need a quick tune up?

Our new chocolate lab, Roxy, is a sweet, affectionate and pretty well-behaved, almost 2 year old pooch. We adopted her a few months ago and she's fitting right into our crazy lives. She's great with our daughters and LOVES to retrieve. The only thing she needs help with is walking well on her leash.

(Roxy playing on the beach)

For those of you who know dogs, you know that ideally a dog should not PULL you down the street, but walk right beside you (heel), keeping up with your pace. Well, Roxy, as cute and chocolate brown as she is, likes to pull. She weighs 55 pounds, so my arm take a beating on every walk.

There's a point to this story and it has to do with decorating...promise!

We spent a lot of time training our last dog. We took her to puppy and obedience classes and worked hard to teach her to mind her manners. I say this because I've been around the dog training block before and know the basics — commands, tools, how to be the boss, repetition, positive reinforcement....you get the idea. So, when Roxy needed some training I thought I could take it on myself. I've been working on it, but finally decided I needed the assistance of a pro.

So we have an appointment with our favorite dog trainer next week and I'm hoping a one hour session will get both me and Roxy on track to better leash walking. I plan on taking her tips and tricks and implementing them myself over the next few months, without needing much more outside help.

WHY am I telling you this? It's not just because I like to talk about my dog, but it's to let you know that the same idea can apply to decorating services (not that I'm comparing dog training to decorating...I assure you that none of my clients are furry). Sometimes you just want the eye of a pro for an hour or two. You need a plan, another set of eyes, some advice with furniture choices, custom window treatments, colors or lighting.

It's a common misconception that designers only work on complete rooms with huge budgets and nothing less. I, and many other designers, offer consultations to get you started, keep you moving or help you complete a room. You don't need to hire a designer to do it all (but we wouldn't mind that either!) so the next time you wish you could have a designer's eye in your room for an hour or so, pick up the phone and ask if consultations are offered.

I'm happy to take your calls — to chat about Roxy or decorating!

Happy decorating.