little-yellow-door

How to Get Out of a Funk: 12 Practical Ways I Reset My Mind and Mood

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 15:27:53 GMT

Do you ever feel like you're just stuck in a funk?

Feeling down is something most of us experience—especially during the winter months when seasonal depression, low energy, and shorter days make it harder to feel like ourselves. When I’m feeling stuck, emotionally heavy, or creatively blocked, these are the 12 practical ways I get out of a funk and support my mental health.

1. Alone time

Intentional alone time is essential for emotional well-being. Alone time isn’t isolation—it’s information. It's data. It allows space to process emotions, regulate the nervous system, and reconnect with yourself when life feels overwhelming.

2. Stop numbing

Numbing behaviors like excessive scrolling, binge-watching, or staying constantly busy can keep you stuck in a funk. Noticing when you’re avoiding your feelings is often the first step toward improving your mood and energy.

3. Start walking

Walking is one of the most effective tools for mental health and creativity. I love my walks! It helps regulate my nervous system, improve mood, reduce anxiety, and break through creative blocks. Even short walks can create noticeable emotional shifts.

4. Consume constructive media

What you consume matters. Podcasts, audiobooks, uplifting content, and educational media can positively impact your mindset and emotional health—especially when you’re feeling low or uninspired. Hit pause on your true crime podcasts for now if you're already in a season of stress or low energy.

5. Stop scrolling

We are all guilty. Excessive social media scrolling can increase stress, comparison, and mental fatigue. Taking intentional breaks from scrolling helps reduce overstimulation and information overload.

6. Romanticize little moments

Joy doesn’t need to be big or impressive. Romanticizing everyday moments—your morning coffee, a quiet walk, a favorite song—helps retrain your brain to notice beauty and pleasure, even during difficult seasons. I love to romanticize my shower by tidying up the bathroom, lighting candle and turning on a meditation.

7. Start journaling

Y'all knew this one was coming! Journaling helps release unprocessed thoughts and emotions. Writing creates clarity, emotional relief, and perspective, making it easier to move through a funk instead of staying stuck in it. I created a simple Daily Journal Guide back in 2020 when I felt like I was in a funk most days. It's super simple. The guide consists of 7 short prompts to help get my thoughts in order, prioritize tasks and notice the good in my life. Find the guide here!

8. Lean into spirituality

Spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, reflection, or gratitude can provide grounding and meaning during emotionally heavy seasons. If I'm being honest, I often procrastinate my devotionals and quiet time, but I always feel SO much better after engaging in some sort of spiritual practice.

9. Change your environment

Your surroundings directly impact your mood. Rearranging a room, spending time outside, or working in a new space can quickly shift energy and improve mental well-being. Find some childcare, grab a book and head to a coffee shop for an afternoon. Maybe even treat yourself to a dinner alone!

10. Find a hobby

Creative hobbies give your mind something life-giving to focus on--and they don't have to be lucrative. Allow yourself to play. Whether it’s crafting, riding a bike or baking...challenge yourself to find a hobby that you engage in just for the fun of it.

11. Help others

If all else fails, go serve someone else. Helping others is one of the fastest ways to gain perspective and reconnect with purpose. Acts of service—big or small—can improve mood and increase feelings of fulfillment. In this episode, I share some ways Will and I have done this over the years!

12. Keep your circle tight--not wide

It can be a hard lesson to learn, but when you're surrounded by safe, supportive people, you feel like you can't lose. Keeping a small, trusted circle helps you feel understood, grounded, and less alone during hard seasons.

Everyone experiences emotional ups and downs. Feeling stuck doesn’t mean something is wrong with you, but you do have to take initiative. You do have to move your feet and make changes. You do have take responsibility for your own mental health. These small, practical steps can help support mental health, creativity, and emotional well-being—one choice at a time!

Take it slow. Make one small change this week. Pick one of these 12 hacks and try it for one whole week. Then report back and tell me how you feel!

Listen to the full podcast episode here.

Love you all!

Saying Goodbye to a Huge Part of My Business

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 23:53:59 GMT

I'm so excited for the changes happening in this season...

I released a podcast in October--6 days before I had a baby. We've somehow made it to episode 5! In this episode of the Open Your Own Door podcast, I’m sharing something really personal—what this season of motherhood has (honestly) been like and how it’s completely reshaped the way I think about work, success, and what I want my days to look like moving forward.

After having my third baby, I felt a shift almost immediately. I've always taken pride in being able to just "bounce back" and work hard though my postpartum seasons. I've always just strapped a baby to me and carried on like nothing ever happened. I was expecting exactly the same motivation to show up after birthing this baby. But this time...much to my surprise, a quiet, persistent nudge kept asking: Is the storefront still working for you?

I loved my storefront. I really did. I still do! It was something I poured so much of myself into—from the renovation, to the planning of events to curating the perfect displays. But postpartum life has a way of clarifying things. And the more I looked for clarity, I realized I just couldn't deny that my priorities were shifting.

I found myself tired in a way that sleep couldn’t fix. I was spending most of my time on tasks that didn’t feel fulfilling, and I had very little energy left for the parts of my work that actually lit me up. Somewhere along the way, the business started running me instead of the other way around. And honestly....I started to get bored.

That’s when I knew I needed to pause.

Stepping back from the storefront wasn’t an easy decision, but it was an honest one. I needed more space—for my kids, for my body, and for my nervous system. I needed to stop pushing just because I could. Just because you are good at something doesn't mean you should do it forever, especially if it's not serving you. Especially if it's draining you.

Self-care in this season doesn't look glamorous. It's not shiny and it's not something that gets instant gratification. It looks like saying no, slowing down, and letting go of something that once made sense--but doesn't anymore, And being completely at peace with that decision.

I'm not choosing to view this change as a failure. I don't really believe in failures--I just believe that every experience is a stepping stone--a stepping stone that will get me closer and closer to where I'm supposed to be in life.

This pivot was needed in more ways than just one.

I realized how much of my time was going toward maintaining something instead of growing into what’s next. When I gave myself permission to step away during my maternity leave, I finally had the clarity to see where I actually wanted to put my energy.

And honestly? I feel most alive when I’m helping other women—especially mothers—navigate their creativity, their ideas, and their next steps without burning themselves out.

This season has pulled me into a 10X mindset—not by doing more, but by focusing on what actually matters.

I’m choosing depth over hustle. Alignment over obligation. Work that feels expansive instead of draining.

When you stop forcing something to work, you create room for something that fits better.

If you’re in a season where things feel off—whether that’s in motherhood, business, or life in general— this episode is for you .

You’re allowed to change your mind.

You’re allowed to rest.

You’re allowed to close a door and open a better one.

And sometimes, that’s exactly how you find your way back to yourself.

Listen to this episode here and let me know what you think!

Sports Themed Room for 10 Year Old Boy

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 17:27:21 GMT

My friend Kelly is a mom of 3 boys, and I’ve always enjoyed watching her thrive amongst the all-boy chaos.

Long before I had children myself, I always looked up to Kelly and imagined what my life would be like with a home full of boys.

The Eubanks clan is a family who loves hunting and SPORTS. Her husband, Alan Eubanks, is the head baseball coach for our high school team and their house is sprinkled with baseball bags, camo jackets, and football gear. Her kids are all phenomenal athletes, and her oldest son just left for college in August to play baseball for Southern Miss.

On top of sending her oldest off to college, she recently lost her mother. So when she reached out in the fall needing a happy project to brighten their home, I immediately said yes.

Their youngest son Mac is 10 and recently moved all of the “baby” stuff out of his room. Kelly wanted to give Mac a space that could grow with him into high school and beyond. Alan painted the room Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore , and Kelly wanted the room to feel traditional, but fun.

BEFORE

AFTER

I always love to think outside the box when hanging things on the wall. We debated hanging an American Flag above the bed, but these baseball gloves ranging from 1930-1970 were so much more interesting. My favorite thing about the vintage baseball gloves: you can actually see the names of the previous owners written on some of them. I sourced most of these from my friend Cody and Lauren who own The West Place. Before hanging, we put all the gloves on the floor so we could figure out the formation that made the most sense--properly dispersing shape, color and texture. I hung each glove with long nails. Super simple.

I love the drawing Mac made of his family duck hunting. Bulletin boards are an awesome way to display memorabilia.

The bed, the curtains, and all the bedding was sourced from either Amazon, Target or Wal Mart—with price points that didn’t break the bank. All sources are linked here.

I love the bench at the foot of the bed and the texture it adds to the space. It reminds me of a bench you’d see in an old baseball dugout.

I found both these pieces at a local antique mall. The black and white baseball photo shows a team wearing jerseys that say "Huntington Lions." I thought it was neat because we are the Huntingdon Mustangs. The vintage cross stitch is a golden retriever holding a mallard duck. Mac duck hunts and has a golden named Gunner!

One thing Kelly really wanted was a space for Mac to draw. Mac takes after his dad in that he is very creative and artistic. I sourced this antique desk that has plenty of storage and shelves for knickknacks.

Mac’s number one rule for me: I could not use ANY red in designing this space because red is the color of our rival team. I sourced the old metal cabinet and throw blanket from a local antique mall, and Mac said I barely passed the color test, LOL. The two pieces have just enough of a brown-orange tint so that they work together in the space.

Overall, the space feels layered, cozy and mature, with subtle playful details throughout. Kelly mentioned that Mac has been spending a lot more time in his bedroom, something he didn’t do before!

As alw ays, I try to source as much vintage as possible. Everything that could be linked is linked here.

This was the original design plan. I always start with a general plan, but changes are bound to happen in the process. Lots have asked about the rug, and you can find it here.

Approval, Worthiness, Workaholism and Giving Myself Permission

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 16:50:25 GMT

Saying goodbye to belief systems that aren't serving me...

This will be a loaded post, but I’m going to try to make it as concise as possible. I am going to attempt to encompass all that has been going on in my brain and in my life over the past 5 months. As always, I hope you can see yourself in a little bit of what I share. My intention is always to encourage you, hoping that you can take away a small nugget of what I share and apply it to your own life.

As most of you know, we are expecting our 3 ^rd baby boy. I can’t believe it. We are so, so excited! Our due date is November 1 ^st , I’m just over 21 weeks.

I’ve mentioned this so many times in various places on the internet, but this pregnancy has been an extremely eye-opening experience. I’m not really sure why it has felt so different this time around. Maybe it has to do with the fact that the beginning of this pregnancy was really hard and scary. In just the first 10 weeks, I had at least 4 scares that either made me believe I wasn’t actually pregnant or that I was losing the baby altogether. The ups and downs and the emotional toll it all took on me really forced me to get real with myself and take inventory of all the systems and “things” I had going on in my life.

I won’t get into every single nitty gritty business task that consumes me week to week, but all you need to know for the sake of this post is that I knew deep down for a long time that my schedule was going to have to change, or I was going to burn out…and burn out quick. I am notorious for having a lot of “irons in the fire” and juggling a ton of tasks.

Part of this is because I am truly multi-passionate—and I am learning that most entrepreneurs are. And that is okay! It’s more than okay.

I love art. I love design. I love thrifting. I love visual merchandising. I love writing. I love teaching. I love encouraging others. I love styling. Basically, if it has anything to do with being creative, or encouraging others to be creative, I am on it. For a long time, I really beat myself up over this. I thought that if I couldn’t hone in on ONE thing and master ONE concept, then no one would ever take me seriously as a business owner. I have recently let go of trying to hold on tightly to “one thing,” and I’ve allowed myself to consistently work on all the things I love. Some business gurus may say that this is recipe for failure. I call it being true who I am, and living in alignment with the highest version of myself.

A theme you will see in this post: I am learning to give myself permission to be who I really am—and I’m turning away from constantly talking down to myself for not being a certain type of way. I am letting go of comparing myself to Suzie down the street who is extremely type A, laser focused and driven, and I am giving myself permission to chase after my own curiosities—with little to no guilt. We are all built differently. And again, that's okay.

