Good morning, if there a title for this post, it would have to be “Going at full speed”. Time for another chat, and do I ever have an earful for you. Have you ever gone through a season of life that felt so incredibly busy you almost had to schedule time just to take a deep breath? If so, you’ll understand exactly where I am right now.
As many of you know, we’re in the middle of a major renovation on our home. We’re finally reaching that stage where so many of the aesthetic decisions need to be made—bathrooms, moldings, paint colors, finishes, and all of the details that somehow need to come together cohesively. It’s exciting, but it’s also no small undertaking.
Over the years, I’ve collected countless ideas, saved inspiration photos, and tucked away design concepts in my ever-active imagination. But when it comes time to actually make final decisions, everything changes. Suddenly you’re forced to narrow down all those possibilities and determine what you really love. Let me tell you—that’s much harder than it sounds.
Adding to the excitement, some wonderful former clients from New York City reached out a few months ago and asked if I would help them bring their beautiful new residence to life. I simply couldn’t resist. It has been such fun working with them again, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help create another beautiful home.In many ways, the timing works out perfectly because most of what they need completed will happen before September. Once September arrives, things are going to get considerably busier on my end.
Now let’s add a few more ingredients into the mix: running a business, preparing to host a baby shower, shopping for dresses for two weddings and an engagement party, and all the usual day-to-day responsibilities that come with life. Before you know it, you’ve got yourself a recipe for some very full days. Then you add in stressors that I don’t mention or like to focus on and well, yea….its a lot.
I know life is particularly busy when I find myself drinking the same cup of coffee all day long—the one that started in my cup holder at eight in the morning and somehow is still being sipped at three in the afternoon. Some days I catch myself feeling proud of how much I’m able to accomplish. Other days I find myself wondering, “What in the world am I doing? I need to slow down.”
The reality is, I’ve always thrived on being busy. I enjoy being productive. I genuinely love what I do in every capacity, so it’s difficult not to fill my days with projects and commitments. The challenge right now isn’t any one thing—it’s that everything seems to be happening at once. Yesterday was a perfect example-
My day started bright and early with a meeting with our carpenter at our house. From there, I headed to another appointment to discuss carpeting and fabric choices for the design project I’m working on. That meeting lasted a couple of hours.
Next, I drove to a fabric manufacturer and spent another few hours exploring options and making selections. After that, I rushed home, unloaded everything, changed clothes, and headed back out to run a few quick errands.
An hour later, I returned home and immediately began preparing dinner after realizing I had invited my son, his wife, and precious little Philip over for the evening. While trying to pull dinner together, I was also getting ready to meet my husband for a final cabinet appointment scheduled for 4:30. In fairness, I rarely have more than 2 appts per day, yesterday was a true exception and what prompted me to write this post!
I made it home around 5:30, and they arrived shortly after six.
Thankfully, despite the whirlwind of the day, we enjoyed a greaet evening together. There’s nothing quite like gathering around the table with family…especially Phillip who grabs all the attention!
By the end of the night, however, I was practically comatose. A hot shower and slipping into my favorite cozy pajamas felt like absolute luxury. And getting into bed? Without question, one of the highlights of the entire day.
Of course, I know I can’t maintain this pace forever. The good news is that this design project will wrap up over the next four or five months, and, God willing, our own home will be completed by December.There will still be decisions to make after we move in, and thanks to my incredible team at work, things continue moving forward even when I can’t personally be everywhere at once. They truly have my back, and I’m grateful for that every day.
People often talk about life being either feast or famine, and I would say this season is a perfect example of the feast. There is a lot happening, a lot to manage, and a lot to be thankful for.
I’m curious—how do you operate?
Are you someone who thrives at full throttle, or do you prefer a slower, steadier pace? Have you found yourself slowing down as you’ve gotten older, or have you actually sped things up? Do you enjoy having a full calendar and a long to-do list, or do you cherish downtime and prefer busy days only occasionally? I will admit I have been drinking way more coffee lately!
I always enjoy hearing your perspectives because it’s fascinating how differently we all navigate the various seasons of life. Part of me believes that by this time next year, I’ll be settled into our new home and life will feel much much calmer. Have more time for family, pickle ball and rummikub!
Then again…
I just remembered that by then I’ll be a grandmother to two little ones. Perhaps I should take that statement back!
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts…..
Our incredible preasle is on and ends tomorrow! So many beautiful new items included our return of oru bestselling urns and pedestals.
