For many years, we would host our annual Valentine formal dinner party for 12 people. So why not this year? It took me all of January to recover from the holidays! And before I knew it, it’s February. Lack of good planning on my part. Instead, this Valentine’s Day table inspiration is a romantic setting for two.

What are your Valentine plans? Do you go out to dinner? Stay home and cook a special meal? Nothing?

This year, instead of it being “just another Friday”, I will be making a special dinner for just my husband and me. It is our first Valentine’s Day as empty nesters so it is important to make it unique, right?

Picking the Location

I always find it fun to dine in different areas of our home and property. So this year I selected our front hall to set the Valentine dinner table. We’ve never eaten here before. There is already an existing small drop leaf table and it was easy to just slide 2 chairs over from the adjacent dining room.

Setting the Table

Setting a beautiful table isn’t intuitive for me. I often try several different combinations of chargers, plates and glassware before it feels right. Being a visual person, I need to see it first before it gets the thumbs up.

Since the table is small and the chairs are upholstered, a runner seemed to be the best solution vs. a floor length table cloth. This pink double hemstitched linen one is from Williams Sonoma. It’s a bit long for this table and I experimented with fanning the ends out to tucking it in. I’m clumsy enough without additional tripping hazards!

I do like the look of a charger under the dinner plate. However, the first chargers I selected were way too big, so I settled on these brass ones. Next, what dishes to select?

My very first china set, Juliet from the Romance Collection by Royal Doulton is appropriate for this holiday. This discontinued pattern still brings me great joy. I love the tiny pink flowers in the pattern and consequently, pick pink crystal glasses to match..

If you collect pink glassware, you know the color of the glass can vary from shades of pink to almost orange. I selected the paler pink glass on the left to use as a water glass. The etched pink wine glass is from Pier 1.

Silver flatware tends to be my first choice, however, I am fond of this set because it picks up the gold tones on the plate (and doesn’t require polishing!). Napoleon Bee, by Wallace was purchased from Horchow. The gold accent flatware isn’t currently available at Horchow, however, it is on sale at Neiman Marcus.

I tried adding my Valentine garland as table decoration (see post here), but I really didn’t like it. Too kitschy plus it looks much better on the dining room mantel.

Candlelight is a must for a romantic dinner. These low profile brass candlesticks from West Elm are the right size for the table. If you are looking for great tapers, I also recommend West Elm’s.

Decorating the Room

Remember the pink and white balls I hung in the dining room for Christmas? (see blog post here). I thought they would be a fun addition to the front hall. Hung with fishing line, these few balls add a bit of whimsy to the table make the room feel special.

Flowers were a bit of a challenge as there isn’t a great deal of space between the plates. Using mercury glass votive holders from West Elm as small vases, the hydrangeas, wax flowers and greens provide the right height and filler. Fresh flowers from Safeway.

The Results!

Here are some other photos. As a result, I hope you are inspired to select a different location for your romantic dinner this week! Be creative!

If the weather is warm enough, we might even be able to leave the front door open during our candlelight dinner.

Happy Tuesday! Wishing you a glorious day!

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #642

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Happy February! January was a blur, wasn’t it?

Last Saturday, I shared the beginning of cleaning out and organizing the Master closet. If you missed that post, click here to see some ghastly before pictures. Though I do have a few more drawers to organize, the bulk of it is FINISHED (at least my side of the closet)! Yippee!

It was a chore sorting through clothes that I haven’t worn in years and finally letting go and donating them. I organized blouses both by color and sleeve length, as suggested by Maggi Heiser, one of my followers who left a comment last week. Thank you, Maggi!

Pants are also organized by color and hang just below the blouses/shirts.

Remember this photo from last week? Here is the before (try not to judge):

And this is how it looks now:

I love my fabric boxes that fit nicely in the shelves. There are 2 different sizes and a total of 20 of them. Each box is labeled which makes it easy to find things, such as bathing suits, bathing suit coverups, small purses, hats, travel items to name a few. I don’t recall where I purchased these but Amazon has an extensive selection.

Affordable racks from Ikea provide plenty of storage for necklaces.

This is one of my favorite closet accessories. A pull-out slide rod for hanging outfits or newly pressed clothing. For less than $20 you can purchase these from Home Depot or Wayfair.

