Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward

Pay It Forward

Hello again! I’m coming to you today to share one of my favorite projects so far, which I dubbed the “Pay It Forward” project. Well, actually, two projects. I love it when I can help make connections between people in different parts of my lives. I love helping someone to help someone else. And these projects did all of that.

I had been working with my client Tracy on a kitchen remodel, when my friend Joy approached me about her mother, Nada. Nada’s children wanted to redecorate some of the rooms in her home, but budget was an issue. They wanted to spruce the space up without spending a lot, and my friend was asking for my help picking out paint colors. Here’s a “before” shot of Nada’s kitchen:

When she mentioned their plan to repaint Nada’s kitchen cabinets, a lightbulb went off. While my client Tracy’s kitchen cabinets no longer suited her style, they were in great shape, and it would’ve been a shame just to rip them out and throw them away!

Joy and I went to look at Tracy’s old cabinets the next morning. Joy gave them the thumbs-up, and we got to work. We pulled our children out of bed, got everyone we could involved, and transported the cabinets from Tracy’s to Nada’s that day. Here’s a photo of some of the team that helped

And a photo of Tracy’s former cabinets installed in Nada’s kitchen (a “work in progress” photo).

After all of the hard work, Tracy was able to come to Nada’s newly redone home and see her donation in action. I was so happy to be able to bring these two ladies together and help them to help each other.

With a little bit of love, Tracy’s “pay it forward” cabinets, and a some donated time, Nada’s space was transformed into something that brings her happiness each and every day.

Time for a Change

Time for a Change

Everyone can make a difference, the smallest of gesters can have the biggest impact.

Anyone participating in Time For A Change will receive at least one Change Jar. Empty your spare change into the jar each day, and remind your friends and family to do the same.

If you’re a scout leader, coach, or other group leader, consider getting everyone involved - there’s no limit to how many Change Jars you can take. If you’re a parent, take one for the whole family, or one for each child. Contact me to arrange a pick-up or drop-off of Change Jars.
Once the Change Jar is full, contact me to arrange a drop-off at Little Angels at a time that is convenient for you. It’s that simple!

Our Story

The Time For A Change project aims to get kids involved in giving back to their communities by showing them the power of giving, and the impact it can have on one’s self-respect, confidence, and empathy.
 
The project benefits Little Angels, a loving home for children and young adults with severe disabilities and complex medical needs. I have been involved with Little Angels for almost a decade, and it’s been an incredible journey. I want to introduce as many people as possible to this wonderful place, to help as much as I can.

Decorating for Angels

Decorating for Angels

Decorate a Heart

As an interior decorator, I want to affect more than just the spaces around me. I want to affect the people around me. This is why I got involved with Little Angels.

Little Angels is a loving home for children and young adults with severe disabilities and complex medical needs. They provide round-the-clock care for all of their residents, as well as educational day programs and outings. It may not be a home in the traditional sense, but Little Angels does provide the most important aspects that make a home — love, care and support.

I first heard about Little Angels from another mom at one of my son’s baseball games. I noticed some pictures she had on her keychain, and when I asked about them, she told me, “Oh! Those are my children!” As we got to talking, I found out that she is a Little Angels staff member; she told me all about the residents she works with, her “children.” Everyone at this wonderful home, from the nurses to the administrative staff to the custodial staff cares about the residents as if they were their own children.

This project was unlike anything I’d done before, and there were a couple distinct challenges. Each bedroom also has a number of immovable fixtures. The residents’ beds cannot be moved; there are curtains around each of them, hung from the ceiling, there are outlets and other electrical fixtures on the walls around the beds that are used to provide medical care. I did not want to ignore these features, but tried instead to make them part of the whole design. Another challenge for me was that the walls in most of these rooms were cinderblock, the floors, linoleum tile. Functional, but a bit of a design challenge. I decided to use color to warm up the spaces as much as possible. After everything was finished, we brought the residents back into their new, personalized spaces. Seeing their faces light up as they looks at their new rooms made the entire process worth it.

I’ve done many different projects with Little Angels over the years, but recently I noticed how utilitarian many of their spaces are. The oldest part of the building was constructed in 1958, and though it was spotlessly clean and very well maintained, it was not nice-looking; the space didn’t reflect the warm, caring atmosphere the people inside created.

So, I got to work. Together with a design team, I helped redecorate about 10 resident bedrooms, bringing color and life into the spaces. My goal was simply to reflect the residents’ personalities in their rooms - to personalize them. Because of the wonderful staff, the rooms already felt like home, and now they look like it too.

A Night at the Moulin Rouge

A Night at the Moulin Rouge

 

Celebration for  LITTLE ANGELS

Hello again! In my last post, I talked about my work with Little Angels, a loving home for children and adults with severe disabilities and complex medical needs. I’ve been involved with this organization for a number of years, and I love taking on special projects with them.
 
This year’s theme was Moulin Rouge. As a designer, such a concrete theme automatically creates so many ideas, feelings, and connections for me that smaller details like centerpiece design andtablescapes fell into place pretty quickly. The Sanfilippo Estate is already so ornate that we have to be careful each year to work our theme around the existing decor, to weave the ideas together and not to compete or overpower the already beautiful design of the space.

 

One of my favorite tasks each year is to design the statue for The Angel Award, presented at the gala to someone who goes above and beyond for Little Angels. The award is given in memory of Gloria Bergman, a Little Angels parent who donated much of her time and effort to fundraising for Little Angels. I wanted the design to be simple but meaningful, to represent not only Little Angels itself, but the love and care it provides for its residents and their families.

While I love all the preparations and design that goes into the project beforehand, my favorite part of the gala each year is attending it! It’s such a treat to see all of our hard work pay off, to see the guests enjoying the world we’ve created for them. I, with other Little Angels parents and staff, greet guests at the door, and act as hosts throughout the evening. For me, this gives the whole process a much more personal touch; it makes the experience personally rewarding.
Even more rewarding than meeting and greeting the guests is seeing the lucky Little Angels residents that get to attend the gala. I’ve gotten to know many of them through my volunteer work, and they always bring such joy to any new experience. Seeing their reactions to the space and the people at the gala reminds us all why we are there in the first place.