As one who has moved 20 times all across the country and built and renovated—remember that once you move in you will ALWAYS find you need to change things…refine and even re-do entire room. Concentrate on kitchen and baths as they are really the most difficult and $$$to correct 🤦♀️
Whew! I need to go lie down!🤣
The older I get the slower I feel. I try to put 2 main things on my mental list to get done per day. If more happens, thats great. Errands are the WORST!!!
I like a steady organized pace with priorities always clear of what needs tackling first.
I’ve multi tasked at a hyperventilating pace in my career and at home and I know I can do it if I absolutely have to. But I don’t enjoy the process and now that I have full control, I use a more measured approach.
Sometimes it takes longer but my sanity has not taken a beating iin a while now and I like the feeling.
Good grief, how did you have the time to write this post?!! Always look forward to reading your posts. I am 77 and my husband is 81 and we just spent 2 days staining our deck at our summer home. In between, I worked in the garden. So thankful we still have the energy to do the things we love to do. Today, I plan on sanding and painting a garden bench and work in the garden at our regular home. Running errands for my sisters. I have 4 days of Newsday to read and have magazines from Oct. 2025 I haven’t read. But it’s all good. I thank God every day that we are still able to do what we do. Don’t stress–it always gets done in the end!
Your story and mine should enlighten and inspire many younger people to live life fully and never think about the numbers because they are meaningless and so often discourage many that should be more active, but think they cannot be, because of them. I’ll be 80 in August and we just inherited a home in the Pocono mountains very unexpectedly. My husband is 81 and we have been working every weekend to clean and fix up the home. We have filled one dumpster and have emptied closets and cabinets and had several junk pick ups. We washed floors and painted rooms, and he weed whacked the neglected property. Soon we will meet with a contractor to do kitchen and bath renovations. It really is a lot of work but we are going strong and with the help of our daughter will soon be able to enjoy the forest and the wonderful amenities at Skytop Lodge which is 5 minutes away.
I used to move at breakneck speed but had to change. At 65, burning the candle at both ends takes too much out of me.
I learned to prioritize when my husband had a massive stroke in 2022 and I became his full-time caregiver. This has been a surprisingly wonderful opportunity for both of us. The time to slow down and appreciate every little thing has transformed us.
Even though we were retired when he had the stroke, we still found ourselves missing out on the little things. We were frequently on the go, putting off things we wish we could do at home.
We have a different focus now. Appreciate your family and friends and all they bring to your life. If you’re forced to slow down, you will have time for the little things. It turns out that they truly are the most important things in our new life.
You’re hitting on a real psychological phenomenon! Being busy chases a “high” of endorphins (and stress hormones) and is a well documented behavioral pattern. When we are endlessly active (or overly busy) our brains’ reward centers release a cocktail of natural chemicals that can make the grind feel (and become) addictive.
It’s interesting that you should ask because I was just thinking about this.
My situation is currently slow and steady. The reason being I retired from being a dental hygienist for 40 years many years of early morning patients, patients all day long, never any breaks with much stress and pressure. I’m affording myself, slow mornings and easy schedules.
I used to operate at full throttle but never really enjoyed it even then. I always felt something or someone important was put on the back burner. Even myself! I’m enjoying a much slower pace now enjoying a toddler granddaughter and more reading, gardening & cooking!
I think about this a lot lately because life was equally as busy 20 years ago and I had 6 children under 14. Volunteered at three different organizations. Worked full time. I think our brains did better with multitasking in our 20s, 30s, and 40s. Now we try to do many different roles and at the same time want to be involved in our children’s lives. Please share the source for the beautful toile at the top of each mood board. I love it!
Slow and steady is the winning combination for me, I’ll be 66 next month. Being extremely busy doesn’t work anymore, I get run down, don’t eat right, then inevitably come down with something,
Wow you are busy! You sound like me until 4 years ago. Owned my own business which I really loved but it took just too much of me. Away from things I loved doing, seeing friends and family. tennis, golf, etc…It literally engulfed my life. So made the hard decision to sell it to my business partner and it was the best decision ever!
I loved that chapter of my life as it brought so many opportunities, financial freedom,etc…but this chapter is my best yet. I am super Type A as it sounds like you are. We can handle a lot. Just important to carve time for the things we love to do. Sounds like you are pretty good at that. But, nothing can hold a candle to spending time with those you love! Congratulations on soon having a second grandchild. I cannot wait until my kids get married and have kids!
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Good morning, if there a title for this post, it would have to be “Going at full speed”. Time for another chat, and do I ever have an earful for you. Have you ever gone through a season of life that felt so incredibly busy you almost had to schedule time just to take a deep breath? If so, you’ll understand exactly where I am right now.
