photos is a way to express creativity and originality.

7) Plant the paper whites earlier next year

The purchase of the bulbs took a back seat to the purchase of everything else this holiday season and I did not plant my paper whites until just before Christmas.  I almost can't bear to look at these little stubs everyday and part of my morning routine is to rotate the pots to maximize sun exposure and then stare at the bulbs for a few minutes, silently imploring them to grow. Faster. Please. 

8) Add more plants outside

My outdoor space is only about 300 square feet and oddly shaped, but it could use more plants next spring.  More boxwood, more flowers, more everything.  This white garden will be my inspiration.

Photo of Loi Thai's garden by Jennifer Sergent of DC by Design Blog

9) Invest in outdoor furniture

Even if it's just a a few French style folding chairs like this one from Wisteria and a metal table, dining outside once a week will be a priority next summer. The two feet of snow on the patio should be gone by then.

10) Take a painting class

I love to visit museums and when it's not too crowded, I like to get up close to a painting and study the brush strokes, the blending of paint, the highlights and the shadows.  Oil painting, in particular, fascinates me and I am determined to take a beginners painting class this year.  I'm no Sarah Lamb when it comes to painting, but I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

So as 2010 comes to a close, I thank you again for your readership and your friendship and wish you all a very happy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year.