So I Wrote A Book...
February 20, 2019
I got on my instagram feed (and stories) and announced that I’d be writing a book… to be published… and sold! Not an e-book, but an actual book book to be held in one’s hand, to be placed on one’s shelf, to be read.
March 20, 2019
Pre-orders for my book officially opened on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com, aka the point of no return for getting this crazy idea of mine out into the world. And wouldn’t you know it — people pre-ordered the book… YOU pre-ordered MY book, trusting me with your time, your home, and your money.
June 20, 2019
My book went on sale… like officially live, with orders being processed and shipped. After hiccups and delays — the original release was for May 20th, on my dad’s birthday — my baby was finally going out into the real world and into people’s homes. To receive shipment notifications was nearly as emotional as when I had my daughter — who was also “late” and born after her due date actually.
Everything after that is a blur to be quite honest…
People started receiving their books and tagging me in their unboxings with their more than amazing first impressions…feedback I could’ve never imagined receiving.
I received my first book check, and while I in no way did this for the money (imposter syndrome rearing its ugly head) it felt hella good getting that direct deposit, almost like this was the first sign that this really happened.
My book made a few Amazon ratings, and while short-lived — damn things update every 24 hours — I have the screenshots that will never expire, allowing me to always commemorate those milestones.
And now here we are…
I realized I never came on the blog or on my YoutTube channel and actually TALKED about my book. And while I never mentioned it on my Instagram, I never really really got into why I wrote a book and all the sentiments behind this endeavor.
November 20, 2019
So I wrote a book and here’s what you need to know…
Since high school and well into my college years, I’d had fleeting ideas of writing a book — everything from a book of poetry to documenting my life via a memoir. With all the ideas that had come and gone, never did I think about writing a book for the home space, but as someone who loves to share and even more so, loves to write — hello blog! — it’s also not any more far fetched than launching a subscription box, virtual conference, or creative podcast.
While browsing my amazon account, I somehow stumbled onto Jenny Patinkin’s book, “Lazy Perfection: The Art of Looking Great Without Really Trying”. It was a quick read, but before even fully diving into it, my very first thought to myself was, “someone should write a book like this for interior design!” Jenny’s book is all about achieving great results without overwhelming yourself with “perfection” —
Every woman wants to look like the best version of her self--natural, radiant, and confident. But who has the time to master complicated steps, or the patience to sift through the glut of choices at the beauty counters? Celebrated makeup artist Jenny Patinkin cuts through the confusion and clutter with her "lazy perfection" approach to beauty, replacing complex techniques and hard-to-wear trends with a streamlined, sophisticated approach to makeup..
Here you'll find guidance on finding a beauty routine that works for you--without a lot of involved steps or overpriced products. Guiding you through an initial makeup drawer purge, through setting beauty priorities, to crafting a finished look, Jenny gives you real-life tips for spending your limited time (and budget) to achieve the results you want. With Lazy Perfection you'll know that you're putting your best face forward--minus the fuss!
As I read this description over and over again, it was like reading something I say every day to people when it comes to designing, and ultimately creating, a home — everyone wants a beautiful home, to create their best home, but in a way that truly suits them and their lifestyle without all the fuss & pressures of it being perfect…
because what is perfect?
I jokingly sent the book to a few of my girlfriends sharing with them how dope it would be if something wrote something like it for the home space. They all came back to me with the same response — why don’t I write it. While I don’t know if they were serious or not, I couldn’t get it out of my head…
Why not me?
So for an entire week — the first week of February to be exact — I woke up every day at 4 am just to write. While my husband and daughter slept, before the sun was even up, I wrote. Within that first day, I had listed and named my chapters, like outlining a term paper, and before I knew it a book was unfolding before me. The next few weeks were spent learning all about the self-publishing process, working through and editing my ideas with friends and peers. And in the midst of all this creative chaos, eventually, a book was born.
I channeled into that book all the stuff I struggled with sharing here on the blog or on social media; it felt like a safe, undistracted space to just talk about what I wanted to talk about when it came to curating and creating a home you’d love… hence the title, Curate The Home You’re In: Effortlessly Create Your Everyday Dreamscape.
Am I sharing groundbreaking stuff in the book? No.
But my hope is that with the book I would be able to help at least one person cut through the noise and all the superficial bullshit that surrounds interior design…the “perfection” of it all…
…perfect style
…perfect time
…perfect budget
Blah. Blah. Blah.
Fast forward to the present day, and I’ve gotten messages from people telling me that my book did for them exactly what I’d hoped and so I am more than content. In the book, I chose to share my own personal anecdotes of design — as a mom, wife, and renter… and everything in between. I share actual “design therapy” challenging readers to be honest about what they’re actually doing in their home — to be intentional — so that they’re not just wasting away in a home they hate.
I would never urge someone to buy something they don’t need — I have a whole chapter dedicated to that actually! — and while the book is a super quick read, in my humble opinion, I know exactly who it isn’t for…
…anyone who is truly happy & loving the home they’re in
…anyone who is looking for a quick design fix
…anyone who isn’t ready to take some kind of action
But I did know that my book would be for somebody…and chances are it’s somebody who’d be following me online and/or already reading my blog…
Yeah, I’m looking at you!
So now you’re all caught up on the who, what, when, where, why, and how of my first book…and yes, I said first, because while brainstorming this initial project, I developed an idea that needed more space to breathe and not be jammed all into one book.
Interested in buying the book?
You can totally still do that on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
Not sure it’s for you? That’s okay too! Keep hanging out with me right where you have been here on the blog, on my YoutTube channel, and/or on my Instagram. From time to time I even remember that I have a twitter account and post there too!
