I am unclear on how

it is already the end of January, but here we are. In heavy hibernation/ nesting/ soup making/ not socializing mode over here but am ready to get into some new projects and see what 2023 has in store!

With that being said, I would love it if you referred me to someone you think might be interested in working with me or discussing future design projects.

I would love it so much, in fact, that if you do refer me to someone, I will enter your name in a drawing to win a free mood board creation for any room, area or interiors idea you are currently pondering. SO! Click the button at the bottom of the newsletter to email me information about your referral. I will alert the mood board winner next week so stay tuned!

<3, Sarah

A friend recently introduced me

to the concept of your 33rd year being the “Jesus Year”. Have y'all heard of that?

A year of potential rebirth, mid-life crisis, ego death, and where one might abandon old ways and start anew. And with this big bday coming in hot on the 25th, those are some big concepts. Honestly though, bring them on. My main takeaway, and what I'm most excited about channeling, is that all of those potentials are internal. I'm not so into New Years resolutions, but I can get behind a birthday mantra, and this year it's all about me. Not selfishly, but a bit more selfish than I've been in the past.

<3, Sarah

This is going to be a bit of a ramble, but

Although design is an overwhelmingly visual process, words are sometimes the way to go. When things feel chaotic or stressful, my solution is almost always to curl up with a book. Putting my phone on do not disturb and getting lost in someone else’s imagination centers me and has come to be a great comfort in a pretty uncomfortable seeming world.

The importance of home, of a reliable respite, can’t be overstated. Although for some, nesting can come in phases, I’ve always needed my surroundings to hold me. That’s really why I do this at all - to make our most intimate and special spaces the best they can be for the individuals that live in them. Seemingly simple changes can make all the difference. The addition of a throw pillow you’ve had your eye on, or the painting of an accent wall truly can increase joy. Not all “design” decisions need to “make sense”, but the majority of them should make us happy. I painted the insides of my house’s archways last week and when I look at them I think of Santorini, the ability of a color to be the ultimate definition of lush, and my dedication in finishing a project. All that from 2 paint samples and a brush (that’s a $10 project, ppl!)

For me, imbuing a room, or a whole house, with character not only ups my serotonin, but it feels curative. Like I’m helping that specific space be all that it can be. I know we’re not all control junkies like I am, but if you’re in charge of how your home looks and feels, it provides a sense of purpose that I haven’t found in any other realm of my life.

Again, with the importance of words… but the very concept of having dominion over something implies a sense of territory and a sense of control. When sovereignty over our own bodies is put to the test, finding ownership in our spaces is paramount.

Summer’s PR team has always tried to paint it as such a festive season. The pool parties and picnics and general outside activities are all well and good, but as a Southerner, it’s all about finding ways to stay inside and in the a/c. So for the rest of these balmy months, that’s my invitation to you. To just be. Sit inside and read a book and sit under your throw blanket that makes you smile every time you cuddle up in it. Look folks, AOC recently said it best; “you are also allowed to create good, to be soft and enjoy the small reprieves”

<3, Sarah