Our gourd's are covergirls for the Country Sampler

We're so excited! Our Gourds are covergirls! Yep, Furniture Gourmet's fall 6-piece artificial gourd set appear on the cover of the September 2010 issue of the fabulous Country Sampler Magazine! I know, it is a little hard to see our gourds, but, we promise, we're there! You can also check out the complete magazine online! There is so much to enjoy!
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Wonderful Summer Colors for Salad!

I went to an amazing farmer's market this morning, and came home with the true colors of late July! At one booth, I got a big bowl full of tender lettuce leaves and some crisp snow peas. The deep red of freshly picked tomatoes will be awesome against the lettuce in my special, broad, bowl. I will add the Snow Peas, just quickly steamed and cooled, and slices of small, tender cucumber.

Then for fun, the interesting gold of tiny Patty-Pan squash! At the last minute, I will toss with a fresh balsamic-lemon vinaigrette dressing, and top off with croutons made from an amazing Rosemary-Olive Oil bread that I found at a local Artisan Bakery.

Won't it be a wonderful salad!

I will be taking it to dinner at a friends. The best way to socialize! I plan to entertain more this fall, and I am looking for easy but exquisite main dish ideas! So, please send me any you have! I just can't do the same old thing any more!

It's "OK" to love the Color Blue!

I was thrilled to receive my March issue of House Beautiful! It is the spring Color issue, and it is "All About Blue"! If you have secretly loved blue, you now have permission to use it! You may just want one vibrant lamp, or you may really want a room dancing with different hues of blues!

Even Stephen Drucker, Editor in Chief of House Beautiful writes that if he were to do an issue about only one color, it would have to be blue..."the most popular of all colors, a color full of good feelings and often prone to obsession." I say, Thank you, Mr. Drucker, for this fabulous issue! If you don't subscribe to House Beautiful, the magazine, there are wonderful resources online at http://www.housebeautiful.com/ including "50 Blue Fabrics", "70 Years of Blue Rooms", and a great paint color tool that lets you try out an entire spectrum of paint colors in sample rooms!

The pictures shown above are from their online collection of "70 Years of Blue Rooms." Enjoy!

Celebrating Mother's Birthday

Mother was always my best cheerleader. She thought I could do anything, and always encouraged my every attempt. She was a great Mom. She knew all my faults and shortcomings, but always focused on the good that she could see through her Mommy eyes.

Today would have been her 95th birthday, but she died last March. She always said "she left" about a loved one, rather than "died" or " passed away". I think I will say that from now on.

You may wonder what musing about my Mother has to do with my blog about all things Home.

I guess, because she made our home Home with her warm love, the yummy aroma of dinner cooking when we walked in the front door and her very special support of our dreams.

When I started my business, Furniture Gourmet, she was excited and positive about it, and had great advice, too.

As I think about her today, on her birthday, I know in my heart of hearts, that the most important thing to have for happiness at home, is Love. So, I will admit, that without the warmth of acceptance and love, the most special blue & white candlesticks, or the perfect color of paint or a pretty tray made in Italy, will not fill in the spaces in the heart that yearn for love.

But in defense of the importance of those "things", they can be expressions of love, and can help create a place of comfort, belonging and self-expression, and can add even more to the marvelous gift we give our family each day, that is all wrapped up in that one special word, LOVE.