TULUM.

So, I'm finally back from Mexico...back to work...and back to the real world. Truth be told, I was rather antsy to head home. I guess that's what happens when you do what you love everyday, and for that I know I'm beyond blessed. With that said, vacation was absolute perfection...and more. How amazing it felt to detach our minds from all of those stressors, and be reminded of us...of how good we are together...but also how blessed our lives are. And that is the very reason I so love to travel--crossing those borders--and the depth and perspective we unabashedly gain by doing so (or, I hope that's the same for you). For there are things in this world that I want, and think I need, until I'm immersed in other cultures, amongst other people, who's everyday lives truly are actually a struggle. A struggle for clean water, and wholesome food, and education, and personal safety, and money. And family. And life. And here I am, the traveler who seemingly has everything, basking in their sun, on their beaches, ordering their drinks, and passing by their roadside stands...in my rental car...which I flew to...because I could. So yes, I am home. Refreshed and humbled with a new perspective. Ready to work hard, so I can give...and bless others...and grow my business...for the good of other people.

But back to topic--Tulum. People, this place is amazing. I almost don't want to tell of it, as I know it won't be such an undiscovered gem for long. (In fact, Maple and I were trekking amongst the cliffside Mayan ruins that were down the beach from our hotel, and ran into someone we knew from Charleston..?!?!). But, as a designer, I'm fueled by my travels. Inspired by every new and stimulating surrounding. And the people. And their arts. And their language...their heritage...and their passions. So here's a little glimpse into Tulum--the enchanting, secluded beach community that's rife with laid-back locals and chic Europeans, and is brimming with an amazing air of passion for design and the arts...and insanely good food.

Our view from dinner...amid the most amazing little Italian restaurant...complete with homemade pastas, San Pellegrino, twinkling candles, white-washed woods, antique olive jars, and 'gratzis'. 

It was perfection.

Speaking of perfection...I found it in this yellow door. 

Isn't my Maple a stud? Here he is anticipating the BEST dinner we've EVER had, my friends. And there is absolutely no exaggeration to this statement...and we like food. 

It's called Hartwood, my friends, and I long for the day we return to dine on their brilliance.

Our little boutique abode was so-well designed (which, of course, is the very reason I chose it). Just look at those doors! Who wouldn't want to wander through?

The interior of our cabana was so simple...yet so inspiring. Poured concrete. Moulded plaster. Crisp, white bed linens. A thatched roof. Amazing lighting. A lush, tropical view. And a pop of color. 

And those Tulum sunrises...

Every bit worth the 6 o'clock awakening.

It's no secret that I love a quiet, inspiration-filled morning...

and also my coffee. 

Tulum offered the best of both.

She was closed, but I didn't mind. That's perhaps a bad sales strategy: to outfit your storefront with such witty doors that those wandering by look forward to them being shut.

A lovely vignette. Perched outside the Italian restaurant, as you find your way back to the beach.

 And, our cab ride back to the Cancun airport. Nothing exciting. Just the two of us, happy as can be to have been blessed with an amazing week together...even happier to get home to our family, our friends, and our work...so we can em-better the lives of others, not just our own.

Enjoy your lives, my friends. Make the most of them. And love with every ounce you have. We only have one, as we were so sorely reminded when our plane touched down in Atlanta, and we were confronted with the devastation in Oklahoma. My heart is still hurting for them, and my prayers will never stop.

VAY-CAY

Hola amigos.
Just checking in...only to check out.
And this is why:

Peace out USA...work...and technology. I'm going to drink a Pacifico in the sand.

See you in a week, lovelies!

The Home Depot | Patio Design Challenge

Friends. Remember this little sneak peek I shared with you a few weeks ago? Remember the few mentions I made about Home Depot, and working our little tails off to whip our courtyard into shape for their Spring Patio Challenge?

Well, I've been superbly patient, wanting so badly to tell you just what in the world I was up to...and what in the world we did with our dilapidated little courtyard. But, somehow, someway...I kept it all to myself...until this morning. Because friends, it's finally published on Home Depot's amazing DIY-centric blog, The Apron. And I can finally show you.

So let's start from the beginning. Maple and I made an unbelievably swift decision to uproot our Charleston lives and plant them back in Lexington, Kentucky. We found a quaint little cottage, hailing from the 1800s, nestled amongst an up-and-coming corner of downtown's historic district. The cottage needed work. But it's courtyard really needed work. See what I mean?

It was red. And terrible. Filled with broken beer bottles, rusted bottle caps, and lifeless weeds. And heinous, splintered boards disguised the adjacent building's windows. And...that RED. Really?!

So we worked, and we worked...and then we worked...and family and friends helped (thank you ALL times one million, especially that incredibly patient, hard-working, selfless Maple of mine). And we painted. And we built things. And it kept snowing. And I stressed. And we worked. And then somehow, someway, it turned into this:

A bright, airy, sun-filled courtyard that's just beckoning to be lived, worked, and entertained in. It's just so incredibly happy out there...and so not red.

And didn't the incredibly talented Bradley Quinn Photography do a stunning job with the photography? He captured my vision and my work so perfectly well (and guess what, he can do it for you, too)!

So there you have it, readers. My entry for the Home Depot Patio Design Challenge. Please go check it out on their uber-amazing blog, and take a peek at the other talented participants' entries. We all worked so hard, and are so appreciative of HD for asking us to take part in such an incredible experience.

So, HAPPY SPRING! I'm headed outside...to that courtyard...with coffee...to work...and enjoy it.

HAPPY FRIDAY.