This desktop clutter is fairly representative of my life lately — I’ve been gathering up a lot of fun print materials here, there and well, everywhere as I work through a few big editorial projects. What does your desktop clutter say about you? Haha. Really though, this week has been about tough love of the best possible kind. I’ve become a better listener over time and instead of getting defensive about feedback on business endeavors and projects, I can step back and ask myself what I can do better. There’s always room to do better. Maybe that’s something that’s easier learned with age.

As I was strolling through the West Hills over the weekend, I spotted what appeared to be spiderweb windows from a block away. How had I never seen this house before?! As I got closer, there were many webbed windows on one of the most oddly beautiful houses I’d ever seen. I couldn’t get the house out of my mind and after doing a little research, realized it’s the famed JO Frye House, by the very very eccentric architect of the same name who also built the Canterbury Castle right down the road (now sadly demolished). I have a soft spot for eccentric old houses…probably because my house is one of them. It has some major quirks as well and sat vacant for a full year before we bought it.

I am still totally head over heels (ha) for this duo of vases which now welcome visitors in our living room window. Inviting, huh?

A little while back, Joey put in our new front lawn and it’s so lush and thick now it’s bordering on carpet-like. Rocky would lay in it all day if he could. And as you know, I am all for eccentric shoes. Sometimes you need that extra kick in your step. That extra boost of confidence. I remember the time I found these, lonely and hanging out on the sale rack at 70% off and thought, “ahhh, why not?” They’ve served me well since.

Another peek at the stunning JO Frye house….I imagine someone like Gala being right at home here with that intriguing mix of beauty and spookiness.

I hope you have a weekend full of exploration and relaxation — we’re still in full home repair mode over here (does it ever end???) and in between that, I’ll be knocking out those previously mentioned editorial projects and booking some plane tickets. Have a great one!

The big news this week is that our backyard bar is getting a lot closer to being finished. I’ve been pretty antsy to get it together and that can mostly be attributed to the fact that once we get it done (and the rest of the backyard landscaped), we’re finally going to have a legit party. The housewarming party we never had.

In the summer of 2009 when my brother and I bought our house, we were faced with barren rooms (we had no money to quickly “furnish” the place) and more repairs than we knew what to do with. When Joey moved in during the spring of 2010, it quickly became apparent that he not only knew how to do construction but also electrical and plumbing. Joey’s handiwork around the house including transforming a poorly framed gazebo into a soon-to-be bar has blown us away. I really wish I had proper “before” photos. There was literally a cement slab, 4 posts and the roof. More details shots soon — he’s made a lot more progress since this photo!

I always like to pick up a nice bunch of flowers for the dining room since it’s one of the first rooms you see when you walk in our house. I’ve become completely enamored with Gladiolus over the last few weeks because they’re massive and live for quite long. I like this bunch even better than our last.

After a mini break, we’ve been hitting The Blogcademy to-do list hard again just in time for a big announcement next week. I spent some time adding in a spread to our media kit featuring our Portland class by Made U Look.

I’ve been on a huge kick of drinking coffee at home. Joey is a pro with our new espresso maker and it’s true, I like his coffee better than most places in town now. More on this topic next week — working on a full post!

I wish I had a chance to visit Washington Park more often. I was just there on Sunday and it takes a little work to get there, driving down tiny, windy roads that feel like they’ll never end but then, you park and this is the view as you enter the park. Best way to start your day!

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! It’s beautiful out today and the Dalai Lama is visiting S.E. Portland. I’m looking forward to balancing business and pleasure a little better this weekend —hitting the freelance but also taking lots of long walks and enjoying our improved back yard.

Any fun plans you’re looking forward to this weekend?

How’s your week been so far? Mine’s been pretty chill — I’ve been feeling a little under the weather so I’ve stayed in a lot, taking it easy. I’ve said it before but it’s usually the little things that make my week. Even a new set of colored pencils. I paired this acrylic pencil holder with a set of Stabilos and my desk is a much happier place!

The perfect Portland summer weather has hit and I’ve been soaking up every second of it whenever possible. On Sunday, I stopped by Stumptown Comics Fest to visit my friend Star, who was in town from San Francisco. She’d been crazy busy as art director of the festival this year so I was glad to spend a bit of time with her. We went out to dinner the next day at the cutest french restaurant but I didn’t take a single photo — sometimes you just want to take in those special moments and keep them to yourself.

Some small details from my week: loving the new issue of Elle with Rita Ora on the cover. So pretty! And on Monday, I paired my vintage Marimekko dress (it’s the same dress I wore for my 30th birthday party) with a this belt.

I have a lot of jewelry and perfume sitting in the corner of my office and even after thinning it out, it still looked like a big pile of clutter (a Virgo’s worst nightmare). Then, I saw Bri’s office makeover which featured white lacquer trays to keep supplies tidy. I just started using the catchall tray and the trinket tray. It’s made such a difference already!

