Life as it was.

Well, almost.

It's been eight months since I finished a year-long treatment for leukemia. Over the past several months, I've finally been able to resume "normal" living...going to restaurants, weddings and other events, and shopping at stores without a mask.  After four years of living like a recluse, life as I knew it is a wonderful thing.

But it's not perfect.  There's an anxiety that goes along with reentering the world, along with a self-imposed pressure to fully catch up on all that I've missed. 

I just finished reading Between Two Kingdoms, the autobiography of Suleika Jaouad, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia at age 22, and has since gone through two bone marrow transplants. She talks about the trauma of cancer, the isolation associated with being immunocompromised, life's uncertainties, survivorship, and most importantly, living life to its fullest.

I can relate to her experiences and feelings, as well as the fear of living with a serious illness. But one remark stood out to me.

She talks about living like it's your last day on earth and how this approach can actually be stressful given the pressure to "do it all" and to jam-pack every day. Instead, she suggests living like each day is  your first...live with wonder, fun, curiosity, discovery, and playtime. 

Since my cancer diagnosis and reentry into normal life, I've felt the need to do everything that I've missed over the past four years. There's been internal pressure to overload my schedule and it's been a bit exhausting! 

Living each day as if it's my first, changes the landscape. Instead of causing stress, it opens me up to experiencing life with a newfound joy.  Not a bad way to live!

It also challenges me to experience gratitude, and to find happiness in the small every-day moments that make life meaningful and full. 

However, living this way is also about embracing life's uncertainties and the unknown by becoming resilient and adaptable. After all, none of us know what tomorrow, or for that matter, the next second will bring.  When we spend the precious time we have on this earth worrying about what "could" happen, we lose the here and now.  

Life is a gift and when we treat it as such, we experience the world in a whole new way. And I have to say, it feels pretty darn good! 

If you haven't read Between Two Kingdoms, I highly recommend it. It's one of the best (if not "the" best) books I've ever read. I'm grateful to Suleika for the reminder to get of overdrive mode so I don't miss one glorious day of living.  Find her book here. 

One last thing and a topic for another blog. Cancer has also taught me to rid my life of toxic people. 

More to come. 

Thanks for stopping by.

xx Susan

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter so you don't miss new blogs. The sign up is at the right side of the page on a PC or at the very bottom of the page on your phone. 

I want to share a special love story. My love story.

I married the first-time-around at a young age. I was just out of college, I'd been through a lot of trauma in my life, and I was looking for stability, love, and security. But I ended up with the opposite.  No blame, but my ex and I were not a good match. The marriage was volatile, and although I tried to be the perfect wife, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of him, I was unfulfilled and miserable. Two wonderful children came along and I was even more determined to make it work.

But it didn't. It couldn't. 

After many futile therapy sessions, I called it quits and things got nasty quickly.  I was forced to move out of our house (bad legal advice) and I bought a tiny condo nearby so my kids could stay in the same school system. Life was upside down and I was a stressed out wreck trying to balance single parenting, emotionally distraught kids (who had been through a bit too much havoc), a move with no help, and working at a  job that I desperately needed to pay the bills. After two grueling years of battling it out in court, we were finally divorced.

Enter Richard. We had known each other from our past professional lives, and one day we serendipitously met at the movies. Soft-spoken, sweet, kind, and yep cute, he was someone I wanted to get to know better. He was also going through a tough divorce (are there any easy ones?), so we could relate to the struggles. We exchanged phone numbers and agreed that we wanted to get together.

Our first "date" was at the Concord Inn in Concord, MA. I got there first and was NERVOUS! I hadn't dated in  years, although our former pool repair guy had asked me out and I politely declined. I clearly remember Richard walking into the restaurant wearing a trench-coat that was a few sizes too big (I notice these things!) but with a huge smile on his face. His eyes were kind, and although my knees were shaking under the table, his calm demeanor put me at ease. We chatted about everything including life, kids, work, and yes bad marriages. We were like two old friends...familiar, soft and warm. 

But then when the bill came, I waited for him to pick it up. When he didn't, I asked if we should split it, and said yes. Hmmmm! To this day we joke about it.

Two kids!

Wedding day! I wore a pink silk Ann Taylor dress, on sale of course!

