You Be You: Being True To My Brand I realized this year that I have been trying to make The Lifestylist Brands about what I thought everyone else wanted it to be. Instead of leading, I was following and spending a crazy amount of time on things that would not provide a reasonable income. To be honest, I didn't enjoy it.

But I knew that while all of this was happening, better days would follow and they have. I have a milestone birthday coming up, and all of this has made me realize that it is time to make some changes. It has been a lot of fun to travel all over the world for work, but now I’m ready to spend more time at home and work on my own home. Don’t get me wrong - we already have exciting projects going on in Napa and other places, but I am going to be a lot more selective about where I work and who I work for. I have always had incredible clients, but now I’m going to set aside more time for me to spend time doing what I enjoy doing, especially with family and friends.

We recently did a road trip to Arizona, and had to tell this delightful park ranger and volunteer how much I loved his mask. It started a delightful conversation and I learned that he has a drawer full of masks that he has started collecting themed around working at the park, and it is always a way to start a conversation with someone. He is right - it worked with me!

We have been traveling by car instead of a plane, and have been focusing on more clients that I can drive to. As a result, I have seen things that I have never seen, met people that I would have never met, and I’ve developed a new appreciation for American-made products and supporting local businesses.

With 2020 in my rearview mirror, I’m ready to hit the road and to discover what 2021 has in store for me. One thing that I am sure of is that it will be filled with great wines, lots of dining even if that means cooking at home, and of course great design.

It’s so hard to believe that the holidays are almost here! Usually, if I get my tree up and decorated it’s the week before Christmas, but this year we have not one, but four trees up and decorated with our favorite family and vintage ornaments. There is something peaceful about having the light of the tree on every night -things almost feel normal.

Every day I feel like I’m not getting anything done, but in fact, I have entered and won cooking contests at the State Fair of Texas, expanded our Lifestylist Look store at Lula B’s Oak Cliff, and have even designed and opened a few online shops for our brand so it’s easier than ever to shop with us from the comfort and safety of your own home. I’ve always been the worst about mailing things, but now I’m going to the post office every day and loving it!

It’s been awhile since we entered the cooking contests at the State Fair of Texas, but working with Signature Kitchen Suite has gotten me excited about baking again. I was in town during the cookie contests, so I decided to give it a try.

If you haven’t heard of Signature Kitchen Suite yet, you will. This new, innovative luxury brand is changing the way we approach our kitchens and how we cook in them: one Technicurean® at a time.

Happy Easter everyone! We used the day to go through some of our photos to find our favorites - it was hard to choose. It’s so easy to get folders of photos and then never be able to find the ones we want when we want them.

Doing a late New Years resolution (or maybe and Easter resolution) to do folders of our favorites so we can find them again next year. Enjoy!

One of the special joys of being a member of the USA Film Festival is that you get to meet filmmakers that you would never get a chance to spend time with in any other situation.

Last night was one of those special moments when Michael Greyeyes was in Dallas for a special screening of his film "Woman Walks Ahead." Such a beautiful, profound film that everyone needs to see and be reminded of our Native American history. 

There are so many great non-profits these days it's harder than ever for them to raise the necessary funds to operate. I' m a great volunteer and marketer, but I hate asking people for money, so I wanted to come up with a product that I could use to help raise funds. The Giving Bag came to be when I was in NYC with a group of chefs and we realized we never had enough hands, especially when we were visiting the farmers market and local stores and bought goodies from every vendor each in a different. Sometimes it was easier to hold things with handles, sometimes as a backpack or other times, just something slung over my shoulder.

It's a work in progress, but I think I'm finding my voice. My grammar and spelling may not always be perfect, I know I break "writing Rules" all of the time, but what I write and share is my voice, my opinion, and on the house.

If you need a home designed or staged, or if you need some help in the kitchen, I'm your Lifestylist® and there will be a fee - I've still got to pay the bills and keep all of my rescue animals fed! But I'm going to start having fun writing again, and hopefully, you will enjoy what I share.

When a client asked me to redesign a restaurant in Tucson, AZ I jumped at the chance. The name of the restaurant was Teresa's Mosaic Cafe, so I thought how easy - just find some fun tiles and do some mosaic tables and murals. Perfectionist and Lifestylist that I am, I couldn't find what I wanted, so I decided to buy a slab roller and kiln and make what ended up being over 26,000 tiles myself.

I've spent a lifetime collecting things I love and the stories that go with them. My parents are ready to sell their lake home and downsize which means some of my Moms collections are up for grabs too, including a very rare set of Salvation Army china from England. What I hope will make us unique is that I'm going to stage everything in a collection, and hope to constantly change what we are featuring that week.

2017 is finally here! For The Lifestylist® Brands it's going to start with a wonderful opportunity - in five days we'll be heading to Orlando for Design and Construction Week. We'll be covering the show for Candy'sDirt.com and it's going to be a fast, information filled week - with over 2,100 exhibitors, 80,000 attendees and showhouses allover Orlando - the trick will be how to do as much as we can in a short amount of time January 1, 2017

This Christmas ended up being very special. My Dad has been having some health issues but was able to get released from the hospital and spend the holidays at home. It was a great reminder to cherish and appreciate every moment.

You never know where you will run into greatness. One evening I was in a bookstore in Mishawaka Indiana and was determined to find a particular magazine that my work was featured in. I almost ran into a tall, distinguished man and it took a few minutes for it to register, but I had almost knocked over Muhammad Ali. He gave me a big smile and we both went our separate ways but I'll never forget the smile and the twinkle in his eyes. I couldn't believe it was him, but found out later that he lived nearby in Niles, Michigan and it was his daughter Laila that was with him.

I am so thankful that I have been able to own and run my own company, especially because it allows me to travel and spend time with family. This weekend we were all able to get together for my granddaughter's 1st birthday, and there is nothing better than when all of us get together. The only bad part is having to leave -I miss all of them already.

So as we were walking out of the building getting ready to pass out my remaining entries who should be in front of us but Oprah and Company! It was so exciting, and I ran up to her car to try to get a better look – she looks AMAZING in person by the way – I saw someone in her car so asked if I could give her my blue ribbon. They said that was very sweet but I should keep it, but I gave them some of my caramels. I believe in sharing with everyone. I was honored that they were so excited about my goodies, and now can’t wait to see the show after they tape it. I didn’t get to meet her, but you just never know what tomorrow might bring.

One of my favorite events that occurred during Design and Construction Week was the press conference that celebrated the fact that Thermador is now 100 years young! Seeing how much they have accomplished, and the talented team they have put together for the next 100 years was exciting. Happy Anniversary Thermador! Many thanks to Lisa Stewart Photography for all of these great images.