PERFECTION IS A STATE OF MIND 

It is almost Mother’s Day! My plan is all coming together so well. Almost perfect, well if you believe that perfection is a state of mind.

How could a decorating scheme like this go wrong?

Well, to be honest…….the best laid plans don’t always completely pan out.

 I wanted to offset all the purple colors with a creamy yellow color.  My dining room curtains ARE already a creamy yellow.  I decided to change (for a while anyway) the aqua blue curtains in the living room to match the yellow ones in the dining room. The goal was to make them match the curtains in the dining room, but offset all the purple I’m putting in the living room.  

When I ordered the drapery, the size I wanted had to be put on back-order.  So, I’m not getting the creamy yellow curtains I wanted in the living room until the Tuesday AFTER Mother’s Day.  Bummer!  

NO LIFE IN THE FAST LANE ON MOTHER’S DAY

Oh well, this is how it goes sometimes when you live seasonally.  Things change very fast around you. Everything can’t always be perfect or match your vision for the day.  This is when I stop and say “fine – it will not matter.”  

I say that because I see no reason to let a few little imperfections ruin a lovely plan.  I’m leaving up the old draperies and just decorating around them.  It will be okay – the whole world doesn’t have to be perfect all the time.  When the other curtains arrive after Mother’s Day; I’ll still have this color scheme going on for Pentecost.  That will be just fine. I’ll love them even more when they arrive.  Such is life in the fast lane.

My goal is not to let the “fast lane” happen on Sunday.  It truly is about the events of the day and NOT about the decor.  Mother’s Day here is going to be all about relaxing and enjoying each other’s company; no matter what color the living room curtains turn out to be. 

I thought at some point during this season we might discuss some ideas about how to make imperfections work out to your advantage. Or as one of my daughters is always saying “When life gives you lemons, just make lemonaid.” There will be unnexpected troubles to arise. You can count on it. Not only with the decor, but with the people and the circumstances you might be dealing with. Take heart. All will be well. We will discuss this further in another article later this week. Stay with us.

I do love the yellow in the dining room though!  

MAKING LIFE EASY AND SIMPLE FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Yellow and purple are a good marriage.  They always cheer me up.  Not having to wash dishes also cheers me up. I think I’ve managed a way to get around that this year.

My table is flanked with throw-away dishes that look like china.  

Did you know such things existed?  

No washing dishes on Mother’s Day!  I’ve got that covered.  At first I hesitated to use them though.  That is because I love real dishes. It is a trait I inherited from my Mother.  I love playing with the different patterns and colors.  All of the different shapes of china and everyday dishes are enjoyable. 

However, these disposable plates will work just perfect for this special day.  I love the elegant look they bring.  These plates will be good and sturdy too.  At the end of the day I will simply have to toss them to the trash can.  I’ll simply wipe out the REAL chargers that I’m using to protect the table.  The chargers are just pretty to look at.  They offset the fake-china plates just right.

IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BUTTERFLIES

Don’t you love the butterflies? I found them at Old Time Pottery.  They came in sheets of four for under $1.25.  Not expensive at all, but perfect for the effect I was after.  

I alternated the yellow and purple butterflies on each plate as you move around the table.  Also, I pulled out my silver candlesticks and loaded them with some pretty lavender candles.  Next I added a lovely bowl of lavender flowers in the middle of the table.

Finally, the table pleased me.  

The only thing that could make it better would be the smiles of our guest as they enjoyed the Mother’s Day meal.  I can’t wait to see that happen. Bringing this together can also be complicated at times. We all deal with different issues. That will be discussed in the next article too. I think we can work this out to please everyone if we try. Stay with us for tips on making family technicalities less stressful and more rewarding.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Mother’s are the necessity of invention.” —Plato