Marfa, Texas

Do you know that thing that happens when you’ve never heard of something and then it keeps appearing in your life? That thing recently is Marfa, Texas, for me.

I first read about Marfa when my friend Kari traveled to the arts Mecca in the middle of nowhere, west Texas on her fantastic roadtrip last year (her whole journey is chronicled here). I’ve since had several conversations for a project I’m working on with the fine folks at the legendary Marfa Book Company. Then I heard about it here and here. So, that seals the destination portion, now onto some companions.

My sisters, Ann and Susan, and I – we like to travel together. I can’t call them annual sisters’ trips because they aren’t that structured. Usually it’s whenever we could afford the time away with the short jaunts serving as a great connector for us away from our daily lives and gives us something to hold onto between holidays and visits to each others’ homes. It’s been several years since we’ve gone anywhere together because well, life got in the way, taking a backseat to babies, businesses, and budgets.

From what I’ve read, I think Marfa would be such a fantastic spot to share with my sisters. Between the wildness of the land, creative energy, and quiet beauty, I bet it would be remarkable. While Austin and Dallas get most of the attention in the state, this culturally lush town appears to be something seriously special. My wish is that my sisters and I can resume traveling together in 2014 and that Marfa would be the destination.

Marfa Image: © Maison Gray

The Pop Five

I had a pretty low-key week with several projects wrapping up, which feels good. However, this holiday weekend will be lively. My mother and her girlfriends, the “Lindas”, are in town until Monday. I have plans to show them a great time in Atlanta.

Happy Labor Day, all … here’s to making it an unlabored one.

My perpetual state of wanderlust has me loving The Londoner. I stumbled across it recently and it’s such a beautiful blog. (I fully admit I’m very late to the game on this one, as it’s extremely popular!)

Image: Courtesy of The Londoner

For all my need to travel, I’m kind of having a moment with Atlanta. Maybe it’s because Margaret was born here, giving us more roots than before, but lately, I’m falling back in love with this city. I’m hanging out with creative, interesting people, doing creative, interesting things that don’t require talking about Honey Boo Boo or Miley Cyrus’s VMA performance.

Image: Courtesy of Scoutmob Shoppe

Burned out war photographer Eric Bouvet is now documenting love with soul stirring results. Check it out.

Image: © Eric Bouvet

Speaking of love, the morning nip in the air when Margaret and I walk Otis tells me it’s almost fall and that we’re approaching the season my daughter made her debut outside my belly. We’re already starting to toy around with the idea of a first birthday party. It will be based off her favorite book, which these days waffles between smelling the flowers with The Story of Ferdinand and taking a stroll in the deep dark wood with The Gruffalo. So hard to choose!

I read, The Smartest Kids in the World piece in Sunday’s Book Review. It’s quite interesting and I predict that American education in a global economy will become a very hot topic in the next few years.

Image: Courtesy of Marc Rosenthal

Recipe for Press

I adore Amy Flurry and if there was ever someone whose career (and life!) I’d like to emulate it’s hers. She juggles an enviable editorial roster, is a creative genius with edgy side projects, and runs a successful consulting business based off her book, Recipe for Press.

I’ve interviewed Flurry several times for her gorgeous work with Paper-Cut-Project, but truly came to know her after Recipe for Press, published. Full disclosure, we share the same book publisher because I sought her out after reading it. I love everything about Recipe for Press, but mostly it’s because of its content and practical applications to small business. (Not to mention the stylish design aesthetic and user-friendly layout.) I’m thrilled to talk career progression, unplugging, and the business of branding with the supremely smart, Amy Flurry.

danapop: How much do you think social media influences a company and how do you suggest your clients (and practitioners of Recipe for Press) balance an online presence with growing their business?

