Vision

My friend Kim invited my family over recently for some apple cider and pumpkin bread. I was looking forward to seeing her house, knowing she had bought a fixer-upper last year and had no doubt used her considerable decorating talents to make it beautiful.

I was not disappointed. Her house is darling and her flair for repurposing and adding just the right finishing touches were impressive. Yes, I was ready to move in!

When we got to her bathroom, though, she told me it would not feel complete until she found a certain shower curtain. She then showed me her "vision book" which was filled with pictures of everything from throw pillows to window coverings. Kim is on a mission to find a striped curtain in blues and browns that will tie the bathroom's decor together. Once I saw the photograph, I immediately understood her vision.

Collecting photos of items we like or even scraps of materials or things from nature helps us to discover and define our tastes, inspires us, and makes us more discriminating shoppers. A folder containing pictures of kitchens I like keeps me from wandering like a zombie down every aisle in Home Depot. My "Clothing I Love" notebook reminds me what styles I like best, what suits me, and what I am looking for. And the bulletin board in my office reminds me why I started Wardrobe Wisdom and what I want to do with my business.