Just a note before we get to the giveaway details…  The Feels Like Home Launch Team is still open if you’re interested in joining!  This is the last day to enter (Friday, Sept.3) and then we’ll start having some fun conversations, live events, and awesome giveaways in our private Facebook forum.  Click HERE to join or HERE for more information and answers to FAQs about the launch team. So, I have another fun giveaway to celebrate my upcoming book, .  When I started writing this book, I felt it was important that it wasn’t just a pretty decorating book.  Those are so inspirational to look at, but they can also feel unattainable.  You can see the what, but you’re left wondering about the how.  In the book, I wanted to share as many of the how-tos as I could through tutorials, exercises, and sections filled with tips on everything from

If you’ve ever drawn house plans on graph paper, you might be a design nerd.  And, if that’s the case, you’re in good company!  There are a lot of us out there….we geek out on fabric swatches, furniture templates, wallpaper samples, paint decks, mood boards, symmetry, focal points, accents that pop, and statement pieces.  If that’s you, this first giveaway to celebrate the launch of my new book, , is for you!  If you’re not a self-proclaimed design nerd, well, this book just might turn you into one. I think there is this idea when it comes to design that you’re either good at it or you’re not.  Those who would describe themselves as “not creative” wave the white flag and leave the design work to someone else.  But, I believe down to my very bones that design and creativity are learned skills that are practiced and developed.  Yes, there

I don’t know about you, but this summer is flying by for me!  I always think it will go slowly as I’m trying to balance working while having the boys home, but it seems to speed things up and we’re going back-to-school shopping before you know it.  Before we get into that, though, let me share some of my favorites from July… Esmé Well, my favorite thing is something I’m thankful for.  One of our cats, Esmé was having neurological issues a couple of weeks ago that had us very concerned.  It started when we noticed the left side of her face was paralyzed.  She wasn’t moving her left ear, closing her left eye fully, or opening the left side of her mouth when she meowed or yawned.  We took her to the vet and they started her on some antibiotics to treat any possible underlying infections that might be

Let’s talk about books, shall we? On Instagram last week, I shared my latest out-of-control stack of new books to read.  When I order new books, I’ll sit them on the low bookcase under the window of my studio until I take the time to sit down and read them.  When I say “read”, I mean actually read in some cases, but in most cases, I review the books.  I take my time flipping through each page, making notes, and flagging pages I want to revisit, before filing it on the shelf.  (I like to use to flag pages in my books because I can reuse them and they don’t ruin the pages.)  Sometimes, the book goes back in the stack, so I can spend more time with it.  Such is the case with the books sitting at the very bottom of the stack. Sometimes the stack can get to

I can’t believe it’s June already!  In just a few short weeks, 2021 will be half over.  I remember a friend saying years ago, as I held an infant Marshall in my arms, that I just pressed the fast-forward button on my life.  There is something about living in the cycle of the school year, watching your kids mature and grow taller than you (Marshall just passed me by almost 2″), and the bustle of an active household, that makes time seem to pass just a little quicker. May was also a full month.  Busy with work, busy with the end of the school year, busy with getting ready for a trip, and getting settled and caught up when we got home.  But it was full and busy in a good way.  I feel like I’m settling more into my routine and workflow more than I have in months.  As

I wrote a blog post about my favorite period dramas miniseries a few years ago and it was such a popular post that it was worth adding to the list.  Period drama miniseries are my absolute favorites, especially the ones based on Jane Austen and Charles Dickens novels.  I will give any of them a try, though.  Here are some that weren’t shared on my list last time or have been made since then… little women This adaptation of Little Women was about to come out on PBS when I wrote my last list and I really loved it.  I know I’m not alone in feeling a little sad and frustrated by some of the turns the story takes, but I feel like this series addressed those very well while staying true to the novel.  It’s definitely my favorite version of Little Women.  I also love the music! all creatures