However, as we celebrate 20 years of marriage (a milestone for two seniors), Richard encouraged me to choose a new ring.  I had actually been wearing a cubic zirconia because my Macy's ring had fallen apart over the years (you get what you pay for!), so I was ready for an upgrade. There was no question as to who we would buy the ring from... Erdem!

AND twenty years later, he remembered us! 

Meet Erdem!

So where to start when choosing a ring? If you know my style, it's fairly understated. Erdem showed me numerous rings, and although they were all gorgeous, I was drawn to a modern and simple design.

By the way, Erdem is a MASTER jeweler who is incredibly talented, creative, and also a super fun and wonderful person. Learn more about him here.  He's not a jeweler who sits behind a desk...he gets his hands dirty creating masterful pieces at his workbench.

Together we narrowed down the choices and I ended up with these two. My wedding band is on the bottom.

Can you guess the one I chose?

After several visits to see Erdem, I finally made my choice.  I decided on a three (yes THREE) carat lab- made diamond solitaire in a modern simple white gold setting. Did I say that my taste was understated? Oops! Once I made my choice, Erdem created a 3D model of the ring so I could see how it looked on my finger. It was SO helpful to get a visual! We both agreed that the band needed to be just a little thicker to balance the size of the diamond. 

And finally the process was over! Richard and I picked up the ring at Virtue Jewelers and Erdem, being the jokester that he is, came out with the 3-D plastic model first!  Very funny!

OK, enough with the joke...bring on the real ring! Of course Richard and I had to stage a repeat proposal too. His first proposal deserves a blog of it's own....it's quite the story!

I almost joked around and said "sorry I'm already married."

We are celebrating our anniversary today with an overnight at The Wentworth by the Sea in gorgeous Portsmouth, NH (one of our favorite places) and dinner at their amazing restaurant Salt Kitchen + Bar. Low-key but just perfect. 

To Richard. 

We've been married for 20 years, yet I've loved you for a lifetime. You bring so much joy, love, and happiness to my life and I cherish every second spent with you. You're the best (said with a punch on the arm....inside joke). I'll love you forever. 

Erdem's tips for choosing a diamond ring 

• Know the shape of your favorite diamond
• Choose a stone size you comfortable with 
• A 3-D model is very helpful to see what the ring will look like on your finger.
• Before you start to seriously look, get some information on the price of diamonds so you can have an idea of the quality, type, and size that works within your budget.
• Find a jeweler that you can trust and feel comfortable working with (of course I choose Erdem!),
• As far as lab-made versus natural diamonds, the only difference is where they come from. One is made in a laboratory and the other is from earth. Other than the price, they are chemically and physically (down to atoms!) identical. BUT natural diamonds cost a lot more because the mining takes intensive labor.  Plus, mined diamonds are formed in the earth over thousands of years where it takes just 2-3 months to create a lab diamond.  I always tell people when they’re picking a diamond that they need to ask their significant other if he/she prefers lab or natural. 

 "My philosophy is when choosing a diamond is always go with little bigger than you’re comfortable with. That's generally the perfect size!" Erdem 

My latest obsession (of many!) is gauze. It's lightweight, breathable, comfortable, doesn't wrinkle like linen, and has a beautiful texture. In my opinion, it's the perfect fabric for the warm weather, as well as for travel! 

I recently scored at the Gap and found so many gorgeous gauze pieces at amazing prices.  Everything can easily be dressed up or down with jewelry, shoes, and accessories,  so you'll get your money's worth! Plus gauze clothing also transitions beautifully to the pool or beach. Many of these pieces can double duty as a cover-up! 

Here are my picks for gauze pieces to add to your wardrobe this season. Ready, set gauze!

Flowy gauze pants

I purchased these in blue and black because they're THAT fabulous! I love the wide leg, they're not too long (so heels not required for someone 5"6'' like me), you can't see through, and the fabric is soft and comfy. They come in other colors too.

I also bought these in blue. I love the color because it resembles denim.

Gauze top

I suggest getting a matching top for the pants to make a set that resembles a jumpsuit, but you can also break up the pieces to wear them separately.  I love a gauze top with jeans too! 

Here are some styles that I like.  Here, Here, and Here (love the feminine details on this one).

Gauze dress

You need this dress! It's so comfortable and you can wear it with sneakers or sandals. Try switching up the belt for different looks too. I bought it in black and green because I couldn't choose!  Shop here. 

