For a very long time, I held a girlfriends' brunch shortly after New Year's.  I'd cook up something delicious, often my crowd pleasing Tahitian crabmeat soup, and I would ask my friends a series of questions.   Name three things you were proud of in the last year. Name three goals for the new year. And then my very favorite question of all:  If nobody would laugh and money were no object, what would you do?

 I began writing this blog with a post about two extraordinary women: Danielle LaPorte and Carrie McCarthy and their company, which produces Style Statements: personal branding sessions that can help you guide your work, your play, your wardrobe and how you style your home. 

 Their book Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design is finally out and I am so excited, I could just about bust.  I'm giving it as a present to all the women that I love: for Mother's Day, for birthdays and if there's anybody I've missed by December, for Christmas too.

Just to give you a taste, here's the Lifestyle Map from the book.  I love the way it lays out all the important stuff.  Home: Dwelling Space and Stuff: What You Own, Collect and Desire. 

Then there are the other boxes, all of which intrigue me: Fashion and Sensuality, Spirit and Learning, Relationships and Communication, Nature, Rest & Relaxation, Service and Wealth, Body and Wellness, Creativity and Celebration.

But what resonates with me most of all is that "You" is at the center of it.  At the end of the day, whether you're picking out a lamp for your living room or deciding what to wear, kneeling down in prayer or sitting at a table with your nearest and dearest friends -- it's not about the lamp some celebrity had in In Style Magazine or what Alicia Keys wore to a party last week.  It's about you. And what I love about Carrie and Danielle is that their work, and their book, makes the whole "Do You" thing such a grand adventure.

So your turn. What's your answer to my favorite question?  If nobody would laugh and money were no object, what would you do?

Take a gander at the lifestyle map.  Which one of these boxes speaks to you right now?  Which ones would you like me to address more in our chats here in the Nest?  Do you have any tips for Home and Stuff, Creativity and Celebration, Spirit and Learning, that you'd like to share with the rest of us? 

Bring it on. All of it.  Because as some wise person once said, life is not a dress rehearsal.  This is the real deal, and dear hearts, you are the star of your own show.