So who is your Valentine this month? Mine all have four feet! LOL! The humans I love know who they are, so this month I’m officially in ❤️ with Fabio, Cronkite, Aynnie Fanny, Maggie the Brat, and Webster. One horse and four dogs who rule my roost!
And speaking of roosts—I decided to call my blog “Jocie’s Sanctuary” because what could be better than a person’s safe place? That place can be home, office, barn, a favorite chair to curl up in, a front porch swing, on the back of a horse or a Seadoo or in a loved one’s arms. They have all been my comfort zone at one time or another. Since this is a place I’m sharing my thoughts and feelings with friends, I decided it was simply another means to that end.
Home, of course, should be the ultimate sanctuary and we have some amazing spaces in this month’s show thanks to The Hills of Kingswood, Gary Riggs, Bruce Russo, Ron Davis and Mike Jones. And, yes, you get a sneak peek of mine in Gary Rigg’s Designing Texan feature. Watch for the formal living room with the turquoise leather sofa. You even get a glimpse of my breakfast nook with the orange and turquoise chairs. Can you guess my favorite color? Ha!
Gary addresses one of my pet peeves this month and that’s how bare and “wintry” a home can look once all the happy holiday decorations and lights are down. January is a good time to refresh and renew a home, too. That’s when I begin adding in throw pillows with color or sequins or sparkle and scatter around votives and candles with fragrances that are no longer redolent of Christmas trees or Holiday spice. What about the scent of Freesia? Citrus? Meyer Lemon? Oh, and how about shedding new light and brightening up the home’s ambiance with a wonderful lamp? Whether repurposed from another room or forgotten space or something entirely new, lamps can totally change the look of a room! So can rugs, whether they are anchoring the space or catching the eye from a recessed place.
And did I mention flowers? Put the leftover Amaryllis or Poinsettias or Norfolk Island Pines away for another day. Bring out the spring green (the Pantone color of this year) or emphasize the pinks and reds of St. Valentine’s month. Let’s face it, it’s also a great time for daffodils and pastel florals to make their 2018 debut! Send me some before and after photos of your own “home refresh” and we will share a few on next month’s show on March 18. If we share your pictures with the rest of our “Designing Texans” aka faithful fans, I’ll make sure a special “Designing Texas” surprise gets in your hands.
I’ve been doing a little refreshing on the personal front too. I don’t mind being my age, but I never want to look it! So thanks to Dr. Mark Deuber, plastic surgeon extraordinaire, for helping the scars from numerous abdominal surgeries disappear and for also doing a little heavy “lifting” on “my girls”! No more backaches for me!
Thanks again to Dr. Deuber and his wife/nurse and my gal pal Cary.
This month to me, Home really is Sanctuary! And Friends!
Blessings!
Jocelyn aka Jocie
