Archive for March, 2011
Before Photos of the New Studio!
Posted by: | CommentsOkay, I thought I better share some of what is going on in our space!
Progress has been slower than we desire in the remodel and construction of our new studio space, but none-the-less, it is finally moving along! We are a bit further than these photos will show now, but I will give another update soon, as things are changing every day around here.
To start off with… this space was awful when we signed the lease…. a dark, dirty storage room in the lower level of the mansion that had not been rented out before. We knew it had potential for our first joint studio space… so we plunged ahead anyway!
Here is what we found….
Just to let you know… none of the stuff in the space was ours at this point, so it the cleaning staff had to remove all the items stored there before we could even get to the next step.
Oh, these pipes… they have been quite the challenge. We have chosen to ignore the ones on the ceiling (as most other tenants on our level have) but the ones coming down the wall are being encased in a wall for the most part.
The joy of old buildings!
Okay… this is a small hint as to what is to come for the space. We used some inspiration from this House Beautiful issue to add some design and style to our space. To transform this space we will definitely be pulling all of our design tricks out. Decorating with paint and color will be the most transforming elements. In the next post… I will let you in a bit more on what that inspiration direction is!
That’s all for today… thanks for stopping by!
Book Review: Decorate by Holly Becker
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I am so excited to review this next book! Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick is hot off the presses. Just released in the UK, soon to be released in Australia, and not being released in the US until late April… I have my hands on a gorgeous copy!
Thanks to Anthropologie…(they being the only venue in the US to be able to sell advanced copies of Decorate) I received my beautifully wrapped book, as only Anthropologie can do, last Friday. I was so excited; you would think it was my book that was being delivered! I have anticipated the book’s debut for a couple of months now, and as a current student of Holly’s (her latest Blogging Your Way class) I am thrilled to be able to review her and Joanna’s co-efforts in the form of Decorate.
Holly Becker is the founder and author of the extremely popular Decor8 blog and columnist at Real Simple online and has contributed to many design publications over the years. Joanna Copestick is a writer and editor with more than 10 books to her credit. Both women have combined their talents, resources in the design world and experience, to put together a fresh design book like no other.
First off… the book’s photography is simply gorgeous! The attention to detail, lighting and composition is rare and fresh. Debi Treloar has set the tone for the book with her talented photography, creating more than 400 stunning photos to delight in.
Decorate is a different kind of decorating book as the cover suggests…. It focuses on decorating and lifestyle ideas to transform your home, rather than just one trademark look or design aesthetic. It absolutely lives up to that promise. It is packed with more than 1000 professional ideas and solutions for every area of the home. There is page after page of designer contributions- each stylist, designer, shop owner or creative, lending their expertise and style wisdom for everything from floor plans and space planning, to defining one’s style through every room of one’s home. Some featured talents include: Kelly Wearstler, Celerie Kemble, Amy Butler, Vincent Wolf and Amy Neunsinger. 
The rooms are not just spaces that are creatively decorated, but really lived in homes that have become highly personal spaces that allow for real-life to happen there. This is the kind of book that speaks to my design heart. These homes reflect the families or artists who live there and how their home really compliments and enhances their day-to-day life. The spaces are not showcase experiments by designers just looking to stretch the “wow” factor, but homes that really have evolved in most cases to what the home-owners really desired to surround themselves with.
One of my favorite quotes from the book by Nate Berkus is “Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love brought together under one roof.” Surprisingly, it is very reflective of the words on my website about telling the story of who you are and how that past, present and future story should be reflected within the walls of your home.
The book features four categories:
Space Matters
Setting Your Style
Room by Room
Attention to Detail
The overall design aesthetic of the book is simply fresh, usable ideas that can translate to any style of decorating and almost any home. It is refreshing to see this direction in a decorating book. The pages are jam-packed with tips, hints and decorating guidelines to allow the reader to really pull the ideas that strike them the most and to be able to put them into action.
I believe Holly, Joanna and Debi have created a book that will live on as a design classic to be turned to for years to come. My congratulations and thanks to Holly and her partners for this lovely new book. 
Using Fear to Motivate Your Best Self
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I have been taking a blogging course (Blogging Your Way) with the fabulous and wonderful Holly Becker of the blog Decor8. I initially took this class last year, but was so busy at the time, I couldn’t embrace all their was to learn. I am back as a student for the next 6 weeks to try to take it all in again. Holly is a great teacher… gracious, knowledgeable, highly supportive and motivating. Each Wednesday we are treated to a podcast by her on a topic that works with the other materials for the week. I would like to share some points of today’s podcast- including her thoughts and some of my own observations/experiences after listening.
Holly‘s podcast on “Fear” has really created a conversation in my head about how this has worked in my own life. She talked about how we can use fear to successfully motivate positive changes in our lives instead of letting fear overcome us and either stop us in our tracks or alter our thinking to the negative.
What about you? Is fear stopping you from being all you were designed to be?
You only get one chance to live today.
Are you living authentically in your true passion?
Fear can motivate us to make changes in our lives and really move us into our “own”. Small changes can be the spark to keep us “alive” while we wait for the bigger change to fully arrive. Fear can be a more motivational feeling than regret. Fear can motivate us vs. regret is done. Don’t regret what you were too afraid to move past. Use that fear as a catalyst to make great changes to claim the life you were designed for.
Until recently, I was letting my fear of some business decisions cloud my decisions, my faith, and my ability to actually do what I am designed to be doing. I was allowing my fear of outside influences to drive my choices, not letting my true voice be heard. I was succumbing to the pressure of what is expected and accepted as “normal”. I wasn’t doing what is true to my heart. Which almost lead me to make some choices that were not the best for me or my business. (There will be a post on that topic on another day, but for now I will stick with how fear can motivate us.)
In the last 6 weeks, I have moved forward through my faith in God and knowing His plans for my life and along with my new perspective, I have moved past fear and into peace. I have made some new choices that have taken me out of “Fear” motivation and into using what I know is “True” to guide me. I still don’t have it all figured out, but I am in a place of positive change, not in stagnant fear options.
The best things take time, so we need allow the new changes to take place in our lives as they need to. Motivate yourself with the plans set forth for change, not just on how fast the changes get here. Baby steps can make us stronger, so allow the pace to move slowly if that’s what is required. Keep moving by improving oneself and making ourselves stronger in the process. For me that means deep study and reflection each week. It means I rely on trusted mentors to reinforce what I am learning elsewhere, all while awaiting the full change to come.
Remember- every success, failure and moment up until now is preparing you for what is to come… are you ready for all that life has prepared you for?
I would love it if you’d leave a comment on what you are fearful of and how you plan on using that fear to motivate you to make needed changes in your life.
Daily Creative: One Word
Posted by: | CommentsWe all need some extra clarity and direction once in a while. We all need a clear vision of our life’s mission. 
Here’s today’s simple thought….
What one thing do you really what to be known for?
What one word describes your life and gifting so well that if it was taken away from you… it would shake you at your very core? What is the legacy of your life? Who are you designed to be? What makes you feel complete?
At first, this may seem easier than you think. I suggest taking a note pad and writing down all of the things you think this one word might be. Filter them and let them sit. Go back to it again later. The word is often an adjective. It is usually an action that you are at your core. It is the way you think, what you base your world-view on, what you prioritize everything against. It is the beginning of all your passions and dreams.
So… once you discover what that word truly is…. are you living it? Does this word help clarify and simplify your life, or are you letting the life complicate your word?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
