Business Archives - Only Prettier Design

Fall Coffee Table Arrangements

by Dianne Pyburn | Sep 22, 2022 | Boutique, Business, Home Design & Decor, Uncategorized

Change is in the air! We can’t deny the chill the setting sun brings—nearly an hour earlier than this time a month ago, or the slight blink of red on the tips of those maple leaves. It is a little bittersweet…we love our BBQs, boating, and porch swings, but there is still a part of us ready for routine and consistency. The kids are all back to school and we are settling into our fall groove as well. As we prepare for “sweater weather,” we are bringing all the cozy feels inside!

Transitioning your home for the next season doesn’t need to be dramatic! Creating small, inspired vignettes can add interest and warmth. We’ve put together four coffee table arrangements to help guide you!

Start with a strong base! Here, we selected a rustic, oversized wooden board and placed it on a woven table runner. A natural wood chain-link catches your eye as it cascades off the edge of the board. Continuing the antique feel, we added a handled wooden bowl—a unique vessel for seasonal items such as this wicker wrapped pumpkin, seed pods, or other harvest themed decor.

Select items of varying heights and shapes to create interest. Here, geometric candles in the same shade, but opposing size, complement one another. The olive green color brings a fun addition to the neutral palette (we have these in black, cream, olive, citrus, and marine!). A rattan wrapped vase (available in four sizes!) filled with dried florals adds additional height—replicating the florals and laying them on the base of the chopping board ties everything together.

Rule of three! Strive for an odd number of items when styling. The lack of symmetry adds depth and builds interest. Blending styles, such as pairing this sleek and modern marble board with a more distressed, wood sugar mold creates a unique appeal. With your base in place, start experimenting with fall themed accessories—pumpkins, oversized acorns, gourds, or natural items from your yard. We like including a fall scent to spice things up! Fun fact, the geometric, glazed, ceramic candle in this arrangement can be repurposed as a planter!

Reflect your personal style! One of our favorite ways to style small vignettes is with items from our own homes. Books are such an ideal way to do that! Consider your favorite hobbies or interests—cooking, gardening, or spooky mysteries with Halloween in mind. Books add an individualized feel, but also bring desired height to your arrangement (use as many or few as you need). Here, a vintage pillar made from reclaimed wood is paired with a stout candle embossed with gold stripes, creating contrast (and an inviting scent). Finally, we bring in the fall feels with a frosted acorn and seasonal faux florals.

These arrangements are simply inspiration! Try experimenting at home and come visit our boutique for more ideas. We are truly delighted to help our guests find something just right for the season!

It’s All About Strategy

by Dianne Pyburn | Jan 18, 2022 | Business, Personal

Hello 2022! It has been a bit of a rollercoaster the past few weeks, but we have taken some time to get planted and are so excited for all that is to come!

We kicked off the new year with a team meeting to lay out goals and expectations for the next 12 months and beyond…Sitting together with our coffee (er, mimosa) to hash out plans was the absolute best motivator. A long time practice for us is not picking resolutions but picking words.

A handful of inspirational words were placed in a jar, we each blindly selected a word for ourselves, and then one for the store. It’s a fun way to warm up creatively, but our words also keep us grounded all year long when we start to feel distracted or discouraged.

For 2022 the team has banded around the word “strategy.” Because no matter where you may be today, getting where you want to be (or maintaining!) requires strategy and structure. Are you looking to head back to work? Make a move? Get ahead on your finances? The best efforts are backed by taking pen to paper and working out exactly how to make it happen.

Our strategy consists of a few staples … a good meal (who can think on an empty stomach?), vision board for the year, and a clean workspace. A good meal starts with a breakfast or lunch that fuels us. This frozen acai bowl is one of our favorite, quick and easy, go-to recipes. We’ve got an in-house blender and a freezer full of berries, spinach, and bananas ready to go when we need it! But, get creative at home–try banana, pineapple, protein powder, and a dash of cinnamon for a “pina colada” version.

After picking our word, we moved on to filling out our vision board for the year. We start with answering a series of questions and then find some inspiration through photos to surround it. Here is the link to our vision bo ard that we used in our meeting!

And last, you need to have some sort of way to organize. We love our planners and journals, but sometimes our digital world gets a bit messy! We change our desktop monthly, and it really helps keep it all organized. And, yes – we love paper too – We’re a bit obsessed with our daily planners, journals (check ours out here), and blocking time. We’ve literally already booked our team summer cookout and holiday party, plus store events like our bi-annual fashion show (stay tuned!) And we constantly check in with each other on what’s next!

Here is a link for our prettier desktop wallpaper for January! Try it out! Click download below, save the image, and set as Desktop Wallpaper! Try updating your folder icons too!

Desktop Wallpaper- January Download

January desktop icon Download

And, you know what? Maybe this isn’t “your year.” Maybe you are dealing with tremendous loss or personal crisis. Maybe what you really need is to pivot from a results-driven mindset to self-care and recovery. And that is 100% OK! But you still might need a strategy to find the time and space to breathe. Whether you need to get out for a walk, have a date night, or just need to get the kids to bed so you can watch Yellowstone–carve out some space just for you and own it.

