I can guarantee I’ll share my many mistakes and lessons learned, paired with beginner-friendly DIYS, rental-safe upgrades and many, many before and afters. My hope is to create a space that feels like a warm hug where friends never want to leave and we always want to stay.
A Custom Push Pin Board That’s As Pretty As It Is Functional
During my first walkthrough of the room, I noticed she had artwork, photographs, and posters pinned directly onto the walls. I immediately made a mental note to incorporate a place where she could continue doing that intentionally and creatively. That sparked the idea for a large push pin board above her desk. The only problem? I couldn’t find one that was both large enough for the space and visually interesting. Everything functional lacked personality, and everything cute was far too small.
So I decided to make one myself.
At the Mercy of the System
Despite the fact that Endometriosis can infiltrate organs, impact fertility, damage the bladder and intestines, and dramatically affect someone’s quality of life. So naturally, it makes total sense that research for erectile dysfunction receives significantly more funding than Endometriosis.
Because apparently in America, a boner is considered a medical priority while a disease that can fuse your organs together is negotiable.
So now we wait.
Pinch me! I’m Designing A House
Interior design has always pulled me in—HGTV on in the background 9/10 times, endless scrolling through design and renovation accounts, and a constant urge to rearrange a space (even if it’s just swapping out a pillow and calling it a “refresh”). But it never quite felt like something I was allowed to claim.
And then… I got hired for my first design project.
I Couldn’t Make the Recital So I Sent Candy Bouquets Instead
And while I may not be able to clap from the audience this year, at least my nieces will know their former ballerina, sentimental, craft-obsessed aunt is cheering them on from across the country — armed with hot glue and approximately 47 pounds of candy. 🍬
How I Left My Dream Job To Find Myself Again
The question every little kid is asked on their first day of kindergarten: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
My answer was always confident, unwavering—a ballerina.
My childhood was spent in the dance studio, training in ballet, jazz, and tap. Eventually, I earned the right to be fitted for my first pair of pointe shoes—a moment that lives on in a photo tucked away in a keepsake box with a signed program of Julie Kent. That passion led me into a professional career, and by the age of 27, I found myself leading a ballet organization as its newly appointed Artistic Director.
If I Knew Then What I Know Now
I’ve been having more conversations lately—the kind that start quietly, almost hesitantly, and then spill open. Conversations with women who have found themselves in eerily similar situations, whispering stories they once thought were too embarrassing, too “gross,” too “un-lady-like” to say out loud. And what I’m realizing is this: our vulnerability is our strength.
Before the Blog: The Real Starting Point of Our 1920s Rental
I remember packing odds and ends in our Connecticut kitchen thinking that we were not going to have a place to live. Dramatic? Definitely. But in all honesty I was not prepared for the competitive real estate market in the Bay Area. Our Connecticut lease was up in 4.5 weeks, the moving truck company date was set, and we were still falling short of finding a place.
How a 1920’s Cottage Rental turned me into a DIY girly
As cliche as it sounds, I didn’t plan on becoming a DIY renovation girly. I always enjoyed design, and decorating spaces, and of course like most of America, I too was a fan of Chip and Joanna as they completely transformed the idea of “fixer upper”. Though I never had time to pour my creativity into anything other than dance.