As many of you know, we’re in the middle of a major renovation on our home. We’re finally reaching that stage where so many of the aesthetic decisions need to be made—bathrooms, moldings, paint colors, finishes, and all of the details that somehow need to come together cohesively. It’s exciting, but it’s also no small undertaking.
Over the years, I’ve collected countless ideas, saved inspiration photos, and tucked away design concepts in my ever-active imagination. But when it comes time to actually make final decisions, everything changes. Suddenly you’re forced to narrow down all those possibilities and determine what you really love. Let me tell you—that’s much harder than it sounds.
Adding to the excitement, some wonderful former clients from New York City reached out a few months ago and asked if I would help them bring their beautiful new residence to life. I simply couldn’t resist. It has been such fun working with them again, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help create another beautiful home.In many ways, the timing works out perfectly because most of what they need completed will happen before September. Once September arrives, things are going to get considerably busier on my end.
Now let’s add a few more ingredients into the mix: running a business, preparing to host a baby shower, shopping for dresses for two weddings and an engagement party, and all the usual day-to-day responsibilities that come with life. Before you know it, you’ve got yourself a recipe for some very full days. Then you add in stressors that I don’t mention or like to focus on and well, yea….its a lot.
I know life is particularly busy when I find myself drinking the same cup of coffee all day long—the one that started in my cup holder at eight in the morning and somehow is still being sipped at three in the afternoon. Some days I catch myself feeling proud of how much I’m able to accomplish. Other days I find myself wondering, “What in the world am I doing? I need to slow down.”
The reality is, I’ve always thrived on being busy. I enjoy being productive. I genuinely love what I do in every capacity, so it’s difficult not to fill my days with projects and commitments. The challenge right now isn’t any one thing—it’s that everything seems to be happening at once. Yesterday was a perfect example-
My day started bright and early with a meeting with our carpenter at our house. From there, I headed to another appointment to discuss carpeting and fabric choices for the design project I’m working on. That meeting lasted a couple of hours.
Next, I drove to a fabric manufacturer and spent another few hours exploring options and making selections. After that, I rushed home, unloaded everything, changed clothes, and headed back out to run a few quick errands.
An hour later, I returned home and immediately began preparing dinner after realizing I had invited my son, his wife, and precious little Philip over for the evening. While trying to pull dinner together, I was also getting ready to meet my husband for a final cabinet appointment scheduled for 4:30. In fairness, I rarely have more than 2 appts per day, yesterday was a true exception and what prompted me to write this post!
I made it home around 5:30, and they arrived shortly after six.
Thankfully, despite the whirlwind of the day, we enjoyed a greaet evening together. There’s nothing quite like gathering around the table with family…especially Phillip who grabs all the attention!
By the end of the night, however, I was practically comatose. A hot shower and slipping into my favorite cozy pajamas felt like absolute luxury. And getting into bed? Without question, one of the highlights of the entire day.
Of course, I know I can’t maintain this pace forever. The good news is that this design project will wrap up over the next four or five months, and, God willing, our own home will be completed by December.There will still be decisions to make after we move in, and thanks to my incredible team at work, things continue moving forward even when I can’t personally be everywhere at once. They truly have my back, and I’m grateful for that every day.
People often talk about life being either feast or famine, and I would say this season is a perfect example of the feast. There is a lot happening, a lot to manage, and a lot to be thankful for.
I’m curious—how do you operate?
Are you someone who thrives at full throttle, or do you prefer a slower, steadier pace? Have you found yourself slowing down as you’ve gotten older, or have you actually sped things up? Do you enjoy having a full calendar and a long to-do list, or do you cherish downtime and prefer busy days only occasionally? I will admit I have been drinking way more coffee lately!
I always enjoy hearing your perspectives because it’s fascinating how differently we all navigate the various seasons of life. Part of me believes that by this time next year, I’ll be settled into our new home and life will feel much much calmer. Have more time for family, pickle ball and rummikub!
Then again…
I just remembered that by then I’ll be a grandmother to two little ones. Perhaps I should take that statement back!
I can’t wait to hear your thoughts…..
Our incredible preasle is on and ends tomorrow! So many beautiful new items included our return of oru bestselling urns and pedestals.
Click here
Thank you for stopping in. Love hearing what you have to say. Wishing you a fabulous day!! Until next time…
As one who has moved 20 times all across the country and built and renovated—remember that once you move in you will ALWAYS find you need to change things…refine and even re-do entire room. Concentrate on kitchen and baths as they are really the most difficult and $$$to correct 🤦♀️
Whew! I need to go lie down!🤣
The older I get the slower I feel. I try to put 2 main things on my mental list to get done per day. If more happens, thats great. Errands are the WORST!!!