I’ve been sifting through piles of magazines over the last few weeks as I dive into the design of issue 3 of Rock n Roll Bride. I’ve learned (the hard way) to really hammer down a plan before getting all excited, rushing into a massive project and then hitting a wall halfway through because everything unexpected hits. I do a chart of all 80 pages now and it makes a HUGE difference for both myself and the client as we’re sourcing content. If you’re working on a large magazine-style project, my recap of what I learned from the last issue might be helpful! Editorial design is so much work but luckily it’s my favorite kind.

Have a great weekend, everyone!
Do you have any plans you’re looking forward to?

It’s been a long, interesting week and I feel like every corner I turn, I’m faced with new opportunities to grow, mainly on the work front. It’s beautiful in Portland right now — I’m relishing wearing dresses and skirts with bare legs and walking to coffee shops with friends. I feel like I’m faced with a lot of self-imposed challenges right now but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel towards the end of the year and that big picture is exactly where I want to get.

On Wednesday, I crossed the border for a business class — one of my closest friends, Joey bought me a spot in the course best summed up as “So you’re the owner of a Million Dollar company and you don’t even know it!”. And it was mind-blowingly awesome. After city-hopping over the last few months to teach The Blogcademy, it was nice to just sit back and absorb. I scribbled page after page of notes to apply to the business I’m launching later this year. The advice Stephanie Lynn dispensed was so honest, heartfelt and applicable and reminded me of why our personal stories are so powerful — we’ve each taken our own path to entrepreneurship but there are key threads we all share.

When I’m feeling really stressed out, I sit down on my office floor and read a few magazines (I’ve lost count of how many subscriptions I have). Kinda silly but I always find a few visuals that get my mind racing and excited to tackle new projects.

Over the weekend, I was hand-lettering a client’s logo but it just wasn’t coming together. A few hours in, I remembered that I had my calligraphy set tucked away from when I was in the sixth grade. We had a calligraphy segment in our art class and I remember practicing and practicing and how much I loved it! I’ve noticed a few other designer friends pulling out their kits, too — it’s harder than it looks but I love the results.

I flipped to a page of quotes in an issue of Marie Claire and froze when I got to this one. It’s now next to my desk. Everyone wants a quick fix to get to where they want to go. But its true that there’s no secret to unlock, it’s just a lot of hard work. I’m glad someone on Michelle Obama’s level is affirming this.

Ah, the oranges! Can’t stop, won’t stop wearing this shirt. Haha. The orange tones tie into a bigger project I’m working on and my friend pointed out that maybe after staring at it so long, it’s entered my subconscious. Either way, I love it. Have a great weekend — I’m looking forward to a lot of walks in the sun, hanging out with my dad and chatting with my brother about his adventures in China (he just got home from a 3 week trip yesterday!) Oh, and visiting friends who are exhibiting at Stumptown! Lots of love. xo

How’s your week been? Since returning from two weeks of vacation (with two action-packed Blogcademy dates in the mix) I’ve been having a serious bout of the post-vacation blues. Though I travel a lot, this time it’s hit like a ton of bricks. I think it comes down to the realization that it’s always easy to have a great time when reality is suspended and put on hold. Since returning, I’ve been trying to dig in and be professional, pay bills, answer emails in a semi-timely manner, put together new blog posts and run errands but coming down off that vacation high is harder than I thought.

I’m trying to fight the feeling of feeling completely disheveled and out of sorts in little ways. Over the weekend, I stopped in Trader Joe’s and picked up two big bouquets of flowers that, while frivolous, immediately made me feel better. On a whim, I grabbed a bundle of gladiolas, knowing we didn’t have anything at home that could hold them. Joey likes a good challenge and by the afternoon, he’d found a massive square vase for only ten dollars!

Two things that help me alleviate the blues: big, inviting lattes from Cellar Door sipped while wearing this Springy dress and taping up all my favorite Instax rainbow snapshots.

I always say that vintage and thrift shopping is the best in Portland, hands down. I took Kat and Gala on a tour of my favorite places and neither cold get over the abundance of well-priced treasures! This teapot is my new favorite find.

After so much time away from home, I’m feeling the need to stay in, make our house a home and striving feel comfortable with where I’m at. I made a huge to-do list and spent the entire weekend in my office and to be frank, it sucked. I was checking into everyone elses’ instragrams and seeing all the fun things they were out doing — never a good idea! Do you do that, too? I’ll stop if you stop.

Samples just arrived from Paper Chase for a client project and I love their bold labeling. I’ve also been taking some time out to pick up some magazines for inspiration since most of my summer is going to be dedicated to two big editorial projects. They’re by far the most time consuming of the projects I do but also a little way of living out my teenage dream of doing editorial design. It’s important to find small ways to stay connected to those dreams — as an adult, not everything has to be about efficiency or moneymaking. Make sure you have those interests and hobbies you stay connected to out of love.

