Hi Reader,

I have to admit I'm loving the holiday sparkles and festive sights all around. Though, I heard recently that instead of "the most wonderful time of year", we should call it simply "the MOST time of the year".

Along with the most beautiful, most joyful, most exciting, it can be the most heart wrenching, most lonely, most exhausting time. It's a reminder to be present and gentle with ourselves and others as the season is intense in so many ways.

---

On the design front, this week you asked me about:

• Painting trim same color as walls
• Is Restoration Hardware worth the price?
• Working with a piece you don't love (recliner)

Q&A

Leaning into color? You may be considering painting your trim the same color as the walls. Here's my two cents:

---

​

There's no denying RH can craft a gorgeous product and draw you right into their moody, inviting stores and catalogs. But, I recommend doing research before pulling the trigger on their investment pieces. The construction leaves a lot to be desired.

​

For this reader, it's a leather recliner, for you it may be another piece of furniture your partner/spouse/child doesn't want to part with. There are ways to work with it...

---

LOVING LATELY

I put a small tree in the corner of our dining room this year. It's filled with my most treasured glass ornaments, tree toppers, and some simple homemade popcorn garland. I used a single strand of incandescent C9 white lights.

I'm always on the lookout for vintage (or vintage looking) glass ornaments. I found a set of clip-on candles at Anthropologie on black Friday, and was quick to add them to my collection. 😍

​

Many of our glass ornaments are from Terrain. They make such a beautiful thoughtful gift for someone who has it all...choose their favorite treat or hobby, and there's likely a lovely ornament representation.

Happy Friday, Reader! I hope your weekend is fantastic!