I like a steady organized pace with priorities always clear of what needs tackling first.
I’ve multi tasked at a hyperventilating pace in my career and at home and I know I can do it if I absolutely have to. But I don’t enjoy the process and now that I have full control, I use a more measured approach.
Sometimes it takes longer but my sanity has not taken a beating iin a while now and I like the feeling.
Good grief, how did you have the time to write this post?!! Always look forward to reading your posts. I am 77 and my husband is 81 and we just spent 2 days staining our deck at our summer home. In between, I worked in the garden. So thankful we still have the energy to do the things we love to do. Today, I plan on sanding and painting a garden bench and work in the garden at our regular home. Running errands for my sisters. I have 4 days of Newsday to read and have magazines from Oct. 2025 I haven’t read. But it’s all good. I thank God every day that we are still able to do what we do. Don’t stress–it always gets done in the end!
Your story and mine should enlighten and inspire many younger people to live life fully and never think about the numbers because they are meaningless and so often discourage many that should be more active, but think they cannot be, because of them. I’ll be 80 in August and we just inherited a home in the Pocono mountains very unexpectedly. My husband is 81 and we have been working every weekend to clean and fix up the home. We have filled one dumpster and have emptied closets and cabinets and had several junk pick ups. We washed floors and painted rooms, and he weed whacked the neglected property. Soon we will meet with a contractor to do kitchen and bath renovations. It really is a lot of work but we are going strong and with the help of our daughter will soon be able to enjoy the forest and the wonderful amenities at Skytop Lodge which is 5 minutes away.
I used to move at breakneck speed but had to change. At 65, burning the candle at both ends takes too much out of me.
I learned to prioritize when my husband had a massive stroke in 2022 and I became his full-time caregiver. This has been a surprisingly wonderful opportunity for both of us. The time to slow down and appreciate every little thing has transformed us.
Even though we were retired when he had the stroke, we still found ourselves missing out on the little things. We were frequently on the go, putting off things we wish we could do at home.
We have a different focus now. Appreciate your family and friends and all they bring to your life. If you’re forced to slow down, you will have time for the little things. It turns out that they truly are the most important things in our new life.
You’re hitting on a real psychological phenomenon! Being busy chases a “high” of endorphins (and stress hormones) and is a well documented behavioral pattern. When we are endlessly active (or overly busy) our brains’ reward centers release a cocktail of natural chemicals that can make the grind feel (and become) addictive.
It’s interesting that you should ask because I was just thinking about this.
My situation is currently slow and steady. The reason being I retired from being a dental hygienist for 40 years many years of early morning patients, patients all day long, never any breaks with much stress and pressure. I’m affording myself, slow mornings and easy schedules.
I used to operate at full throttle but never really enjoyed it even then. I always felt something or someone important was put on the back burner. Even myself! I’m enjoying a much slower pace now enjoying a toddler granddaughter and more reading, gardening & cooking!
I’ve always believed that:
“The more you do, the more you’ll do”, and “The less you do, the less you’ll do”.
Looks like fun!
Who makes the paint colors.
I’m looking for a cream color and the sample looks perfect
I think about this a lot lately because life was equally as busy 20 years ago and I had 6 children under 14. Volunteered at three different organizations. Worked full time. I think our brains did better with multitasking in our 20s, 30s, and 40s. Now we try to do many different roles and at the same time want to be involved in our children’s lives. Please share the source for the beautful toile at the top of each mood board. I love it!
I love to accomplish things! Challenges gratify me (usually) so I am thankful for positive energy. Your posts are inspiring. Thank You
Can you share name of sheer fabric with embroidered flower from photo #1 right side and greyish toile wallpaper from photo #3?
Thank you!
Can you share the names/brands of the wallpapers in your post?
Slow and steady is the winning combination for me, I’ll be 66 next month. Being extremely busy doesn’t work anymore, I get run down, don’t eat right, then inevitably come down with something,
Wow you are busy! You sound like me until 4 years ago. Owned my own business which I really loved but it took just too much of me. Away from things I loved doing, seeing friends and family. tennis, golf, etc…It literally engulfed my life. So made the hard decision to sell it to my business partner and it was the best decision ever!
I loved that chapter of my life as it brought so many opportunities, financial freedom,etc…but this chapter is my best yet. I am super Type A as it sounds like you are. We can handle a lot. Just important to carve time for the things we love to do. Sounds like you are pretty good at that. But, nothing can hold a candle to spending time with those you love! Congratulations on soon having a second grandchild. I cannot wait until my kids get married and have kids!