Monday's Music Lyrics -- Don't Worry Be Happy, by Bobby McFerrin

An oldie, but certainly a goodie... And a great way to start of your week and the month of November... Gotta Love this song!


Don't Worry, Be Happy - click link to see this SWEET video!
Performed by Bobby McFerrin

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Lood at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got not girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy

A Day in the Life

4:45AM - Faint stirring when I hear Tim get up for his morning exercise routine. Still think he is crazy to get up so early.
6:00AM  Faint stirring when I hear Tim get in the shower.
6:30AM  Our Australian Shepherd jumps on the bed for a morning cuddle. I feel wet dog hair and turn on the light and see muddy paw prints all over the bed. March downstairs to put dog outside. Scold Tim for letting dog in when she is all muddy.

She looks so innocent when she is asleep, doesn't she?

6:45AM Throw on clothes and tell daughter  to hurry up or she will be late for school.

7:00AM Warm up car to take daughter to school.
7:15AM Back home, shower and dress.
7:30AM Eat breakfast and read the paper...."Local Mall Burns Down!" Oh no! Were Crate and Barrel, PB and Restoration affected?
8:15AM Check emails and respond to clients. Yes, we can get marble remnant for Powder Room Counter.
8:45AM Strip bed and put muddy sheets and duvet in the laundry.
9:00AM Take dogs to the groomer for a bath...it has been too long anyway.
9:30AM Make plan for the day. Check Voicemail: "You too can benefit from Government Mortgage Bailout", Very excited client message about her kitchen that I designed published in Sacramento magazine!
10:00 AM Blog Post about One King's Lane Tag Sale
10:30 AM Order bed from Serena and Lily for Client's Master Bedroom. Order Kravet Windsor Smith Fabric for Pillows....same client.



Meanwhile, Tim is painting new wall in basement added to make room for Mom moving in.

Disaster....but work is calling

 11:00 AM Put together design for another client's Master Bedroom: furniture additions, lighting, area rug, bedding.
11:30AM SureWest guy comes to put in new TV hook up for Mom's new space. He also moves my computer hook up to "my" side of the basement.
1:00PM Work on tile re-selection for episode of Bath Crashers (DIY Network) that I am designing. What I thought would be a pretty quick process...not so quick.
1:30PM Start putting presentation together for Client Master Bedroom I was working on earlier. Keep researching for more items.
3:30PM Eat "Linner"....grilled cheese and chicken and stars....sometimes comfort food is the only way to go.
4:00PM Check emails
4:30PM Move office furniture, equipment and supplies to other side of basement into my "new" office. This may take awhile!

New Wall with Paint!

Moving Office to This Side of the Wall...still have a lot to do, but getting there! I am back in action.

4:45PM Pick up clean dogs from groomer.
5:15PM Keep on moving office stuff....hours more to go.
8:30PM Pay Per View movie: "Agora" about 4th century Greek woman philosopher Hypatia in Alexandria. Watched it while moving office. Not a bad rent! I had never heard of Hypatia before and never would have known women were revered as teachers in this era.

10:00PM pick up daughter from friends' house.
10:30PM Take a break and finish watching movie.
11:00PM Bed and read a bit of my book: "Velva Jean Learns to Drive". Velva Jean knew who Hypatia was.....so I am very glad I saw that movie! Very eerie to have Hypatia show up in two places in one day.

11:30PM Fell asleep and dreamed about little elves wearing togas finishing my office in the middle of the night....sigh...if only....

Armchair Traveling to Chateau Domingue

 Chateau Domingue....it just sounds romantic, doesn't it? I was just in a mood for a little getaway. I am too busy to go anywhere at the moment, but I can travel in my mind with a little help from the loveliness on the Chateau Domingue website.

 A shop and warehouse in Houston TX, Chateau holds a treasure trove of reclaimed and architectural elements and "monumental" antiques. One of the premier importers in the US in fact.

 With a 15,000 sq. ft. warehouse, you can find just about anything here from French limestone flooring, gates and doors, lighting, and furniture, to garden elements, reclaimed architectural elements and art.  

 Owner, Ruth Gay, travels far and wide to bring the treasures home, and we all are the beneficiaries.

 So if you are in the mood for a little mind traveling, I cannot think of a better way to spend some time. Chateau Domingue is only a CLICK away.

Who knows....you just may find a souvenir or two you cannot leave without!

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

 With all of the Fall displays out there on all of the blogs, we were inspired to get over to a pumpkin patch I had heard about on the levee along the Sacramento River. Dave's Pumpkin Patch is the place to find all of the exotic pumpkin varieties I was looking for: the Fairy Tale pumpkins, ghostly grey pumpkins, white pumpkins, big, small and everywhere in between, Dave has them. 

We only had Sunday to make it to the Pumpkin Patch...so we decided to go rain or shine. Ahem....it was rain.

 There was a down side...most of the fun stuff, like the Hay Maze...was a bit flooded.

 And the Hay Pyramid was surrounded by mud.

