It's just a figure of speech

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either
sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him
standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed
both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many
people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms
and legs are 'limbs,' therefore painting them would cost the buyer more..
Hence the expression, 'Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg.'
(Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint)

Heritage Square Museum

Heritage Square Museum....this is a little of what we did. The idea was that each home was set in a different time period. This house was built in the late 1800s but we were given 1930 as our time period. There were a lot of constraints because of the historical element. This little nook was wonderful and the PERFECT place for the tree. We updated the draperies which were sorely needed. As light was an issue, we kept sheers on the windows but this little nook just screamed for some extra attention. We used silk drapes to dress the nook and interlined them to add some body and elegance. Interlining is one of those "design secrets" to beautiful drapes. They usually don't do that in readymade draperies. Lining on draperies is very important and often overlooked. It affects the "hand" of the draperies or how they hang. You want to make sure that you pay attention to the lining, especially when buying "off the rack". The lining will protect your draperies from sun damage and it can also lower you heating and cooling costs by limiting the elements coming into the room. Draperies aren't just pretty, they are functional on many levels. Look at your needs, a little extra money could save you money in the long run and improve your quality of life.

designer tree or memory tree

How to decorate your Christmas tree can be a big decision. You go to the store and you see those magnificent trees and think...why can't my tree look like that? I guess I just don't have any talent. Not true.

The secret to those trees is that they are made up of similar ornaments. All the parts of the decoration are selected at the same time. Most people don't do that. You get ornaments as presents, one will speak to you here or there and you buy it. Your tree is a memory tree. Hallmark has done a great deal to encourage these kind of trees by creating ornaments that resemble those memories.

It is much harder to add to a "designer tree" year after year. I actually set out a few years ago to have a designer tree. I fell in love with some gold plated leaf ornaments but there wasn't enough for a whole tree so we bought a smaller tree that year. As the years have gone by, I have found things that add to it and now it's a beautiful tree and full height- well, at least as tall as me...lol. That's tall enough. If you are going to do this though you need to concentrate on keeping similar colors and themes in order to make it work right. There's no room for little Johnny's homemade ornament though.

Memory trees are wonderful too and a great place to put those handmade ornaments and gifts from treasured friends. If you are a teacher, ornaments are a common gift and a great way to remember how much impact you have on your students.

Remember it's your Christmas, celebrate the way you want to. Put memories on your tree or dress it up to the 9s in designer style. But enjoy it either way.

beautiful bed

This lovely British Colonial Bed is filled with squares and Xs. Squares ground a room and diagonals create drama. The mix of these two create a wonderful restrained drama. It has a modern feel to it but is very elegant as well. It's fun to be creative with your bed, just use elements that you love to make it work for you.

christmas trees around the world

You may have seen this in your email but it was so pretty I wanted to share.

