The words "Feng" and "Shui" have very simple meanings -- "wind" and "water" -- that represent the presence of balance & harmony. The overarching principle behind the art of Feng Shui is about creating harmony in your everyday life through the flow of energy. This is why so often, although sometimes misused, we'll hear people talk about Feng Shui when referring to their furniture layout -- how is the energy moving throughout this space? That flow of energy is your "chi" and at the center of really establishing good Feng Shui and ultimately setting the tone for your space.
Thankfully, winter is gone, gone, gone, and spring is officially underway, which means time to pack away all that winter wardrobe and decor, and step into some long overdue spring style! Since I am no fashionista, here are my 4 recommended pieces to help you transition your home into spring:
Read MoreNow that we’re all home for the foreseeable future, it’s so easy to not put in the same amount of effort when it comes to our wellness -- there are NetFlix shows to binge, piles of snacks to eat, and lots and lots of naps to be had -- but truth is, it’s probably more important now more than ever to stay on top of it. For me, working out is a welcome mental distraction from everything going on but also a way to ensure I’m not physically susceptible to any nasty viruses out there. Right now, health = wealth and I plan to look good for all of it.
Read MoreEver since diving into interior design as a career, I have become pretty known for how I’ve employed technology to launch my path, specifically as an e-designer. Specifically, people started really noticing my renderings and my mood boards, with the latter being some of my most popular content amongst designers and design enthusiasts alike.
Spoiler: I use Keynote to create easy and dynamic mood boards. This isn’t to say I haven’t used different platforms over the years. Trust me...I have! I got here after a lot of trial & error with my deliverables, with my content, and with my business across the board. For me, this made (and still makes) the most sense. Truth be told, my gigabytes are precious so it was worth it to me to give a native application a fair shot if it meant I could delete additional software and/or have one less website login to remember.
Read MoreTwo years ago I made my very first Grove Collaborative purchase and I have to say, not entirely sure what to expect from a household subscription service. I was intrigued by the idea that I could get cleaning products for our home, especially now that my daughter was way more active and I was now full-time working from home. With spring cleaning around the corner, it was as good a time as any to try Grove Collaborative and two years later I still turn to them for many, if now all, of our household cleaning essentials.
Read MoreSo if you had to ask me what my fav part of designing is, it’s the shopping! In my everyday life I love finding pretty things; and if they happen to solve a problem while we’re at it...well, then I’m #winning.
I don’t discriminate when it comes to my love of shopping, but I used to especially obsessed with shopping for my office, before switching it over to my daughter’s bedroom. A lot of the decor I purchased, I still like to switch out & rotate between my desk, bookshelf, and other areas of our home; but when deciding what to get, my desk def served as a lot of the inspiration, aka the anchor piece.
Read MoreFor two years in my business, I tried to plan a brand shoot for Albie Knows…with no success. Whether it was finding the right photographer or having it in the budget or just liking the way I looked in the mirror, there was always something in my way.
Last year, one of my designer besties introduced me to Mariah Texidor. I was blessed enough to book her to shoot my One Room Challenge transformation. The photos were amazing, but more than that, the shoot was amazing. I knew that if there was ever an opportunity to work with her again — aka I’m back in NYC — that I’d jump at the chance.
Here’s what planning a last-minute brand shoot covers, from my perspective:
getting organized
having an awesome tribe
trusting life’s pivots
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I basically live my life online — working, shopping, and even school — and one day it hit me that I was getting completely disconnected from the “real world”. As an introvert I will never complain about not having enough people interaction — I prefer it that way actually — but what I found was happening was that I was losing touch with myself and I was also losing my ability to connect with people — to communicate. It was almost as though I was losing a sense of reality that, if unchecked, would only get worse. So how do you unplug, take a real break, and slow down for more intentional & present living? Here are some tips that have been helping me unplug for more slow living.
Read MorePeople always ask me why I am so organized and while the answer is usually pretty funny, it’s the truth — I’m organized because I’m lazy. My life is filled with chaos and just a lot that is beyond my control, be it personally or professionally, so getting organized it my way of controlling the controllable… no matter how small.
Read MoreThis time of year is when everyone is hitting reset for the new year ahead -- making resolutions, setting goals, choosing words to serve as their "North Star", etc -- all in order to really set the tone for the next 12 months. This doesn't necessarily mean drastic changes of any kind, but there is something about a new year that really makes you go, "I need to get my ish together!"
As someone who's made a life out of always being home, I decided to share with you some of my productivity hacks and ways that I stay focused & keep myself accountable day to day.
Read MoreWhat is JOMO? It's the JOY of missing out.
Instead of burdening yourself by worrying about what you could be missing by not being at all the places, with all the people, doing all the things, you take pleasure in having personal time. You can experience JOMO but not attending social events (aka not people'ing) or by simply unplugging, which these days, is a vacation all in itself.
Here are 28 essentials that I think are perfect for getting your JOMO on.
Read MoreI’ve lived — as an official rent-paying “adult” — in three different apartments…four if you count a short period of time when I thought I was grown and moved in with a roommate. This condo was truly the first I really dug in to tackle renter-friendly projects that went beyond getting organized and putting up new paint.
But here’s the thing — this is still only a 2 bedroom apartment, meaning the whole place has a total of six “rooms” (eight if you count the laundry closet and balcony) to play with. I knew that this meant I was not going to have a limitless amount of projects to tackle; I knew that at some point I would be project’d out…and that point is now.
Read MoreFull Disclosure: I do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, and I never have.
That said…
I do respect the significance that Valentine’s Day has for other people — it’s a day to celebrate and share love, no matter the relationship — romantic, familial, or otherwise.
Valentine’s Day isn’t about romance, it’s about love…
So I’ve pulled together 20 of my picks for gifts for all the people that you love.
Read MoreThis year one of the things I wanted to do more of was read. Since I’m already an audible user, I figured the very least I could do was use my account more. Over the past two years, while I’d defused my audible account pretty regularly — listening to way more books than I’m certain I would’ve actually read — I knew I wasn’t really getting my full money’s worth. So I challenged myself to listen to at least two books a month — one fiction, one nonfiction.
This month I’d already tackled my two books, both leftover from 2019 — “With The Fire On High” by Elizabeth Acevedo and “Dapper Dan: Made In Harlem” by Daniel R. Day. These are both books that I downloaded (I kid you not) back in November but I just never got around to listening to them.
Read MoreInspiration can be found in all places, in all things, including driving through a “snow storm” after picking up the kiddo from school. Cognizant of how design inspiration can be found in the most unlikely places, I decided to start pulling the palettes from the scene — literally just with a color dropper — just to see what colors were really resonating and it was really illuminating.
From one spontaneous moment in time, I was able to capture what really was (is) an amazing color palette. And now here we are… the first of 12 mood board inspirations for 2020.
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