Lifestyle Posts
Moving from Seattle to Gig Harbor has been a breath of fresh air (literally). Life feels calmer, the community feels closer, and nature is right outside our doorstep. In this post, I’m sharing how the move has changed our family’s pace, how it’s inspired my design business, and why Gig Harbor, Tacoma, and the South Sound have completely stolen my heart.
This milestone birthday feels like a pivotal moment-almost like a fresh chapter (it is a new decade of life after all), where I’ve been striving to become the healthiest and happiest version of myself. It’s not just about physical health, though that was a huge part of the transformation. It’s also about mindset, habits, and removing things that no longer serve me.
It feels surreal to even be typing this because even though we’ve been dreaming about this for some time now, it all happened very fast and we’re still processing it honestly.
Since SOW started as a lifestyle blog and interior design was added later, that’s exactly how the website felt — like we were a lifestyle blog who also dabbled in interior design. I needed the new site to be quite the opposite of that and not only showcase all our beautiful projects, but reflect all the hard work I had put into perfecting our client experience.
I’ve never been big on resolutions or goals, but rather I like to think of them as intentions. At the start of every new year, I think to myself, what do I want to accomplish this year and why? If it’s not something that’s extremely important to me or something that has substantial meaning or thought behind it, it likely won’t happen.
So what is a capsule closet? In essence, a capsule embraces quality over quantity and favors versatility — less items (thanks to those key, neutral pieces), endless options. While there’s no magic number, it’s important to hone in on the 20% of your closet you use, wear, and love, and let go of the rest. If you’re ready to say yes to more joy, peace, and abundance in your closet then you’ll want to read this post.
By far one of the most frequently asked questions I get in regards to Styled Out West is, How did you get into Interior Design? I think it’s a popular topic for many reasons. One being that people are realizing that they can work for themselves and actually do something they love. Say what!? And while I think it’s wonderful when aspiring designers come to me for support, I am by no means an expert in this field (yet) and I don’t want to give the impression that becoming a designer is easy. I’ve certainly been hit with my fair share of challenges and I’m learning new things every single day
We've been busy brainstorming behind the scenes of how we could better serve you this year. And I’m excited to officially announce (on the blog) the launch of a brand new (and very exclusive) service called the “The Ultimate Closet Makeover”. The service that will change your life in one day!
Does anyone else feel like the holidays can be more stressful than joyful at times? There is so much pressure to get the best gift, put up your decorations (earlier and earlier it seems), bake all the cookies, and constantly be ready to entertain. My advice for ensuring a stress-free holiday? Let me introduce you to the CBD products from Equilibria Women. I promise you’ll thank me later.
It’s been a MINUTE since I’ve caught up with you all on the blog. Between the pandemic, the success of our Interior Design services and trying to raise two small kids, the blog took a major back seat. But I can happily say, it’s coming back in a big way and I can’t wait to start sharing all kinds of content with you all on a more regular basis!
There is nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain. Poor Joey is cutting all her top teeth at the same time and since she is my second, I figured it would be helpful to share the methods that have helped us the most. Starting with our favorite product (found at Safeway), Orajel™ Non-Medicated Cooling Gels for Teething. Orajel is #1 pediatrician recommended and also Benzocaine and drug free!
What was it in 2020 that didn’t work for you? What were the voids in your life? What were the things you enjoyed? And what are your intentions for 2021? Hopefully they don’t include any of the things that didn’t work for you last year and a lot more of the things that did! And hopefully they include some new and improved routines and methods that will really set you up to succeed in 2021.
So here we are, almost 10 weeks into quarantine and I still don’t really know how I feel about it. It’s funny because I remember the exact day that things changed. I’m opening up and getting real about how I really feel about this entire situation called quarantine.
There’s been some big and exciting changes for the Styled Out West brand. A new Instagram account and the introduction of home design services. I can’t wait to share more with you!
Health is not just about your physical appearance and fueling your body, your mental health is just as important. Here are a few things you can do every day to feel better, be more productive and maybe even drop a few pounds.
Last weekend I had some of my closest blogger babes over for a Galentine’s day brunch to celebrate the season of love. Sometimes getting together with your girlfriends and relishing in all things girly is the best way to spend valentine’s day in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I love my husband, but we aren’t big on celebrating holidays like this - we love each other every day of the year (duh)!
