Another year, another successful Academy France! Returning to this little slice of heaven in the French countryside always feels like coming home - and it’s so special to be able to share that unique experience with others. Here’s a little look at how the Styling & Photography Workshop unfolded this summer. If you’d like to be the first to know about the next Academy France, sign up here.

Hello friends! I have something fun for you today. Lately I’ve been thinking of creative ways to help you with your styling challenges, something that guides you through styling the distinct spaces within your home, in an easy and accessible way.

With that in mind, we’ve created our first free downloadable resource focused on styling open shelves. Today, it’s quite common to see open shelving in kitchens, but it can be very tricky to make them both functional and beautiful. We hope this simple, 3-page, step-by-step guide will take the confusion out of the process and result in gorgeous open shelves that not only work as a useful element of your space, but also show you how to express your own individual styles.

Ever since I picked up pottery as a hobby, it’s made me much more aware of the unique ways the material is being used. Lately, I’ve noticed that artisans and home decor brands are utilizing it in a wider array of objects for the home, including my favorite - lighting. I love that ceramics can appeal to a variety of decor styles, everything from Scandi and modern, to country and traditional.

Below I’ve sourced 15 unique (and gorgeous!) pieces of lighting that will add earthiness, texture, and interest to any space.

My work studio at Grove House is essentially, an attached studio apartment. It can be accessed through the main house but also has it’s own separate entrance. It has a full kitchen and pantry (although we haven’t installed a range or refrigerator, it’s been plumed for both) a full bath and a large walk-in storage closet. I often say that I could easily and happily live in it, and when I’m home, find myself spending much of my day here. Aside from our master bedroom, it has the best natural light, which is why I’m so partial to it. The slipcovered sofa tucked under the windows is my favorite place to read, and our rescue dog, Liberty’s, favorite place to nap.

I spent Valentine’s Day flying home from New York after a week long styling gig with Country Living. Upon arrival, I was coming down the escalator, and just like a scene from a movie, my husband was there to greet me with a huge bouquet of roses and a heart shaped balloon. The only problem was…I didn’t even notice him. Can you believe it?! I completely missed my sappy romantic movie moment and he had to follow me to baggage claim in order to “surprise” me! Life is like that sometimes, we're rushing through our day and miss seeing the beauty right before our eyes. Thank goodness, there’s also that age old saying - better late than never.

I thought it would be interesting to switch things up a bit and begin a series of posts on how I manage and run my creative business. I’ve been self employed for over two decades and through that experience, have learned how to maintain and grow a small, but very profitable company. Aside from being self motivated, I believe having a system of organization has been key to my success. In an effort to help other creative entrepreneurs, I’d like to share the tools and strategies I use to keep things running smoothly.