Christmas Trees From Around The World What's really interesting at the end is the real meaning of the 12 days of Christmas - I didn't know that..." Christmas Trees From Around The World Seasons greetings to all! Make sure you go all the way to the bottom of the e-mail, the picture and information about Arlington Cemetery in the winter, before Christmas is beautiful! Subject: Christmas Trees 'Round the World The Capitol Christmas tree in Washington, D.C., is decorated with 3,000 ornaments that are the handiwork of U.S. schoolchildren. Encircling evergreens in the 'Pathway of Peace' represent the 50 U.S. states. The world's largest Christmas tree display rises up the slopes of Monte Ingino outside of Gubbio, in Italy's Umbria region. Composed of about 500 lights connected by 40,000 feet of wire, the 'tree' is a modern marvel for an ancient city A Christmas tree befitting Tokyo's nighttime neon display is projected onto the exterior of the Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka. Illuminating the Gothic facades of Prague's Old Town Square, and casting its glow over the manger display of the famous Christmas market, is a grand tree cut in the Sumava mountainsin the southern Czech Republic. Venice 's Murano Island renowned throughout the worldfor its quality glasswork is home to the tallest glass tree in the world. Sculpted by master glass blower Simone Cenedese, the artistic Christmas tree is a modern reflection of the holiday season. Moscow celebrates Christmas according to the Russian Orthodox calendar on Jan. 7. For weeks beforehand, the city is alive with festivities in anticipation of Father Frost's arrival on his magical troika with the Snow Maiden. He and his helper deliver gifts under the New Year tree, or yolka, which is traditionally a fir. The largest Christmas tree in Europe (more than 230 feet tall) can be found in the Praa do Comrcio in Lisbon, Portugal. Thousands of lights adorn the tree, adding to the special enchantment of the city during the holiday season. 'Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree': Even in its humblest attire, aglow beside a tiny chapel in Germany's Karwendel mountains, a Christmas tree is a wondrous sight. Ooh la la Galeries Lafayette! In Paris, even the Christmas trees are chic. With its monumental, baroque dome, plus 10 stories of lights and high fashion, it's no surprise this show-stopping department store draws more visitors than the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower In addition to the Vatican's heavenly evergreen, St. Peter's Square in Rome hosts a larger-than-life nativity scene in front of the obelisk. The Christmas tree that greets revelers at the Puerta del Sol is dressed for a party. Madrid's two-week celebration makes millionaires along with merrymakers. On Dec. 22, a lucky citizen will win El Gordo (the fat one), the world's biggest lottery. A token of gratitude for Britain's aid during World War II, the Christmas tree in London's Trafalgar Square has been the annual gift of the people of Norway since 1947. Drink a glass of gluhwein from the holiday market at the Romer Frankfurt's city hall since 1405 and enjoy a taste of Christmas past. Against a backdrop of tall, shadowy firs, a rainbow trio of Christmas trees lights up the night (location unknown). There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas? This week, I found out. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. -The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. -Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments. -Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.- -The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John. -The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. -The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation. -Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy. -The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. -Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control. -The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments. -The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples. -The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed. So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.' Merry Christmas Everyone CHRISTMAS AT ARLINGTON CEMETERY I wonder why the press hasn't enlightened the public about it?? Arlington National Cemetery Rest easy, sleep well my brothers. Know the line has held, your job is done. Rest easy, sleep well. Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held. Peace, peace, and farewell... Readers may be interested to know that these wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington, Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state. Please share this with everyone on your address list. You hear too much about the bad things people do. Everyone should hear about this.

your home reflects your lifestyle

It's amazing what you learn from people by looking at their homes. What we have or don't have in our homes tells about what is important to us and how we live our lives. I found this great article about a couple living in Manhattan and the choices they made to live there. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/cozy_crazy_couple_makes_tight_studio_R15ToNFTaJE3c17zkw4efP/1
They found a place that used to be a maids quarters and turned it into their home. They have a bed and a tv, catpost and pretty much not much else. They like to eat out so the miniscule kitchen is not a problem. They don't like to entertain too much which isn't a problem here. They are very busy people, they work and they play all outside the home so they are only there to sleep - which is about all they can do there. It keeps them from getting overcluttered. Small spaces are nice for that...on one hand it doesn't take long to clean them, on the other just a few things out and it looks messy so you want to clean it more. Their studio will be paid for in two years which will then allow them to enjoy the excitement of NYC life even more. It's definitely a city that likes to play and it also allows them to build some cash for the day they may decide to move.
There are many choices you make when you look at a house....how much time do you spend at home? How much entertaining do you do? How much stuff do you have and how much of it do you really need? Ever hear of the 80/20 rule? Well it works in our homes as well, we use 20% of our stuff 80% of the time. It's great to have the big Turkey platter but we really only use it a couple times a year. I just moved one of my clients and helped her pack up. So many things we tossed out, so many things she still packed and doesn't know where to put them when unpacking. It's hard for us to give up some of these things, they are memories. Everyone has their own clutter level that they must keep. For some, it's minimal, for others, they have to have a lot. Finding the balance is hard. But the effects of living in a space that FITS your needs and FITS your lifestyle are worth it!