I’ve spent the last few days flat out, putting together advertising and artwork and, and, and, together for a big trip south in a few short weeks. If you find yourself in North Carolina, look us up at the Suites At Market Square, Booth 1-640. But if you don’t hurry, there won’t be any hotel rooms left in NC. The world is coming to High Point. High Point Market is exclusively wholesale. Buyers come from all over the country to choose new items for their stores. Will they choose Paola this year????

And then, there’s the booth. Imagine a room totally empty. No, not even color on the walls. At least the photo up top was painted by the time we moved in. If I don’t move quickly, people will be looking at three very large white walls. I decided to create a wall of color with the fabric we use on the pillows. Like this. Then, there’s everything else.

One wall will be top to bottom green, also known as Palma, a lovely green pillow in our line. I took its pattern and replicated it to fit the wall for a display background. (Wish me luck..) The files were so ginormous, I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to bite the bullet and update my Adobe software, something I’ve cleverly avoided. No, it’s not clever. I got very ticked off when Adobe decided to discontinue product purchase in favor of leasing software. I get why they’re all doing it, I’m just not feeling the love. How does the consumer win?

A little bird told me that this week is going to get to 70 degrees here in Connecticut. Which means without looking, the skunk cabbage is half up in the marshy side yard, and the bulbs by the road are poking their heads out of the semi-frozen ground.

So often our experience with nature is about what we’re going to do with it, at very least, how it makes you feel when you sniff the fresh air after wintertime. From time to time I like to post things my very talented niece Rebecca supplies from Brooklyn. In this case, as you anticipate the approaching warm weather, consider how the plants feel. Here’s an article by Michael Pollan called The intelligent Plant. It might give you a slightly different perspective next time you march across the lawn.

I really like listening to Alison Krauss’s voice in this duet with Vince Gill. Tryin’ To Get Over You. Something about country music. The stories that can sound so familiar.

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