I don’t have to fit into a certain mold in order to be considered successful, and neither do you. My whole life, I chased approval, accolades, awards, grades and success. From a very early age, I believed that I had something to prove. I believed that if I wasn’t the best, there was no use in trying.

A lot of this overachiever mentality stemmed from losing my mom at a young age, and being sent to live with my grandparents in a town I wasn’t super familiar with. I moved to Union City in second grade, and I spent most of my childhood trying to prove that I was worthy of being “taken in.” My grandparents were almost 70 when I went to live with them, and even as a 7-year-old, I knew this was a huge sacrifice. I always wanted to make everyone around me proud. I never wanted to let anyone down. I was overly helpful, overly productive and felt guilty taking up space. I never wanted to rock the boat, so I kept a lot of my thoughts, opinions and questions to myself.

I did learn, however, that when I made good grades and performed well in sports that everyone around me was happy and proud. When I made 3-point shots on the basketball court and stole bases on the softball field, I was patted on the back. Not just by my grandparents, but by everyone. When I played every sport known to man and never had a day off as a high schooler, I was viewed as “talented” or “cool.” When I made good grades and received awards, I felt like I had done my job by proving myself.

But proved myself to who?? For what??

Over the years, I would only feel worthy if I received awards and recognition for whatever task was at hand. If I didn’t make Top 10 for grades, I wasn’t smart enough. If I didn’t’ make All-State, I wasn’t athletic enough. If my boyfriend cheated on me, I wasn’t pretty enough or skinny enough. If my friends didn’t invite me, I wasn’t cool enough.

This mentality followed me to college and grad school. Always trying to be the best, achieve the most and look the cutest while doing it.

A series of events happened that ultimately lead me to become a speech-language pathologist in order to keep everyone around me happy. Once I figured out that I hated it, I didn’t think I could quit because that would mean that I failed…wouldn’t it? That would mean that I got it wrong. That would mean that I made a mistake. Quitting would mean letting down my family, my boss and a lot of other people. So I stuck it out for way longer than I should, living life on autopilot. Not really feeling fulfilled, but staying at my job because that’s what a “good” girl would do.

When my brother passed away in 2018, I stopped caring so much what others thought about my life decisions. The veil started to lift. I started to view myself as an actual human being with free will and choices. I realized that this is my life, and I can quit a job if I want. Especially if it made me miserable.

So that’s what I did. I quit. But if I was going to quit, I knew that I would be expected to make up that yearly income somehow. Insert my love of art, design, thrifting, teaching, etc.

Will and I were freshly into our marriage when I decided to give up speech, but I fell into that old pattern of feeling like I had something to prove. If I was going to give up my safe job in a school system with benefits and insurance, then I better find a way to make it worth it. This is pressure that I continuously place on myself. Many of the business decisions I’ve made over the past 6 years have come from a place of wanting to prove myself. To be seen as legitimate. To be viewed as successful. To feel worthy.

I have 100% been confusing success with worthiness.

If I work harder and stay busy, I will be worthy. If I make enough money to cover my SLP income, I will be worthy. If I never take a day off and grind myself to the bone, I will be worthy. If I always reach for more, I will be worthy. If I open my store 6 days a week, I will be worthy. If I get likes and comments on Instagram, I will be worthy.

Why does this sound familiar? Oh, because it’s what I did in high school. It’s crazy how our body just falls into those familiar patterns, sometimes without even noticing it.

This is why it’s so important to slow down, spend time alone , reflect and ask yourself why you are doing what you’re doing. Up until this pregnancy, I’m not sure I was slowing down enough to really take inventory. It’s important to conduct a life audit every once in a while, but when we are stuck on autopilot, zooming out and looking at your life from a bird’s eye view is next to impossible.

I’ve been incorporating a lot of new slow and intentional habits into my life.

One of these being writing in a journal weekly, if not daily.

Here are a few prompts that really encourage me to be honest with myself:

Yesterday, what lit me up? What brought me joy? What did I truly enjoy doing?

Yesterday, what drained me? What did I avoid? What did I dread?

These simple questions have been so life changing for me. The concept is simple. Do more of the things that bring you joy and less of the things that drain you.

Maybe your job is what drains you. I’d take note of that.

Maybe it’s your ridiculous schedule that drains you. Take note of that.

Maybe it’s the tasks around the house. Maybe it’s your marriage. Maybe it’s your parents.

This is your reminder that if you are not happy with a certain area of your life, it is no one else’s responsibility but your own to change it. You can live the next 50 years complaining about the same things, or you can take action to make a positive change in your life. The choice is yours--so please remember that the next time you feel yourself slipping into victim mode.

My favorite part of my journaling practice is when I really notice what brings me joy. What part of my day did I want to do more of? What part of my day did I enjoy so much that I didn’t want it to end? Was it reading a good book? Going on a walk with my kids? Eating dinner with my spouse without my phone? Was it the part of my day when I allowed myself to play and be creative?

Slow and intentional habits that have been improving my quality of life as of late:

-Plugging my phone up outside my bedroom at night

-Daily walks listening to the Activations app (formerly Superhuman)

-Saying "no" to projects I will dread

-Embracing my curly hair

-Not posting every single day on socials

-Sitting in the sunshine

-Not checking my phone in the middle of the night or right after I wake up

-Reading a lot (waking up before boys, about 5:00 and reading in my sunroom)

-Walking in the grass barefoot

-Lighting a candle while I work on my computer or take a shower. Romanticizing simple moments.

-Believing I am worthy of good things

-Not entertaining people or relationships who foster “woe is me” or scarcity mentality

-Not playing the victim

-Setting boundaries that allow me to be a more present mother and wife

-Staying home more

-Beef tallow instead of lotion or expensive creams

-When sourcing for the store, I only look for large items. If small items catch my eye, I will buy them…but I’m not actively searching for smalls. Less work for more return.

-Asking myself daily, “What would the highest version of Paige do?”

-Being proud of taking breaks, instead of feeling guilty

-Turning off my text notifications

-Taking naps

-Painting more

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few, but I am fully embracing this as my season to let go of seeking approval. I am saying goodbye to grind culture. Workaholics are often trying to avoid something or compensate for something. I am fully aware of this. I can honestly look back at the seasons where I was grinding my tail off and admit that I was trying to prove I could make it as a business owner. I was trying to prove my legitimacy. Again…for who??? Maybe I will write a whole blog post on that someday.

As for this season of pregnancy, I am choosing to believe I am worthy. Even when I’m not grinding, even when I’m not moving the needle forward, even when I’m not making a dollar. God says I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I want my kids to believe that about themselves, so why not believe it about myself?

And lastly, I am giving myself permission. I’m not waiting on permission to come to me. I’m telling myself that I am ALLOWED to take breaks. I am allowed to go on walks. I am allowed to actually sit down to eat breakfast. I am allowed to take a nap. I am allowed to decrease my hours at the store. I am allowed to say no. I am allowed to set boundaries. I am allowed to do what’s best for my family. I am allowed to let others down. I am allowed to play. I am allowed to make mistakes. I am allowed to pivot. I am allowed to try new things. I am allowed to change my routine. I am allowed to stop hanging out with people who make me feel icky. I am allowed to take trips alone. I am allowed to do things that aren't lucrative. I am allowed to be happy.

If any of this resonated with you, please let me know! So many of us get caught up in a set of unwritten rules and expectations. But why? For who? What are you trying to prove?

Go do something today that brings you joy. And do so unapologetically!!

Share this post on socials or with a friend if you found it valuable. I'd greatly appreciate it!

Love you all!

Paige

Worth's Bedroom

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 01:26:59 GMT

Next up on our tour of rooms—Worthie’s bedroom!

Worth is our 4-year-old little boy who loves all things baseball, cowboys, fishing, hunting, animals, action figures and airplanes. He is so hilarious and very opinionated. He’s incredibly loving and tender-hearted. A sweet mama's boy who is starting to love going to work with dada to learn about trucks and tractors.

His room was originally the master bedroom in our 1974 home. We decided it was entirely too small to function as the master, so we converted our garage into the master suite. Click here to read more about that project!

This plan worked out in Worth’s favor because now he has his own little bathroom, which he will like once he’s older. Don’t be fooled—he still sleeps in our bed right now, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

I get asked all the time why we have two beds, and it makes me wonder if I’m the only kid who grew up on twin beds?! I was raised by my grandparents, and my Maw Maw LOVES a twin bed set. My childhood room had twin beds, and this MCM pair actually came out of our family’s lake house. I have so many fond memories of playing tackle, reading books, coloring and sleeping on these beds growing up. They remind me a lot of my brother—who passed away in 2018. The headboards even make this distinct rattling sound that transports me straight back to my childhood and jumping on the beds with my cousins. These headboards mean so much to me, so it makes me smile that our boys will continue making memories with them.

As always, so much of this room is thrifted! The pendant light, rug, dresser, lamps, mirror, spindle chairs, green chest of drawers, trunk, throw pillows, log cabin, old books and wall decor—ALL thrifted or found at antique stores or flea markets.

The sheets are Wrangler and can be found here. The striped duvet cover adds a feeling of uniformity and the wool blankets came from my store! We used these sconces at our old house, so they are about six years old. I can link similar ones here!

The red shelf above the green chest of drawers is new. We ordered it from H&M last year. All of the little knick kancks on the shelves are pieces that either remind me of Worth, or he thrifted them himself while shopping with me. The wood duck cross stitch was my husband’s when he was a little boy. I bought that mustard yellow marquee “W” right after we got married—before we even had Worth.

The spindle chairs were a Facebook Marketplace find. Worth and I drove all the way to Alabama to pick them up. When we arrived at the house to pick up, we realized the sellers were an elderly couple. The husband sold us the chairs and a few other pieces in his home. He told us his wife had dementia, so they were beginning to sell off a lot of their home furnishings. His wife sent Worth home with a hand-knitted blanket she made. So sweet. We ended up reupholstering the chairs. We used a place in Troy, Tennessee called Tack and Stitch. I LOVE the way they turned out.

The paint color is Storms in Paris by Tonester Paints. We also used Storms in Paris for the trim and ceiling in the bathroom, which I’ll share soon! The wallpaper peeking through is Mitchell Black, linked here.

In a previous post, I shared that the floors are Anderson Tuftex engineered hardwood. The color is Woodland and species is White Oak. Surface texture is Bandsaw. Number is 11047. We used this flooring throughout the main level of our home, with the exception of bathrooms and mudroom/laundry. We used a Luxury Vinyl Plank in our basement in a similar color, which I will share soon!

I know this is totally backwards, but I always save the window treatments for last. I always want to make sure my selection ties everything together. Window treatments can make or break a space, in my opinion. These curtains are actually from Amazon, but look super high end! We are totally pleased with them! I like to hang my curtains high and wide, with the bottom hem touching the floor.

Over the years, I’ve learned that guest bedrooms and children’s bedrooms are my favorite to create. Just make sure your child’s bedroom speaks to their personality! That’s what makes it fun. Allow your child to make some decisions. From day one, I asked Worth what color he wanted for his room. Although he does not sleep in there yet, it give him a sense of ownership. He loves to play in his room. He will be 5 in July, and I love to watch him create his own little pretend worlds with his racecars, monster trucks and animals. We keep balls and bulky toys in the chest between the beds, and we keep costumes and dress up clothes in the old metal can by the bathroom.

Please let me know if you have any questions about his room! I will share Lake’s room next!!

Drop In

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 22:20:09 GMT

We made it! We made it through January.

As the funny meme goes, “It was a long year.”

I know I cannot be the only one feeling like January was just, like, a lot. Not only is the weather cold most places, but the twinkly lights from Christmas are gone, sickness is raging, the news headlines are scary, and business is slow for a lot of brick and mortars.

