All Things Are Better When You Are With Friends

I love this campfire girls image I downloaded from The Graphics Fairy.

It says so much about the beauty of sharing as the girls join together to cook and play.  Because they are together, the forest is a happy, comfortable place.

As I drove into my little village this evening the sky was dazzling with a brilliant sunset bursting through the clouds.  This is a happy, comfortable place that is full of friends!

In this village, I have a friend who is terrified of lightning.  I mean, she actually screams when a bolt streaks across the sky.  She has written about her fear on her blog, Her-ballistic Garden.

Recently, six of us were gathered at her house when a humdinger of a storm broke out. Power failed, tornado warnings were issued and lightning was reported as 1000 bolts per hour.  We oohed and ahhhed at the spectacle.  We lit candles and opened a bottle of wine.  We sent and received text messages from family and friends, checking to see if everyone was safe and sound.  It was exciting!  And, there was my friend, standing at an open door, snapping pictures of the lightning with her iPhone and oohing and ahhhing along with the rest of us.  She was not afraid!


The blogging world, to me, is a whole lot of friends making everything better.  We comfort, share, teach, inspire and enjoy things together in a spirit of camaraderie and support.

I thank my first BFF in the blogging world.  She doesn't know we are BFF's, but the search for an old fashioned recipe led me to her site, The Pioneer Woman.  I visit with her everyday.  I rejoice when she succeeds and worry when her success means she works too hard.  I buy her books and try her recipes.  I am her stalker fan!  She led me to The Lettered Cottage and that led me to Ticking & Toile where I learned how to do those cool image to fabric transfers.  It just keeps going!

My sister and I have partnered in two home decor stores and, for many years, as interior decorators.  Our tastes are as different as our personalities.  Our businesses and designs have always benefited from having double the ideas and effort.  We benefit, personally, from having the support and encouragement of the other and our lives are enriched by sharing the things we love.  It is a blessing to have my life so intricately connected to my sister.

I love my connection to my friends!  I love my connection to you!  We are together and we are not afraid!  We can ooh and ahhh over everything this wonderful world has to offer!

Designer tip ~


When designing rooms used for socializing, pay careful attention to furniture placement.  You want your guests to be comfortable and to encourage conversation.  A U shape works the best.  An L shape is the least comfortable.  You can anchor the furniture grouping with an area carpet or by its reference to the focal point in the room.  This could be a fireplace or the view from a large window.  A table should be placed within easy reach of each seat.  In small spaces, nesting tables are great as they can be tucked away when not in use.

Different styles and intensity of lighting help set the mood to suit the occasion.

Add some accessories that have meaning to you and will be of interest to your guests.  This could be a family heirloom, a piece of art or a collection of seashells.

Make sure all walkways are at least 36" wide to allow for easy traffic flow.  That encourages your guests to move around the space and interact with each other.

Try the room out yourself!  Sit in all the chairs and use the tables to be sure it all works comfortably.

Add friends and family and the room is done!