Year End Musings

Looking back at the past year and learning is always a good idea, but I prefer to look forward and decide what has to go, what I will keep, and what is still a bit tentative and needs some more time. A way to sort out the good, the bad, and the ugly! The same as we are told to do with our closets, you know, by donating the things that you haven’t used in a year; the same goes with life—and so, it is a good idea to renew, re-do, and recycle! Not that I take all of that advice to heart, as I still have a hard time getting rid of that pair of really skinny jeans that I wore, well maybe once.… I guess it is just a reminder of what it had been….

But enough about me and my clothes issues…

Here are my year-end musings:

I had to do some work in my house, fix a few rotten spots and leaks, the garden needed a bit of help, and the piazza (which is what porches are called in Charleston) a total renewal. It looks wonderful. The good news is that I never have to do it again. Apparently, the Brazilian IPE wood that was installed will last a lifetime.

A new seating arrangement in the library with wonderfully fluffy pillows has made a walk-through room much more functional and cozy. I added a bit of color in my bedroom to cheer up what was a very monochromatic room; it is now welcoming, calm and serene. Renewing a room can be as simple as a few new pillows, hanging new curtains, or even moving paintings around…a new lamp will do wonders… it doesn’t have to be a dramatic change, just … a refresh.

My dining table is where I am constantly redoing … It is not about having tons of sets of china but a few accessories that work together to create unique settings every time. As simple as a different way of folding a napkin, or even using a particular item in an unexpected way, like small bowls as bread plates, or arranging a group of candles together to create a bigger impact.

I am adding shagreen to my color palate. I love the texture and color and unspoken sophistication. It is one of those things that those who know, know. I found a set of faux shagreen cutlery that is lovely and works beautifully with my antique Vista Alegre plates as well as with the basic white. I can’t wait to use it in the spring with pale pinks…

For the last many years, I have banned blue & white china from my life. I had used it so much during the Palm Beach and Southampton years that I didn’t want to see it around me anymore. It just brings back bad memories. But I changed my mind when I discovered some just perfect plates. And so, my blue & white ban has been lifted a little bit, and I will start collecting again, but only a specific pattern.

Food looks delicious on blue & white plates; it is the favorite combination of many food stylists; a touch here or there is fine. Just in case I start breaking out in hives, I am keeping this “new-ish” color scheme in the guest room, recycling some of the pieces I had hidden and giving them a new life in a sunny and welcoming room that I don’t see all the time, thus limiting my exposure.

Part of the renewal project is not only in my house but also in my life. I often talk about this with my friends… and that is where to draw the figurative line between friends and acquaintances. Or even family members, regardless of how close they are in the family tree. Think Meghan and Harry. Yes, I, too, can ban someone who doesn’t want to be in my life for the right reasons. Nowhere is it written that we must accept people in our lives who are constantly unkind to us.

And so I am looking forward to the next year and all the new adventures that life will bring.

And with that, I leave you. I wish you a wonderful New Year filled with happiness, love, and great food!

The Serial Hostess