Amy Flurry: Social media is an incredible tool for businesses of all sizes, but for small operations or startups it is possibly even more valuable. For starters, it’s free, but what’s not free is the time you must invest in it, and that’s generally the hangup for small businesses. Eventually a company has to come around to seeing how important communications is for their business, whether it’s in building relationships with editors or trust with their customer. I help entrepreneurs learn to think like an editor, because they are, first and foremost, editors of their own brand. This also plays heavily into how successful a company will be with social media.

dp: I know you do consulting work with great brands (like the amazing Katharine Kidd), what do you look for when working with a client? Is there a universal need most of them are seeking?

AF: I do work with great brands and if there was a common thread among the best of them it’s that they’ve all put effort into a strong visual brand identity. They simply lack confidence in the correct way to share their story with editors and bloggers–and this may range from basic questions like how to find the right editor to pitch, whether they should send an attachment or even how long a pitch should be. Once they attend a workshop or read the book and get the basic foundation, many realize they need extra help developing a long-term media strategy. For those clients who are still in the development stage or who simply want an editors eye on their brand to tell them what’s keeping them from getting press, the more universal need is better product shots and portraits.

dp: I know your babies aren’t exactly babies any longer and you’re in the throws of back-to-school and homework, but how do you adapt to each stage of motherhood against career progression?

AF: My work has adapted to different stages in life. Even before we had children, I chose to freelance because my husband and I were traveling and housesitting (he’s a novelist and I was working to build a portfolio) and my work was nourished by experiences of living in the south of France, on Martha’s Vineyard and in Athens, Georgia. When kids came into the picture, I discovered a new kind of flexibility in freelancing and shifted my work hours around and that worked for me for some time. Now that they’re in school, I need more consistent office hours (and more sleep). I won’t pretend that I’ve ever struck a perfect balance between the two. Life is short. Kids grow up fast. The work I’ve created is exciting. I approach my personal life and professional with an intensity that lets those I know they’re loved or that I love what I do.

dp: You recently went to Mallorca for a month – how did disconnecting help your business?

AF: Of course when you run the show, disconnecting is never easy, but it’s a healthy exercise because you establish space between you and the business that is hard to come by otherwise. With a little distance you gain fresh perspective; you can easily identify what’s working well and the other things that are a drag on your energy or business. You also remember that picking up a good book and finishing it or catching up on sleep or trying your hand at a new language are equally vital and valuable to your business and well being and so this “time off” becomes more important than ever to claim, for you, your family and your business.

dp: If you were to tell new business owners one thing they could do to get their brand out there, what would it be?

AF: Put a priority on great photography (I devoted an entire chapter to this in my book, The Power of the Picture). It’s the single most important component in communicating your brand to today’s media influencers (and they have the ability to share your brand with a really large audiences).

dp: Most small business owners (myself included) often feel like an island, wearing multiple hats; how helpful is networking and collaboration?

AF: Networking (whether it’s attending a conference or workshop or partnering with a peer on a project) is important because you simply cannot do everything all by yourself and be effective. It’s very helpful when other experts share what they’ve learned along the way. It saves time. Not only that, things happen when you make the effort to show up. Friendships are made, new partnerships are forged. As corny as it sounds the results can be profound.

dp: You seem to have a constant flow of multiple projects (Paper Cut, editorial work, consulting) how do you prioritize them all?

AF: Having transitioned from a full-time freelance career as an editor and freelance writer to an artist and entrepreneur only three years ago, I still feel new at many parts of entrepreneurship. There’s no one-size-fits-all guidebook. But the travel and time away this past summer afforded me the time to think on how I could streamline my daily activities and get the most out of them. I now work on Paper-Cut-Project in the morning, using that time also as my moment to check in with my family or friends on my speakerphone. I chat and cut or just enjoy the quiet of the morning. I am also trying to eliminate a terrible habit: haphazardly checking emails or looking at Facebook or Twitter. There are so many tools that help you get the most out of the social media outlets without having to be a victim!

dp: What’s next for you?

