Today's episode is courtesy of years worth of pondering on the subject of personal style. What it represents... how it's developed... where it comes from... how it manifests itself. Indulge me as I take a brief dive into these thoughts and more in today's podcast show. Additionally, get the scoop on two books I HIGHLY recommend for personal growth and personal style development. Plus, a few quotes to get your week going!

"...It is a compass for creating a life that reflects what's true to you in every way. From your wisdom to your wardrobe, from your longings to your living room - [it] is where your essence meets your expression." 

Quote from Style Statement by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte

Show Notes:

• Style Statement
• Danielle LaPorte
• The Fire Starter Sessions
• The Desire Map
• Design*Sponge at Home
• In the Company of Women
• Mary Going of Saint Harridan
• Ira Glass on Storytelling

"You have to be willing to be bad at it in order to be good at it." - Mary Going

Miracle of miracles... I'm back with another podcast episode and it didn't take me three months! Trust me, I'm just as shocked as you are. 

Today, I'm sharing a glimpse into what a week of my work life as a prop stylist looks like. My schedule, my work load, the idiosyncrasies of this very unusual job. It's all there plus a bit more. I hope you enjoy!

And if you're an aspiring stylist and want to know more about breaking into this behind the scenes industry, drop me a line! The link to my voicemail box is below.

Show Notes:

• "My Favorite Places to Shop for Props" blog post
• Send me your feedback... Leave me a voicemail!

You may have thought I left podcasting (I wouldn't blame you... it's been forever), but NOPE! I'm still at it. In fact, this is officially my 50th episode, if you can believe it! Who knew? (I nearly missed it myself.) Turns out, I've been at this whole podcasting thing for quite some time but when you publish as irregularly as I do, 50 episodes takes ya a while. But no matter. I'm not letting that get in my way of creative expression and experimentation! 

Speaking of which, today's show is a bit unusual for Our Style Stories. It's just me (no Style Story guest) riffing on a topic that has been nagging me for the past few months. Aspiration versus contentment. What is too much of one and not enough of the other? And how do I manage the pitfalls of comparison and the vicious perfectionist's cycle that can be Pinterest and Instagram? I discuss all that plus more. Don't worry, I won't be preaching from my soapbox every episode! ;-) 

Show Notes:

• My styling portfolio
• Magnolia Home
• Real Talk with Real Moms... On Comparison (blog post)
• Speak Pipe feedback (send me your feedback!)