Holy smokes...2 weeks to go. Even though I have not been physically executing this design, knowing that it isn't a design that I entirely pulled from the belly of my imagination has made it just as stressful to conceptualize. Adding on the stress of just life — 2020 being all 2020 and ish — I finally made the decision to fire myself.
Read MoreWhile so many of my counterparts have been physically hanging out at High Point Market, I've been taking advantage of all the resources available to me right here on these inter webs.
Being that this is a virtual project, I decided that instead of just tackling some of the rooms in this trip level home, why not try my hand at the entire "must be nice" level. In addition to the media room, shared study, and outdoor living area, I decided why not take on the other two other rooms down there — the laundry room and powder room.
Read MoreIf you follow me on Instagram (which you should by the way) then you know a few days ago I shared some of my design inspirations from Pinterest for manifesting my first home. My "Home 2021" board is broken up into sections, with one section being “‘Must Be Nice’ Rooms” because having those rooms/spaces in my future home would be really really nice!
I didn’t grow up with these kinds of rooms so when I think of them, it’s really a fantasy of my future. But what does this have to do with the One Room Challenge? So glad yo asked. Even though this year’s challenge is virtual, I’ve chosen to base my entire challenge on a very real space — a listed home we’ve got our eye on that has must. be. nice. rooms!
Read MoreAdmittedly I had a home on my vision board for the new year — our home buying conversations were becoming a thing and we found ourselves wondering about “what’s next” for our family…stay in Washington? …move back East? We weren’t sure but we knew renting in perpetuity was no longer an option. By the second quarter of 2020, personally, I was juggling being a “single mom” with my husband deployed, the beginnings of my second new job in a year, COVID-19 forcing us all into quarantine, and witnessing a modern day civil rights movement. One or two of these events may not have done much for changing my mind, but all of em together… well I quickly went from, “it’d be nice to own my home” — hence the vision board — — to “I want to own a home!”
Read MoreIn true 2020 fashion, this event will be virtual so we’ll be bringing you along as we work with and source vendors as we would in any design project — from the ideating and planning all the way through the final virtual reveal…which you know is my jam!
Read MoreI'm a creature of habit, especially when it comes to shopping, which is precisely why a at the top of the year I decided to create a capsule wardrobe for myself - I was no longer going to be working from home as an entrepreneur and was truly tired of staring at a full closet yet saying, "I have nothing to wear". Why was this happening? Because I had a BUNCH of pieces that didn't play well together. I was purchasing in a vacuum, instead of thinking of my wardrobe holistically, so getting dressed each day became this daunting, arduous task for no. damn. reason!
The way I shop for my closet now is, for quite some time, how I've shopped for my home - capsule shopping. Yes, I've created a decorating capsule.
Read MoreAlthough I'm not against mixing metals, as they've grown in popularity, I've noticed people using them haphazardly without any regard for how they'll play off of one another. This has been especially the case when it comes to rose gold, copper, and gold. Albeit similar, these are all very distinct metals, and when used in decor, these distinctions can make or break a design. Use correctly, they can absolutely elevate a design to something elegant and timeless; however, done incorrectly, and it'll be a piping hot mess!
Two months again when I decided to adopt the #sharethemicnow initiative for the home industry, I knew what I wanted to see happen, but I had no actual idea of what would happen. There are certain things you can anticipate but other things you can never see coming...and that's precisely what happened to me.
Read MoreIt's been a while since I've done an H&M Home haul and that's definitely not for lack of shopping; but with the recent decision to make some changes around the house, now seemed like a great time to do some window shopping, especially with so many of their new releases giving me all the hygge vibes my little heart can handle.
Read MoreAs I sat down to write an entirely different blog post, it dawned on me that I do a really poor job at sharing when pretty amazing things happen, especially here on the blog. Some times I am so bad at celebrating myself but when I do remember, it's usually just on Instagram. Yet for whatever, at this moment I realized I hadn't shared some pretty epic news about the blog — Albie Knows was nominated for an Amara Interior Blog Award in the Best Company Blog category!
Read MoreEarlier this year, I'd made the decision to stop messing with my house — I literally decided to stop doing home projects, choosing to just focus on the day to day styling and organizing, but also (mostly) enjoying the home I'd created thus far. Paired with my husband being on deployment and not knowing where we'd be a year from now...yeah it was time to just chill.
While an important conversation, it isn't always an easy one to have. Yep, we're talking about diversity & racism. Imagine, if adults can't bring themselves to have these difficult conversations, then it'll be even more difficult with a child. If your child is at the age where you're still reading to them and/or they're reading on their own, there are a countless number of books available — past and present — that make having the conversation of diversity and racism just a tad bit easier.
Read MoreI'm sitting here, as we head into the fifth month of quarantines and stay-at-home orders from COVID-19, awaiting my 19th Amazon Fresh order this year. Yes, in the past 5 months I have placed 19 Amazon Fresh orders for groceries, but let's just go ahead and round up to 20. While a lot of states have been opening up and loosening up their restrictions, I am in no rush to go outside, so after having used it for most of the year, I am pretty confident in whatever comes next because at least I know we'll be fed.
After countless moves, I like to think I know a thing or two about apartment readiness. I’ve learned what to prioritize, what’s a necessity, and what can totally wait when it comes to making our rental feel like a home. Not to be confused with moving essentials, whether I was starting from scratch or bringing things with me, there were some things that I found myself always needing in my apartment.
Read MoreWhile an important conversation, it isn't always an easy one to have. Yep, we're talking about diversity & racism. Imagine, if adults can't bring themselves to have these difficult conversations, then it'll be even more difficult with a child. If your child is at the age where you're still reading to them and/or they're reading on their own, there are a countless number of books available — past and present — that make having the conversation of diversity and racism just a tad bit easier.
Read MoreWhen it comes to social causes and political matters, I do my best — by choice — to keep that off public radar. I prefer to keep those types of conversations at the dinner table or in my text messages, not on my timeline and certainly not on the blog. But earlier this week, a retailer I’d shopped for years — for myself and for clients — did something some really stopped me dead in my tracks and forced me to reevaluate my relationship with them.
Read MoreRolling into June, we were at the start of a Civil Rights Movement, which isn't something I imagined ever saying in my lifetime...yet here we are. I've seen a number of heinous acts become hashtags over the years and have almost never offered up a public opinion, on everything from mass shootings to police brutality.
As I prepare for more #sharethemicnowhomeedition activations, I'd be remiss if I didn't take minute to think through all that the first iterations of the sharethemicnowhomeedition has taught me thus far.
Read MoreLast summer I found myself in the middle of probably my biggest purge since moving — except we weren’t moving. I got to a point where I got tired of seeing “stuff” at every turn — from the clothes in my closet to the decor in my mantle — so I started pulling things out to trash, sell, or donate…
I was able to list small kitchen appliances, dinnerware, and decorative accents and I felt so much better about being able to pass these items onto someone who wanted em but could now get them at a fraction of the cost; and while I love being able to donate, it didn’t hurt that I could make a little play money in the process.
Read MoreFor the past month (maybe longer?), I have been blessed and fortunate enough to have been working from home as we try to protect ourselves and prevent the ongoing spread of COVID-19...aka flattening the curve. Yes, “working from home” sounds fun & easy, but being at home for both work and home life isn’t exactly a pleasure picnic. I also know, firsthand, that working from home as an employee versus working from home as an entrepreneur are two similar, but different experiences; and I had to make adjustments to my mindset and home accordingly.