AF: Recipe for Press has a new initiative in the works (videos and continued support my clients have been requesting). I’m looking forward to speaking at Spoonflower’s HQ in Durham, NC in September. I’m also excited about high school basketball season!

Headshot Image: Courtesy of Sara Rose Photography
Christie’s Elizabeth Taylor Auction/Exhibition Image: Courtesy of Paper-Cut-Project

The Pop Five

I had a very busy, but mostly fun week. For starters, Margaret had a play date with her friend, Aria. Because I’m new to the whole mom scene, I didn’t quite know how these things work. (Do we bring something?) It ended up being great fun to catch up with Aria’s mom, Kelly, and see the girls play. (And by play I mean Margaret terrorizing their dog, trying to sit on Aria’s lap a couple of times, and screeching at the top of her lungs all around their house.)

Here’s to using your inside voice this weekend.

Prince gets Meta on his new album cover. Genius.

Is it wrong that I could watch this GIF for an hour and not get bored?

My favorite writing client to date is a blowout and makeup salon called GlowDry. I’ve done all the creative copy for their website, which included conceptualizing the ready, set, glow tagline, coming soon storefront signage, email newsletter, social media sites. I’m so excited that it opens tomorrow! I got my hair done during the soft open this week and aren’t their shirts so cute? Plus, we had great press on DailyCandy this week.

I wrote about my brilliant friend, Liz, here. Well, now, she’s released her first book! And it’s gorgeous! I’ve downloaded it on my Kindle and you should too. Or, if you prefer a hard copy, you can purchase it here.

I don’t snack a ton, but sometimes in the late afternoon I really want something. This list of 85 healthy snacks is fantastic.

Lay Me Down

For my adult life, the look of my bedroom has always been an afterthought. We’re pretty good about not doing anything in our bedroom except (ahem) sleeping. Unless you count the nightly wind-down of television watching for about half an hour in bed, which could be translated as me reading a book and Dan falling asleep with ESPN flickering well into the night. So, perhaps that is why it’s the last room that really needs a makeover in our house.

Right now there’s a Noguchi lamp an ex-boyfriend gifted me sitting on top of a prototype wing-nightstand-side-table contraption that the same ex fashioned out of plywood. The wing table needed to be replaced about ten years ago. I feel like I don’t even know that girl that accepted those items and Margaret wants to rip the paper lamp to shreds. You and me both, baby, you and me both.

Sure, there are pieces I love in the room—a painting a bought years ago while on a trip to Savannah with my mom, custom tile pieces from my twin that hang over our bed, this original work by Kristina Bailey, the wall color that Dan painted this past March (Benjamin Moore Brandy Cream), our Crate & Barrel duvet given to us by my former show team at CNN—but, really, our room could up the wow factor. So, I’m envisioning a sleek, stylish room with a soft neutral palate blending crisp white, earthy oatmeal and calm cream, all contrasted against a sharp navy.

I’ve put together a little wish list for this new bedroom of ours. One day it will happen. Until then, here’s my inspiration board.

1. Nailhead Upholstered Headboard in Flax Cotton Weave, West Elm 2. Pintuck Curtain in Regal Blue, West Elm 3. Navy Hollywood Sheet Set, Jonathan Adler 4. Brass Crab Patina, Ivy and Vine 5. Custom nightstand, Lamon Luther (The image shown is actually the table, but we’ve talked to the fine folks at Lamon Luther about doing a custom bedside table for us.) 6. Maura Daniel Lamp Base Aladin Milk Glass, Layla Grayce 7. Zeno Rug in Navy, Lulu & Georgia

The Pop Five

After going back and forth as to whether we’d sign Margaret up for a fall session with Parents’ Morning Out, we hired a nanny this week. It is a great fit for our family, but I always go through a bit of a freak out with any sort of change, so that’s been the biggie in our household lately. Poor Dan! Shaun, our nanny, brings so many great things to the table (she’s heavy on the creative play with arts and crafts, field trips and good old-fashioned cuddles) so I feel very confident in the notion that if I cannot be with Margaret, she’s with someone who is very well-qualified and cares deeply about her well-being. But, as most mothers know, it’s hard building that trust and accepting the change. And despite it being an excellent fit on paper (and in real life), it doesn’t tackle the emotional aspect we feel as mothers, now does it?

