Oh! What a Beautiful Easter!

Nothing welcomes spring like the freshness and colors of Easter. Here is our own welcoming committee at Sonata!


(Sorry, girl bunny has sold.)

Chicks and ducks and geese (and bunnies) better hurry...



...when I take you out in my surrey!



Come on, everyone! Sing along!



Oh! What a Beautiful Morning!



Oh! What a Beautiful Day!



I got a beautiful feeling, everything's goin' my way!



Lyrics from Oklahoma! Liberties taken by Sonata!

Artful Accessories

Artful living means artful dressing! Here are some of the new spring accessories just arriving Sonata!


Artwork plus accessories equals artful living!


One of the new hot colors for spring!



Perfect for spring into summer!



Bold faces in bold colors!


>
Fresh flowers!






I never get tired of this pattern. I loved it with a shot of spring green!



This long necklace has a fantastic assymetrical chain. Looks great with a scarf or layered with other jewelry.


Statement piece!


I can't wait to carry this bag this summer! Comes in many colors...





This color is sold out.


Bling for Spring!

Shades of Blue

For years, my favorite color has been red. Cherry red, fire engine red, husker red, and on and on. While I still LOVE a shot of red in a room, I have found that all shades of blue now capture my heart. Whether painted on a wall or brightening a beautiful Nebraska sky, blue is my new love! (Big bonus when I can pop some red into
a blue room!)

This room featured in a 2008 issue of Domino is the inspiration for a guest room at home. (in progress!)



I'm trying to capture this sky for the walls of my bedroom!



Botanical with a blue twist


Turquoise! We have used these beautiful vases at Sonata to arrange flowers or display jewelery. However, it is gorgeous enough to stand on its own!


A navy kitchen! Bold, beautiful, and blue! Also love the mirror on the wall!



One of my favorite accessories! Ceramic garden stools are perfect for use as a table or seating. This blue beauty serves as an occasional table in my office. As soon as spring hits, it will go outside by our porch swing. These have been very popular at Sonata. Only one left!



My office at home: Blue walls, black damask, and tiny shots of red. Working heaven!


Sometimes a blue accent is all you need. Love this blue cabinet in the bathroom! Perfect with the pale walls and dramatic artwork!

Table Inspirations

Sonata is excited to be a participating designer. Get your tickets now!

Quote for the day

Ritual

For years, I have followed a routine each morning:
-make the coffee
-let the dog out
-read the newspaper
-check my email (while eating breakfast)
-get ready for the day
-hustle the girls along
-drive to school/work and start the day

Even as I list my routine, it appears quite mundane and generic. Doesn't everyone perform some version of this every morning? Perhaps. Yet, strangely enough, my routine is quite comforting to me. There is a inner calm and intrinsic reward that comes from the process of "home". My husband would probably call it my penchant for romanticizing. I prefer to call it attitude and perspective. So here is my refined list...

-grind the beans for my favorite coffee that wakes my senses and never fails
to remind me of my father.



-let my dog, Charlie, out. The best part of this is letting him back in and
giving him a good rub behind the ears. A dog's love know no bounds!



-read the newspaper. I have not yet converted to reading news online. Perhaps,
like my resistance to e-readers, I love the rustle of paper in my hand, the
smell of the Seda France candle I have just lighted (Japanese Quince!), the
coffee waking me up, and Charlie now nestled into my side.


-check my email(while eating breakfast). Not much ambiance here except that I can also check and update the Sonata Facebook page at the same time.So fun to keep you updated on the latest happenings at Sonata!




-get ready for the day. Because I am an early riser, I still have the bathroom
and closet to myself. After my shower, coffee in tow, I proceed to blow dry
my hair while adeptly turning the pages of my latest shelter magazine.
(a talent, I know!)


-hustle the girls along. My twin daughters are NOT early risers! Usually, they
are running down the stairs at the last minute before I take them to school.
Perhaps it is their last minute flurry and my coffee-induced alertness
that keeps us rockin' and rollin'!



-as we head to school, I treasure the car time with the girls. Outwardly, we
go over the day's carpooling and schedule of activities for the day. Inwardly,
I am thinking how they will soon be driving themselves!




Romanticized? Perhaps. But which list do you prefer?

Girls Night Out

What is it about a night out with girls? Is it our way of escaping the rigors of the day? Do we need to recapture our connection with our "girly" side? Is it our opportunity to meet up with friends that we haven't seen in a while. Of course, it is all three! If one of these reasons sounds like you right now, then gather some friends and head to Sonata on Thursday night (Feb. 17)! From 5:00-8:00 p.m., there will be evening specials, door prizes, fun music, new merchandise, food, wine....Wow! I can't wait!

While I love to putter in the kitchen when I have lots of time, that is not the case this week. So, I decided to roam the aisles of Trader Joes and stock up on fun food and Three Buck Chuck for the evening! I love easy! (and Trader Joes!)

Whether by yourself or with friends, family, or co-workers, you are invited to a casual evening of hanging with the girls doing what I know we all love to do. Talk, eat, and shop! See you there!