January is nearly over and I can't believe I'm still dealing with the remnants of the holidays. Sure my tree has been down for weeks and the ornaments safely packed away, but I continue to find a Christmas card here, a piece of ribbon there. Thankfully I finally finished the last of the sugar cookies this weekend. Yes, there is no absolutely no more excuse left to prevent me from keeping my new year's resolution to lose 10 pounds....
I always have a dilemma figuring out what to do with all the holiday cards at the end of the season. I have a well-known love for beautiful paper, and how can one so callously throw all those photo cards with pictures of friends' precious children in the recycling bin? I usually can't bring myself to do it, so I put them all in a box to reconsider again next Christmas, but there are always a few that are so fabulous, or elegant, or adorable that they make it onto my inspiration board to look at throughout the year.
In flipping through my most recent stash of cards, I came across three that had a thing or two in common. All were from incredibly talented designers; all of the senders came out with terrific books last year, and all chose to feature beloved family members on their cards...their dogs!
There was this one from Washington, D.C. designer Darryl Carter:
(By the way, the list of what Otis wants includes world peace, a hambone, a frisbee, and an occasional walk with his dad. What more could a pup possibly desire?).
And there was this one from California and New York design guru Barclay Butera:
Barclay's dachsunds, Carson and Ashton, wish "a happy heart to play the part along the great highway."
And this card came from New York decorating doyenne Charlotte Moss:
You can't help but love the expression on Oscar's face. But I love the card as much for the quotation that is printed on the inside. It reads:
Above all, watch with glittering eyes
the whole world around you...
Because the greatest secrets are always
hidden in the most unlikely places.
Those who don't believe in magic
will never find it.
--Roald Dahl
That one brought tears to my eyes. Though I loved and read every Dahl book when I was younger, I don't remember this passage and I can't seem to find when he wrote or said it. But this card is definitely a keeper. I vow to remember to find magic in something every day!
