I have some good news to share. We all need good news on a Monday, don’t we?! Okay so first, I was interviewed via podcast last week by Alison from Craftcast and you know, it came out really relaxed and nice and perhaps even a bit inspirational so you may enjoy hearing it. If you click on this link, my interview begins about 1/4 of the way in and runs for about 25 minutes.

In the interview I talk about how I got my start in this crazy blogging adventure, how I feel about decorating trends, I even give some decorating advice and I reveal WHO is hosting the US book tour for Decorate, besides the lovely folks at Chronicle who are sponsoring it, of course. I hope that you enjoy “hearing” me as you “read” me so often, and that you’ll be around for my book tour, I’ll be posting all of the dates, times, locations, very soon so you can get it on your calendar. But for now, you can save the following dates:

• Saturday, June 25th, Amsterdam, 5:00-7:00 pm at The American Book Center. Info here. Please come, hug me, hang out, sign my guest book… :)
• Saturday, August 20th, Boston (Back Bay).
• Tuesday, August 23rd, Chicago
• Thursday, August 25th, San Francisco
• Friday, August 26th, Los Angeles (Beverly Hills)
• Monday, August 29th, Philadelphia
• Tuesday, August 30th, New York City (SoHo)

I hope that you enjoy the podcast, I’m running out for a few hours so I’ll see you tomorrow!

(image: holly becker for decor8)

I’d like to wish all of you an inspiring and enjoyable weekend. I’ll be working on my window display for the American Book Center and I have a lot of work ahead of me but I am ready to pull together a nice window for them and can’t wait until I’ve installed it so I can share it with all of you! Yesterday I spent time in my studio listening to Ellie Goulding while shooting for Mowie Kay’s new magazine, due to launch very soon — I wrote some decorating tips and produced and photographed a few spreads that will hopefully inspire you. Once it’s out, I’ll let you know!

It was fun to produce something in my home studio, I have a new camera, I shoot tethered now and I’m learning more about my camera settings. I also have a fantastic tripod so I feel confident as I begin to explore shooting more things for my blog and for other projects. I’m no Debi Treloar, but I do love the freedom of being able to take decent photos because now I can better express myself through a new medium.

I wish you all a very nice weekend, make sure you notice and enjoy the details…

(images: holly becker)

I want to pop in quickly (Hi!) to wish you all a wonderful weekend. It’s a bank holiday in the UK and Memorial Day weekend in the US, so I think I’m going to take advantage of these days off to work on the shop window that I’m designing for the American Book Center in Amsterdam in preparation for my signing event there on June 25th. I also need to work on the story I’m pulling together for the premiere issue of Mowie Kay Magazine that will launch soon (go, Mowie, go!) so the extra day off shall be used very well. And you? What will you do this weekend? Do you have Monday off?

Isn’t this illustration adorable by Kitschy Kitschy Kool on Etsy? It’s quite fitting for Memorial Day weekend and since I’m American, I rather like it. :)

I’ll see you on Tuesday… xo

(image: kitschy kitschy kool)

So it’s time for my Thursday Pinterest column, though I won’t continue doing it because some photographers are really against it and after my first Pinterest post, I got a lot of slack from a few people whom I featured and I really don’t want to deal with that going forward. They were nice enough, but they seem to dislike sites like Pinterest (I loooove it on the other hand) so for now I’m going to just forget my idea to spotlight the finds I come across on Pinterest. My final “pinned” post is dedicated to quotes because I love them so much — a book without quotes, a magazine without quotes, I don’t know… it’s just not the same for me. I love little thoughts randomly scattered, quick bites of inspiration… So here are some for you. I bet at least one of them your mother said, in fact I bet you 10 bucks!

“Small things become great when done with love” by Because It’s Awesome.
“To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people exist, that is all” – via Ms. Valo.
“I believe in pink” designed and sold by Elissa Hudson.
“Everything happens for a reason” by the Love Shop.
“Happy girls are the prettiest” via Ache.
“Be awesome today” – Lucius Art.
“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle” by Wren Fern (no website).
“Don’t forget to be awesome” by Super Swoon.
“Today is a new day.” – Unknown, please tell me so I can linky link it. Found! It’s from Erin Jane Art Prints (thank you Nicky!).

What are some of YOUR favorite quotes anyway? Do you have something to share that your mother always said? Go ahead, make me laugh. My mother was the quote queen you guys…. she was always telling me something she read somewhere — or heard from her very quotable mother. What a riot.

(images linked to their source above.)

Hello my dear friends! I’m quite ill at the moment, lots of chicken soup and long naps — so I’ll be back in full swing again soon. I hope you don’t mind that you’ll be a bit on your own until my return. I was working yesterday on location as a freelance stylist and had so much fun, then I got home and wham-o — this massive headache hit, then cold chills… so to bed I went and slept for 12 hours –  got up at 5:00 a.m. with this yucky ache all over so I’m resting until I’m better. Bleh. I am simply giving in and taking care of myself.

I miss you though but I’ll be back very soon, in fact I’m hoping for Wednesday or Thursday. But until then, I’m going back to my little warm nest where there is a stack of magazines, Angry Birds on my iPhone, lots of tea and warm soup waiting for my return. xo

(image: holly becker for decor8)