Sigh.

Childcare aside, here were the best things I found on the web this week.

Ernest Greene, A.K.A. Washed Out, released his sophomore album on Tuesday, Paracosm, and it’s as equally brilliant as, Within & Without.

After reading one of the most depressing articles ever written on the subject of the work-life-motherhood balance, I was feeling meh. Then, I headed to Buzzfeed for Pinterest fails. All is right in the world. #NailedIt

My summertime recipe repertoire is feeling a little stale, but leave it to Everybody Likes Sandwiches to inject some wholesome ideas! Cannot wait to make this one.

Image: Courtesy of everybodylikessandwiches.com 

My friend, Rachael, recently told me about Postagram, the free app that lets you send sweet postcards from your phone for only $0.99 (includes postage). I’m obsessed and have already sent three in as many days.

This is a couple of weeks old, but I finally had a chance to look at the Fallen Princesses exhibit online. It’s unbelievably powerful.

Image: © Dina Goldstein

The Push-Pull

Margaret is nine-months now and there are many days I cannot believe it myself. This little puffy-faced newborn (and let’s call it like it is in the beginning) lump of sleepiness is now a giggly, content, adventuresome, fearless little girl. There’s rarely a day that goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for the joy she brings to our life.

As best as I can tell at this stage, Margaret is essentially calm until she isn’t. Her personality can be best characterized by the definition of a spitfire.

And now, our little spitfire is doing this thing that I have to write about. I call it the push-pull. Apologies to all the men out there reading, I’m going to talk about nursing now, so maybe my brother needs to skip to the next paragraph, or something. But, this push-pull, when I’m nursing, she grabs my hand to pull it close, holds it for a beat, then, as quick as she held it, she’ll promptly push it away. She repeats it several times and the whole thing leaves me wondering if this a metaphor for the parent-child relationship? Them (the child) wanting us (the parent) close, but wait, not that close.

Psychologist Arthur Kovacs, PhD believes that, “Every human has three critical needs — solitude, human warmth and companionship, and the need to feel productive, that one is making use of one’s talents.” As much as I thought Dr. Kovacs’ notion pertained to me, the mother perfecting the gentle balance of me-time, family time, career-time, I realize, it is true for Margaret (and perhaps all babies) as well. She needs me not to hover (as much as it pains me) as she tries to figure out working a spoon loaded with butter grits all on her own. She needs me to step away as she explores every square inch of our house without my help.

She needs me to provide a safe, loving, and kind place to grow and become whoever or whatever she wants (with proper guidance). She needs me to let her continue to test the boundaries of our relationship, the push-pull, and for me to let her become the spitfire that will likely do something absolutely amazing, one day. Let her pull me close then push me away. Let me push her away, wanting my own space as well, then pull her close, relishing these fleeting moments as we all gain our own independence.

The Pop Five

Do you ever feel stuck in your life? From about March through July, I can say I felt absolutely stagnant. My life seemed very regimented and status quo and creatively nothing. Then, one Saturday morning few weeks back (July 20, to be exact), I went to a yoga class and the instructor told us that the Mercury retrograde was over.

Now, I don’t fully dive into the whole astrology thing, but there was something going on in the universe for certain. Most people I know were struggling with technology … missing emails, lost connections, computers breaking down, iPhone issues, that sort of thing.

Me, I was just stuck. I felt like my career and creative energy were both in quicksand. And since that day in July, well, I’m unstuck. Seems I’m not alone; there’s some wildly creative, interesting things happening all around us, everyday. Here are my favorites from the week.

