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