Summer Sunday Supper

Summer Sunday Supper...

Dear Blog Friends,

I love the fresh and bountiful produce of summer so I decided tonight to make a simple Summer Sunday Supper with my hubby Steve, and I set a pretty table for a little ambiance.

Off I went for pink and green flowers for the table and I got out my charger plates, candles, and napkin rings...

I made parsley and basil potatoes, and I wrapped bacon around asparagus spears and hubby Steve grilled those along with some chicken breasts. I put fresh fruit pieces in old fashioned stemmed glasses and we broke out the Martinelli's.

After our supper, hubby Steve took a little jaunt down our cobblestone path...

For a dip in the pool. I LOVE summer Sunday evenings...how about you? Hope you had a good one!


'Til Next Time!
Kathryn
http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/

My Small Room Decorating Magazine Article

Magazine cover image used with permission of publisher.

Cover Photo: Wendell T. Webber

Dear Blog Friends,

If you need decorating and storage ideas for your small space home, condo, or apartment, here's your chance! Small Room Decorating magazine is filled with colorful and practical solutions. Check your local bookstore or grocery store chain for a copy of this fabulous double issue! It's filled with several wonderful feature articles with beautiful photos, as well as advice from some of today's hottest HGTV stars, and...

Some of you may remember when a long year and a half or so ago I knocked on the shiny red door of the cutest little bungalow in LaJolla, CA right near where I live and said, "Would you be interested in having your home in a decorating magazine?" The next day homeowner Lisa Maher called me and said, "Yes, please come and take pictures!" The rest, as the old cliche goes, is history!

I hope you enjoy my article (click to read) I wrote for this issue of Small Room Decorating magazine, about the very organized and creative Lisa and Michael Maher family and their picture-perfect historic Craftsman bungalow. I received the following sweet letter from the homeowners and they have given me permission to share it with you:

"Dear Kathryn, WOW!... Your writing captured the soul of our home! Our family and friends are full of praise. Kudos to you." -- Michael and Lisa Maher LaJolla, CA

THANK YOU! to:

Any creative project takes enormous attention to detail to pull it all together and make it come to happy fruition. And to that end, because I believe "no writer is and island," I thank the following people for helping make this published article a dream come true:

*Homeowners Lisa and Michael Maher, who so graciously and patiently opened up their home to be photographed and written about. You're a darling couple who've worked together to create a beautiful home life and you're wonderful role models for other couples trying to do the same.

*Editors Jodi Zucker and Janet Mowat for being willing to take a look at my submission in the first place, and for arranging for me to attend the photo shoot. You're both so easy to work with from way across the country that you make my job as a writer a breeze and you give editors a good name!

*All the other creatives at Harris Publications whom I have never met since I'm a freelancer way out in CA, but I know you work hard under tight deadlines to make your magazines first rate, and I thank you for doing a great job on this house I scouted.

*Stylist Sunday Hendrickson, who worked her colorful accessorizing magic to make the photos "pop." You're such a master at your work and it was so fun to finally get to meet you in person.

*Professional photographer Mark Tanner and his assistant Armando. Mark, your astute eye for detail and very patient personality made you fun to be around. And Armando, your patient moving and holding of the photographic screens and heavy props deserve you big kudos.

*My dear husband Steve, who patiently sat in the car while I knocked on the Maher's door to see if we could use their home. For over 29 years now your loving acceptance of your wife's constant words, "I have an idea!" once again didn't bother you a bit and you just smiled and said, "Okay, babe." Love you, my patient prince.

*For my dear friend of 33 years, Mary, who has encouraged my writing since college, and most recently told me I'm an example of our alma mater's motto: "You can go anywhere from here." Thanks for being my confidant and cheerleader via e-mail when tight writing deadlines loom. I don't know what I'd do without your "Calgon take me away" mantra and great sense of humor.

*For my realtor/house friend Michael, who even though I've only known him a short time, lets me blather on via e-mail about my magazine article writing and who seems to never tire of my "house obsession." Thanks for making me laugh during writing deadlines by e-mailing me messages like, "You're really cookin' like Betty Crocker on those magazine articles!" You're so cool!

*For my webmaster Julia, who posted this magazine article (and all my others) to my website so you can easily read it virtually. Julia, your never-ending patience, positive "can-do" attitude, and stellar ethics make you so great to work with and to know, especially when I'm under tight deadlines. You're a gem.

*And last, but of course not least, thanks to God who planted so much creativity inside of me that I can't but help share it with the world, and who knows the ultimate reason why writing about house and home is my everlasting passion. I am so grateful for the talents and tenacity you gave me and I hope I've made you proud. I know that from you all blessings flow.

'Til Next Time!

Kathryn :)

http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/

The Jewel of Your Uniqueness

On vacation in LaQuinta, CA

April, 2009

Dear Blog Friends,

I've finished up some decorating magazine writing and client deadlines and excitedly await their publication and blooming!