 But on the upside, we had the place to ourselves! We found all of the pumpkins we could ever want, and we had the full attention and the gratitude of owner Dave and his sweet kids. There was free apple cider, hot chocolate and popcorn for all of us, and I can't be sure, but I think we got a bit of a discount on the pumpkins for weathering the storm (they were awfully well priced!!!).

Perhaps we were a bit, well, low on good sense. Even the livestock knew enough to get out of the rain:

But I prefer to call it a bit of an adventure. One we will more likely remember.

Dave is the best...and there will be sunshine this weekend I hear. So you can expect that the pumpkin cannon will be in operation, there will be carnival games to play, pig races, pony rides and the fields are still full of pick 'em yourself pumpkins. Hop on over!

Have you gotten your pumpkins yet?

Davis in Davis

House Exterior

I have a good friend who is a designer....which is only natural as we have a lot in common. We can talk design, love going to home tours, antique shops, furniture shops. When we go to the movies, we always notice the sets. When we drive we notice the architecture around us. We can ask each other's advice on our own homes. Perhaps you have friends like this?

Well...my friend Leanne Davis, recently worked with a client in the town of Davis, home of UC Davis, which is about a 20 minute drive from Sacramento. Her client, David Rocke (a Distinguished Professor at UCD), was so happy with the results, he graciously hosted a house warming party for friends and neighbors about week ago. Leanne and I drove over a bit early so I could snap a few pictures.

Living Room

 The house is newly built by Eric Roe of Red Door Building Company (ericroe@comcast.net). The style is a contemporary take on a South Western home.

Leanne took this cue from the desert and created a soft desert palette of sand, pale turquoisese, rust and other sunset colors.

 

Dining Room

 Leanne found some wonderful woven leather topped metal tables by Kolkka for the Family Room which she put together with leather arm chairs creating a warm and cozy space. I love the rusty red color on the walls!



Family Room



Family Room Detail



 Leanne designed a custom bedspread for the Master Bedroom in a rust tinted brown and silver stripe. The mirror also picked up on the silver we typically associate with desert jewelry.

Master Bedroom

 Leanne specializes in color consulting and shopping at retail sources with clients for furniture and accessories. You may even recognize some of those sources here: Crate and Barrel, and West Elm (a couple of my favorites!)

Leanne Davis and David Rocke

      David was a wonderful host and Leanne helped provide a beautiful environment for the house warming party. It was only seconds later that everyone arrived, and we all ate, drank and made merry. And of course everyone toasted the host and designer!

House Warming Party, food...delicious, guests...lovely!

If you are interested in homes in the Davis area, look up Realtor Claire Black Slotten. She was the realtor in this case and knows Davis like the back of her hand.

So, that is my tale of Davis in Davis. I think Leanne will be doing more work here very soon.

(To contact Leanne, you can email her at l_davis_916@yahoo.com)

Monday's Music Lyrics -- One, by U2

Without a doubt, One by U2 is my favourite song (with Fields of Gold, by Sting a close second). The lyrics in this song can be interpretted in many ways... conveying varying meanings to whom the intended audience is. I've always considered this song to speak to the notion that each and everyone of us are connected (as stated in the lyrics) and the power of love to empower humanity or to degrade it, in its absence. Often, we are too blind to see this power and function in isolated cylos. Many have theorized that this song was in fact written about the German population's need to come together after the fall of the wall in 1989. While, others have theorized it is about the presence of homosexuality and HIV and the need for the human race to come together and care for each other.... Either way, this song speaks of power through unity to me... It strikes a strong cord with me and always moves my soul when I hear it... "We get to carry each other."



Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same
Will it make it easier on you now
You got someone to blame
You say...

One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it

Did I disappoint you
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without
Well it's...

Too late
Tonight
To drag the past out into the light
We're one, but we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other
One...

Have you come here for forgiveness
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again
You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should
One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers
One life
But we're not the same
We get to
Carry each other
Carry each other

One...life

One

Sale-ing Lessons: The Wind is Blowing Me Toward One Kings Lane

The feel of the fresh wind in your face and salt air on your tongue....there is nothing quite like the exhilaration of sailing out on the high seas. Unless we are talking about a One Kings Lane Tag type of sailing....equally as exhilarating, but in a whole different way. This Saturday, One Kings Lane treats us to not one, but two sales that have me ready to untie my boat from the dock and make ready for the starting line. 

Doyenne of design, Suzanne Tucker of Tucker & Marks is opening up her treasure chest of beautiful fabrics, and one of a kind furniture and accessories to all of us tomorrow. You may be familiar with her endless talent, but if you need a refresher, you can click on over HERE, HERE and HERE. 

Beautiful Living Room by Suzanne Tucker

 Grace, elegance and beauty.... that is what you can expect from Suzanne Tucker in the tag sale tomorrow.

There is another sale starting tomorrow as well! LA based designer, Hillary Thomas will be offering furniture, lighting and accessories from her gorgeous cache. Hillary's style  is self described as retro-chic with a modern eclectic bohemian flair....me?....I just describe it a freshly fantastic!

A little info on Hillary:

And a little eye feast:

Designs by Hillary Thomas

So...will I be seeing you in the race tomorrow? I may be yelling "starboard" if the race gets close.

May the wind be in your sails tomorrow morning!