The Inspiration

The inspiration for this blog can be credited to two blonds and the meeting of two of the most powerful and successful women of our present day. I prefer to begin with the lesser known "blonds."

The first blond entered my life a decade ago at Boston College. I frequently refer to her as the platinum version of myself. Both of us vertically challenged, yet one blue-eyed, fair skinned with golden long locks and the other brown-eyed, year-round tanned with raven long locks. (Clearly, myself falling on the darker spectrum of the pair.) Dana Ruth and I began a friendship at the age of 18 that has grown into a lasting sisterhood.

Both of our mothers are truly exceptional at being...well, MOTHERS. We often had late night talks about how our mother were the 'Steel Magnolias' and the glue of our families. We only hoped to one day be at least half as good as our Mothers are at keeping a house, running a family and making a home. Home in the sense of the warmth we felt in our hearts every time we were in our parent's house. Home in the way that Dorothy belts about it at the end of The Wiz.

Fast forward to 2009, I went on my annual trip to visit Dana Ruth on the West Coast to stay at her HOME. And snuggled on the couch, with Dana burrowing her feet under me, I saw this HUGE book, Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home. And I thought, of course Dana would not only own this book, keep it on display but also utilize the lessons within it's covers. I made a mental note to purchase this book. (As with many of my mental Post-Its...it disappeared and I never purchased this housekeeping bible.)

A year later I find myself glued to Oprah's Farewell Season and in early October 2010 Oprah had Martha Stewart as a guest. It was a show filled with ex-con tension, Oprah's craft clueless-ness and in full voice "HOW TO FOLD A FITTED SHEET!!!' I thought again to Dana's book on her bookshelf and casually mentioned this to Karli Elaine. Karli Elaine being blond number two.

Karli Elaine and I met at work when I hired her because she answered the same interview question I had received a year prior with the same answer. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? We both said 'The Way We Were.' Side note, I still think there is nothing sexier than the image of Robert Redford in the cream turtleneck in the second scene of that movie!

Back to Karli Elaine...Karli just came to visit the Big Apple this past weekend. In the midst of her over packed luggage and numerous amenities...tucked into a J.Crew Bag with a satin bow was my birthday present, my very own copy of Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide for Caring for Everything in Your Home! I quickly posted a photo onto Facebook and within seconds Dana Ruth posted a comment, "Um, this my favorite book of all time. The tips for stain removal are amazing!" And in that moment I knew I could write a blog taking on a lesson a blog from the hundred of pages within this 5lb book.

Many thanks to Ms. Winfrey, Ms, Stewart, Ms. Brea, and Ms. Haglund! Ms. Mingucci is onto Lesson One....