When we were designing the closet, I am so happy I went to the expense of adding a wall-mounted ironing board from Iron-A-Way. It appears they are now readily available from various places online. The quality of this one is very good, plus it is nicely hidden from view with a matching cabinet door.

When we were renovating the house, the only laundry room was downstairs, which is quite a distance from the master closet. Fortunately, our closet is directly above the laundry room, so it was easy to add a laundry chute to drop dirty clothes directly into a basket below. Hidden behind a faux drawer, is the entry point.

Remember this photo from last week?

This is how it looks now.

The jars are from Ikea and are perfect for storing costume necklaces and bracelets, where they don’t get tangled up with another.

This Modigliani inspired painting was done in one of my art classes a few years back. Now that the closet is so clean, it deserved some artwork!

Narrow, flat storage boxes and baskets fit nicely under the hanging rods. This is where I store those holiday sweaters I cannot seem to get rid of and multiple workout jackets/clothing.

I am delighted with my closet progress. I do thank my friend, Ret, who kindly pointed out that this space was a mess and prompted me into action.

Here’s a shout out to Jill at Classy Closets , who was instrumental in creating the closet design. I have used this excellent company many times in other renovation projects.

There is a cedar closet in this area, but I’m a bit “closeted-out” so that will need to be a future endeavor.

Happy Saturday to you! I hope your weekend is filled with relaxation and fun!

Do you have a favorite item or part of your home that brings a smile to your face or a boost to your spirit? These are the things that if you had to move, you would definitely take them with you.

I suppose organizing guru, Marie Kondo would say these items “spark joy”. In the quiet mornings, when I walk around the house with my cup of coffee, I feel so grateful to be in a place I love. Here are a few of my favorite possessions.

The chair above is a grand, old chair. It was covered in some ghastly burgundy material and I am so happy with the lighter, playful fabric chosen for the back. The seat is a neutral linen. Both fabrics highlight the carved detail of the frame. This is the type of chair that when you sit in it, you feel like royalty.

My tulipieries. I first spotted these during a trip to Amsterdam and have always wanted a pair. I purchased them last year from The Enchanted Home and love to fill them with a variety of flowers. They ooze happiness!

The Wedgwood Wild Strawberry tea set was discovered during a shopping trip to Harrods in London many years ago. I remember having sticker shock because I thought the price was in euros vs. the British pound. But I was at the register and wasn’t about to put them back, so I swallowed hard and probably hid the receipt from my husband! Definitely one of those well-worthwhile purchases.

The pastry rack that sits on the kitchen island is the perfect size to break up the expanse of the countertop. Each season I decorate it and it feels unique and rather French. Don’t recall where I got it, but it’s a keeper.

Our duvet cover is Shore Rose by Taylor Linens. Each night when I tuck myself into bed, just looking at this sweet fabric makes me happy. It’s soothing and peaceful.

I found this ornate carving of Mary and baby Jesus in an antique store in northern Arizona. I have never seen one with an oval glass dome on an oval wooden base. I change out the flowers surrounding the statue with the season. It’s hard to get a good picture of the details due to the reflection in the glass, but it’s a beautiful piece and one that I cherish.

My first oil painting. I finally had it framed and it sits on a small easel on the living room sofa table. It was intimidating to take an oil class at the Scottsdale Artist School with master painters, but I like the results.

Our dining room chandelier was brought with us from our last home. Illuminated once by candlelight, we had it wired for today’s use. This would definitely come with us to a new house. It is elegant but not too gaudy.

The antique sofa that sits in our master bedroom was a purchase from the Brimfield Antique Show. Covered in French grain sacks, it was in our barn for years as I pondered what to do with it. Finally, a friend suggested a large houndstooth fabric and voila! It took the upholsterer several months to do it, but I love how it turned out.

Lastly, during a trip to Paris with my dear friend, Susan, I purchased several glass Christmas ornaments. I keep them in a footed trifle bowl on a living room end table all year round. They are so pretty and I can clearly remember that cold day in November when I purchased them and carefully carried them back to the States.

There are so many things I love here at our home, but these items speak to me daily. This year I would like to go room to room and get rid of those things that are just filling space, but do not fill my soul. What do you have in your everyday life that makes your heart happy?

Happy Tuesday, my dear friends!

With our recent chilly weather, we are getting good use out of the multiple fireplaces at our 1910 home. Fireplaces in the mid to later 19th century were a way to heat houses.

