. A blogumn by Debra Barlow It’s December, folks, and that can mean only one thing: the holiday season has begun!  My husband and I were in Napa for Thanksgiving and sure enough, by Friday night all the little towns had their holiday lights up.  I felt so festive driving around.  But after the grueling [...]

. A blogumn by Debra Barlow I love Thanksgiving.  Unlike a lot of families, this holiday was always fairly stress free in our house.  It existed more as a trial run for the Christmas feast that loomed large on the horizon.  It was always the same exact meal for both holidays, so I think it [...]

. A blogumn by Debra Barlow Something about the prolonged Los Angeles summer this year has me feeling in a not very nesty mood lately.  My house is actually quite disgusting, if I’m being honest.  Sunday, I spent most of my morning weeding through three weeks of newspapers that had accumulated by my front door.  [...]

. A blogumn by Debra Barlow Like any good nester, I am also a planner.  I grew up in a military household and I thrive on order.  I like to know where I am and where I will be within a certain time frame.  I do not do well with spontaneity and uncertainty.  So this [...]

. A blogumn by Debra Barlow Last weekend, my husband and I attended a wedding in Solvang, CA in the Santa Ynez valley.  It’s beautiful this time of year and the cool, crisp autumn air was a nice break from still-stifling Los Angeles.  Solvang is a cute little town settled by Danish immigrants almost a [...]

. A blogumn by Debra Barlow Growing up, my mother was obsessed with cleanliness.  Not in a germophobic sort of way. She just wanted her house to sparkle like a Mr. Clean ad. And it did. I distinctly remember her cleaning the house every single day, only taking a break on weekends.  And I also [...]

. A blogumn by Debra Barlow My Kitchen Obsession I don’t know when it happened.  Maybe it was the day the dial switched from 29 to 30 or maybe it was the moment when my dear husband slipped that band on my finger.  But I suspect it’s been longer than that.  Really, I suspect it’s [...]

A blogumn by Debra Barlow Notes from a Nest Two weeks ago I co-hosted a bridal shower for a dear friend.  The matron of honor organized the guest list, the food and decorations.  I offered my home. So maybe co-host is too strong a word, but I did help! And, as before any party, my [...]