Valentine’s weekend was awesome! My new beau (I feel too old for a boyfriend) came up Friday afternoon and we got an early walk in up to Sunset Rock, a lot of fun despite clouds and cooler temperatures. Dinner at one of my favorites, Cyprus, was Mediterranean in flavor complete with a flaming appetizer (always good for sparks to fly, LOL).

Spoiled me delightfully! Saturday we strolled Highlands, and “he” was decadent with a handful of stylish new acquisitions to my wardrobe. Great to find a man who enjoys unique finds despite his conservative tendencies. Dinner was a riot as there was another couple that got engaged very quietly and I’d been admiring her handbag. After my fifth comment, “he” congratulated them on their occasion, pulled out $100 and said he’d buy her bag for me. I was thunderstruck and giggling hopelessly. She promptly dumped the contents of her purse and handed it over, evidently it had been an outlet mall find! The entire restaurant was agog!

Got a hike in! Sunday we made it up Whiteside Mountain with incredible views and fresh air. The weekend forecast had been littered with rain, but it held out for us. Next plan is the last weekend this month with Cirque du Soleil and Chairish the Future. I have to confess being spoiled is great fun and it has been a very long time since that happened!

Back to work! I’m still hearing that many of you need websites and aren’t sure what to do about it. I will do another website teleseminar but solo this time with the nuts and bolts of how to get your materials together and make it cost effective and profitable. Look below for the MARCH 2nd Social Media Teleseminar!

Prospering by Design, ARE YOU?

MG

The joys of mountain living! I came home from Atlanta and was finishing taking down the Christmas tree (hey, I’ve got a life and it was an artificial tree anyway so don’t look so surprised!) when I saw them. About a dozen little carcasses that resembled oversized ants with wings. No they aren’t termites. Terminix came out and identified the culprits as carpenter ants, the kind that swarm to find a nest but haven’t yet found one. With luck they’ll decide my home is inappropriate and keep moving on. Right now all I can do is be vigilant!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Yes, “he” is coming up for the weekend. “He” has promised a very special V-day and already got it off on the right foot with a pair of lovely double heart earrings in silver last weekend. He’s far more romantic than I am, LOL!

Cash for GOLD! I know we’ve all seen the commercials and probably many of us have been invited to a gold party. If you haven’t, go! I took a box of my old stuff, my Mom’s and even my godmother’s in and was very pleasantly surprised at the abundant outcome. If you aren’t wearing it, don’t love it anymore, and don’t need it, get rid of it and get some green to show for it. This beats any Goodwill or consignment as you get the green in cash upfront! Go for it.

Prospering by Design, Always

MG

I knew it, I knew it! The moment I wrote a bit about a date, you all inundated me with good luck wishes, desires for updates, and helpful comments. You are a riot! You all want to know more about my love life than you do how to build your businesses, LOL!

He brought flowers! Okay he is very romantic, brought me a white rose in a vase (inside his coat) to the restaurant. We had a lovely dinner at Capital Grill in Buckhead and capped it off with dessert at The Ritz (in the lounge, get your mind out of the bedroom!)

Back in Atlanta this weekend! Yes, I will see “him.” I am also checking out the Atlanta Art House, the newest exhibition at the botanical gardens Orchid Daze, and another art show on Friday night. Perhaps I will run into some of you local Atlantans.

Prospering by Design, Are You?

MG

Where are you the most productive? Do you find that your productivity is often based on the time of day and on your location? I know I get a lot more done in the quiet of my mountain escape than I do in the crazy energy of Atlanta! In Atlanta my schedule is more often loaded with sourcing for clients, site visits, speaking engagements, airport trips, and catching up with friends (oh and YES, dating, LOL). So I plan five day stays here in Highlands to get it all on track and moving forward. How can you plan your most productive times and emerge successful?

Mapping fun! This is my YEAR of YES, and that means I have to make a lot more time for my dream list. I’m planning a visit to Connecticut in May to see dear friends and then a trip to Bonaire for scuba certification and to see the house I did a few years ago for clients. They both scuba and train, but I’ve never seen the house! Rumor has it the neighbors and friends have given it rave reviews. What are you doing to plan regular fun in your life?

Heading into Hotlanta this Saturday! Got a date Saturday night (yes, we met on match.com and this is our first face to face!) Sunday, I’m meeting a friend for the last day of the Flower Show and brunch at Canoe. I’ve got client biz on Monday, then Tuesday reconnecting with my favorite design group for lunch and a look at Insidesign, http://www.myinsidesign.com/.

What are you doing to find new resources?

Together we’ll all go farther! Prospering by Design, Are You?

MG

“27 Dresses” -
Katherine Heigl, James Marsden, Malin Akerman, Edward Burns

Totally not my scenario having never even been a bridesmaid, I couldn’t imagine loving a “job” so much! (Heigl) Jane clearly does as proven by evenings she juggles two weddings with complete changes in the back of a taxi. Such devotion is truly rare, but clearly she has mastered the art of it. Her world comes to an abrupt stop when her younger sister (Akerman) steps in (Cameron Diaz like) and taps Jane’s boss to be her groom. Suddenly Jane’s closet feelings of true love for George (her boss, played by Edward Burns) surface and she is faced with realizing she may not always want to be a bridesmaid at all, but instead rejoice in being a bride. Marsden plays Kevin, the newspaper reporter responsible for the bridal announcements and tracks Jane and her incredible 27 weddings as a bridesmaid story. Okay from here it is a little predictable, but still fun. Boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. . . .

The dresses alone, as most bridesmaid gowns prove, are quite entertaining. And each tells its own story of culture, custom and sometimes downright bad taste. Heigl pulls it all off with aplomb but this did feel like a second tier movie, not an A-lister.

“Dan in Real Life” -
Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, John Mahoney

Finally, a feel good movie! While Carell will never have the depth and comic genius of Tom Hanks or Jim Carrey, his is sort of a reality version. His humor is less expected and less quirky. This was wonderful and Binoche is always a delight. Widowed Dad to three girls is home for a reunion when he meets gorgeous mystery woman in the bookstore; he returns to the house to be introduced to the same woman (who completely captivated his heart) as his brother’s new and best girlfriend. Torture for the week as he sees the object of his affection romping with his brother, but can’t lay a glove. Even his daughter see the sparks fly. This is a fun take on guy meets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl back. The best line in the whole show is spoken by the teenage daughter’s boyfriend “Love isn’t a feeling, it’s an ability.” Brilliant, now if we could just live our relationships like that, it would be significant.