As with everything in life, we can choose to focus on the bad or we can try our best to focus on the good. I heard something the other day that really helped me mentally during this season. If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’m obsessed with Cathy Heller. I have been listening to her podcast for six years. Cathy lives in Los Angeles and had to evacuate because of the horrendous fires. Cathy and her family drove a few hours to stay with one of her friends because the fire was literally at the end of her street. On one of her recent episodes, she talked about how she felt when she went to sleep at her friend’s house the night they evacuated. She talked about how she was greeted with warm food, cozy blankets and she laid her head down in a safe, comfortable bed. She was surrounded by her husband, her three daughters and her cats. Going to sleep that night, they didn’t know if their house would be engulfed in flames come morning. There were so many scary unknowns. But in that moment, none of the material things mattered. Her home in Brentwood didn’t matter. What mattered was literally right in front of her face. Her three healthy girls, her comforting husband, her kind friend, and the safety of her friend’s home. The basics. And she felt immense joy, even with the fires so close to her home.

Recently, my boys have been sick. I feel like everyone has. It has forced us to slow down quite a bit. We are blessed to have this cozy nook bed in Lake’s bedroom. It’s one of my favorite spots in our house. This past week, I have been feeling anxious about a lot of things. The plane crashes in the news. The weather. The fevers my babies can’t seem to shake. Keeping up with all my tasks as a business owner. The fate of my parents and grandparents. Time management. House chores. The list goes on.

But while cuddling my boys in the nook bed the other night, I decided I would try my best to fully drop into the present moment. All we have is the present moment. All we have is right now. We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. We aren’t guaranteed the next minute or hour. So, what is going on right NOW that you can be grateful for? When I decided to be fully present under the covers with my babies, I noticed everything that felt good in that moment.

I loved feeling their chests rise and fall. I loved how the warmth from our bodies became trapped under the down comforter, making me feel extra cozy. I loved listening to Will tinker around in the kitchen because that meant he was either cooking us a meal or he was cleaning up from a meal. I loved the fact that we were on solid ground—if you know me, I hate flying in airplanes, regardless of the recent events. I loved the sound of our dogs snoring on the ground beside us. I loved the way my silky pajamas felt against my skin. I loved the smell of my new skincare creams on my face.

The more I noticed , the more blessed I felt. Privileged, even. Do you see how fully dropping into a present moment can totally redirect your thoughts? Instead of sitting in that “woe is me” energy, you can begin to feel grateful. You may even feel super lucky.

This is totally different from toxic positivity. Toxic positivity is when you totally DISMISS your negative emotions. Toxic positivity is when you don’t allow yourself to feel the sadness or feel the pain or feel the heartbreak you might be going through. I always think it’s a good idea to sit with your emotions. Acknowledge them. Feel them. Don’t dismiss them. Don’t ignore them. Don’t hide them. Find someone to talk to. I like to hash out my deepest, darkest feelings with my husband and two of my best friends. If you are constantly suppressing your emotions, you will eventually end up projecting your unresolved issues onto someone else—likely, the people you love the most.

I am fully aware that our problems don’t disappear just because the weather begins to warm up. A new month doesn’t make the hard things go away. How cool would it be if the negative things in your life totally disappeared along with the with cold air? What if the pain and heartbreak didn’t have to linger month after month after month?

There are so many people going through really hard things right now. Myself included. Social media tricks us into thinking everyone is happy, everyone is crushing it, everyone is successful, everyone has a clean house, and everyone has the perfect family. That’s just simply not true. We all have our stuff.

However, we all ALSO have the capacity to pay attention to the present moment. What feels good to you right NOW? I know you must have some “good” around you in this exact moment. I like to sink into my senses. What do I smell? What do I see? What do I feel? What do I hear? Every morning, when I take that first sip of coffee, I try to fully savor it. From the moment it touches my lips to fully feeling the warmth travel through my body—I think it’s important to notice the good.

You have two choices. You can focus on the bad, and you will find evidence to support the idea that everything is “bad.” OR you can focus on the good, and you will find evidence to support the idea that we can find good in everything.

I’ve been through a ton in my life and continue to walk through storms daily. I don’t even want to imagine where I would be if I didn’t choose to find the good.

“But how?” is what you’re probably thinking. How can you find the good when there is so much sadness?

Drop into the present moment. Make a case for why you’re the most blessed person alive. Notice.

And then make this a habit. Do this often.

Love y’all!

Paige

Tybee's Bedroom

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 17:55:07 GMT

Tybee Adamson is the most electric little girl. She is full of life and loves the color pink.

A few months ago, my sweet friend Suzanna asked if I would create a whole new bedroom for her 2-year-old daughter, Tybee. Suzanna was one of my first “real” clients back in 2020. Since then, we’ve worked together to transform almost nine spaces in her home. Suzanna tragically lost her husband this past summer, so I was honored to help bring a little fun and light into her home again.

This bedroom was previously the guest room, and before J passed away, she would always say we needed to revamp this space. Suzanna wanted to create a room that felt really girly and exciting for her daughter. Suzanna explained to me that Tybee was accustomed to sleeping in her own room every night up until J’s passing. J was always the one to put her to sleep at night, and Tybee has shown no interest in even entering her room since July. Just hearing that broke my heart. Tybee's original bedroom is located just down the hall from this guest bedroom.

Suzanna not only wanted a fun place for Tybee to play, but she also wanted the space to feel cozy and safe in hopes that she may sleep in her own bed again one day. This bedroom project was inspiring for me because Suz gave me total creative freedom. Suzanna’s style is a lot like mine, and we share a love for funky vintage items. Working with her is so easy because she likes what I like. We wanted this bedroom to feel feminine, sweet, cozy and whimsical, with vintage touches all around.

First, we sourced the headboard. I crowd sourced for this piece, asking my Instagram friends if anyone had a white wicker peacock headboard. I ended up finding this one at Carriage House Antique Mall in Jackson, Tennessee, which is where Suzanna lives.

She already had the gorgeous Turkish rug, which she sourced on Etsy. Y’all have been DYING over this rug. I’ll link a similar one here . We wanted to play off the colors in the rug, so we chose Teresa’s Green by Farrow and Ball for the walls. Painting the room was so uplifting in itself. I called up a few of Suzanna’s friends, and we all tackled it together one Sunday afternoon with wine and Italian food. Sometimes just painting with your friends and talking about everything under the sun is the best form of therapy.

Next order of business was the bedding. I actually found the 100% cotton sheets at TJ Maxx, and we ordered the duvet cover online. I’ll link it here ! I found the handmade throw pillows at Miss Lucille’s in Clarksville, Tennessee. I traveled to Clarksville to pick up the white dresser because it was a Facebook Marketplace find. I was able to kill a few birds with one stone because Clarksville has several cute antique stores.

We decided to splurge on the overhead light, which ended up being a little bigger than anticipated. It’s so incredibly gorgeous in person, and the size isn’t a problem for now. That is, until Tybee starts swinging from it in a few years. LOL. I’ll link it here ! It’s seriously stunning. Very high quality.

The little canopy in the corner was actually an afterthought, in an attempt to bring more pink tones into the space. I’m so glad we decided to incorporate it because it’s Tybee’s favorite spot in the room! She ran directly to the canopy corner when we showed her the room. Her giggles and playfulness = priceless. We draped string lights behind the tent so that it feels really fairy-like and magical.

Suzanna already had the white bench under the window, as it was J’s grandmother’s bench. She also already had the cute wooden trunk, white rocking chair, bamboo side tables, pink lamps and the art above the dresser. The antique pink lamps were also in J’s family. I tried to sprinkle sweet memories of him throughout the room. Tybee still talks about her Daddy all the time.

The open shelves were so fun to style. I mixed old and new pieces to create a balanced, thoughtful corner. Many pieces were gifts given to Tybee or family heirlooms passed down. I never style shelves without a few plants because the pops of green really make the space come alive. I always use pothos or philodendron because they are easy to care for and they trail as they grow! I found that vintage pink chair at an antique store on install day! Talk about meant to be.

In the coming weeks, we will be adding simple round sconces on either side of the bed, roman shades and a bed skirt! We have also talked about painting the ceiling Teresa’s Green to match the walls or maybe even adding wallpaper to the ceiling. That will be down the line!

This room is the perfect example of how mixing old and new pieces can create a uniquely curated look. During styling, if things started to look a little too “granny,” I would add a modern or new piece to the vignette. Some of the white vases and ballerina dolls on the shelf give the space a fresh feel, while the texture of the yellowing vintage books make it feel nostalgic. This juxtaposition is my absolute favorite way to style.

Overall, we are so in love with how the space turned out. Tybee loves playing in her room, and we are hoping she will decide to sleep there soon! The Adamson family means a lot to me, and I’m just honored to be a tiny sliver of their healing journey.

Tamra's Guest Bedroom

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 18:09:02 GMT

This week I took a break from my own home to work on a gorgeous 1920s craftsman in

Hickman, Kentucky!

This is such a fun house with so much character. Tamra and her husband Chad have created an eclectic, warm, welcoming home where they are raising their 6 children! Their home is always teeming with activity and the smell of essential oils greets me every time I walk through the door. Her collection of rare plants also makes the space feel cozy and inviting.

Tamra wanted this spare room to be more functional and aesthetically pleasing. We ultimately decided to transform the space into a bedroom instead of a sitting room because her mom visits from out of town quite a bit. The “before” pictures aren’t bad! Tamra has wonderful taste, she just wanted the space to feel more organized. This is what the space looked like before:

I always like to start out by updating light fixtures and paint color if necessary. The new paint color is called Current Mood by Clare Paint. It's the perfect moody green-blue. The photos I've added here have a filter on them, so the paint appears darker in person. We decided against totally color drenching the space and we left the ceiling white. We did this just in case the whole color drenching trend goes out of style in the next few years. The floors are totally original, which makes my heart sing. The Jenny Lind-style bed was being used in her daughter’s room, so we just brought it downstairs! It’s always nice to be able to go shopping in your own home. Tamra has been a customer of mine for years, so she already had a ton of really cute pieces we could work with.

We originally thought we were going to make that left corner a cozy sitting area with a big chair, floor length mirror and floor lamp. One day I was at an antique mall in Union City, Tennessee (shoutout to The Gallery!) and spotted that amazing wooden desk. I immediately thought of Tamra and the little nook in this bedroom. We measured and it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. We decided to go with that velvet vintage chair so that it could be used as the desk chair, but also a reading chair if needed. It’s actually really comfortable! I got the round boucle pillow at Kirkland's in Jackson, but linked a similar one here .

The midcentury side table, floral trunk, vintage books, pottery, checkerboard, midcentury dresser, gold mirror, candle and poppy wall art all came from Little Yellow Door! I’m so glad Tamra and I share a love for vintage!

I can’t decide what I love most about the room—the overhead light or the curtains. Both draw your eye UPWARD and make the room feel bigger and taller. I always try to hang curtains high and wide because it elevates the space. I cannot say enough wonderful things about the floral curtains. The fabric is heavy and the quality is amazing. If I were to add anything to this room, I'd add Roman shades behind the curtains. It would finish out the look, but I didn't want to rob any more of the natural light since we painted the bedroom such a dark color.

You can find the curtains here and I linked a similar pendant light here . I ordered this actual overhead light from a site called Homdiy. Here is the link to the actual light, but it arrived broken and had to be fixed. It also took several weeks to come in, just FYI!

Tamra already had a neutral sheet set with a small gray floral pattern. They paired nicely with a white linen duvet cover set and insert from Target. The two gold throw pillows are also from Target and are linked here. I really like how the color of the light fixture, the velvet chair, the velvet pillows and the wool blanket at the end of the bed all talk to each other. They share that tan color and it makes the space feel organized and thought-out. The stripe ruffle pillow is from Etsy and linked here.

I actually got a few sleep pillows from Wal-Mart and I was super impressed with the quality! I am loving fluffy, plush bedding right now. It only took me about 20 minutes to get the duvet cover on, but I was told to look up videos of the reverse burrito method. I ended up using some form of this method and I somehow finally got it on. What’s funny- I used to have a duvet cover on my bed in college. Why I thought a duvet cover in college was a good idea, I will never know. We all know actual laundry days in college are few and far between. Anyway, I used to put them on all the time—just haven’t practiced in a while! I have linked a how-to video if your duvet-putting-on skills are rusty like mine.

