A year ago today the saddest event of my life took place. My 8 year old Australian shepherd, Cody, succumbed to lymphoma, just a month after his diagnosis and after one round of chemo. His weight had dropped down from 40lbs to 25lbs in just a few months. He went from a happy, lively deer and chicken chaser to unable to walk in just a few months. It was a terrible thing to watch this terrible disease defeat this poor innocent little boy, and we couldn’t explain to him why he had to go to the vet so often and why he had to take so much medicine that just made him feel worse. It didn’t take Cody long to find out that the cancer medicine made him even more nauseous and tired, so he refused to take it.
Cody was ambitious when he chose his stick for playing fetch
Checking on his chickens
A couple of weeks after his death I joined up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and ran a marathon in order to raise over $5,000 for cancer research. Many of you reached out with encouraging words and donations and I cannot possibly express my gratitude.
Cody loved vacationing at the Outer Banks with us. He made them the most fun vacations ever.
This year I’ve donated and asked my family in lieu of gifts for me to instead make donations in Cody’s memory to the Morris Animal Foundation Canine Cancer Campaign. I also want to remind everyone to stop and be grateful for the family, friends, and pets that make their life what it is, and the past friends, family, and pets who may no longer be around in body but whose memory comforts us in tough times. Reconnecting with family and friends is what the holidays are all about.
What I love about Christmas is that my parents and all of my sisters and I are all together again in the same house, just like we were as kids. The yummy baked goods my mom makes are great too, but it’s my family that I couldn’t live without. Wow, I’ve really rambled on here! I guess I’ll just end by saying that maybe today, in memory of Cody and all the loved ones we’ve lost, to remember how important friends, family, and pets are – not new clothes or shoes or electronic gadgets – but the people and animals who love you. Because I cannot remember the material gifts I received 9 years ago, but boy do I remember the day we brought baby Cody home and he joined our family.
I truly wish you all a very, very happy holiday.
The day we brought him home.
This gorgeous clutch is only $12! From 
unreal
I could totally call this cottage my own 🙂
My mother would love this room!
Here’s a really nice example with the gray walls, and I think that a brass bed would work, as long as you kept your bedding free of frills and lace or flowers. Maybe a solid or stripes. Instead of the starburst mirror in this room, try a fish eye, or convex mirror for a nautical touch.
An ornate bed works in this very Scandinavian bedroom because the colors are primarily neutrals and other elements, such as lighting and artwork, is modern.
Here’s another bedroom which features pale walls, and I think that with all the modern elements in the room – like the bedding and artwork, that a brass bed would still feel chic.
This bedroom is minimal, but still cozy, and I think that just a couple of nautical touches and a brass bed (keep the bedding crisp and simple) would work. Keep a couple of organic touches around too – like the branch ladder featured in the corner of this bedroom.
This bedroom is already very nautical, and I think that if you kept the bedding similar, and got rid of a few of the overly “campy” objects (the flag, the wooden fish,etc.) in this room, that a brass bed could work.
If you don’t mind a slightly more feminine look, as long as it’s not frilly a more modern floral could work. Switch the green stripes in the rug for blue, maybe some nautical-themed art, different curtains, and you could have the look you’re going for.
The above two images are from Ikea, which usually has a Scandinavian look, and you can see references to nautical in the later image, which I think would be fitting for a brass bed.
I think the carafe is not quite so red as this in reality. Based on stock availability there is a chance the winner may receive a different color. Here’s more info on the 
I’d pick the dark wood version.
I really like the tall, thin cupboard in the back
*love* this bedroom
I’m all about mixing and matching chairs
I’ve had my eyes on these nesting mixing bowls for awhile!
A ceramic notepad
They also have these in white! Soooo cute and kids would love them
Adorable pot holders!
This piece of notebook paper is actually a tea towel
This is to scale, it’s a teacup stool!
Nolita
Central Park South, Midtown
Upper West Side
The three images above are from a condo for sale in Williamsburg, a very popular neighborhood in Brooklyn. I lived there for two years but my apartment was a far cry from this beauty.