At the Dimming of the Day

When the kids were babies, I came across a life-saver of a book, "The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer."  I can't find my copy on the bookshelf because I've lent it out and bought it again so many times I lost track.  I don't have babies anymore so I can't justify purchasing another, but sometimes I recall her wise words.  One thing that sticks out is this:  "Working parents should be sure to change their work clothes when they come home from work before picking up the baby."  Her philosophy was that the smells and odors from outside home and the business world were not good and were rather confusing for the baby.   And even the environment clung to your clothes, the stresses and the emotions.  So change.  Well, even now I find myself guilty of not doing this.  I come home from working and someone needs a ride RIGHT NOW and someone needs this and someone needs that and dinner needs to get started and so on.  So I kick off my heels and put on flipflops but never actually make it upstairs to change my clothes.   And then I look like an idiot dropping off the kids at a swim club birthday party with my pearls around my neck!
But don't we all just wish could peel away those multi-tasking layers of anxiety and pressure and put on a pure, fresh outlook for our families and our children.  So I'm going to start doing this. 
And I'm going to lay on my bed for a minute too!  I don't know why it takes me so long to get there.  I know how busy you are. I know how tired you are. I know how much you just want to curl up in bed. But every night when it's past 10 o'clock and I could manage to drag myself up there, I always find one more thing to do. But when I finally do lay down, I'm like, "Beeeeddddd!" My husband laughs at me. I've said on several occasions, "What took me so long to get to bed?" It's a bad habit and I'm going to break it right now. 


I blogged a while back about our bedroom and the new linens I purchased from West Elm with our monograms.  You can find these now just about anywhere.  They arrived and I wanted to update you and share my new personal rule:  White Linens.  Somehow, not matter how stressful the day has been, white linens waiting for you are so purifying and refreshing.  I'm thinking of re-outfitting my whole house in white linens.  I'll still use color on walls and curtains and furniture, etc., but white linens are just so Fresh.  I bought white towels when we were showing our old house at the advice of a realtor.  I get it now why she recommended them.  White is so welcoming and cleansing.  Last week I found Kate Spade white pillow cases at HomeGoods and I indulged in their 300 count goodness.  They are so soft, so soothing and comfortable, that I'm going back to get the whole set of sheets.  I'm telling you it's magical.   It's like erasing a whole day of who-knows-what-crap and starting clean and fresh. 



We've still got the old ugly fan hanging up there.  Still not sure what to do with that, but we'll figure it out.  I know somebody suggested spray-paint, but does anyone know how to take off those silly looking decal flowers?  Maybe I could soak it in alcohol or something? 

Meanwhile it's white sheets keep me happy.  There's an old song by Bonnie Raitt, Dimming of the Day.  Yes, it's a love song, "I need you at the dimming of the day."  Well this is my love song to my bed and my white sheets...