The rug was sourced on Facebook Marketplace and the plants were purchased from my SIL’s plant store called Wild Roots. The lamp with the scalloped shade came from TJ Maxx. I’m all about mixing high priced items and cheap thrift store items with a touch of Home Goods, Target and TJ Maxx. I’m also a sucker for meshing old and new. I truly believe that’s what gives you a curated, clean look without things feeling “too” old or “too” new—or even too matchy! It’s also always nice to shop your own home before going out and spending money. Yes, this is coming from someone who owns a retail store, but shopping your own home helps you save money and trains you to use the things you already have! I can’t tell you how many times I move things around in my own house. Everything will eventually find its perfect little home—and then I’ll come along and change it again! But that’s the fun of it all! It’s important to keep your home feeling fresh and exciting.

One more tip before I go! If you have a fun cubby display or even a piece with small drawers, try putting little plants in the drawers. I absolutely love this look. It’s so cute and unexpected.

If you’re looking for design services, I do take on a few clients every couple of months. I have a few guidelines I like to follow when choosing my projects! I’m always looking for a specific type of client. If you are someone who fits the following criteria, shoot me an email at paige@littleyellowdoorshop.com. We can talk all things pricing, budget, timeline, and overall goal for your space. Okay so this is my ideal client:

someone who loves antique and vintage
has a (mostly) empty room in need of a makeover
is not afraid of color and pattern
allows (about 85%) creative freedom—or more!!
trusts my eye and process
has an appreciation for mixing old, new and everything in between
shares my similar style and love for spaces that aren’t’ boring
lives in the west/middle Tennessee area

If you inquire, we will then decide if we are a match! I have to be pretty selective during this process because after all, I am running a large retail space while being a wife and mama day in and day out. I hope you all understand!

Designing these spaces is so fun for me. I love an install day SO MUCH. I love to see the vision come to life and I am addicted to seeing your faces when the project is complete.

Thank you all for being here and for taking time out of your day to read my thoughts. I genuinely appreciate every single follow, comment, like, share, connection, friendship and conversation. This small business keeps me sane and allows me to do what I love every day. I couldn’t do it without y’all! As always, comment below if you have any questions! Be sure to sign up for our emails to receive free content, discounts and more! Love y’all!!

XOXO,

Paige

Sunroom Reveal

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 22:03:09 GMT

H ere it is!! One of my favorite rooms in the entire house.

From the moment I saw this sunroom, I could not wait to get my hands on it. I mean honestly, what’s not to love? The floors are original. So many windows. THAT BOOK LEDGE. It even already had hooks in place for hanging plants—which I will add eventually.

One thing I’ve had to remember during this season is that renovation is a long game. This whole process started almost 3 full years ago. We decided to buy the house in December 2021, renovation began in January 2023, and we moved in July 2024. When I was looking back at photos and videos of the house right after we bought it, I realized Worth was 19 months old when the process began. That's him in the photo above. He just turned 4 a few weeks ago. Lake is 16 months old, and it’s just a wild reminder of how fast time flies. And how much can change in 3 years…

I’ve waited so long to enjoy my coffee in this sunroom, and I finally got to do just that this morning—and it was magical. With my pups cuddled beside me!

I know everyone will want to know paint color, window deets, and decor sources…so here it is!

The paint color is called Terre D’Egypte by Farrow and Ball. You can find this paint here . I was totally inspired by Justina Blakeney's Instagram page. Her sunroom is goals, and I wanted to create a similar look with my own spin! The color is so rich and happy. Every person who walks through our house comments on this paint color. I think it works so well because of all the natural light in the room. I don’t think I would recommend this paint color for a room with no windows.

The floors are totally original. We literally just cleaned them with water, even though they could stand to be cleaned a bit more. The windows are Pella.

The vintage velvet chairs are from an old, funky antique store in West Nashville. I’m pretty sure the store isn’t even there anymore, or I would tell you the name. I bought these chairs almost immediately after we decided to buy the house and kept them in storage for 2.5 years. I didn’t know exactly where I would use them, but they were too good to pass up. I love the tufting detail and vintage feel.

The rug has a funny backstory. I was on a Facebook Marketplace pickup adventure in Franklin, Tennessee. I was actually picking up my dining chairs and coffee table, but when I pulled up to the seller’s house, I noticed she had SO MANY CUTE things on her porch. Turns out she was a reseller as well, but unfortunately all the items on her porch were already sold. She had this exact rug and I told her I wanted to buy it. She was like, “girl, it’s from Wayfair, I’ll send you the link.” I ordered it immediately because I thought it was going to go in the small sitting area by my 2-sided fireplace in the living room. I tried it there but didn’t like how the plaid pattern looked against the modern grid pattern of my fireplace. Then I tried it in the sunroom. I wasn’t totally sold on that spot either until I added those lamps with the scalloped lampshades! They both share that sweet mauve color, and I love how they talk to each other. It's important to remain flexible when styling a space. Of course, the lamps have their own story!

A few weeks before we moved in, my friend and customer Riley sent me picture of the lamps asking if I wanted them. Of course, after almost hyperventilating at how amazing they looked, I agreed to take them. I thought they would go in our master bedroom, but after putting them up against the windows in there, I didn’t like how the lines intersected. I felt as though they were taking away from the windows instead of adding interest to the room. Then I decided I would sell them because I didn’t think I had another spot in the house for them. I took great photos and videos and already had a Reel made up to post on Instagram. I was about to post the Reel, but something told me to try them in the sunroom. OMG. The minute I placed them there, I knew they were there to stay. The unexpected mauve against the burnt red-orange paint color really made my eyes happy.

The little table between the chairs is just a wicker plant stand with a thrifted brass plate on top. The ruffle pillows are my favorite and similar ones are linked here. I have been loving mixing bold stripes throughout our home.

I didn’t really want to use a ceiling fan in the sunroom (I hate ceiling fans) but this room does not heat and cool very well because of all the windows. We used to have this exact overhead fan in our master bedroom at our old house, so we just reused it. A similar one is linked here ! It may not be the most aesthetically pleasing thing, but it helps keep the room cool in the dog days of summer. I am looking into fun window treatments to help hold heat during the winter.

The open shelves actually cover the hole where a weird sliding door used to be. The sliding door went into a bedroom, but we made that bedroom into the mudroom/laundry room area. I absolutely love my open shelves, and you can’t really tell that it used to be a sliding door. They are filled with so many meaningful pieces. Almost every item has a story or was sourced on a trip. A lot of the art is handmade and even the plants are from my friends’ plant stores. However, the star of the open shelves has to be my Nemadji pottery collection. I started collecting this pottery when I began this thrifting journey 5 years ago. The bright colored swirls always catch my eye, and I never pass up a piece when I find one on my travels. This type of pottery is called “Indian” pottery, but it’s actually created in Minnesota and made to look like Indian pottery. They are getting harder and harder to find, but I’m happy with my little collection of 19 pieces. I was pumped to find 2 more vases just last week while antique shopping with the boys in Paducah, Kentucky!

I always hear, "I have no idea how you mix so many styles and colors and patterns and still make it look good!" It’s the best compliment, and this is also my favorite way to decorate! My SECRET is this: when you have a lot of pieces that don’t necessarily match or “go” together, it helps if you create some sort of balance somewhere. For me, I like to create ORDER within the seemingly chaotic mis-match pieces. I seek symmetry even if the colors, patterns and styles don’t match. This is why I am often searching for PAIRS of things. My weakness is chairs and lamps. Give me 2 matching chairs or 2 matching lamps and I’m there—which is displayed nicely in this sunroom. It’s almost a form of juxtaposition. Mis-matched and chaotic up against straight and orderly. And we all know juxtaposition makes things interesting and unique. It can also be helpful to have a color or 2 that talks to other pieces in the design. Here, that mauve color is threaded throughout the bookshelves, in the rug, and it obviously pops with the lamps.

I also bought that cute little numbered drawer piece at a local antique store. Fuller’s Furnishings is one of my favorite resellers around this area. Here is their Instagram. The hot pink Lone Star sign was found at an antique store as well. The little wooden chair was left in this house by the previous owner.

Now let’s talk about the book ledge! I am a lover of books---obviously. I like to organize my books by the ones I’ve read, the ones I haven’t read and the ones I’ve only partially read. And there are a lot of those! Because I am slightly ADHD (undiagnosed, but also self-diagnosed lol)

I wasn’t sure if the ledge would be wide enough to hold all my books, but I was pleasantly surprised when I started to place them up there. It creates visual interest to have some of the books displayed vertically and some displayed horizontally.

A common theme in this sunroom—even if you don’t know exactly how you will use a piece, you will figure it out! My mantra is if you find a piece you love and cannot stop thinking about it, buy it. You will find a place for it. Don’t be afraid to mix and match, be willing to try things in a totally different spot, think outside the box, and know that it’s okay to veer from your original plan. It can be fun to be flexible! Get creative and attempt to mix styles, colors and patterns--but try the symmetry trick to make things feel nice and neat.

Have any questions about this room? Add a comment below or shoot me a message on Instagram! Thank you for being here!

xoxo,

Paige

Garage Turned Master Suite

Sat, 13 Jul 2024 21:07:31 GMT

I never thought an old 2-car garage could look this good...

When we first purchased our 1970s ranch-style home, I knew we would have to get resourceful if we were going to create the master bedroom of our dreams. The original master was very small and on the opposite end of the home, so we started tossing around ideas and different ways to rework the rooms. We ultimately decided to convert the garage into the master suite—and I am so glad we did.

A lot of garage conversions feel like just that—a garage with sheetrock. I love our master because we decided to raise the floor up so that you don’t feel like you are stepping down into a different part of the home. Our master floor is level with the rest of the house, and that makes everything feel more cohesive. The doorway that leads into the master bedroom is in the same location as the old doorway the Eskew family used to use when entering their home through the garage. When giving home tours to my friends and family, they don’t even recognize the space as an old 2-car garage.

We vaulted the ceiling and added a bathroom and three closets at the back of the garage, which used to just be an old tool closet. I will share an entire master bath reveal soon.

We went with black Pella windows that crank open and I’m obsessed. The windows overlook a huge field that is farmed by my husband and father-in-law. I knew I wanted tons of windows in this space because the sunsets are incredible.

The floor is Anderson Tuftex engineered hardwood. The color is Woodland and species is White Oak. Surface texture is Bandsaw. Number is 11047. We used this flooring throughout the main level of our home, with the exception of bathrooms and mudroom/laundry. We used a Luxury Vinyl Plank in our basement in a similar color, which I will share soon!

The light pink paint color is Benjamin Moore Boudoir. It can almost look tan in some lighting, which I like. I didn’t want anything too pink, since this is Will’s room too, after all LOL. I just love how it’s almost like a neutral, without being white. I want to paint our basement pink now, I love it that much.

The wood on the ceiling is maple, stained with Old Masters in the color Cedar. I'll link it here . This is the same wood we used on the walls in the main living area. I really wanted mahogany instead of maple, but the price difference was a no-brainer. Maple was a lot cheaper, so we went with that option.

Here are more "before" photos. As always, Eric McMackin with McMackin Construction sees my vision and helps make it a reality! This is the second home he has renovated for us, and I would not use anyone else!

The pendant light is my favorite part of the whole space. I found this light through an Instagram friend and wonderful interior stylist—Kate Pearce ( @katepearcevintage )... It’s from Jayson Home and the quality is insane. It took me a little while to get on board with these lantern pendants—because I didn’t want to spend a ton of money to have paper hanging from my ceiling. But this one is crafted with a lightweight gray linen material—and it’s absolutely stunning to say the least.

The rug is from Schoolhouse, and I scored it at a decent price during their Black Friday sale. It is so plush and comfy. I knew I wanted comfort for our master bedroom!

