My husband just flat out doesn't do social media. (Well, for the most part...he has a Twitter account with approximately 12 followers and the only reason he has that account is to look at Kobe Bryant and some other athletes he likes. Oh, and LinkedIn which doesn't count as true social media in my book.) Honestly, I have a LOT of respect for him and for other friends of mine who can just tune out all of the crap, competition and comparison that comes along with being too close to social media. But when starting a business, connecting on social media is a necessary evil. When I started up my design business, I started separate Instagram and Facebook account to focus on my interior decorating and also to separate private and public life a little. What I didn't expect AT ALL was to form some really great friendships and support systems with people I'd never met...yet.
Because I draw such inspiration from these creative women who have shown me kindness and support as I started my business, I wanted to share some of the cool things they are doing. These women are all local to the Raleigh area and each have a very different spin on their creative outlets - all of which I totally dig.
I first found out about Kayte not from Instagram but from an article I read on Raleigh Mom's blog about ideas and tips for giving meals to take to people. I enjoyed the article but when I read her bio, it honestly felt like we were living parallel lives. Kayte had switched careers from Higher Education to motherhood/blogger/food styling (just like me minus the food part!). On a whim, I shot her an email, introduced myself and a couple of months later we met in person. She's got some really great recipes coupled with mad styling and photography skills. On top of that, she couldn't be more down to earth and sincere. I'm also really excited to share that Kayte and I are going to be collaborating on a piece for a local publication this fall. Stay tuned! Check out some of my favorite shots from her recent food stylings:
I first discovered the cool, collected, vintage style that personifies Ashlyn Goldberg from The Real Raleigh Series. (Side note: if you don't read this series on Jaime Meares' blog, you are SO missing out!). Ashlyn not only has the BEST eye for thrifting but she can style it up like it is nobody's business. Ashlyn has been such a huge support to my design business that she even found a couple of great finds for a project I was working on, thought of me and sought me out! We met briefly recently but as soon as the kiddos are in regular preschool in the mornings, I am looking forward to spending some quality time under the guidance of this thrifting master.
I'd long admired Kristi's work but had the surprising pleasure of finding out that our kids were in preschool together! Not only were they in the same class, they were great buds which has been so much fun for me to connect with Kristi both on the creative level but on the very real (and sometimes hairy-ugly) mom level. And we are practically neighbors! Kristi is a phenomenally talented furniture artist. What I love so much about Kristi is that she puts so much care and thought into each piece that she works on. I especially love it when she takes old pieces and where possible she lets some of the old beauty of the wood show through.
I found Cate thanks to the recommendations of Instagram and their algorithm magic/nightmare depending on what camp you are in. I think Cate and I are attempting to do very similar things with a similar design approach and aesthetic. We both enjoy the challenge of working on a budget and both very much appreciate an eclectic and collected look. We've not only become design buddies and are looking forward to meeting up in person soon, but have just recently discovered that we were childhood friends (who both apparently have bad memories) who shared a camp cabin at Gwynn Valley for three weeks in 1989! How small of a world is that?! Here are some of my favorites from Cate's portfolio - her bathroom from the One Room Challenge knocked my socks off - as did that mirror made from old shoe forms!
Maria has the Midas Touch in the thrifting world in my opinion. She finds the most beautiful pieces and then styles them so elegantly. She has such a beautiful way of mixing classic, traditional elements but shows her followers how to adopt them with a more modern style. I love how she names each of her finds and how she leaves you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next daily treasure to be announced. I almost didn't include her in this post because selfishly, I want to buy everything she sells and half the time I just miss it! But, she is definitely one to follow along with and is super sweet so I had to get over my own selfishness and include her! :) The first two pictures below are items I was able to scoop up in time for a lucky client! I haven't gotten to meet Maria in person yet but I can tell from her design aesthetic and adorable front porch that I've visited more than once that we would be fast friends in real life too!
Social media certainly has its ups and downs. There are things I like and plenty of things I don't like about it. But my number 1 and 2 two favorite things about social media have to be the creative inspiration I draw from it and the cool new friendships that I have formed.
xo, Cameron
