Back + Forth!

I've been a bit back + forth lately, so much is going on right now that my head is spinning! But I think that once these shoots are finished (end of July, early August) I can get back to my normal routine and that will feel very good. People tell me that it must be such a dream to work on a book, and you know what, so far it really hasn't been! It has been difficult in many ways that I never imagined and had not considered before signing my contract. The publisher has been great and I love the photographer with whom I will work with, but the shoots themselves have been very difficult to schedule because so many are traveling in the summer months, lots of people are in other books or doing their own books, and still others are just not interested because they don't think that their homes are book-worthy and they are shy about showing their space. All reasons are valid and I understand them completely -- I was asked by a few magazines to show my home, like Domino, back a few years ago and my house was not "magazine worthy" and I turned them down so I understand completely. But it's very difficult still! I am currently searching for spaces in New York (which has been THE most challenging spot on earth, surprisingly, to book shoots) and in LA (the second hardest). Which makes me laugh a bit because I thought booking my fellow Americans would be a breeze since so many there read decor8 and know me and those I've already approached have worked with me before whether it be a write-up I did on my site or for a magazine article. Booking shoots in Europe, in the other hand, has been a lot easier (with the exception of Paris and France in general - no one will write back to me and I'm told it is because I do not write to them in French!). Finding locations in Scandinavia, Belgium, England and so on has been a delight though -- and it's also nice because I've worked with lots of the homeowners with whom I'll be visiting to style their space for the shoot so it gives me great joy to finally meet those that I am so fond of.

Aside from scouting, booking and traveling -- I've been meeting some very talented and nice people! In London I enjoyed meeting my co-author and the publisher along with her team - and I met the photographer for coffee who will be doing special photography for the book and will be my partner-in-crime as I travel to these homes I've booked over the summer. I feel things have to "click" with those whom you are going to work so closely with and she and I clicked right away and so I felt comfortable knowing she will be with me on this journey. It is always very scary to work with someone new, but also very exciting, but meeting her definitely helped to put aside all fears that I had and now I believe that we'll have a very nice adventure together. We will meet in Copenhagen on May 31 and get started on a 5 day shooting schedule that will bring us to Sweden as well... and then I'll be back home again for a couple of weeks before going back to London for more shoots.

In addition to the book, I still have my lovely happy space - decor8 - to think about and tend to. I love my blog, my readers are the light in my life and I always miss them when I am away from my blog too long. For this reason I can never imagine not writing regularly on decor8, and I think it's one of the main reasons why I've not considered hiring writers and turning it more into an online magazine. I want to, in many ways, but I still need to connect daily with my friends and readers through decor8 because they feed and water me. It's a relationship I'm in, I don't feel the same when I'm away from them. I'm thinking of some new features to add to decor8 and also some additional ways to develop it - the content and such - so that it remains fresh and inspirational. So as I travel, I am taking notes as to what I will do on decor8 once I am seated calmly again at my desk with only my blog to focus on - which will be in late August.

On the homefront, we are finally going to look at a space that we may move to in September. We have been waiting for it since last October! Can you believe it? It is being gut renovated -- all of this time -- and nearly completed so we will see it next week. We are not 100% sure about it - so that is why we have been looking for a place while also waiting for this one -- but since nothing else has worked out perhaps then this space will be the one. It's very large so there will be room for all that we need - our home offices - a nursery for the future baby, etc. I already know the couple who lives on the floor that would be directly above us -- they are Danish and very, very warm and kind and into design like me (yay!) so there is something in common and so it would be nice to live in a building where we know a good spirit exists and the others are looking out for us and vice versa. I just found out that this Danish family lives in the same house, it was exciting news to learn, so it made me even more interested in this property as liking our neighbors is a concern (and trusting them) as we frequently travel. I will fill you in on the property and details next week, hopefully before I leave for Copenhagen on the 31st, so if you are curious stay tuned! :) :)

And how are you? What is new?

xo
Holly