I am a woman whose fervor and zeal, (ever since I was a little girl,) has been to write. I adore kids and attended college, (in my single years,) to obtain a teaching certificate. While in school, I worked at the YMCA, directing day camp and day care, then taught preschool. I realized during this time, that what thrilled me more than anything was  all of my English classes and writing creative stories, thus I began doing a lot of reading, studying and writing.   Can you guess my second passion? Our home. I really do consider our home to be “our castle.” The one place we can be one-hundred percent ourselves and the place we are able to create our own atmosphere of joy, bliss, warmth and magic. Everywhere my husband and I have lived, whether in the desert of Arizona, the city of Alexandria, Virginia, the beautiful countryside of South Carolina, the breathtaking village of Mystic Connecticut, or our current home in Delaware, our home has been “a cottage home with highlights of Shabby Chic, Victorian, country and Vintage.”

I have been married 23 years to a wonderful, patient, fun loving man. Besides being my very best friend, he is also my number one cheerleader as I have attempted many a time to create and make changes in our home to bring our haven alive. Even when my sky blue Faux  painting upon our crisp white bathroom walls, my efforts at stenciling an old oak tree with birds atop the branches that I did in our bedroom, (free handed I might add,) and my year of painting stripes in our living room, did not come out ‘quite like we expected,’ he still smiled and said;  “Your getting better hon, keep at it!” (Hey practice makes perfect, right?) We have a very furry, rather large dog who still captures our hearts like he did as a baby 12 years ago. He is a Briard, (A French herding dog,) and boy does he herd us around this house  all the time. He is the joy of our hearts !

I adore cooking, discovering new cuisine, am a dreamer at heart, a story teller with a great imagination and an avid writer (like  my mom.) I enjoy exercise, (yes, I really do,) and getting together with my family and friends, enjoying delicious food and fellowship.  We love to visit quaint eateries for dinner or brunch and on Sunday afternoons, snuggling up  together with our dog Grantham, (all three of us sharing a delicious appetizer or two) and  lighting lots of candles to create the mood to watch movies. (Especially a good mystery, scary or suspense film.)  (But not to scary.) 🙂  My husband and I are both Christians and share our love for God and our faith together. My ‘better half, ‘being a Web designer, is also the one who is teaching me to create this site from scratch. (Remember when I told you he is a  man of patience? 🙂 Believe me, he needs  forbearance and tolerance for me. The good Lord gave me an ability to write and create but a ‘Computer whiz,’ I am not! 🙂

It is my joy is to share, with you my readers, the wealth of ideas inside of me to bring forth a more beautiful home as well as life, that have come through much reading, studying, practicing and learning through “trying and experience.”  I believe that it does not matter if your home is a cozy, tiny cottage or a prodigious, roomy estate,) you can create your haven to be the most blissful and resplendent home possible, filled with all the things that you love. It is also my hope to bring forth inspiration with many thoughtful and new ideas of ways to bring about more beauty, peace and felicity to your lives and the lives of those you love.   I hope you enjoy this site, are inspired and that you will share your own ideas as well!

I look forward to our journey together. 🙂

Credits for the photographs. In placing your computer mouse over any of the photos or graphics, it will display to you where it originated from.

LINKS  If you would like to learn more about the purpose of the newly added links to Living Winsomely, please read the blog “WE NOW HAVE LINKS,: in the category file.