A Simple Secret to a Great Day

Enjoy a successful Walk 

What is success to you? Is it to be the 'Top 10' in something or to own an estate, yacht or the newest/greatest something? Or, is it to finally take a walk with your dog? 

Yesterday on my morning walk, I was thinking about the podcast "The Goodlife Project" that discussed an interesting concept. The concept is to ask yourself as you start your day - "What does success do?"

My goal of success one day was to write 3 blog posts in the morning. I asked myself "what would success do?" It's a simple way to keep focus on the really important things to do. No checking e-mails every 2 minutes. No responding to anything else but what is in front of you. 

Instead of being stressed by my goal, it actually freed me to concentrate. Once done with my goal, I select another goal that means 'success' to me.

What's your goal? Can you see yourself trying to focus on one thing at a time today, this week or this month? 

M. A. Smith  LLC Interior Design

732 690-2030

Interior Design - Ocean and Monmouth County and Metropolitan New Jersey, CT and NYC

Best Design Coach Blog

House Zen Garden Blog

Are you Exhausted and Need some Inspiration?

Are You and Your Home suffering from Post-Holiday Syndrome? 

After the holidays, it's hard to get that pizzazz that your home had with all the holiday decorations. It may look empty, dull and lackluster. Besides being exhausted with everything, your home and you may need some pampering. 

Chances are a hint of spring, a touch of color (not green and red) could put you back on track. (Mark your calendar for the Philadelphia Flower Show, March 3 to 11th). 

Try adding flowers like tulips to your breakfast table. Or, re-arrange your coffee table and add some new magazines to get you inspired. 

Remove all the accessories in your Living Room and then replace them, but not all of them. Your room will look cleaner, simpler and it doesn't cost a penny. 

Still not ready? Some of my clients call me for quick re-starts in their homes. A fresh eye may be all you need to set you right. 

Need Post Holiday Inspiration? Do This ...

A walk in the cold beats reading e-mails any day!

What's the real Truth about your Holiday?

The holidays can take a toll on more than our pocketbooks. It's supposed to be a fun and engaging time. But for many, it's stress upon stress. 

The stress might be from your family, your weight gain or from lack of exercise or money.

Instead of just complaining about the stress, you could invent a way to bring back some real joy or enthusiasm in your life.

Here are a few things I've done lately to restore my spirit:

• A daily walk changes your mood instantly - try at least a 30 minute walk
• Read books that speak to you and your interests - see what I'm reading now below
• Listen to a podcast that gives you inspiration - I listened to 'Good Life Podcast' this morning and it's content was so interesting hearing the Power of Habit author, Charles Duhigg
• Decide on a habit you'd like to start or change - less or better food, less alcohol or more exercise
• List in your mind all the things you are thankful for at the start of the day

What I'm reading now that you may enjoiy too:

"The Four Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferriss  - great to get you back on a good track soon

"Architecture to Construction" by Paul D. Rugarber   - must read for my clients who are building a new home ($2.99 is a small price to pay for a book on Kindle!)

"The Dead Presidents Club" by Harris Baseman - very interesting, especially if you like stories on leaders of countries (i. e. The Crown)

"A Happy Pocket Full of Money" by David Cameron Gikandi and Bob Doyle" - reading a paragraph a day could be all you need now 

"The Paleo Cardiologist" by Jack Wolfson, DO FACC - suggested to me by my son Chris Lupo and his wife, Lisa. If Chris says to do this - it's the approach I'll take to be and stay healthy for a long time. 

M. A. Smith  LLC Interior Design

732 690-2030

Interior Design - Ocean and Monmouth County and Metropolitan New Jersey, CT and NYC

Best Design Coach Blog

House Zen Garden Blog

Do the holidays put you into High Gear or Neutral?

Every season has its own beauty

Tis the Season to be ...(jolly, frazzled or numb?)

Every year we go down the same path. One day you're hanging Christmas lights outside and enjoying the scent of mixed pine wreaths at an amazing garden store, like Terrain.Next day you’re held up in holiday traffic, wishing you had gone shopping online. And other days, it’s just hard to get back into the holiday spirit.

It’s a stop and go kind of month and it whirls by so fast, you can barely coast for a minute to catch your breath.

 But just think about it for a minute. Do you actually know anyone who just loves every minute of this holiday season?


Yes, some people seem to be less frazzled, but maybe they don’t love the holidays as you do.

It’s OK to be a little frazzled at times. - it’s a sign you’re engaged and not blithely coasting down the highway of life.

So, sit in traffic, listen to some holiday music and dream of your idea of a perfect holiday. Was it the inside or the outside decorations, the choir singing, the Salvation Army kettle or baking Christmas cookies or - the Baileys on the rocks by the fire that you dream to recapture?

What's your vision of the most perfect holiday? I would love to know.

Why to 'Never Say Never'

For over twenty years I've said 'I would never put a fence in our backyard.' I always loved to have a full view of the woods outside. Even though whatever I planted was eaten by the deer, I stood firm in my non-fence stance - until this year. 

You see, thanks to our new neighbor who just installed a new white fence along the property line, my world has changed. The area where the new fence was installed made our garden area look better than ever. Suddenly I realized that the hydrangeas we planted last year would really stand out against the white fence. 

But I still did not want to look at a 'white' fence at the back of our property line. So, we compromised and had a black (almost invisible to the eye) chain-link fence installed. The day after the fence was installed our deer 'friends' stood facing our house. You could almost hear them thinking "What happened to our dining room?" 

Sorry dear deer! I am finally able to plant all the flowers I love - more hydrangeas, climbing and non-climbing roses, butterfly bushes, even tulips in the Spring.

Our tiny world has changed and even our mascot Bucky has a new place to play. We are spending more time outside, getting exercise and smelling the roses. 

I'll keep you posted on our successes or failures on the progress of our new world. Next project - an actual patio in a 'bluestone' type of installation.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

Marcus Tullius Cicero

What You Can Do This Week To Make Your Home Look Great

Photo courtesy of PotteryBarn.com

When it's time to refresh your home, sometimes a complete re-do is necessary. But for you lucky ones, it may just mean a trip to your favorite home accessories store.

Just adding a little sparkle or color to a room with an accessory like the one shown above, may be all you need to light up your life. Other quick ways to add some life to your tired rooms are:

• Mirrors - especially mirrors framed with gilt or silvered metal
• Glass Hurricane globes to hold your favorite scented candle (or unscented)
• Lamps - ceramic table lamps warm up a room and add color to a room as well 
• Throws - not beige, but colorful throws in red, orange or French blue
• Sofa pillows - color and patterned pillows are a fast and easy update

My new mantra is keep it colorful, keep it lovely, and change it up for fun once in a while!