I think we will eventually change out the outlet covers or paint them. The white hurts my eyes against the pink. I also can’t decide if I want to even add window treatments! The view is so gorgeous, but I know we may want them in the morning hours. We also think we will end up building a shop somewhere in the backyard to house our cars if needed since we eliminated the garage from the home. Everything is always a work in progress!

I am counting down the days ‘til the movers come and move our bed and other furniture into this space. I keep telling Will that I won’t feel like we have ACTUALLY moved until our king bed is moved into our master. I cannot wait to style every inch of this room and bring you all along for the ride!

See here for links and to view similar products!

I hope this helps answer a lot of the questions about flooring, paint color, and wood stain! When in doubt—paint your room pink.

Love y’all!

Paige

Paige's Top 5 Design Tips

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 22:23:40 GMT

Do you have a space in your home that is starting to feel boring, cluttered, outdated or uninspiring? Are you wanting to redefine a room in your home, but unsure of where to begin?

These top 5 design tips will help you get started! Soon you will be on your way to a beautifully curated space. It is difficult to create in spaces that don’t feel joyful and inspiring. Improve your surroundings, and you are sure to improve your mood, your productivity, and your well-being. It’s scientifically proven!

I know it can be so overwhelming when you have several spaces you want to revamp... It can be difficult to get started when you don’t know WHERE to start. So I am here to help! I have completed countless interior styling projects over the past 5 years. I always find myself asking the same questions and following a similar framework. When beginning any design project, these are the steps and questions I ask myself. I hope you find them helpful!

Start by identifying “MUST USE” furniture or decor pieces.

Everyone has that one piece that must somehow be incorporated into a project. Whether it be your grandmother’s China cabinet, your dad’s old desk, or that favorite painting you found at an estate sale. It is important to start planning your space by FIRST mapping out which pieces MUST be used in that particular space. This will help you plan out other colors, textures, finishes, furniture pieces and art to use in that room. You can begin sourcing other items once you know what you have and what you don’t have. Once you have identified what you have, then make a list of what you need! It’s that simple.

Decide on an overall direction, style, or “vibe” you want the room to have.

Do you want the room to feel airy and light? Or are you going for a dark, moody vibe? Do you want it to feel masculine or more feminine? Are you a midcentury modern fan with a passion for clean lines, or are you drawn to more traditional looks?

This is normally when I start a Pinterest board or a mood board. Some designers say not to seek out Pinterest because it can confuse you. I personally love to look at inspiration photos because I am such a visual person. So, skip this step if design books or Pinterest overwhelm you! But It’s important to have a roadmap of where you want to go. If you have an idea in mind, type your idea into Pinterest and use it as a search engine. For example, if you want a room to have a vintage sports theme, type in “vintage sports bedroom” into Pinterest. If you want your room to have green trim, type in “rooms with green trim” into Pinterest. From there, pin what you like. This part is so fun! There is no pressure, and you can just collect pictures that pique your interest. This step just helps you get clear on where you actually want your project to go. It is helpful to look back at these mood boards throughout your project. I would never suggest just copying a room you find online, but instead take certain elements from a design you like and then make it your own by adding pieces that are meaningful to you. Put your own twist on it!

You do not have to land on just one style. Don’t be afraid to mix different styles!

Mixing different styles can be difficult to achieve, but it is so rewarding when a room comes together and flows with unique and personalized items. Just because you have a midcentury couch does not mean that every single element in the room needs to be midcentury. Here is a list of different “styles” you can look into so you can nail down which one fits your personality best. I would say that overall, my style is eclectic with a heavy dose of midcentury influence. In the end, you want your room to feel cohesive. But cohesive does not have to mean boring. Have fun with it!! This is YOUR home. You want it to reflect YOU. No one else.

Midcentury modern -sleek lines, geometric shapes, furniture that is low to the ground

Minimal- simple, airy, clean lines, and monochromatic

Industrial- inspired by warehouses and factories. Often using exposed brick, metals and wood

Eclectic -various styles, periods and places

Boho- free-spirited aesthetic with an emphasis on organic elements and nature

Art deco- mirrored glass, geometric forms, marble

Shabby chic -delicate pastel hues, chippy paint, lace and florals

Maximalist -mixed prints, bold colors, tons of personality

Farmhouse -wood elements, weaved baskets and white tones. simple, warm and cozy

Traditional -darker wooden elements, timeless art and décor, decorative doors, ornamental fireplaces, subtle stripes and florals

Coastal -pastel colors, wicker, rattan, organic textures

French Country- European elegance with rustic elements, antique accents, soothing hues

Southwestern- lots of leather, potted succulents or cacti, desert color palette, Spanish textiles

Transitional – bridge the gap between modern and traditional. Pair classic elements with modern lines.

Rustic- a lot of exposed wood, textured fabrics, rust

Modern Farmhouse- A lot of black, white, and wood. Uses midcentury pieces with rustic pieces

Hollywood Regency- crystal chandeliers, ornate gilded mirrors

DO NOT buy everything from one big name store. Do not.

I know it can be tempting to go to one of those large furniture showrooms and just buy a whole matching suite and be done with it. Please do not do this. Your space will feel lifeless, will lack personality, and will be, well... boring! It is important to take the time to source meaningful items that you actually love. Go to an antique store and buy that vintage tennis racket because you loved tennis growing up. Or grab that old wicker fishing basket because it reminds you of your grandfather. Buy the items that have a story. Buy the items that catch your eye. Buy the items that spark a memory or a favorite pastime. Check your storage areas for old furniture that belonged to your Nana. Rummage through your old boxes of cards, letters and notebooks to see if there is anything meaningful that you can frame. The idea is not to just fill the space. You want to fill your space with functional, meaningful things. Take your time. Your home will have a more "collected" feel if you actually take the time to collect items you love over time. My motto is: IF YOU LOVE IT, BUY IT...you will find a place for it.

If nothing else, update lighting and paint.

My NUMBER ONE design tip is this: if you upgrade paint and lighting, it will totally transform your space. Most of my clients are wanting to modernize their spaces. If the paint seems outdated, I promise that you will not regret spending the time and money to change it. Same with lighting. I know lighting can be intimidating, but it is my pet peeve when I see people revamp a whole room but leave the old, outdated fixture. It sticks out like a sore thumb! Upgrade that light or that fan to something sleek and more modern. Again, don’t be afraid to add a modern fixture into a traditional room. And lastly, do not buy the light bulbs that give off blue light. This will ruin ANY space, in my opinion. You want to always buy the warmer option. Warm lights have lower color temperatures, and therefore appear more yellow, while cool lights have higher color temperatures, and appear blue. Always choose the one that says, “warm white” or even “soft white.” Make sure they match!

I hope you all find this helpful. I could write about this topic all day long, so there will be more to come in the future!

Checking Your Energy

Sun, 12 May 2024 18:27:25 GMT

A word that has been circling around in my head a lot recently is energy.

I have been trying to stay aware of the energy I bring to the table in all sorts of situations. I think just being aware of yourself, your thoughts, your words, your actions and your energy can go a long way. Being cognizant of the energy you carry can benefit your relationships, your business, your marriage, the way you parent, etc.

Everything holds energy. A simple “hello” can carry negative energy or positive energy. Even a certain look can give off a distinct vibe. A social media posts carries energy. A comment carries energy. The way you speak to your children. The way you speak to yourself and your spouse. The way you show up to work. A space in your house can give off inspiring energy or draining energy. Even certain foods or drinks can carry a vibe. Have you ever walked into a person’s house or a coffee shop or a party and the energy was just off ?

When I think of the vibe or the energy I want to bring to certain situations or conversations, I do not want to give off negative energy if I can help it. I want to be a person who brings high vibrations to this world if I can. Of course, we all have bad days. We are human and I know life is ugly. Every person in this world is going through something hard. Every single one of us. It’s okay to have your bad days, ugly cry, let it out, get angry and deeply feel your emotions. It’s important to allow yourself to truly sit with your emotions and process them so that you can also let them go after you have had your time with them. I’m not good at letting things go, but I’m working on it. I think there is power in admitting that lettings things go can be hard. But there is also power in releasing things you cannot change and not allowing those things to impact your overall energy.

Lately I have been trying to notice how I feel about things. I try to think about certain situations, tasks, relationships, places and experiences and pay attention to how that one thing makes me feel in my body. Does my body have a negative reaction to it? Does my heart sink? Does my stomach hurt? Do I get anxious and worried? Or do I feel uplifted, inspired, and excited when I think about that thing?

I have been practicing noticing how my body reacts, but I try to notice without judgement. For example, I do not beat myself up or berate myself if my body reacts negatively to something. I simply use that reaction as information. It’s so helpful to be self-aware enough to know if a situation makes you feel good or bad. You can use that reaction to help you make decisions for the future. Have you ever tried doing LESS of what you don’t like and MORE of what you do like? Have you ever tried doing LESS of what brings you down and MORE of what lifts you up?

As a business owner and busy mom, it can be really easy to show up as a stressed-out version of myself. Stress is almost default for me because I just have so many irons in the fire. I am juggling so much at once. But who wants to be a walking ball of stress all the time? Who wants to be that person? Constantly living in a state of rush and stress and negativity literally does not serve you or anyone around you. It can actually make people want to avoid you because they don’t want you to bring them down.

When I think of everyday, tangible examples of ENERGY, my mind goes to the people I have a lot of interactions with throughout my week. This includes my husband, my children, my employees, my mother-in-law, my aunt, my customers and my friends. Have you ever noticed that a lot of us put our best foot forward for those people we don’t spend much time with, and then we save our leftovers for the people closest to us? I am totally guilty of that. But fixing that problem all begins with awareness. Being aware of yourself.

Right before I know I’m about to be around someone, I check in and ask myself, “What type of energy do I want to bring to this interaction?” I don’t typically want people to leave after hanging out with me and feel worse than they did before they spent time with me. I want to leave people better than I found them. However, I am not perfect. Even after I check in and tell myself to BRING GOOD VIBES, sometimes I still fail and bring bad vibes. Again, I am human. But I am working on being aware.

A real-life example:

When I have been working the store all day long and one of my girls walks in to take my place for the afternoon, instead of immediately going into work mode and handing her a list of tasks to complete while I’m gone, I try to be a human for a minute. I try to ask how she’s doing. I try to ask about how she is feeling. I try to ask if she is feeling stressed for any reason. I ask how the boyfriend scene is doing. I ask how school is going. Life is not all about work and my to-do list. These girls have lives outside of Little Yellow Door, and as their boss, it’s important to check in with them. I want to know the ins and outs of their lives so I can know how I can best support them and show up for them. I want work to actually be a bright spot in their day. Our society has conditioned us to believe that work is supposed to suck. Nope. I'm not buying it. Whatever you do for work actually does NOT have to suck, and checking in on your work friends and genuinely caring about what they have to say is a way to help you love your job more.

If you are a business owner or a leader of any sort, resting in those moments and just simply asking, “How are you today?” can go a really long way.

Another example of a time I often “check my energy” is right before my husband comes home from work. This can sometimes be a stressful time of day. I’m sure you know the drill. I’ve been with the kids all day, the house is a wreck, I’m stressed from the weight of the day. It can be really easy to be short or hateful in those moments, but I often tell myself to pay attention to the energy I’m carrying when he walks through that door. He has also possibly had a stressful day and feels tired. If I’m in a bad mood the minute he gets home, how does that set the tone for the rest of the night? And hey, the pendulum swings both ways, honey! Sometimes he can come in and I have to remind him to check his energy. I’ll say something like, “Your energy is off,” and this not only brings awareness to the tone we’re setting in our home, but it also begs us to quickly check in with ourselves to determine why the energy might be off. I heard on a podcast just today that you have the ability to shift your energy at any point in your day. Just because you have a bad morning doesn’t mean the whole day has to be bad. Just because someone says something rude to you doesn’t mean the whole rest of the day is shot. You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control your reactions.

