Flying over the Alps. Home to Venice from Paris. Looking down on snow covered peeks pushing through clouds. Realizing how lucky I am. This is my life. 23 years later after moving to Europe, I still have those #pinchme moments. I’ve been traveling too much lately. I’m tired. I’m ready to be home. Snuggling on my couch under a blanket with my cats & a pile of books. Candles lit. Alexa caroling with Nat King Cole. My tree twinkling with fairy lights. When I arrive home I pull the ornaments out of storage. The last few years I kept buying new ornaments, not wanting to walk the memory lane of Christmas past.

I find myself missing mom. I made a brave decision to stay home in Venice this Christmas rather than traveling to see family in Oklahoma. Brave because I will wake alone on Christmas morning. Friends invited me. Hannover. Paris. I’ve never spent Christmas alone before. I’ve avoided it. Always filling my life with people & places. I let myself accept the reality that I’m one of the people the holidays are hard for. I don’t think of myself as THAT person. I’m always surrounded by people I love. People who love me. I have a vibrant active life. Every day is like a holiday. But being single. Being childless. Living on the other side of the world from my family. I feel an aloneness during the holiday. In the beginning - after my divorce - being alone felt like loneliness. It’s not anymore. It’s safe to be alone. I find peace in the quiet. And in this moment, I crave a quiet holiday. A silent night. Not an endless trill of company. Normally if I have chosen to stay home for the holidays it’s full of guests & clinking glasses & laughter Or I jet somewhere exotic & wake up in Bangkok eating pad Thai for breakfast on Christmas morn.

But this year I need silence. I listen to my body. I’ve learned to give myself what I need. Oh silent night. I need to spend time with myself. In quietude. Rest & recovery & preparation perhaps. I take the box of ornaments from storage & opening it- the 1st thing I see is mom’s hand writing. A bag of ornaments I forgot she’d given me last time I saw her.  They are ceramic. Handmade. We made them Christmas 1980. I hang one on the tree.

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Custom, private 1:1 training sessions ideal for new – and nearly new – antiques specialists who want to fast-track your profitability as an antique dealer.

Our vision is to equip antique dealers with the tools and resources they need to sell antiques and become thought leaders shaping the future of antiques. Our team of experts provide a laser-focused program on how to build an antiques business to complement your knowledge of decorative arts. Successful decorative arts or appraisal programs focus on the study of antiques, their origin and their worth; we teach you the Business of Antiques.

Our program is individually tailored to meet your needs wherever you are in the process of becoming an antiques dealer.  If you’re just embarking on the journey of starting a new business we can help you from concept to launch. If you’re an established successful dealer who knows you are missing sales - or want to tap into a new market - we work with you to evaluate your current business and identify areas for growth opportunities and create a targeted, actionable plan.

Our sessions are one-on-one and are highly collaborative conversations that allow us to dive deep into what works specifically for you and your business. 

​The Antiques Diva Training Program for Antique Dealers brings you the information you need on your schedule, right in your home.

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