A Healthy Absence

Hi friends, it’s great to be back.

I’ve recently hired some amazing friends to come help me out filling in all the gaps that I realized I couldn’t do myself. And the other day Sam and I were laughing because it had been NOT QUITE TWO YEARS (23 months to be exact) since the last time I blogged. Over a year sounds better than two years. So Hi, it’s been over a year since I popped in here!

Let’s do like a crazy lightning round recap, ok?

Since the last time I blogged:

I found out I was pregnant

I had that baby (his name is Theo)

Baby turned a year old like a few months ago

Kids grew up, moved out of the house

My very wise friend Joel Contreras (you’ve probably seen his work in, I dunno, Dwell magazine and stuff) came to me and basically had an intervention and shared with me how I needed to get started doing my own design work, rather than flipping. It was something that’s been on my heart for a little while, and I’ll need to share more about that later. But - I’m very grateful to him for that. I changed my website a little bit (did not announce it or anything) and the very next day, I was hired for client work for a couple different projects. It happened very quickly, and it seems like I’ve just been trying to catch up all year - a very good problem to have. I’m not complaining! I’m just learning a LOT. If anyone ever wants to know how not to start a business, I have many good ways to share with you!

I stopped flipping houses and moved into more of a designer role for client work

Went in and out of phases of depression, learned I have ADHD, began treatment, life changing.

Josh and I had our 10 year anniversary! I surprised him BY PLANNING A WHOLE TRIP TO OAHU, HAWAII. I told him I booked a Days Inn in a crappy suburb of Lake Tahoe and we even got in a fight about it. IT WAS A VERY GOOD SURPRISE! I DID A GOOD JOB!

Learned so much. In so many ways. Too much sometimes. This past year, business-wise, it has felt like drinking from a fire hose.

My business, Paro Home, signed a lease on a studio in the heart of central Phoenix.

I’m still in the middle of renovating it and making it nice! But it’s been a tough project (why are our own spaces the hardest to design!? I need to share more about that).

In the past 23 months, I forget how many houses I designed and sold. I lost money a few times. I made money sometimes. I could write a book.

I set 2 big long term goals! One of them is to write a book! Second one is to develop a home decor line. I’m putting these out there and actively working on them when I have time. But for now - they’re a distant dream. Ok with that.

After all this time, a few furniture redesigns and art shuffling, our home is still my favorite place. I can see the hermit life beckoning me. It seems…. so enticing, so safe. So cozy. So many good snacks. But far less fulfilling, sure. Anyway, this season of LOVING my home has further impressed upon me the importance of creating the home that you NEED. Not just the one that looks nice, or has nice things. Your home is your shell and you are the goopy snail! Not any shell will work. It needs to be just right for your goopy, slimy needs.

Things ahead for me currently:

On the personal front, we are starting an addition to our home pretty soon. It’s nothing big or fancy, and it’s always been in the works, just waiting on the funds to do it! Our home has always been a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house (the living, dining, and kitchen areas are large - this is why we bought the home! We knew we could make do with 2 bedrooms and one bath for awhile as long as our living spaces were not cramped).

I’m booked up with client work at the moment, and taking a mandatory family break for the holidays (BOUN! DA! RIES!) but might have some openings in Jan - Feb of 2020! Email me if you’re interested in talking more - it’s always best to get started talking about a project at least 2-3 months before you want to get started!

I miss blogging. I’m coming back. Hoping to share more about my office reno, my home addition, the design / plan / finished product with that, various snippets of client work (with permission of course), mood boards, inspiration boards, whatever! I’m carving out the time now, because it’s important to me, and I lost the drive awhile back. I took a healthy absence, I knew I needed to step away until I was ready again. You can’t force this, people. I’m not here to sell things or do sponsored posts (this will probably happen - it’s just not my drive behind the blog, just to clarify). I’m just here to share. And you know, do affiliate links bc duh this website ain’t paying for itself. A lady’s gotta hustle.

I want to acknowledge that any success I’ve had, or any personal victory I’ve celebrated, has all been because of so many other people. My husband Josh (Josh Makes!). SO many friends. So many positive, encouraging mentors in my life, in so many capacities. Are you in my life? It’s because of you. Even those of you who follow me on Instagram, who have been along for the ride since the early days, to even those of you who have no idea who I am but you found my IG and you’re bored / can’t sleep but you’re reading about my weird life anyway and you’re like “Why am I even reading this blog post, I should go to bed.” BUT YES, YOU TOO. I see you and I love you all. Thank you all sincerely, for everything. Every word, every comment, every message of encouragement. To those of you who are SO THOUGHTFUL who have sent me Starbucks credit on bad days (mind blowing kindness!! to be so kind to a stranger! It’s challenged me to pass that on, so thank you). I am beyond privileged to have overflowing support, and I have to acknowledge that. Without all of you, especially Josh - this would be nothing. This would never have happened. I’m really very grateful. Thank you for reading this. I hope you’ll be around for the next blog post in 23 months. ;)