I don’t want anyone to think I’m encouraging toxic positivity here. If you’ve had some bad things happen to you, I am not asking you to ignore them and pretend that everything is okay when it’s not. If you are in a season of deep grief, you are probably not going to be bringing “good vibes” all the time, and that’s okay. I truly believe there is a season for everything. However, I don’t think that grief should be used as an excuse to treat others poorly. Like I said earlier, we are all going through something or have been through something. We all have our stuff. So just be kind and treat others the way you would like to be treated. Sometimes when we get clear on why our energy is negative, it can help us move forward in a more productive way.

So, I want you to start paying attention to the energy you bring. When you’re in a group of people, is your default conversation starter something positive or are you always talking about something negative? Or worse, are you always talking negatively about other people? When you look at your social media posts, are you bringing positive energy and hopeful messages to the world, or are you constantly complaining? When you think back to your interactions with others, are the words coming out of your mouth positive or negative? Have you ever heard of “woe is me” people? Ugh, those people are the worst. Do you try to be a bright spot in someone’s day? If your child is in a bad mood, do you think they might be feeding off your negative energy?

There is a lot to think about here. A lotttt to unpack. But if you make a habit of checking your energy, it becomes easier and easier. And here is a little business tip: customers want to buy from people and products that make them feel good . It’s basic psychology. People want to feel seen, supported, loved and they want to feel good. It all comes back to energy. So again, what energy are you bringing?

If you are truly going through something deep right now and you just cannot fathom being in a good mood, there are a ton of things you could try that might help you claw your way out of that dark hole. Because trust me, I’ve been there a time or two myself. If you are stuck in bed, crying, upset, in your head, and feeling anxious or even depressed try one (or a few) of these. You don’t have to run a marathon. Just take one step.

-take a shower

-go for a walk outside for just 30 minutes

-turn on an uplifting podcast

-write whatever comes to your mind in a journal for 3 full pages

-go thrifting

-take your shoes off and walk on the ground

-sit in the sunshine

-make a smoothie

-read a book to your child

-put your phone away for a set amount of time

-read 10 pages of a book

-call a trusted friend

-text your spouse to tell them you love them

-grab a coffee treat

-make a simple, healthy meal

-read a devotional

-go for a drive with no set destination

-sit by a body of water

-sit in the woods

-serve someone else

And never feel like a failure for seeking out a professional therapist. I truly think everyone needs a therapist! I've been in and out of therapy over the past few years, but more on that in another post!

I love these deep, meaningful conversations. I hope you enjoy reading. Let me know what you think! I’d love to hear about your experiences with energy.

Love y’all!

Paige

What Are You Avoiding?

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 22:11:14 GMT

Lately, I have been feeling yet another shift as it pertains to my work...

I’m not sure if it has to do with the fact that I just opened a new storefront, and it’s very difficult for me to sit and celebrate milestones …or if I am truly meant to be doing more with my platform. When I take time to sit and get quiet with myself, somewhere deep inside pulls me to do more. When I say more , I don’t necessarily mean thrifting more, designing more, adding more projects to the list or even selling more. When I say more, I mean I feel like I am supposed to be sharing more about my life and my story. I feel like I am supposed to be using my story to help others on a similar path. I feel like I am supposed to be sharing what I learn on my healing journey. Because Lord knows, I have healed a lot and I have a lot more healing to do. I love to write, if you can’t tell. Literally every page of my website includes a 5-paragraph essay. LOL.

If you know anything about me, you know my childhood was complex. My life has been riddled with loss and tragedy. I do not bring that up to receive pity, ever. It’s just a fact. My mother died when I was 7, I was raised by my grandparents, my relationship with my father is less than ideal, and my brother suddenly died in 2018 when he was only 33. I also lost my sweet Poppa in 2017 and my spunky Nana in 2020.

I have a story to tell. Really, we all do. Whether you have dealt with capital T trauma or small T trauma, we all have experiences and moments that shape us into the humans we are today. The reality is that ALL grief and ALL trauma sucks. It’s never healthy to trauma-compare—but that doesn’t mean I don’t catch myself doing it sometimes. But something I CAN get behind is trauma-bonding. When I get in a group of people, I seriously don’t care about small talk. I do not want to know how "your mom-n-nem" are doing, as we say down here in rural Tennessee. I want to know why your dad lost custody of you when you were 6…and that’s FOR REAL. I want to know because I believe there are so, so many layers to each person. I feel like the more we know about about each other, the more forgiving and understanding we can be. But the problem is, we are so used to showing off the best, outside layer. We want to impress. We want to achieve. We want to show the highlights. The pretty things. The happy parts. We can thank social media for a lot of that.

While I use Instagram to show off my vintage finds, latest projects, creative endeavors, motherhood antics and more, there is a part of me that is screaming inside. Screaming to let you all in on my life outside of Little Yellow Door. Don’t worry, I don’t live a double life. I genuinely LOVE my work. Love it so much I am obsessed with it. Which is a huge blessing and privilege. I stay moving and busy and consumed with the work it takes to run a small business because I love it. I seriously enjoy every minute. But sometimes when I get really quiet and still…I look for the source of my busy-ness.

Why am I always so busy? Why does my brain constantly think of home design and paint colors and light fixtures and tile and furniture and fabric swatches? Every single night as I'm falling asleep, I think about these things. These thoughts are like a cozy blanket or warm rocking chair, holding me and lulling me to sleep. These thoughts are safe and fun and full of hope for the future. These are the thoughts that literally saved me when my brother died. I have been turning to interiors for a WHILE, but now I can recognize this obsession as a coping mechanism and a way to avoid my real issues.

I was telling a friend earlier this week that I often feel like I can hide behind Little Yellow Door and all the tasks required to keep it running. Every time I reach a milestone or something good happens or I reach a personal business goal, it’s almost like the dopamine hit feeds my ego. And if you don’t know much about ego, or you haven’t read anything on ego vs. self…it’s very interesting and you should take a deeper dive. I recommend starting with the book The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer.

Anyway, I often feel like I am hiding in plain sight. Lately, I have learned that AVOIDANCE is one of the main coping mechanisms I cling to like a life vest. I avoid a lot of things. And I am proud of myself for being self-aware enough to realize this. This week, I took my journal, and I wrote down all the things I’ve been avoiding. A lot of those things included feelings, difficult conversations, dealing with relationships that aren’t serving me, decluttering areas of my home, exercising during postpartum, starting therapy again, doing the deep work around feeling worthy, and honestly…the list goes on.

So when I say I can use being BUSY and Little Yellow Door as a way to hide from the things I need to be dealing with...this is what I mean. I avoid. Avoiding feels safe. Thinking about tile feels safe. Avoiding feels safe. Picking out paint colors feels safe. Avoiding feels safe. Going thrifting every single time I get a free moment so I don’t have to face the real problems in my life…feels safe.

Do you see what I mean? Do you do this too? When do you get quiet with yourself? When do you slow down? Are you afraid to slow down? How do you get quiet with yourself? What does that look like for you? Have you ever just checked in and asked yourself, “WHAT AM I AVOIDING?”

I was in a slump recently and desperately needed to work my way out of it. If you want to stop avoiding your problems, but truly don't know where to begin….start here.

Take out a piece of paper or a journal.

Simply write down, “What am I avoiding?” and see what comes to the surface. Be honest. Write down everything. Even if it's ugly. Even if you're ashamed. Even if you're embarrassed. When I did this, I was writing and writing and writing. Turns out, I was avoiding a lottttt.

Are you avoiding your true feelings about your job? Are you avoiding taking your child for that speech evaluation? Are you avoiding looking at your bank account? Are you avoiding a hard conversation with your spouse or a friend? Do you avoid visiting your family? Are you avoiding that daunting doctor's appointment? Do you have things that need to be said that you are tucking away? Do you have a nagging feeling that you should start a business? Do you feel called to adopt? Are you avoiding church because you aren’t sure what you believe right now? Are you avoiding planning that party? Are you avoiding the pesky, large, scary mole on your back that you KNOW needs to be checked out? Are you avoiding opening your mail? Are you avoiding getting your oil changed?

WHAT ARE YOU AVOIDING?

This can be really overwhelming to think about, but once you get it onto paper, it can be really freeing. Recently, my husband told me that I have been acting uptight. I agreed with him, honestly. But once I WROTE DOWN the things I have been actively avoiding….my stress and anxiety and resentment and bitterness made sense and I felt lighter for admitting to myself there are things in my life that need to be handled.

So I push you to just try this little exercise today! What are you avoiding? Once you write out the things you have been avoiding, choose one. JUST ONE…and try to address it this week. Since making my list, I have had a difficult conversation, started walking every morning, reading at 5AM, and I am writing this blog post because I know deep down that I am called to do more in this life than just thrift and show off paint colors. And the thought of just thrifting and showing off paint colors forever has been NAGGING me recently. But I can tell you, after gaining some clarity, I feel 1,000 pounds lighter.

I hope this was helpful. I hope you do this exercise for yourself. To better yourself. Because what we don’t realize is that when issues go for years and years without being addressed, every part of our lives can be impacted in a negative way. That negativity and bad energy is like a contagious disease, slowly affecting you, your friends, and your family,

I already feel better after writing this blog post, because THIS type of work feels most aligned with what I’m supposed to be doing in this life. I’m hoping to continue using my blog for these types of conversations. Don't worry--Little Yellow Door as you know it isn't going anywhere because it's literally my mental happy place. I just don't need to use it as a crutch and allow myself to use LYD as a way to avoid my feelings. Let me know if you have any questions or want to chat about your findings!

I love y’all!

xx, Paige

Our First Home

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 21:29:25 GMT

While Will and I were engaged, we were looking for a house to call our own. One day Will said “Well, dad has this old house on one of the farms, but you probably won’t like it.”

I immediately told him to let me see it. I walked in, and fell in love with the 1930 farmhouse. The charm, the detail, the character. No one had lived there for a long time, so it needed a ton of work. We called a contractor out and got the ball rolling. It took about a year, but we moved into the farmhouse in February 2019.

That little two bedroom/one bath home is where my love for design really started to come alive. I had a blast sourcing items for our home and slowly started doing it for other people here and there. I didn’t start Little Yellow Door until after we moved into that house. I named the business after the front door of our home. The door was original to the home, but we painted it yellow.

We have lived a lot of life in the house with the little yellow door. Brought home 2 babies and multiple cats, dogs and even chickens.

Enjoy these photos and let me know if you have any questions about décor sources! It's mainly all thrifted, but there are some new pieces here and there!

Living Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Mudroom

Master Bedroom

Bathroom

Boys' Room

Postpartum Thoughts

pfisher0922@gmail.com (Paige Espey) — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 19:50:12 GMT

Don't we all just love hearing things like...

“Can’t you just slow down for a little while?”

“Why are you doing all this?”

“Having a baby hasn’t slowed you down any!”

“You need to take that baby home and rest!”

These are all legitimate comments I’ve heard over the past few weeks since having our second son, Lake. While I do not think these words were spoken to hurt or scrutinize me in any way, I do believe such comments are careless and a bit unnecessary. But hey, I do live in the South. I’m not sure why I’m the least bit surprised by others sharing their opinions about my life haha :)

Bottom line is that new mothers are fragile. Very fragile. There is a reason this season is called the fourth trimester. I believe it is very important to remember that each mom is different. Healing looks different for everyone. I am aware by now that others wonder why I continue to go thrifting while tending to a new baby. I know it’s hard for people to understand why I would throw together a yard sale at my store with a 6-week-old. Why would I continue to go to the post office and ship orders if I must nurse my baby in the car for 30 minutes before walking in? Why did I hop back into work without adhering to a proper maternity leave? How do I make the fourth trimester look so easy?

The short answer is this: I am doing what makes me happy.

And honestly, that answer should be enough! But in the world we live in, with social media and our personal lives so OUT THERE for everyone to see…it can be hard to just give a short answer and leave it there.