Many of the original fireplaces were restored and upgraded during the renovation. There is a total of 5 indoors~~ in the breakfast room, dining room, living room, library and upstairs sitting room. The two exterior fireplaces were added when we designed the outdoor terraces.

After doing some research, I believe the shallow ones are known as Rumford fireplaces.

The Rumford fireplace is a tall, shallow fireplace designed by Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, an Anglo-American physicist best known for his investigations of heat. He made them smaller and shallower with widely angled covings so they would radiate better, carrying away smoke with little loss of heated room air.

A good example of this style is the one in the upstairs sitting room. It is small and shallow. Here is a picture of it before restoration. The tiles around the opening were narrow, white ones that were chipped and damaged.

We replaced the tiles with green, crackled glazed ones from Waterworks. I have converted this room into my art room and it has been lovely to paint with a fire going.

The original fireplace in the library was okay, but I wanted the library to be dark and cozy. I replaced the original mantel with an antique one and changed out the tiles for a deep, burgundy crackled glazed tile from Waterworks. Years later, I was tired of the dark look and brightened it up with new paint and upholstery.

The library fireplace today.

The current breakfast room fireplace location was part of the original kitchen. The chimney was there but nothing else. See the big vent in the photo below. We added on a new kitchen and used this chimney access for a new fireplace.

What I love about this particular fireplace is that it is on a wall switch starter. It is the first one we turn on to warm up the kitchen. I have fond memories of the children sitting on the hearth drinking cocoa before school.

My unofficial office is at the breakfast room table where I get to enjoy this as my working view. The Batchelder tiles used here came from the original library fireplace.

The dining room fireplace tiles were painted black and once stripped, revealed the same Batchelder tiles from the early 1900s.

In order to comply with City of Phoenix building codes, we had to add gas starters to all the fireplaces during restoration. In the shallow fireplaces, we have ceramic faux logs, which is easier to use than building a wood fire every time.

The living room fireplace tiles were also painted black. Must have been a thing back then? It has the largest opening and as a result, we left it as a wood burning one.

The outdoor fireplaces are new…well, now 20 years old. They share the same chimney. The first floor terrace fireplace is dry stacked stone and during many winter evenings, we have a roaring fire to enjoy.

The second floor terrace fireplace is not used enough, but when lit, it can be seen from the master bed.

There is something very primal about lighting a fire. I could spend hours watching the flames dance and flicker. When I need a moment of quiet contemplation, doing so in front of a fire fills my soul.

Count Rumsford designed these shallow fireplaces in 1796. This design is still used 224 years later! Isn’t that amazing?

Have a wonderful Tuesday! Hope you are staying warm!

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of.  ~~Benjamin Franklin

Holiday decorations started coming down yesterday. It is tradition to leave them up until the Epiphany (January 6th). Technically, my “new” year starts this week. It feels good to get back into a schedule!

Here are my top priorities for 2020!

Being more organized and efficient.

Perhaps my most productive time in life was when I was working in corporate America and the senior management team had to go through the Covey Leadership 3-day seminar. Who remembers the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? For years I used this system and it was brilliant.

I decided to implement this again. The action of writing it down seems to keep me on task. Doing it on a computer or phone doesn’t give me the same sense of commitment. If I can stick to this for 2020, it will be a highly productive year.

Upping my exercise routine.

My family genetics tends to favor plump vs. lean and as a result, I have exercised most of my life. Currently, I do Pilates twice per week and go to the gym 2-3 days a week. I am reading the book, Younger Next Year (which I highly recommend for anyone over 50) which provides compelling information on how to live brilliantly for the next 3 decades or more. If you are interested in turning back the biological clock, this is for you!

Just remember….The human body is the ONLY machine that breaks down if you don’t use it. Sitting is the new smoking. Move. Get up and get active. Become engaged. Let’s encourage each other!

Tackling a few BIG house projects is a must in 2020.

The barn, guest cottage and well tower need exterior maintenance~~painting, staining, etc. The garage is going to be my January/February project~~what a mess that is. The back staircase that I wrote about months ago, still hasn’t been completed. The front fountain needs significant repair. The priority to-do list is currently being created. However, I don’t want to feel overwhelmed or financially drained so I am spreading out the projects over the course of the year.

