I love this time of year, not only because the whiny hum of complaining children has vanished into the classroom, but because change is in the air. I believe I started planning for fall in April as the grey tones of a cold winter began to spring into the colorful hues of a warmer season. Since moving to the Hudson Valley of New York four years ago, I have an even greater appreciation for the changing seasons and a deeper affection for all things fall. I've taken a bit of a hiatus the last few weeks (you've probably noticed only a few entries per week) because while my ideas are plenty, my free time to share them (like my waist line) is tighter and tighter. But, as the leaves change colors and the warm summer sun fades to a cold, grey winter light, I will still be here to share my ideas..some of them quite bright! Fear not, though, I'm not going to start offering creative holiday gift ideas, tips on how to keep your toes warm or my ideas for setting the perfect Thanksgiving table..
just yet...because the ripple effects of summer are still at our backs, and there are many tasks staring us right in the face! I was recently approached by a friend to design two rooms for her son...one, his new home away from home in a 12'x12' dorm room, and the other in the space he was leaving behind...where he left many, many things behind (including unidentifiable lingering odors). More on the latter later, for now the main concern was making his new quarters feel like a comfortable cocoon for nurturing his forthcoming commanding performances as a student of engineering. One of the main obstacles in most dorm rooms...cement walls! Not only are they cold and depressing, they're next to impossible to dress up because nothing sticks to their rough, cold surfaces..until now. The brilliant engineers at 3M have designed unique hanging devices that go on with a simple push, come off with a little pull and leave nothing behind. Hang up to 50 pounds with these plastic hooks and never look back! They're also great for hanging just about anything around your house (staging a place..even better, because they don't leave a mark). College life is hard enough, why not make it more fun with a little command performance?
