I’ve heard designers say a bazillion times: The best home interiors reflect those who live there.

Parties, like the one DC and I hosted last week, have many upsides: You meet interesting people. You help a cause.

“Well, if you had you would know the word ‘just’ and ‘drapes’ do not belong in the same sentence.”

Suddenly, all those projects we planned to get to someday took on the urgency of a kitchen fire.

“You have no idea what a big day this is for you.” I am talking to Peapod and Pippin, my dogs, breaking the big news.

“Usually about 50 to 60 people attend,” the text continues. “The next one is a month away.” She sounds serious.

But I know my limits. I can make a home look good, but a talented designer can take a home from good to great.

When DC and I first discussed what we wanted in a new house, high on the list was the kind of kitchen where folks could sit at a counter on

Many of us would rather poke needles in our eye or eat rats’ tales than go through our stuff, much less our parents’ leftovers.

When I first noticed the barrage of hand-painted blue-and-white pottery – ginger jars, vases, ceramic stools --