So…I am sharing my explanation for a few reasons. Number one, I do not want any moms comparing themselves, their schedule, their motherhood journey or their day-to-day life with mine…or anyone else’s for that matter! Comparison is seriously for the birds, although I fall victim to it all the time. I think we all do. Secondly, I sadly do feel the need to explain myself. I feel so guilty when someone asks why I’m not “just resting at home with the baby.” And lastly, I am sharing because people need to start to understand that postpartum is a time when moms should feel uplifted and supported—no matter what their postpartum experience looks like.

So yes, I will admit I have been busy since having my baby! I recognize this. I own it. I won’t deny it. I like to think I’m pretty self-aware. I birthed Lake on a Monday, we went home on Tuesday, and my husband was back to work by Wednesday. He’s a farmer, and if you know anything about farm life, you know that the crops must be planted at a certain time. No ifs, ands or buts about it. We ended up having a baby right in the middle of cotton planting season, so we had no choice but for Will to go back to work. I know he would have loved to be home with us right after having Lake, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us.

So that left me home with 2 babies by myself. I don’t say this for pity. This is just a fact. For 2 weeks straight, I tended to a newborn and a toddler by myself while my husband worked 12-14 hour days. From the moment our feet hit the floor in the mornings I was making breakfast, feeding dogs, nursing around the clock, potty training, playing soccer, throwing baseball, making crafts, wiping noses, changing diapers, until I would finally say screw it and turn on The Sandlot for hours on end. My almost three-year-old now talks about Wendy Peffercorn every single day and wants me to rewind the pool scene over and over and over. Not sure if that’s considered the best parenting. But anyways!!

After a few weeks of really doing the whole stay-at-home-mom thing, I could feel myself slipping. You see, Worth was a covid baby, so I probably stayed home for close to 6 weeks with him before venturing out into the world. Those 6 weeks were not pretty. Anxiety, fear, doubt, irritability, nerves, insomnia…you name it. Granted, Worth was my first baby. But my emotions were such a roller-coaster after having him. I was so scared all the time. Scared I was doing something wrong. Afraid he was going to die. I can remember waking up in an absolute panic on multiple occasions thinking I had smothered him by accident in my sleep. I can remember when an ambulance or police car passed my house, I would immediately call Will because I was afraid something had happened to him. I would call and call and call until he answered. I also googled every little thing. I would seriously just sit on google and convince myself that my baby had some sort of rare disease. I had awful, intrusive thoughts all the time. I can remember being so irritable and the smallest things would absolutely set. me. off.

The good thing is all those feelings and emotions were temporary, but I didn’t know that at the time. I eventually learned how to work through my anxieties and fears, but it took months and months that first time around. My doctors told me that I needed to start taking meds just to get through postpartum, but I refused. I went through it all, felt it all, and learned the hard way. I can now say that I was a littttttleeee crazy after birthing my first baby.

Looking back, I think a lot of my issues came from totally isolating myself. Worth was born July 2020, so I wouldn’t allow family to come over because of covid. I didn’t let anyone hold Worth until he was close to 3 months old. I lived in fear and accepted help from no one.

When I found out I was pregnant with Lake, I knew I could not go through that again. If I know anything about myself, it’s that my work makes me happy . Seriously. Design, thrifting, styling and sourcing brings me so much joy and satisfaction. It’s sometimes hard to explain how much I enjoy it. Yes, I scheduled my girls at the store to work a little bit more so that I could enjoy some time off if I wanted it. But only if I wanted it. I was not going to force myself to stay at home this time. I was not going to isolate myself to the point of depression. I don’t think my brain is meant to sit still. I joked with one of my friends just earlier today when she was expressing how much I “amaze her” with all that I do… I told her that my staying busy is probably just an avoidance tactic. Which might really be true! I like to leave my house in the mornings so that I don’t have to stare at the disaster that is my laundry room or the mountain that is the dishes in my sink. Just because I share pretty photos on Instagram does not mean that my house doesn’t stay a wreck—especially in these postpartum days!

I just want moms out there to understand that we are all just out here trying to survive. If staying home makes you happy, please do that. If staying busy makes you happy, please do that. You know yourself better than anyone. I am so thankful for the knowledge and experience I have as a mother with this second baby. I am so much better off knowing that I can work if I want. I don’t have to stay home in isolation. I don’t have to live in fear. I am so grateful I can go to a thrift store and not be paralyzed with fear that my baby is going to die of some virus.

I think sometimes we can forget how scary 2020 was for everyone, but especially pregnant and new moms. While I am still cautious about who holds and kisses my baby, I am not allowing anxiety to completely rule my life. I feel like I have more control this time. I feel free. I trust my motherly instincts more. I am a damn good mom, and I know that.

Now, that doesn’t mean that this is my time to shine in the picking world. I struggled a little last week when the Highway 70 yard sale was going on. I watched (through social media) all my fellow pickers and thrifters wake up at 5 am and hit all the good sales early. I can’t lie, it stung a little bit knowing that I can’t do that right now. Because shoot, a few years ago I would have been right there with them! Hot on the trail!!! But I have 2 young children at home, so I have to accept that now is not my time to hit the sales early. Now is not my time to haul and fit crazy amounts of furniture in my car because I have 2 car seats. I must go at my own pace. I have to be okay with knowing I may not get the best of the best “stuff” right now. But that’s okay. Because that’s all it is. Stuff. My family and my babies are my priority right now, and thrifting will fall into place in time. It always does.

So if you see me changing my baby’s diaper in the front seat of my car at a flea market, know that we are doing just fine. If you see me nursing in a random booth at an antique store, know that we are thriving. If you come shop at my store and I ask you to hold the baby real quick so I can package an order, know that I trust you. If you see me doing some crazy, off the wall thing that you would never THINK of doing with a new baby, please do not compare yourself to me. We are all just out here trying to survive. Trying to avoid postpartum depression. Trying to make the most of every day. Every decision I make is made with intention, thought and prayer. My heart goes out to anyone out there struggling mentally. I know that it is so hard for others to understand what you are going through. But as long as you are taking care of you and being the absolute best version of yourself today, that is all anyone can ask of you. You got this!!

Master Bedroom Refresh

Fri, 12 May 2023 17:54:52 GMT

New baby calls for a new master bedroom ...and a bigger bed!

It’s my second week as a mom of TWO little boys, and I’m learning new things every day. As soon as both boys fell asleep today, I rushed to get my computer so I could crank out this blog post before one of them woke up. I had Lake 10 days ago, and I already feel the need to be productive. That’s an urge I am constantly fighting, but I decided to just give in today and be productive. I’m working on it…

Today I’m sharing about our master bedroom and linking all the details! Yes, we are renovating a bigger house right now, but we are not planning on selling our current house because it's been in Will’s family for basically forever. In January, I decided we totally needed to revamp our current bedroom. Yes, I’m a little crazy. We decided we would need a bigger bed with two boys, so we finally bought a king size mattress after debating for almost three years. We landed on a Purple mattress and we love it so much! When we bought the mattress, I naturally thought that meant that we needed to paint the bedroom, order a new bed, new bedding, rearrange the whole room, get new lamps, etc. Is anyone else like that? Or just me?? I started painting the bedroom in January, when I was five months pregnant. I’m sure you aren’t supposed to paint bedrooms while pregnant…and that’s a rule I would have followed my first pregnancy …but eh, second babies are different. I was a major over achiever and painted almost the whole room in a few days. But when it came to the trim, it stayed white until two weeks ago when I finally hired someone to finish the job. I stared at an unfinished paint job for 3 months because I could not bring myself to paint trim. It's so annoying! I also could not decide if I wanted the trim to be the same color as the wall, or if I wanted it to be a green. I eventually decided to just paint it all the same color. Honestly because painting the trim green would have been even more tedious. I went with Paradise City by Farrell Calhoun for the paint, and I could not be more pleased with it. It makes the room feel so cozy and inviting.

Next order of business: the bed! I had been seeing this “wave” look in so many design books, and I knew I wanted to incorporate this shape into my next project. We will move this headboard with us to our new house, but it works for now. It is tall, and our new bedroom has vaulted ceilings, so I think it will flow with that space a little bit better. The headboard is from Lulu and Georgia , and we picked the Ochre Boucle fabric. I really wanted the platform bed instead of just the headboard, but ya know…tried to keep things budget friendly. The striped sheets are Redland Cotton –a small, family-owned business in Northern Alabama creating bedding and towels from American-made cotton. Which makes my husband super happy, because he is a cotton farmer! We are constantly alternating and washing our bedding during the week because we have 3 dogs, but the white comforter and gray quilt are both from Target, along with the euro shams. The decorative down pillows are from Amazon . The lumbar pillow is thrifted, but I believe it was from World Market originally.

Next up: curtains. Okay, I have become a curtain snob. The cheap ones with the rings at the top just aren’t cutting it for me anymore. I knew I wanted pinch pleat curtains for this project because they feel fancy. I started pricing them online and… wow. Wow is just all I can say. They are all very pricey. I started wondering if I could find them on Facebook Marketplace and then remembered I had some vintage pinch pleat curtains in storage. I scored them basically for free. I bought a couple of cool retro lamps off FBMP almost a year ago and when the lady dropped the lamps off, she told me the curtains came with the lamps. I couldn’t argue, so I kept them! I knew I’d find something to do with them. I essentially paid $40 for two huge lamps, and 8 curtain panels. Insane! Unfortunately, they did need to be dry cleaned, so that cost me a pretty penny. I love the way they turned out, though. They are in wonderful condition. They are shorter than I wanted, but I made it work by just raising the rod. You can’t really tell that the curtains don’t touch the ground because the headboard is so large. I may need to adjust them back down after we move this massive headboard out. We shall see. The curtain rod is also from Amazon. I like how it looks like there are marble balls on the ends.

The nightstands were a Facebook Marketplace find, but I had to drive to Tupelo, Mississippi to pick them up. We made a fun Sunday afternoon trip out of it. Worth and I picked up the tables, ate lunch, played on a playground and then visited a super cool antique store called Relics. It’s in an old textile mill, and rumor has it that Elvis Presley's mom worked in that textile mill while she was pregnant with him. It just felt right because I was also pregnant when we visited!

The antique chandelier was also a FBMP find, and it was such a process installing it. Our sweet house cleaner accidentally broke it, then my husband broke it again trying to fix it. LOL. We all know how that goes. If you look closely, it’s a little wonky and crooked, but that just adds character, right???

The dresser and chest of drawers belonged to my mother in law, and my husband used them in college. The brass light switch covers belonged to my grandparents. All lamps and vases were thrifted. The decanter, chartreuse cotton needlepoint, vintage books, picture frame, two coffee table books, gold mirror, bookshelf, skinny gold velvet chair, tufted green velvet chair, and small throw pillows were all thrifted. The black and white mask is from my favorite antique store in Asheville, North Carolina—The Antique Tobacco Barn. I bought it on a trip with my husband, so it holds a special memory. The face bookends are from another favorite vintage shop in Nashville— Oak Nashville . The red and white checkerboard art is a cheap canvas I found at a thrift store. It had a ballerina print on it. I like the checkerboard trend, but I know that it’s just that—a trend. I wasn’t willing to pay $800 for a checkerboard rug online, just to get tired of it a year later. I incorporated the trendy pattern by just painting over the cheap art print, and I feel like it really catches your eye when you walk in the room. The art in front of the checkerboard art is very special to me because I bought it from an amazing artist in Jinja, Uganda while I was there on a mission trip 5 years ago. This piece will always be incorporated into our home no matter what. The rug was sourced on Etsy . I linked a similar one. The Turkish planter on top of the bookshelf was purchased at my sister in law’s plant store called Wild Roots. It’s two doors down from my store in Huntingdon!

Finally, the hand carved trunk at the foot of the bed was sourced on the day I went into labor! It was the final, finishing touch to the bedroom. Someone joked that baby Lake waited until the bedroom was complete to make his arrival. I actually went to my favorite local antique store around 2 PM on Sunday, April 30 to buy one specific bench that I’d had my eye on for months. It was there forever, but of course when I went to buy it, it was gone. Luckily, I spotted this trunk instead. I went to the antique store by myself, and unloaded the trunk at home by myself because my husband was busy cooking dinner, haha. I had Lake just after midnight, so I think the furniture hauling did the trick!