Super smart Dave Whitling, wildly talented Chuck Reese, and my brilliant, dear friend Kyle Tibbs Jones, launched The Bitter Southerner. Long-format, meaty reading every Tuesday … I’m in love!

A hearty hooray for the sales of the Washington Post and The Boston Globe this week! Walter Isaacson and NPR had great commentary about both.

Image: Courtesy of AP

The Atlantic Wire covered Lena Dunham’s speech at a political fundraiser where she pondered the next Patti Smith potentially trading in NYC-borough life for Tampa. Dunham’s point is excellent food for thought.

Image: Courtesy of HBO

Can we all agree how horrible television is in the summertime? If it weren’t for Apple TV (and The Newsroom) I’d be relegated to playing board games and reading a book. (What year is this?) But, I hear this is one to watch, right now. It looks so dramatic!

Image: Courtesy of BBC

Kayce Hughes, the niece of Lily Pulitzer, makes stylish, classic, lovely clothes for women and children. Stock up with its 75% off sale!

Reading Rocks

A good book has always been my retreat, but once I had Margaret my leisurely reading dwindled. My Kindle swiftly was replaced by child rearing-centric reads. In an effort to get small pieces of myself apart from motherhood, I’ve started reading whatever I want again and it’s like finding a familiar friend.

Here are my picks on what to read right now.

1. The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel. As a kid I dreamed of going to space. As an adult I’ll settle for reading about the ladies who were handling the day-to-day back home.

2. Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani. This book will stick with me for a long time. Wow.

3. Contagious by Jonah Berger. I loved Jonah Berger’s interview on marieforleo.com … smart, smart man.

4. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Recommended by the fine folks at DailyCandy, I just began reading about sweet Harold Fry’s journey … so far, so good!

5. Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris. David Sedaris can do no wrong.

6. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. As the mother of a daughter, this was a tough read, but it had me hooked from the first chapter. It’s a nail biter and Buzzfeed put in on their list of Books to Read Before They Hit the Big Screen.

7. Saving Normal by Allen Frances. After reading this article on The Daily Beast, this one is next on my list.

8. Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives by Helen O’Neill. My friend, Lisa, recommended this one and it’s the perfect beach read.

The Pop Five

We’re taking a long-weekend to Cincinnati to visit Dan’s family, and likely on an airplane with a peacefully sleeping baby (wishful thinking), as you read this. I cannot wait for Margaret to see her cousins, Grandma, Grandpa, aunts and uncles. So fun!

Here are my favorites from the week.

Scoutmob curated a very cool event this week with a screening of the documentary A.K.A. Blondie, the infamous dancer at the Clermont Lounge. It was a great night out and I loved seeing the film in the recently renovated Plaza Theatre.

On Tuesday, I met a friend at Guy Wong’s Yum Bunz. His latest offering of dim sum is pretty good for a fast-casual concept and it appears they’ve worked out many of the kinks I heard about when it opened early last month.

Image: Courtesy of Yum Bunz

Speaking of fast-casual restaurants, can we talk about the fake Chipotle twitter hack? Please tell me that as a society we have better things to do than go on a scavenger hunt created by some corporate suit that thinks this is a cool idea, followed by nonsensical 140-character musings. #NobodyCares

Image: Courtesy of Mashable via Flickr, Atomic Taco

The fine folks at Spanx sent me a new pair of leggings to try from their newly launched line, Star Power Tout & About. Pretty sure I’m going to live in these babies nonstop once the weather turns cool. I should say, I’m not certain if this is intentional or not, but Spanx certainly is smart if they are targeting new mommas, because I’ve never felt slimmer than when I had those leggings on!

Image: Courtesy of Spanx

I am generally not the person you want to send a chain letter … I’m guaranteed to break it. This week I got a chain letter for a book exchange and because who couldn’t get behind gifting a child a book, I sent the six-month-old on my list this little finger puppet one. Good karma coming my way!