Celebrity Lifestyle Designer
Last week I popped into my favorite Nursery that I have been shopping at for longer than I'm willing to admit.
Rolling Greens is a wonderful cornucopia of indoor and outdoor pots, flowers and plants.
Before they were wholesale only but now they're open to the public while still allowing the trade their discount.
I went in to shop for some pots and flowers for a client but low and behold...the holidays ARE HERE!!! More on that in a later blog -
But if you are looking for something fresh, colorful and inviting for your home check out Rolling Greens.
or how about the lobster ravioli with a light cream and saffron sauce...add a salad and voila!
who's ever heard of this before? those Italians!
French pates, California goat cheese, pink sea salt from the Himalayas...yum!
It has kind of a nutty flavor which I prefer...
I have yet to try the British one though...
No leaky zip-lock bags hiding your leaky flour sacks here! And that pantry-so open and so clean, no surprises anywhere. I love that. Notice how perfectly stocked it is…no old pans with rust stains on them. This is truly gracious living.
It was a star studded evening co-chaired by Mary McDonald and Nathan Turner, featuring some of my favorite designers including Michelle Nussbaumer, Waldo Fernandez, Martyn Lawrence and Peter Dunham. 
The Historic mansion, which is one of the last surviving Los Angeles homes from the Great Golden Age was transformed into an amazing showcase of glamorous architecture and contemporary design. 
Each designer was given a separate room and the result was stunning.
Congratulations to Veranda editor-in-chief Lisa Newsome on a remarkable evening. 
The Greystone Mansion will be allowing tours of “The Great House” designed rooms through the 16th of November. 
The $30 admission is worth the price to check out the work of more than 25 top designers in this magnificent home. 
The magazine is available on newsstands today. Tune in for the next Blog, when I share the dish of Veranda magazine’s fabulous Great House party at the Greystone Mansion. You won’t want to miss it!
If you are looking for the Maserati of closets it has to be Poliform. Their functional designs are sleek, easy to maintain and immaculate. 
If you are looking for a small home make over project that will add to your home value for years to come and give you a psychological boast in the meantime, check out a Poliform closet. It’s impossible to walk into one of these closets and feel anything but successful.
Start with a winter makeover for your deck, patio, or balcony. Clean away any clutter of debris that has accumulated in the deluge of fall leaves. Then take whatever winter precautions are necessary for your furniture and appliances. In colder states, furniture may need to be stored or covered, in warmer states cushion might need flipping/fluffing or rotation. 
When the hard work is done it’s time for rewarding trip to your local Home Depot, Lowes or Do It Store. Make sure to take a list of any hardware that is needed for repairs or winterization, but the main reason for this trip is to do a mini splurge on succulents to accent your outdoor living or to spruce up your home. 
You don’t need to spend much money to create a lovely succulent wonderland. In colder states you may want to focus on bringing the succulents indoors and creating a lovely focal point. 
Here in Southern California, I love to plant durable succulents dish gardens grouping several different varieties to make a colorful mini garden. They are beautiful, functional and extremely low maintenance. Their shallow roots require very little water. Even if you are someone who forgets to water, these plants never die. They are amazing. They love containers.
Taking the time to winterize your deck, patio or balcony will help preserve your furniture and appliances and save you money. Planting succulents will increase your enjoyment of your home now, through the long winter and even in the spring. 
