My most popular blog post to date has been this one here on how to support your dream job when your dream job doesn’t pay. It’s a topic that I feel isn’t discussed much on social media and should be so people looking to pursue a dream have an idea of all that goes into it. While watching someone follow a dream can look glamorous (and often feels glamorous—I love nothing more than writing books!) the reality is pursuing something you love often requires double the work because in addition to . . .
Little Black Dresses Perfect For Spring & A Breakfast at Tiffany’s Engagement Party
Yesterday we celebrated my cousin John and his bride-to-be Mikaela with an engagement party in Newport Beach at Pelican Hill. It was a Breakfast at Tiffany's themed affair so guests were asked to wear little black dresses and Mikaela showed up looking gorgeous in a black floor length gown with a Tiffany blue ribbon belt. I always think to only wear black in the winter and come spring am much more excited for florals and colorful dresses, but was surprised by how many cute springtime LBDs I . . .
How To Get Started Writing a Novel
So you want to write a novel? Congrats on this big decision and first step! 81 percent of Americans have a dream to write a book, but few actually follow through with it (something I totally get now that I've finally published a book). The novel is the greatest undertaking of the human imagination, a professor I once had told me, so it makes sense that it takes so long to figure it out. That being said, it is such an exciting challenge and a journey I highly encourage you take if you have a . . .
A Daisy Jones and Billy Dunne Inspired Wardrobe and Album Cover
I loved everything about Taylor Jenkin Reid’s latest book, Daisy Jones & The Six—from the way it was written entirely in the form of responses to interview questions, to the reveal of who was interviewing all the members of the band, to Reid’s exploration of love and fame, to the outfits described in the story. Like many people who read Daisy Jones & The Six, I was convinced the band in the story was real. I googled them several times, only to find out she’d made them up! I did . . .
Easter Dresses & An Island Egg Hunt For Waiting at Hayden’s
Over the weekend I hid several signed copies of Waiting at Hayden’s in the free little libraries on Balboa Island. I’m always borrowing books from these little libraries to take to the beach. I love finding new reads here that I wouldn’t have picked out at the bookstore and sharing my favorites with others on the island as well. A while back I did a post about creative ways to use your books for home décor, but sharing, re-gifting, and donating books is my favorite use for them—especially . . .
My Favorite Beach Reads of All Time
This past week, with my family being in town and lots of evenings after work spent at the beach, I got to read several books in the sand. I’ve been working so much on my next novel, Map of Us, and the future of shopfiction™ that it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to really enjoy the books that made me want to be a writer in the first place. I honestly haven’t felt this great in such a long time and I really do credit the beach reads. I know they are frequently criticized for being too . . .