Tabs & I on New Year's Eve

The Year of the Bean - “the bean represents the origin of all things”

– My wonderful best friend gave me this necklace for my birthday in November.  Her timing was uncanny.  Turning 36 this past November was kind of a turning point for me and I feel a renewed sense of vitality.  I had been letting stress and external factors bog me down for the past few years and I was ready to make healthy changes in my life.  Imagine my surprise when I opened this necklace!  I wear it every day and it inspires me to keep on my path to success!  Thank you Noelle!  You are the best!

New Adventures – Creative Director for a Wedding

– I am so honored that my clients, whom I worked with for the past several years, have asked me to be involved in their daughter’s wedding this fall.  She is also a past client and the experience of working with them again is very special to me.  This is a wonderful opportunity for me to stretch my expertise and develop new skills.  I have always loved entertaining and the idea of throwing elaborate parties so this is really a dream adventure!  Also, I couldn’t be happier that the big day falls on my birthday!  What a way to cap off my 36th year!

A Look Back at 2011

– I am so grateful for the projects I was able to work on this past year.  After 12 years of designing, I get such a thrill out of finding the “perfect” pillow/sofa/lamp/etc for my clients homes and helping them bring their vision to life!  Here are a few of my favorite rooms from 2011.  Time to get the professional pics taken!

2012 Goal – Be more like Tabs!

– My sister is seriously my best friend and makes me laugh harder than anyone I know.  She has such an infectious optimism and has fun wherever she goes!

i love this photo - it captures the essence of my sister

Wishing you much happiness & success in 2012!

One, I don’t really know how to cook.  My mom, God love her, can’t cook her way out of an Easy Bake Oven.  I’ve inherited a lot of great traits from her but skills in the kitchen were not up for grabs!  I’m good at following recipes to family dishes but they aren’t necessarily healthy and often require cans of Campbell’s soup.  What I am eager to learn is how to cook with raw ingredients from the farmer’s market.  I’m not very confident at the market and I want to learn more about these “foreign objects” and how to create wonderful dishes on the fly.  (Note: I secretly like to imagine myself as a Parisian woman shopping at the market in heels and a beautiful hat, flirting for deals on produce, mais oui!)

Ahh...the French Skillet from All-Clad!

My second hurdle is not having a well-stocked kitchen.  Until a month ago, I had very primitive tools and usually only cooked substantial meals at my parent’s house on the weekends.  I have since invested in some key pieces to round out my kitchen tools and I’m very excited to use one of them for the first time tonight!  My All-Clad French Skillet which is so beautiful and gleaming and already makes my little apartment kitchen look that much more “professional”!

Of course, there are other obstacles but I’ve just have to dive in and start tackling recipes!  I’ve also purchased a few new cookbooks geared towards healthy & seasonal eating with easy prep.  I’m going to challenge myself to make one new dish a week to broaden my skills and try new things.  I hope that making a blog out of it will keep me from straying too far from my goals.

Tonight, I started with a shrimp, basil & spinach risotto from Williams-Sonoma’s New Healthy Kitchen cookbook.  I LOVE risotto and I’ve never made it before.  I must say, it was pretty easy thanks to my new skillet and it tasted super yummy!  Here are a few photos from my inaugural outing!

Stay tuned for more adventures coming soon!

I was excited to be asked back to Great Day St. Louis again this morning!  I had a lot of fun creating vignettes of patterns to help viewers mix & match with ease.  View the segment below and tell me what you think!

Again, many thanks to Victoria and the team at Great Day for making me feel so welcome!

If the video doesn’t appear, click here.

P.S. I kind of think that my frustration with my office is because I am super busy with work and it is an unnecessary distraction to daydream about an organized and inspiring space…

First, here are a few spaces which get me inspired and anxious to be creative!

Love the windows & crisp color palette!

I like the eclectic and functional feel of this space.

Multi-functional yet bright and open!

Since my office also doubles as my dining room, I need to consider dining seating.  I love this photo and I already have this table!

Love the floor mirror and the soft blue/grey of the chairs!

I have been scouring Craig’s List and finally came across these super cheap chairs that I will refinish for my office/dining room.  See my colorful inspiration photos below…

Definitely in need of some TLC...

Now, these are my before and in progress shots…

I moved my desk in front of the window, feels more open and kind of like Sex & the City!

I've started to accumulate more stuff that doesn't fit anywhere...

I ordered a matching desk which works as my new credenza! Yeah!

Much more organized but it needs color!

Stay tuned for progress updates!

Thank you very much to Victoria and the rest of the Great Day team for making me feel welcome!

Also, thank you to Pottery Barn at Plaza Frontenac for lending me the goodies!

If the video doesn’t appear, click here.

I can give you more pointers at one of the decorating classes I teach at Pottery Barn.  Lots of great tips and hands-on advice from me and wonderful associates at the store!

Check their event calendar to get info and sign up!