Skylines and Board Rooms = Welcoming Fall and the Need for Creativity!

I used to travel so much for my job and over the years I have reported to 6 different Sr. VP's who each have their own way of budget planning....suffice to say I have seen the *best* and the *worst*. Just last week I headed to Chicago for a full week of 2011 budget planning. It was being in a reality show - can't go any further than that - but it was like no other. The days were LLLLLOOOONNNNGGGGGG. Every day at 7:00 when we would start the last thing I would see as I entered the windowless Board Room was the spectacular Chicago Skyline. I have had to go to Chicago for years for what seems like every job I have ever had.....when I worked for CBS for the talk shows like Donahue (ok, I am really dating myself) for all the other jobs I have had in health care, too numerous to list. I LOVE Chicago - from the Museum of Science and Industry to State Street (that Great Street) to Michigan Avenue to Sears Tower to the suburbs of Naperville and Downers Grove. My absolute fave of everything was once being in what used to be Marshall Fields (now Macy's) at the Walnut Room having lunch, near the window about Christmas time and the giant tree was decorated and I was eating Butternut Squash Soup and looking out the window with the snow falling ever so gently on the shoppers below, all dressed in their minks and hats - so fashionable. I just loved that moment. The tree in the Walnut Room looked like the picture above.....ahhhhhh

But this trip all I could do was watch the skyline every a.m. coming to live at 7:00 and then go to the windowless board room for 12 - 14 hours and then come out and see the skyline all lit up as I headed back braindead to the hotel to order room service. I could hear State Street calling my name....the Tiffany window on the 5th floor wanted to see me - the shops of Michigan Avenue! But alas....no chance this trip.

I was absolutely exhausted going over numbers and technical strategies and all the political part of corporate America that goes with that......so when I finally got home Friday night and got some rest into Saturday I had to let the creative juices flow.

I had bought some candelabras at the thrift stores - one silver (2.95) and one brass (3.95) I also got a bag of beads for 1.00. With an investment of 1 can of black shiny spray paint ($1.09) I turned them into some Witchy looking Halloween Scary Candelabra's! I need to find some candles but I think they turned out really nice.

Then I moved to my table runner project - and finished them up - I think they turned out pretty cute!

And finally - I pulled out my fall table decorations and did the dining room up all fall like.

So the left side of the brain got some goin on and the right side of the brain got some goin on and like everything else in my life....bittersweet.

Happy Fall!