First birthday, big trip, and my first design gig!

Lots of exciting things this week! Yesterday we celebrated my baby boy's first birthday.  I feel so bittersweet since he's probably our last baby, but he is the sweetest guy.  He's wild and cuddly - a wonderful combo.

This weekend, we leave for a 2 week trip to Israel!  My husband's family is from there so we try to visit every 1.5 - 2 years.  This is getting increasingly challenging as our family grows, but we are doing it :) This will be our first overseas flight with 3 kids - wish me luck! I've already started packing.  I've learned the only way to feel calm about preparing is to pack for one of us each night for the whole week preceding the trip. Crazy, I know.

A parent of a child in my middle daugher's preschool class has asked me to help to design for her new home in September! I know it's far off, but I can't believe I am actually having a design job fall in my lap.  I've been on this long, slow, meandering path toward interior design as a source of income, but it feels like I'm actually getting somewhere.  This only happened as a result of her seeing our home :)
So satisfying and flattering.  I can't wait!

Inspiration

I'm full of inspiration.  I know that this is good.  It's a place to start.  But what to do with it? I have so many sources in real life and on the internet, and I just wonder how to let these inspirations take me somewhere. I devour design blogs as though it is my job.  Because I want it to be my job.

Here are the blogs I've been reading for the past 4+ years as I've taken baby step after baby step in this direction:

Little Green Notebook
Style by Emily Henderson
Cup of Jo
Design Mom
Making It Lovely
CopyCat Chic

I love how I feel as though I know these people.  I love that they somehow blend quality writing, design, and imagery, with personal glimpses into their lives in a way that draws readers into their stories.  Oh, to be a design blogger...