The Kitchen Holidays

Is it the Holiday spirit? Yes, I'm sure it is, in part, that makes me so positive about, well, nearly everything today. I just finished watching Celine Dion sing The Christmas Song, which was done with such beautiful restraint and quietness (granted, for a change!) Lovely. Made me think of my experiences today and how it relates to none other than my kitchen design business.

It began with a trip to the dentist (again.) This time it was an hour and a half visit, and again, it was a piece of cake. But, a little twitch on my part, and he was all over it..."do you feel any pain?" "everything ok?" "just tell me" all of which made me feel very, cared for, I suppose. Nice feeling. A little chatting, pleasantries, just nice all around.

Then, I went to my project (wait till you see THIS ONE-not the one below) and, with four different tradespeople there, plus the clients, everyone was happy, cooperative, collaborative, relaxed, all really good stuff that sometimes cannot be found on a project. Another lift to the spirit. In fact, a real big lift, fed by all these people, including a very positive client. Some minor issues came up with a few of the tradespeople...through patience, respect, and collaboration, solutions flowed to these details at hand.

After that, I went to a business supply store and bought two gifts, one for my long time accountant, and one for his employee, my weekly bookeeper. The customer service I received was truly a model for all businesses! The service was courteous, kind, helpful, going above and beyond to help me find the perfect gift, and then wrapping it carefully with a ribbon. Really nice experience. Again, chatting, pleasantries, a warm experience.

I dropped off the gifts at my accountant's office. I wanted to show my appreciation, as I do every year. I don't think I need to in a material way, but it feels good to say thanks. I arrived, we chatted about our families, our plans for the holidays, and I expressed my thanks to my accountant and my bookeeper. More warmth.

So, among these experiences, I thought of my business and how important it is to stay positive, to go above and beyond to not only please, but to delight my clients. I'm human, and sometimes I fall short, but today was a great day to be observant and a reminder of the dynamics involved in people relating to people in a positive way.

Happy Holidays and a wonderful, positive, 2008!! :) And, have faith, because this:

really will turn into this:

Gray Kitchens For A Gray Day

This must be the most gray day in history! We're having a nor'easter, and it seems as if everything is gray. Well, not everything. The backdrop of the day is surely gray, but I happen to like this type of day, at this time of year. You have gray skies, then, especially now, there are still trees with beautiful, bright, brown, leaves, peppering the gray skies, that have not fallen yet, the brown tree trunks, some white snow, and green ivy as a ground cover. All this from my window. Gray, brown, white, green. It works for me. Another beautiful color palette by Mother Nature.

So, perfect inspiration for, what else, gray kitchens! Neutral, cozy (some), simple, elegant, charming. Lots of different looks in a gray color scheme. What are cold, gray, skies, to some, may be a cozy backdrop to others. Sort of like these kitchens, I presume. Most images have been collected from Desire To Inspire, a favorite blog with endless, absolutely endless, interior design ideas and inspiration. Each day, a new collection of perfectly themed images. Enjoy!