When I’m working on pulling a space together, I draw from all sorts of sources for inspiration. I look at design books, Air BNBs, swanky restaurants and of course Pinterest and Instagram. The book I used the most this time around was the Beata Heuman book called Every Room Should Sing. I bought it at White’s Mercantile in Nashville, and I literally study it like it’s a textbook. The mixture of styles, textures, colors and shapes is so inspiring to me. I also love how she mixes new and used. I always try to use as many pre-owned items as possible in my projects. It's all about the thrill of the hunt and the feeling of satisfaction when it all comes together.

Shop this bedroom

Shifting Gears

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 18:26:17 GMT

Some changes are coming for Little Yellow Door...

As I sit in my car at 1:06 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon while my son takes a nap in his car seat, I have a lot of thoughts racing through my mind. I feel both lucky to be able to sit in this car while he takes his nap, but it feels confining at the same time. I feel a desire to drive home, take his limp body out of the car, and put him in the bed so I can nap beside him. I also have a desire to sit in my car and read a self-help book or work on my website. Part of me wants to drive to the post office to ship orders while he sleeps so that I can cross that daunting task off my to-do list. I also need to get online and order product for and upcoming bedroom install. But most of all, I just want to sit here and write...

I am actually sitting in the driveway at our “new” house. Currently, we live in a small 1930 farmhouse, but we bought a 1974 ranch-style home almost a year ago. We have been waiting for renovations to begin for what feels like forever, and they finally started this week. That’s another story for another day.

I am not coming here today to write about renovations or a bedroom reveal like I have done in the past. I am not coming here to give design tips or to talk about vintage furniture. Today, I am reflecting on seasons. I am reflecting on change. I am reflecting on energy shifts.

Lately, I have been journaling a lot. Doing a lot of checking in. When I journal, I write out the same simple outline every day so that I don’t get bogged down with what to write. I always write out what excited me about the previous day and what tasks drained me from the previous day. What did I want to do more of? What did I want to do less of? What did I dread? What did I love? These questions will reveal so much about your life and the systems you have in place, I can assure you. I have learned a lot about myself just in the last month.

A month or so has passed since I started incorporating the “what excited me” and “what bogged me down” portion to my morning reflection. After reading through my own responses, it has become very clear to me that I need to let some things go. For so long, I have wanted to be all the things. A wonderful mother, a great wife, a successful storefront owner, vintage expert, an interior designer, an artist….just ALL. THE. THINGS…and it wasn’t until recently that I could sense a shift coming in my life.

I found out I was pregnant with our second child in August of 2022. We are also renovating a house. In October, we bought an old auto body shop that will eventually become my store, which we also have to renovate. I am also still doing design work for clients…and painting for galleries…and running a storefront. It’s just….a lot.

I am now heading into my third trimester, and this whole pregnancy, I knew deep down that I was doing too much. I knew I was juggling a crazy amount of tasks, with too many tabs open in my brain. I kept telling myself that I would figure it all out when the time was right, but I continued to add more to my plate as 2022 marched on. I have been constantly trying to come up with the perfect schedule to accommodate working at the store, sourcing for the store, catering to an ever-growing list of design clients, finding time to create, and being a present mother and wife.

It wasn’t until December when we found out that Worth’s daycare was closing for good, that I decided to sit down and actually get clear on some things. What is important to me? What do I enjoy? What stresses me? What actually makes money? What doesn’t? What are some things in my life that I can eliminate? What are the priorities in my life? In 5 years, when I look back on this time, what will I wish I did more of? Less of? What needs to shift? Can I let go of anything?

I think it takes a lot of courage to admit that you need to change course. It takes a lot of inner work to be able to actually slow down and notice your thoughts, especially as a business owner. It's so easy to just perform on autopilot. When I finally took the time to dig deep and notice the things that were causing stress, the answer was plain as day. But it was also very surprising at the same time. I finally narrowed it down and figured out I cannot continue design work for others right now. Right now.

When I admitted this to myself, I felt like a failure. I felt like I started something I couldn’t finish. I felt like I built hype around something that didn’t essentially “go anywhere.” I even felt like my previous projects were not worthy. A whole lot of limiting beliefs came up. And a lot of confusion and frustration. Why am I all of a sudden feeling like this? Because I am absolutely ADDICTED to the feeling of finishing a space, of watching it all come together. I love the way it makes the clients feel. I love watching their reactions. Heck, I even love thew way it makes me feel. It’s hard to beat the feeling you get at the end of a project. But just because that gratification feels good, doesn’t mean it is the right path for me. Right now.

The reality is… we are about to be renovating our forever home. We are renovating an old body shop. We are having our second baby. We have a very busy toddler. He’s not in daycare. I still want to paint. I still want to create. I still want to feel like myself. I can only give proper attention to so many things. I can only function on so much coffee. Eventually, I will have to sleep at night again. On top of that, I want to be good at what I do. I want to take pride in my projects and be able to devote the necessary time and attention to each job. I want to feel a sense of accomplishment, not constant overwhelm.

So while this decision has been a difficult one, I have fully decided to pull back from design services for now. For now. I don’t know how long this will last, but it feels like the right move at this point in our journey. I have been helping others with their spaces for almost three years now. Wow. THREE years. So yes, I am a little sad…but mostly relieved. And don’t worry! If you are already on my waiting list, you are grandfathered in!

I am excited for this change. I believe change is good. I believe it is a sign of growth and emotional maturity when you can self-assess and change course. Listen to your wants. Listen to your needs. Listen to your body. Listen to the energy surrounding your thoughts. Chances are, if something is wrong, you already know it somewhere within the realm of your being. You just have to find the courage to admit when something needs to shift. If it’s not a “hell yes,” then it’s a “hell no.” That’s a phrase I’ve been hearing a lot recently, and it’s a phrase I will be carrying in my pocket all of 2023.

But it's also important to remember that nothing is permanent if you don't want it to be. That's why I keep telling myself that this is just for now. If I want to come back to working with clients when my life isn't so freaking hectic, I totally can. I need to remember that I'm allowed to change my mind at any point. I am allowed to do what's best for the present moment.

I am looking forward to being more present with my family and to pour my heart and soul into our home renovation and store renovation. I am looking forward to being a hands-on mom. And I might even cook dinner more than once every 2 months. LOL. I am hoping that my time away from working with clients will open room for opportunity. I am hoping to free up some time on my calendar so that I am not running ragged all the time. You simply cannot make new discoveries, create freely or explore interests when you are so busy and tired. And us creatives need room to try new things, fail, try some more new things, learn, and expand. So here’s to leaning into those energy shifts! Here’s to listening to your thoughts, and being proactive in creating a life that feels totally aligned and authentic. I’m pumped.

Case's Bedroom

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 02:23:20 GMT

I am sitting in bed with my dogs at 9:30 p.m. after a long install day. We just put our son down, so I wanted to share about the vintage sports room I completed today!

Decorating a room for a kid is just the best. I got the opportunity to put together a space for the funniest, most charismatic, sweetest little boy, Case. He is in the 5 ^th grade, and he actually used to be one of my speech therapy kids! His mom reached out a few weeks ago to ask if I would spruce up the bathroom that her two boys share. When I went to their house to get my eyes on the bathroom, Case immediately wanted his room re-done! He was hilarious. He wanted the paint color changed, the “baby” curtains taken down, and he was OVER the juvenile transportation theme. He even started taking everything off the walls while I was there! When I asked Case what he wanted the new room theme to be, I should have known he would say SPORTS.

Here's where we started...

I have been dying to style a space using vintage sports gear since July, when we had my son’s vintage baseball 2nd birthday party. Some projects are daunting, and some are so exciting that I can hardly wait to get started. This was one of those projects that had me hitting the thrift stores the very next day to find as many vintage sports themed items as possible. I even outsourced some of the thrifting, because I know a good vendor in Nashville who always has quality pieces. I sent my best friend Cat to East Nashville Antiques to shop The West Place booth. Their booths are always stocked with the COOLEST finds. From vintage camp, to sports, to western…they have you covered.

I had Case’s mom, Joy, send me a list of all his favorite teams. For basketball, he listed Memphis Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks. For football, he wrote down Tennessee Titans and the Tennessee Volunteers. For baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cat facetimed me while she was at East Nashville Antiques and the first thing that caught my eye was a Chicago Bulls trash can. I knew immediately that I wanted to put a snake plant in it on styling day. After an hour or so on Facetime, we had a buggy full of all the things. I was also sourcing pieces daily while shopping at my local thrift stores in West Tennessee.

In the meantime, Joy was getting the room painted. She trusted my judgment 100% and let me pick the color…I love when clients do that! I chose Evergreen Fog by Sherwin Williams. It was the 2022 Color of the Year, and in my opinion, it still hasn’t lost its zhuzh. I knew it would be perfect for this room because I did not want a bold color to take away from the items on the shelves, but I wanted it to be a color that looked modern.

Over a couple of weeks, I found football helmets from the 50s and 60s. Baseball gloves from the 50s. Old photos of baseball, football and basketball teams. Vintage books, vintage bats, old baseballs, aged sports ads. I found the lockers on Facebook Marketplace and drove to Paducah, Kentucky to pick those up. I even found a really old bowling pin and ping pong paddle at Mantiques in Hazel, Kentucky. I thought those added an extra layer of fun and interest.

While I am an AVID supporter of buying secondhand, vintage, and thrifted items… sometimes, you just have to buy some things new. When it comes to linens, it is nice to have fresh, never-before-used pieces. The black and white windowpane comforter, gray sheets, and mustard kitted throw are all from Target. I had originally purchased two green corduroy throw pillows from Target, but I found the black and white gingham ones while going through items that Case’s mom wanted to get rid of. The client always appreciates when I can use things they already have and shave some money off the final invoice. You can find the links to the target items here.

Joy, Case’s mom, mentioned that her favorite part of the room had to be the curtains. She said they boosted the space and added a masculine, grown up touch. I actually had a friend who is an interior designer DM me on Instagram to ask where they came from.

Funny story—two nights before install day, I had to collect some measurements in Case’s room. I realized then that I had not found curtains yet. Being the procrastinator that I am, I looked to Amazon and prayed that I could find curtains that would tie the whole space together. I knew I wanted plaid, but not a plaid that clashed with the windowpane bedding. I knew I wanted a soft color, but not too green, because I didn’t want them to blend with the wall too much. I found the perfect blend of gray, blue and white flannel curtains and ordered them. They came in just in time! I was very pleased with the thickness, quality, and texture. They look expensive but are actually pretty affordable for 95-inch curtains! You can find them here.

One last thing! The Huntingdon letterman jacket. Huntingdon, Tennessee is where we live and Case goes to Huntingdon Middle School. I picked through a house over a year ago and found that jacket. I have been hoarding it in the back of my store ever since, despite numerous interested buyers. I knew I would need it for something one day. I love the yellow pop that it adds, and it brings the whole sports theme full circle to include a piece of Case’s hometown.

Overall, I am very proud of how the space turned out. I think Case really liked it too. His reaction to the big reveal was so sweet. He started touching everything with a smile on his face. He immediately closed the curtains and got under the covers on the bed! That made us all laugh.

I will say it every single time I complete a child’s room, but there is just nothing like seeing those faces light up when they walk into their new space. New rooms are special. They make you want to take ownership, keep things tidy, and clean up after yourself. If you add a desk, like I did in this space, it often encourages kids to study, read, write or draw. Joy text me tonight and said, “You made a little boy very happy today! Thank you so much. His smile is worth a million bucks. He keeps talking about how cozy it is in his room. I’m a firm believer in bragging on people, and I want you to know you are very good at what you do.”

And that right there….that’s why I love my job.

little-yellow-door

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