Patti had a deep love and appreciation for beauty in all its forms. She was very particular, but had impeccable taste. She liked things “just so”, and knew how to make a room “dreamy”. She had an incredible eye for aesthetics and a natural talent for antiquing, design, cooking, and gardening.

🌸 Flowers seemed to bloom wherever she went, and she rarely left a room without making it more beautiful than she found it.

She loved roller coasters, adventure, conversations that lasted until sunrise, a little mischief, and a lot of laughter.

I was 9 years old when Patti came into my life, and I thought she was magic. She made an impression on everyone she met and every room she entered, but as a little girl, the imprint she left on me became woven into who I am… probably in some perfectly chosen sparkly ribbon she would have picked out herself.

So I wanted to share some of the rules, rituals, and quiet lessons she passed on, the way she moved through the world:

🤏The devil is in the details. Small things make a big difference.

🙅🏻‍♀️The overhead light should only be used in an emergency.

There is only one proper way to fold a towel, and it is a trifold.

🍅Everything tastes better off the vine.

🪄 There is magic in preparing a meal with food and herbs you have grown yourself.

🙅🏻‍♀️Decorative towels are to be seen, not touched.

🙅🏻‍♀️The kitchen is not clean until the counters are wiped.

💜Grow lavender wherever you can.

✨ There is joy in setting a beautiful table.

🥂 The measure of a successful dinner is not the food, but how long people linger, talking and laughing together.

🙅🏻‍♀️Whoever cooks the meal does not have to clean up after it.

🍷Red wine in winter, white wine in summer.

💐 🕯️ Fresh flowers and a candle can make anything feel better.

💃Laugh, sing, and dance every chance you get.

😖Carnations are awful. 😍Peonies are everything.

💍 Accessorize.

👣Go barefoot. Get your feet dirty. Get a pedicure.

💧Moisturize.

😏Be a little mischievous.

🎉Make everything an adventure.

💅Less is more, so make the less more.

If you would like to honor Patti, adopt one of her rules.

Plant something for her this spring. Basil, chives, lavender, hollyhocks, and peonies were some of her favorites.

Set a beautiful table to have dinner at this week.

💃Slow dance to “Kissing a Fool” by George Michael. She loved this song, and if daddy wasn’t available to slow dance with her, I would. The words of that song are so fitting now.