This pitcher makes me smile. When we were at Kennedy School a few weeks ago dining and drinking with my family, Kat and Gala convinced me that this was a must-have. So weird and charming!

While I’m making progress, I’ve been putting off so many little things with all this traveling. I need a haircut (like six months ago!) and to get to work fleshing out a new column for the blog. I’m also itching to pick up building supplies to turn the half-finished gazebo in our back yard into a bar (and then have a party)! Have a great weekend, friends. And my heart goes out to you, Boston. Big hugs.

Portland really turned on the charm this last week! Bright and early Saturday morning, The Blogcademy babes and I grabbed our overnight bags and headed downtown. We’d booked the Ace Hotel’s event space, The Cleaners for our Portland workshop and when we arrived, we felt an immediate affinity for the space.

Bright light streamed through the windows that reached the celling. Terrariums, wooden folding chairs and a driftwood coffee table filled the space.

Though the official workshop photos will be coming along later, I wanted to share a few of my own snapshots to give you an idea of what the Portland Ace is like if you’ve never been!

Day one of the workshop sped by thanks to our enthusiastic students (along with a caffeine fix from Stumptown and a sugar rush from Voodoo Doughnut).

After saying goodbye to our students, Kat, Gala and I excitedly headed up to our hotel room. Since I live in Portland, I’ve never had a good excuse to stay at the Ace (though I’ve loitered in their beautiful lobby a million times!) until now so I was curious to check out our digs.

We all fell in love with our room right away. It was cozy, welcoming and I loved all the little touches including live plants, a record player (alongside a stack of hip records), a custom Pendleton blanket and lots of branded ephemera.

A queen bed and a full-size couch gave us ample room to spread out and get comfy. It’s a bit hard to see but in the left photo, you can get a glimpse of our “wallpaper” which was composed from vintage book pages.

I love it when hotels bypass the usual credit card-style key for something a little more special. Our room key felt very military-issue and industrial chic.

Once we’d dropped off our luggage, we headed down to Clyde Common for one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Seriously. Portland is known for its great food but this was off the hook. We agreed that hit of the night was the truffle popcorn.

I never get to spend much time downtown — it always seems like I’m passing through on my way to somewhere else. It was a nice change of pace to walk the girls past some of my favorite stores and hangouts and show them around the area surrounding the Ace. I’m a big fan of Kenny & Zuke’s color-filled window.

This last week was filled with a lot of exploring and making new friends but best of all, I was reminded of why I love this city so much. Now I’m sitting in LA — I spent yesterday hitting Disneyland with Kat and Gala and now we’re gearing up for tomorrow’s Blogcademy. It’s going to be a busy weekend but I love it. Have a great one!

Wowza, what a week!!! It’s been a little quiet around these parts because Kat and Gala landed in my fair city Tuesday night and since then, it’s been completely, totally nonstop. We’ve been running around like madwomen from 9 am till 11 pm every day, picking up sponsor items from the post office, spilling coffee, visiting the finest establishments of Portland’s underbelly, revamping our workshop presentation with even more fresh content, shopping our way through Portland’s most eccentric vintage stores and of course, hanging out with my quite entertaining family. Our favorite photographer trio Made U Look arrives from LA today and then we will be in full-on workshop mode all weekend at The Ace. Exciting times around here!

Tuesday was a big day for us. We did a live stream event for The Blogcademy and had a great time answering viewer questions about both business and blogging. I’m not a big fan of video but sometimes you just have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and go with the flow. We blew bubbles (Gala’s idea, of course!), somehow Gene Simmons came up in the conversation and before we knew it, an hour and a half had passed! Honestly, once you’ve done one live video, it feels a whole lot less intimidating and I can’t wait to do it again.

There’s nothing like showing company around your city — it really forces you to adjust your eyesight and notice all the details you overlook on a daily basis. I spent yesterday taking the girls around S.E. Portland and they loved all the kooky colored houses, adorable independent restaurants and of course, the ridiculously cheap vintage shopping. I told them Portland was good!

I’ve walked past this mural dozens of times and never stopped. Like I said, having visitors helps to open your eyes!

Last night, we joined my family at the Kennedy School. It seemed quite fitting having drinks in the Detention Room of the converted grade school! Kat and Gala got to meet my grandparents, who they immediately fell in love with. The feeling was mutual – my grandparents, who live up in the mountains, loved Kat and Gala’s eccentric accents.

This has been the perfect week to show my friends around down, since Spring has sprung. Everything is in bloom and the weather has been beautiful (you know how rare clear skies are around these parts!)

And with that, I’m out — report cards and graduation certificates have been filled out, goodie bags are packed and our presentation polished. We’re packing our bags now for the fun times that await.

Have a great weekend, everyone! And, if you want to keep up with even more snippets and snapshots, feel free to follow along on Twitter and Instagram.