Gap makes shopping easy because shipping is free over $50 and returns are free as well.  It's no risk plus their sales are amazing! Take a peek!

Thanks for stopping by!

xx Susan

Some of the links in this post may generate a small commission. 

Please know that I only post what I love.

I can't complain. Winter wasn't too bad this year. We only had a few snowstorms and the temperatures were tolerable. But still, I am sick of boots and winter coats! Bring on the sunshine and sandals please!

If you follow me on social media, you'll know that I was supposed to take a trip to Charleston, SC last week with another couple. But life being life, it didn't end up well. We drove and got as far as Richmond, VA when our friend started with a 103.7 fever (yikes!). Because we were all highly exposed, we decided to turn around and come home the next day. The good news is that we took out trip insurance (highly recommend!), but the bad news is that we didn't get the vacation that we had planned and looked forward to for months. Plus, this would have been my first big trip in four years. I was planning on celebrating the end of chemo in a BIG way. 

In preparation for the trip, of course I did some spring clothes shopping. Although I won't be wearing these pieces in Charleston, I now have some fabulous outfits for the warmer weather that will also work well for future trips.

I tried to choose pieces that were lightweight, would mix and match, go from day to night, and didn't wrinkle. I'm typically an over-packer, so my goal was to ONLY take what I needed. Needless to say, it was an epic fail because at the last minute I started throwing more clothes and shoes in my suitcase. Next time I'll do better....maybe. 😉

And these two amazing Clara Sunwoo pieces. The jumpsuit above is SOOOO comfy as is the cocoon dress below. As with all Clara Sunwoo pieces, do not size up as they're roomy!

Code fashionista for 10% off site-wide at Clara Sunwoo.

I hope that we can reschedule our Charleston trip soon. After all, I have the outfits all set!

Are you traveling anytime soon?

Hope you'll follow me on Instagram and Facebook and sign up to receive my newsletter and blog (don't worry, I won't bombard you!).

Thanks for stopping by.

xx Susan

Almost six years ago we moved into our new home after numerous construction issues. I had recently been diagnosed with leukemia, Uncommon Threads was a baby, and then the pandemic hit. Yep, it was a lot.  I had every intention of decorating the house and although I made some progress, most of the rooms are still unfinished. 

Now that my cancer treatment has ended and I have more energy, I decided to tackle decorating, starting with the master bedroom. 

When we moved in, my brother and his wife passed their gorgeous bed to us. I love the neutral silk headboard that makes a subtle statement. Our bureau and nightstands were a Crate and Barrel purchase and although we planned on buying a rug, bedding, and accent pieces, we've been at a standstill for years.

However, this past fall I decided that it was time to take action and pick up where I left off so I enlisted the help of Space Joy, an online interior design business, to give me some ideas and inspiration.  I worked with Heather, one of their designers, and went through several renditions until we got closer to what grabbed me. I'm still not done with the room (although my Space Joy sessions have ended), but I'm making progress for sure.  I loved that Space Joy provided me with visuals to work off of and links to items to purchase directly.  The price for their services is very reasonable and I loved being able to see the room with different furnishings and configurations.  I got lots of ideas from Heather and her team, which allowed me to finish up on my own (although it's still a work in progress).

Here are photo of my bedroom "before". Yep it's boring.

Here are the Quince rugs I purchased and LOVE! They're incredibly soft, easy to care for, and don't show stains like the white. Stepping on them first thing in the morning is the best!

Heather and I chose a gorgeous blue velvet bench from Mitchel Gold for the long wall to the right of the bed. But just my luck, as soon as I was ready to purchase it they went out of business! So I found this similar bench at Interior Define for HALF the price of Mitchel Gold! The fabric is cobalt velvet and I paired with with silver legs. Find the bench here.  It took several months for this piece to come in, but it was worth it. The quality is fabulous and it looks gorgeous in the room.  Now I need a large piece of colorful artwork to put above it!

My super soft oversized throw blank is from Elizabeth Cotton. I love this woman-owned line. She makes the best luxury pjs too! Find the blanket here. 

My last purchase (I'm SLOW!) was this artificial tree (just $150 including the pot!).  Shop it here. 

As you can see, I still have lots more decorating to do. My goal is to finish the wall opposite of the blue bench as it's pretty bare. I'm thinking of getting a large leaning mirror and perhaps a chair.  And of course artwork is a must!