Occasionally, I do write more than 2,200 characters (thanks for the limit, Instagram), and when I do, you will find those words here. I also love participating in Calling It Home’s One Room Challenge, which happens every spring and fall. You can find past rooms I’ve worked on here. Want some help with your own One Room Challenge? Let me know so that we can get planning for the next round!
Last week while dropping my kids off at school, I discovered that there were new lines taped on the ground where kids stand in line to wait for the restrooms. Earth shattering news to start a post with, right? Stick with me. One line was pink and the other line was blue. Now, I may not have noticed or even taken issue with the pink and blue lines had it not been for the nearby sign on the wall, written in childish hand, that said “Stop Stereotypes”.
Read MoreQuick quiz. List as many things as you can think of with an expiration date. Was any one of those things shiplap? Because unless you live in a farm house in central Texas built at least a hundred years ago, shiplap should have been the first thing to pop into your mind.
Let me back up a minute. The internet clearly has enough haters, and I won’t add to that by ripping on Joanna Gaines. I mean, she is EVERYWHERE, so that must mean people love what she is doing. And as much as I hate to admit it, I do like some of the rooms I see coming out of Magnolia. I really am going to do my part to remain positive. That said, I think we can all agree that some decorating trends need to have an expiration date.
Read MoreAs we get deeper into the decisions on our remodel, and I try to balance that work with projects for clients and building a sustainable business and finding new clients and being a parent and a spouse and a daughter and a volunteer and generally splitting time between all of life’s roles and responsibilities, I’ve been thinking about why I do what I do. Some of you are new here, and may not know what I do. Some of you have been around since this blog was Susie Makes Supper and are wondering where all the recipes have gone. Some of you were just surfing the internet because your list is so long you don’t even know where to start and you aren’t actually sure why you are still reading this. Welcome.
Really, though, I do think it is important to remember why we choose the paths we are on and occasionally to question whether we want to stay on them. When we are thoughtful about our choices, not only are we happier (or at least more content), but we teach our children to be thoughtful about their own choices. Can I get an amen on how easy it is to lose sight of this? I’m in constant self-reminder mode that I have the power to choose what my life looks like and it looks pretty damn rad.
Read MoreAhh, January. The time when goals are lofty, confidence is high, and energy is in full swing. The time when retailers and magazines tell us spring has sprung as if they have replaced the groundhog. The time when we are culturally drawn to all things organization. And, is it just me, or is it also the time when we want to purge all the things?
Read MoreIt’s raining and cold outside today and all I want to do is curl up with a blanket and a good book. Do you remember the last time you actually did that? Me either. As much as I’m very squarely in the camp to stop the glorification of busy, I’m still guilty of completely over scheduling myself at all times. Don’t get me started on the over-programming that is our lives these days. I could write am entire blog series on my thoughts about over scheduling our kids, and of course, I continue to do it myself. “She really wants to play soccer and take karate and be in scouts and do book club and yoga. How can I make her chose when she’s just exploring her options?” It’s a sickness, I’m sure.
Read MoreThe saga finally begins. You’ve heard me talk about this remodel for what seems like 200 hundred years already but now we are really getting somewhere. Maybe. The city took its time issuing our permits because someone over there thought we had plumbing where we didn’t have plumbing and required our builder to dig a 4’ trench across our yard to prove that we didn’t have said plumbing. Tiny hiccups. If you are one of those people who likes things done on a very specific timeline, I’m telling you now, don’t remodel.
Read MoreYou all know that pink is still flying high as color of the moment. Or maybe you think orange is the new pink. But did you know that pajama lounges are the new “it” room? This little blurb in the current issue of House Beautiful caught my full attention last week:
Read MoreI dread being asked “What do you do?” There is something about this question that makes me want to crawl into a hole. The answer should be save the world or create world peace, but let’s be honest, the Nobel Prize team is not going to be knocking on my door any sooner than the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes team.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled to talk about design. I’m going to talk all about it in a minute here and you are going to want me to shut up (good thing you can always x out of this page). That thrill is because there are things about family living that turn me from normal to nerd in half a second. I am now lucky enough to be pursuing something that makes me tick, that keeps me awake at night in a positive way, that creates energy rather than sucking it…You know what I’m saying, right? If you don’t, let’s definitely talk about that.
Read More
