When I was little, stuffed animals were huge for Christmas gifts. Do you remember yours? For those of us lucky enough to have formed good relationships with stuffed animals, it sometimes became an occasion for strife. For example. Somebody cut the whiskers off my brother Joe’s black panther. Although I regrettably gave my beagle puppet a really short haircut (thinking it would grow?) I did not trim Joe’s black cat’s whiskers. Years later, I remember an old fur coat my sister gave me that she’d gotten from an elderly relative. It was divine. Warm and fuzzy. And real. We don’t do much real fur anymore but I still miss the silky, soft fur.

I created Paola Pillows from 100% cotton sateen for three reasons. Cotton sateen does a great job showing off a luscious photo. Cotton is washable or dry cleanable. AND. The pillows feel great to the hand or cheek- especially knowing you can keep them clean without chemicals. When you add soft feather down inserts, they’re comfortable inside and out.

New synthetic furs and fabrics have come a long way. Still, consideration needs to be given as to how synthetics are made -especially if you’re raising young children. I like to link readers to this site, which is a goldmine of information on the textile industry: Two sisters on a mission-O Ecotextiles.

Textured fabrics have exploded in the home décor industry. What’s up with that? Texture can be really important in lending comfort to a home. Mostly with regards to how it makes us feel. Is it subliminally transporting us back to childhood and soft teddy bears? Here’s a post about adding texture to your home, something you might be considering as the cold blows in.

Snow is incoming in the hills of Connecticut. Stay warm! You can buy Paola Pillows here.

The Last Waltz. A great song and a great live performance by The Band. I love the Staple Singers in this version. The Staple singers grew up on gospel. Patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples, moved his four children from Mississippi to Chicago, at first earning a living in steel mills and the meatpacking industry. The family came to prominence performing in church. Can you imagine that today? Listen for Mavis Staples-she’s the first female voice you hear, and what a voice. Bob Dylan thought so too. There as actually a rumor they were romantically linked. Her dad was close to Martin Luther King, Jr.; she too, became a well-known civil rights advocate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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