Act like a tourist locally.

When my son is in town, we do more local, fun things that we didn’t know existed. Benjamin has an ongoing list of places he wants to visit. But when he is not here, we tend to get stuck in our comfort zone~~same restaurants, same destinations, same, same, same. I would like to, at least monthly or quarterly, try something/someplace/some destination that is NEW to us.

Appreciation, Gratitude and Kindness.

The world has become such an ugly place, hasn’t it? I feel we need to do our part to seek the beauty and loveliness of life. There seems to be so much hatred out there. I don’t know of anyone who has made a good decision based on hateful emotions.

So please join me in being the force that makes a difference. When someone is rude to you, don’t be rude back. If someone is frowning, smile at them. If someone is spewing political abhorrence, don’t give them an audience. Kind and loving gestures are FREE and have rewarding results for all!

Updating My Blog and Website

I have so enjoyed writing this blog and for the last few years. It’s been personally rewarding and worthwhile. I can’t even begin to tell you how much your comments and feedback mean to me. I read each and every email or remark from you. However, like with most things in life, I want to get better. Be better. I will be seeking new ways to improve my site and hopefully you will be happy with the results.

I don’t advertise on the blog, nor am I getting money from sponsors. What I write is meant to be shared with you, in hopes that it will brighten your day, inspire or encourage you to try something new.

Spreading a positive, genuine, and informative message is my goal. Now, more than ever, we need to support each other….to find the true meaning in what makes us happy and fulfilled. That’s the goal, right? Let’s share with others who are seeking the same sense of satisfaction and quality of life.

Since I have started the blog, I have improved my photography skills, learned about technology in ways I wouldn’t have, but there is still so much more to learn. In 2020, I am committed to improving upon the foundation that has already been laid. Up to this point, I’ve been a hobby blogger. I am hoping, with more focus and hard work, that I can expand my reach to many more.

My success comes from you. I appreciate all your support and hopefully you have told your friends to check out Life at Bella Terra. I am on Instagram @lifeatbellaterra and do some (rather little) on Facebook, mostly because it’s just me. No staff. No paid managers. No assistants. If you like what I am doing, please spread the word.

Of course, I have other smaller resolutions in 2020~~drink more water, learn to cure olives, and improve my hands/nails (notice how you rarely see my hands in any photos?).

What are your goals and aspirations for 2020. It’s a new decade and time marches on, doesn’t it? All the more reason to set forth in a positive and uplifting manner. Let’s do this!

It is hard for me to believe that we are beginning a new decade. It feels like yesterday that we were celebrating the beginning of a new century. The concept of time is so fleeting, isn’t it? In a blink, 20 years has passed.

Most “new” years, I am excited for the fresh beginning, the anticipation of new challenges and looking forward and ahead. 2019 was a year full of life changes and I am still trying some on for size. Empty nesting, especially. Having our youngest leave for college in the fall has been unsettling for me. But I know different opportunities and a clearer path will come into focus for me in 2020. Ambiguity is not my strong suit.

This is the first time in my life I have thought about this ~~ I have more decades in my rear view mirror than I have ahead. I recently spoke with an older friend of mine who stated the hardest thing about getting older is feeling irrelevant. The reality of empty nesting has me also pondering the concept of aging and where I fit in the world. This discussion could be an entire blog post!

But enough of that! As much as I love the holidays, I am ready to get back on track. The indulgences over these last few weeks have been marvelous, but my body craves the routine of healthy eating, accomplishing goals and outlining next steps.

In reviewing the past year, the most popular blog post was my son’s bedroom remodel. Since 2020 will require additional maintenance to Bella Terra, I hope to feature more “re-done” spaces. This year the well tower will need to be repaired, re-stained and deep cleaned. The garage needs a complete overhaul. It has been one of those spaces where you shove everything in and then close the door. I am determined to clear it all out, donate as much as possible and re-configure the space so we can actually use it to park our cars!

We are pretty boring New Year’s Eve types. I am happy to watch the ball drop in New York City at 10:00 p.m. our time and then head to bed. I prefer to greet the new year with a good night’s sleep and then an early morning hike or vigorous walk. The days of dancing and partying until actual midnight are fond, yet distant memories.

Whatever you do to celebrate the New Year, or perhaps you just want it to quietly slip into your life, I wish you and your family joy, love and good health.