I love writing professional bios for other creative entrepreneurs and also writing magazine feature articles because I'm intrigued by the interview process that tells me just who they really are; I love uncovering the jewel of their uniqueness both as a person and as a business owner. Or as Oscar Wilde so aptly said:

"Be you because everyone else is already taken."

What makes you you? If you've lost touch with that in the busyness of everyday life, I'd encourage you to get back in touch with it in a way that works for you.

Here are some things I love about my life that make me me. Some I've consciously chosen and others have dropped into my lap as serendipitous blessings. Do I have a perfect life? No and neither does anyone else. But I choose to make every effort to focus on my blessings because that feels more gracious to me:

1. My Christian faith in God.

2. My husband of 29 years who tells me that when I enter a room, I still make his heart go pitty-pat, and he says he still thinks I'm beautiful at nearly 51, that he enjoys my intelligence and companionship, and that he'll love me forever. And to think I turned down his requests for dates several times before I said yes! Silly me; luckily, he was (and still is!) the persistent sort!

3. My urban cottage treehouse apartment home in sunny San Diego, CA with palm trees and SoCal flora and fauna in every window, an Olympic size swimming pool, collected "finds" to furnish it, and a super responsive maintenance man who makes my life easier! It works for our simplified lifestyle of today.

4. My trusty laptop that enables me to write for publication and to consult virtually around the world. Because of it my business has grown, and when I upgrade it, the next one will be pink to further inspire me!

5. The beach near my home where I love to walk with my toes in the sand and watch the young and old alike make sandcastles. I do my best writing there as it brews in my head!

6. Snuggling under a cozy quilt on Friday nights with my hubby and a movie like Under the Tuscan Sun, Must Love Dogs, or Casablanca. (his favorite)

7. My accomplished women friends who are inspiring role models of strong, intelligent, beautiful, and gracious success, no matter whether they're stay-at-home moms or professional career women. Or both. I feel so lucky to have these swans in my life.

8. My platonic and well-mannered men friends I've known over the years who've generously given me their personal and business time and opinions so I can gain insight into how "the other half lives and thinks" and learn from them. I wouldn't be the woman I've become without having known them. They're swans too and I admire and love them.

9. My library of long-collected books, all of which I've read since I'm committed to lifelong learning. Many of them are signed by authors I've met, some of whom have become my friends and mentors.

1o. My art collected during travels over the years with my husband. None of it expensive but all of it precious.

11. The mementos and love notes from my students I've taught. I think I have learned at least as much, if not more, than they learned from me, and my favorite age was first grade!

12. Bed & Breakfast inns, pedicures, manicures, my large oval bathtub, lotions, potions, facials, massage, and high-thread count sheets that are so soft they feel like butter! Okay, so I like a little pampering in my life and a camping kind of gal I'm not! (Unless it was church camp in my childhood years, which I loved.) I give a lot of myself to others so I need these TLC things once in awhile to rejuvenate me.

13. Whole organic food to preserve my health and give me the energy to do all the things I do.

14. My scrapbooks of my life that tell my story. I call them my "Old Lady Books" so that if I end up getting to be an old lady, I can look back on the happy times. In the wisdom of turning 50 last year, I ditched any photos that made me sad.

15. My testimonials from my writing and consulting clients saying I've helped and inspired them in their life and business. Truly, because you're you, I've been blessed. When I mention you to others, I often hear, "Kathryn, you meet and know the coolest people." Indeed.

Remember now, what Oscar Wilde wisely advised:

Be you, because everybody else is taken.

'Til Next Time,

Kathryn
http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/

Dollarwise Patio Screen for "Mon Petit Chateau"

A new little painting project on the terrace of "Mon Petit Chateau" is now finished, so come on over and take a look...

I purchased these two brown metal folding screens at Burlington for just $149 each. Well okay, I admit I did the sleuthing and then called hubby Steve on my cell phone to ask him to cart them home. Luckily, he's a real sport about my dollarwise decorating forays and didn't complain about having to drop everything. (Too much anyway! :)

Then he painted them off-white to match the rest of our patio furniture he just painted a few weeks ago. They took three coats and 11 (yes, 11!) cans of paint!

And he built a ledge for the screens to stand in and attached them to the railing for security. He likes doing handyman stuff himself rather than hiring it done. (And shhhh, don't tell him I said he doesn't think anyone can do it for me as well as he can!)

So now we can have Sunday morning after-church breakfast with privacy but also the wonderful SoCal sunshine will still come through! That was my goal!

You're personally invited for "virtual breakfast" or a latte today, my sweet blog friends! Because after all....summer is when the livin' is easy!

'Til Next Time!
Kathryn :)
http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/

How to Grow an Old Friend

Kathryn & Mary telling "girlfriend secrets" at

Mary's wedding in 1980

Dear Blog Friends,

Some things in life are seen only in rear view mirrors and in hindsight. Growing an old friend is one of the "hindsight" things; I am of the opinion that you can only truly appreciate it once you've reached a certain level of maturity.