In my last post I talked about how we are transitioning to life as four (in case you missed it, you can read that here). And since that post I’m feeling like a new woman because Joey is sleeping through the night! Yep, you read that right, my newborn slept through the night at just 6 weeks old. Want to now how? Then you’ll want to stick around and keep reading.
Well hello, friends! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a post, but as I’m sure you can guess (or know), it’s because we had a baby! On September 15th at 12:57am, we welcomed our sweet Joey Rae to the world and life has forever changed for the better.
With baby #2 quickly approaching, I’ve been trying to get the house as organized and streamlined as possible and that includes meal prepping. With a toddler and newborn in tow, I’m worried about finding time to do simple tasks like go to the grocery store. That’s why I was so excited to discover Smith Brothers Farms, a local family-owned and operated farm that has been serving the greater Puget Sound area for more than 90 years. They have grown to be one of the largest independent dairies in the region, processing and delivering the freshest milk and select Northwest products to more than 50,000 homes every week.
When I graduated from college, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I always loved Fashion and had this dream of being a “big wig” at a major fashion retailer or some sort of creative in that field. I decided to major in Communications at the University of Washington because that was the only option that was broad enough to cover almost any type of career. Most large university’s don’t offer specialized majors which leaves a lot of students pondering what they are going to do with their degree after they finish. But now there are so many options for schooling that offer a specialized career path and one of them is Interior Design! And it just so happens that one has opened here in Seattle, which is why I am so excited to share Heritage School of Interior Design with you!
As a family of three who is about to become four, this topic has been on my mind for quite some time now. But the question is - how do we balance it all? Even before kids I remember it being hard to find time to fit everything in and then you add a child into the mix and you better buckle up! But, I would like to think we’ve done a pretty good job of balancing it all. And today I’m sharing how.
So why did I take a little break from social media and blogging? SURPRISE…I AM 12 WEEKS PREGNANT! This isn’t much of a surprise to me, as my husband I are were trying for baby #2, but for most of you who follow along, I haven’t really expressed my want for a bigger family. While we are elated, my body, on the other hand, had different thoughts.
Alarm goes off…hit snooze…alarm goes off…scroll Instagram…alarm goes off…shit, it’s an hour later and I’m late!
This is me, every single morning and I’m sick of it. You, too? If so, let’s work togehter to try a few things that may help us to finally be morning people.
So much food...so many cocktails...so little exercise...Does this sound familiar? Because this is how I always feel after the holidays. But the good news? There is hope to feeling good again - so take the new year as a golden opportunity to hit the refresh button! Don’t set unrealistic resolutions or goals that you likely won’t be able to achieve. Instead, tell yourself that you are going to be better and each day is a new day!
We’re all friends here, right? I thought so. Which is why I’m opening up and getting personal about my year of change. Starting mostly with this blog and my brand. You might want to grab a cup of coffee (or a mimosa)…this could be a long one!
I remember when Wes and I first started talking about starting a family and how that might affect our lives in terms of traveling and being spontaneous. It scared him as he hadn't traveled as much in his life as he would have liked.
Hello, from the Big Apple! I arrived on Friday and it’s been a whirlwind ever since! I had intended on writing and publishing this post before I left but I didn’t get around to it, so here I am now. I thought it may be fun to share how going to Fashion Week even came about since I got quite a few questions about it. Let me just start by saying that if this has been a dream for you, then you’re in luck because ANYONE can do it!
I can't believe I just said that sentence out loud...it still doesn't seem real! For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to visit New York in the Fall. Yes, the weather is gorgeous that time of year, but that's also when the city comes to life for September New York Fashion Week! This is a semi-annual event, held in multiple locations, the largest being New York, Milan, London and Paris
Last week was my thirty-third birthday. Woah, that sounds wild to say out loud. I remember when I was younger I thought being in my 30’s felt so old. The strangest part about getting older is that I don't physically feel older. I still feel like I’m in my 20’s, although I have to say the hangovers do last longer now and going to bed past 10pm no longer seems appealing. But even though I do miss the freedom of doing whatever I wanted in my 20's I feel so much more secure at 33 than I ever have.


The holidays are here, which means one thing: gift guides galore. But if you’re anything like me, endless scrolling can feel more stressful than joyful. So I’ve rounded up the best of the best—the cozy, useful, and beautiful gifts people will actually want.