Call in the experts....

Here's what I have learned this past month- USE your friends talents for your own benefit. I don't know why I haven't really done this before, but my month has gone so much better for letting my friends demonstrate their "expertise" in areas of my life.

First, when I was packing. My dear friend Catherine, who had moved several times, gave up two of her days to come to my house and help me pack. She showed me how to use towels and rags to cushion the china (not just tons and tons of expensive bubble wrap like I was using) and she labeled the boxes better than I was. For every one box I was packing on those days, she packed at least four. What a huge help!

Then when we got into the house and I had to arrange all this furniture I called in my friend Holly, who is also an expert home designer. She spent one of her entire moms-day-out days at my house and rearranged the formal living room (I thought the roll-top desk was too huge to go b/w the chairs- and she made me try it and now it's PERFECT!). She also did all those built-in-shelves around the fireplace that I would never have figured out how to fix. She knows how to arrange table tops well, and she made me hang things I thought only a man could hang because they were heavy.

Then today, I needed a swanky dress for an evening out- I call in my fashionista Shana. I picked out four dresses that we both liked and then she came running and out saying "this is it- BAM!". I didn't like that dress at all and didn't want to take it back to the dressing room, but she made me try it on and of course, it was the most flattering of all the dresses and is now in my closet. The moral of the story is- I've been too independent. If someone can help me- I should let them. We all have different gifts and we should share them. I've certainly learned my lesson, and if I can figure out any gifts I have- I will share with you too!