2013: MY YEAR OF NO RESULTIONS


Hope your 2013 is off to an amazing start!

Birth announcement

baby boy
I’m not sure if you noticed but I haven’t posted on my blog for awhile. I’ve been …. busy. Baby Truman Miles was born on 12/8/13 at 2:31am. I thought I’d zip right back into my blog but then I really didn’t want to— instead, I savored the holidays with my new little darling baby and my family. I checked out of work and checked into being with my family. It was fabulous.

2013 joie d’vivre
When New Year’s rolled around I realized that I didn’t want to set any new goals or resolutions. I’ve been hyper-overachieving and goal-focused for years. 2013? I wanted to try something different. So the only resolution I have is to not have any resolutions and instead simply feel joy each day.

my year of no resolutions
So now that we’re settled into the year — this is the last day of January, I’m thrilled that I’ve kept my resolution of no resolutions. It’s an incredibly freeing feeling. I’ve discovered that joie d’vivre isn’t about being an ecstatic superhuman-mom. Some days I really don’t feel JOY after being up all night with my newborn. Are you kidding?! Add to that the demands of a toddler, plus work, etc. I’m doing my best to just keep it all together. So does that mean I’ve blown my resolution of no resolution of just feeling JOY? Not at all. What I realize is when I’m not feeling the joie d’vivre, I simply have to ask myself, what do I need to feel a little better? Sometimes that’s a nap. Sometimes it’s delegating work tasks so I can go to the history museum with my toddler. What a relief to have only one focus this year!!! I know it’s only been a month but I’m excited to see how this (for me) radical shift in thinking will play out in 2013. For once I’m not checking my goal spreadsheet all the time. It’s not about achievements — it’s about who I’m being. And I am confident this is enough.

a year of change
What has opened up to me is that without even trying, projects are coming to me easily and effortlessly. Each week new prospects are calling with decorating or staging projects. I’m thrilled with my clients and being with my family. Oh, and I have a very big surprise that I want to share with you too. My husband just got a new job for a hedge fund which will require us to relocate by 4/1… to Minneapolis, MN. WOW! As we had been looking for a new home I never dreamed that new home would be in Minneapolis. Lots of changes for 2013!

Never Complain, Never Explain


365 days with the first lady of decoration, Elsie de Wolfe

New Year, New Project
The House in Good Taste
. Published 1913. The first book on interior decoration by Elsie de Wolfe. She was the first lady of interior decoration, a legend, an icon of 20th Century style and glamour. Elsie taught all the  Great Designers — Tony Duquette, Albert Hadley, Cecil Beaton — how to decorate with a fresh fun perspective and most importantly, how to live: “Never complain, never explain” which Elsie embroidered on plump little pillows that punctuated her sofas and chairs. Love.

The challenge
This is the 100 year countdown — which I’m taking on chapter by chapter  (there are 20) and will share inspiration, tips, ideas found in Elsie’s book. The idea is to make it new. But the challenge is, can I do it? Will I do it? I’ll do my best!  Stay tuned…. in the meantime I DO promise to never complain, never explain!

2010 in review


Thank you so much for making 2010 great!!!! The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

Featured image

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 3,300 times in 2010. That’s about 8 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 14 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 20 posts. There were 29 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 23mb. That’s about 2 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was May 23rd with 71 views. The most popular post that day was Shooting a firehouse makeover with NBC .

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were jillvegas.com, facebook.com, apps.facebook.com, twitter.com, and networkedblogs.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for jill vegas, pink closet, speed decorating jill vegas, painted closet, and living room.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Shooting a firehouse makeover with NBC April 2010
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2

Announcing the School of Speed Decorating July 2010
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3

1 bedroom staged on the Upper Westside = sold! June 2010

4

Living Room in the Hamptons June 2010

5

$100 pillow (and a confession) February 2010
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