Since 1976, I've been growing an old friend named Mary. I tell our story in the hopes that if you don't have an old friend yourself, you'll be inspired to find one today. And if you do have one, or more, please tell them today how special they are to you, and thank them for their contribution to your life. Because life is short and none of us is promised tomorrow.

Mary and I met on our dorm floor the first week of college in 1976. We were a tender 17. I no longer recall the exact circumstances, but I do recall us hitting it off right away. She had an entourage of friends wherever she went and was the socialite of our floor with her quick wit, friendliness, and cheerleader-style pep. In short, she was FUN! As a more serious sort, I needed a friend like that. And in me she found a trusted confidant who would listen and problem-solve with her about too-bold boyfriends, too-tough chem professors, and too-hard statistics classes. We laughed, we cried, we told each other our life dreams and aspirations. She took me to her hometown to meet her parents and siblings. Coming from challenging home circumstances myself, I've never forgotten their kindnesses to me; they treated me like one of their own. 33 years later, Mary's now-elderly mother still asks about me, and I about her. And her father, who passed away not long after Mary and I both married, still inspires me in spirit as a writer, which he also was.

So what happened to those two small town college girls, who had big dreams in their hearts, stars in their eyes, and not much money in their pocketbooks? In short, as friends often do, we each wove a very different life.

Mary stayed a small town "girl next door" who became a teacher and married her college sweetheart Rob, and I, adventurous and curious sort that I am, eventually ended up in big cities, happily married to my college sweetheart Steve; traveling, and acting on my entrepreneurial and writing inclinations. Mary and I are both still married to our respective "original" husbands because both our mates are princes of men; the finest.

Mary and I continued over the years to keep in touch by phone, letter, birthday cards, and now, e-mail. (She sends me a birthday card every year definitely reminding me in her still-humorous style that I'm older than her--by 18 days!) By now, we've been through her babies, my many relocations, bad perms by well-meaning hairdressers, should she let her kids do so-and-so without it harming them for life days, her kudos and encouragement of me about getting published in national magazines, and (shhh, don't tell!) what are now appearing to possibly be wrinkles and gray hairs, to name a few life scenarios. We still laugh, we still cry, we still worry, only now we do it mostly by e-mail. And we still encourage each other that no matter what life deals us, we'll handle it just fine.

Until today, for a variety of reasons, it had been 20 years since I'd seen my friend Mary in person. So we did it up right. She and her family were visiting their kids in California, and hubby Steve and I took them to one of our favorite restaurants in Laguna Beach, Hotel Laguna, to show them a quintessential SoCal good time. I loved her grown children Jay and Kate. The same good looks as their parents. The same ready wit too; across the table the good natured bantering and laughter flowed. The same giving hearts; her son is a social worker and her daughter is soon off to college to become, like her mother, a teacher. Their kids are respectful and well-mannered; I think Mary and Rob should be very proud.

We reminisced. We laughed. We watched for dolphins. We bored Mary and Rob's kids by telling them about how before cell phones, computers, e-mail, and social networking, life was, quite simply, simpler.


I joked with Mary's now-17-about-to-go-to-college-herself daughter Kate, that in 33 years, she too, God willing, would become an (ahem!) "mature woman" like her mom and I have. (I think I saw Kate's eyes maybe roll, but I'm not sure. :)

It takes a long time to grow an old friend. And it's so worth the investment of time. Because life changes; it twists, it turns, it throws curve balls and celebrations; some big, some small. But if there are family and friends beside us to cheer us along, hold our hand, share our laughter, and wipe our tears, it makes life richer. And easier.

And so in the wisdom of my (ahem!) maturity, my wish and hope for Mary's sweet and beautiful daughter Kate, who is just the tender age of 17 that Mary and I were when we went off to college some 33 years ago, is that she will, like her mother and I did, get a fine education, follow her dreams, meet her prince, and grow a loyal gal pal who'll stick with her through the thick and thin of her life.

'Til next time!
Kathryn :)
http://www.kathrynbechenink.com/

How to Organize Your Home on a Dime!

Professional Organizer Paris Love

of Organize With Love

Photo copyright Paris Love and used with permission.

Please join me on Tuesday, July 28 at 3 pm CT when I'll interview Professional Organizer Paris Love on a FREE teleseminar: "How to Organize Your Home on a Dime!" Be sure to pre-register for the call and Paris is also offering you some free gifts! I met Paris when she became an editing client a couple of years ago and she's a dynamo Professional Organizer with a long list of credits to her name! You won't want to miss her tips. Register here.

Through Your Front Door

"When we walk through our front door, we should be able to leave the stresses and strains of the outside world. A home should provide us with a sanctuary for the soul, a haven for the senses."

--Jane Alexander

Ah, the Sea!

Photo taken by Kathryn Bechen

Swami's Beach, Encinitas/Cardiff by the Sea, CA

“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or

the sea.”

--Isak Dinesen

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!