Looking for some motivation and want to try picking a word for yourself? Here are a few to get you started: strength, gratitude, patience, courage, family. But be creative! Listen to your heart and write down a few words that have meaning for you. Mix them up, have faith, and choose. Maybe this won’t be your “best year ever,” but maybe it is the year you get centered on what is possible.

I Quit My Career!

by Only Prettier Design | Oct 5, 2021 | Business, Personal

Our choice of profession can often define us. When asked the question, we simply answer…”I’m a teacher, I’m a lawyer, I’m a mom…or in my case, I’m a nurse”. As women, we can often find ourselves stuck in this box…as if we are no more than what we “do”.

On the flip side, what we spend our time doing, in turn, shapes who we become. Spending 20 years as a nurse in a step-down ICU setting absolutely shaped who I became. Some of it great…some, not so much. Sometimes the changes are subtle and slow over time…we don’t even realize they are happening. There is no way at 18 years old we are going to be able to predict the path of our lives…no matter how much we try to control it! We discover new passions and hidden talents we had NO idea were there when we were younger! It’s so important to listen to these subtle nudges, and to nurture them wherever possible.

In my case, I listened to the advice of close friends, and started decorating their interiors …which then spread to their neighbors…until I found myself at a crossroad. Believe me when I say, I definitely could NOT do it all! I had four small children and was working night weekends (the dream shift!). This schedule was actually best for the littles, who were barely in school yet. But it started to feel really fulfilling to have a creative outlet and do something rewarding outside of being a mom during the week.

So here’s the dilemma….how do you know when it’s time to turn your passion into your new career?

For me…It was tough. I was hesitant and cautious. I was the sole provider of 4 little ones… Could I really do this? But then I thought….what if I DON’T try? What message is that sending to my girls?

I realized in that moment, that their future dreams depended on me following mine.

And so from there, I thoughtfully planned and saved up. But even then there were doubts…so I prayed for signs…for peace of mind…for a settled soul. The day came that I knew I needed to put my faith into action…to take the jump!

I ended my 20 year career as a nurse on June 14^th. It hasn’t really sunk in yet…but I am confident that being a nurse…or a wife…or a mom…or even a designer, doesn’t define me.

We are all so much more…colorful and gifted!

So don’t be afraid, listen to those inner voices, and TAKE THE JUMP…you’ll be proud of yourself for trying!

You can go your own way…

by Only Prettier Design | Apr 8, 2021 | Business, Personal

“The Power of Positivity”…we’ve all heard it… and frankly, it’s overused – right?!

We’re big dreamers over here at OPD. We’re also pretty stubborn. Tell us “no” or that we can’t do something …and we’ll find a way to prove you wrong.

“Dream it, and you’ll achieve it”…ok! Sure! … There’s actually a lot more that goes on in between the dream it and the achieve it. We believe that the dreaming is the most important first step!

We know…even “Dream it” sounds a bit cliche…but this is where big ideas are born. This is how you get to where you are going…where you are meant to be! Imagine what you want your life to look like, how you want to spend each day. What does that look like? How does that make you feel?

Now, how do you make that happen?

We are do-ers. We create action steps to create a path to our next goal or destination. We look for signs along the way to make sure we’re still headed in the right direction. Our faith in these signs gives us the confidence that we’re in the right spot and we’re going the right way. We know there will be potholes, flat tires, traffic jams…who knows, maybe even a mudslide! But if we are on the road that we’re supposed to be on, then the destination will be worth the detours.

How do you know if you’re on the right path?

Do you meditate? Do you look for signs? Do you manifest?

Maybe it’s just a hope and a prayer?

We have closely evaluated what is most important in our lives and how we define success. Success can look a lot different for everyone…but for us…it’s time freedom. We want to spend quality time with our kids…truly BE there and unplug and give our full attention. That part is HARD you guys!!! We have to be super disciplined about setting boundaries and holding each other accountable.

My dad always said, “teamwork makes the dream work” and WE KNOW IT DOES.

We believe that our success lies in the strength of our team. Our team is growing quickly and we’d like to introduce you to a few new faces.

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Make sure to pop in and give them a super warm welcome. We’re so excited to have them on the OPD team!

February

by Only Prettier Design | Feb 5, 2021 | Business

February is here! The month you know you struggled to spell correctly growing up, The month that has only 28 days unless we’re leaping. The month of the pudgy cherub with his arrow…Valentine’s Day! You either love it or you hate it. Are we right?

This February, we’re challenging you to make the most of it.

Plan a date night “in” and surprise your love bug with some cheesy lines. No, really! Whether you’re in a new relationship or have been married for decades, let’s lean in to this holiday and with all the romantic gestures, conversation hearts, the shiny heart full of mystery chocolate, the sappy cards with raised velvet poetry. C’mon! It’s so tacky but so fun! We’re suckers for good love stories over here. We ARE in the wedding business after all!

February also introduces our kickoff to monthly workshops at Only Prettier Design, where we’ll be hosting a variety of classes the first Thursday of every month. Mark your calendars because this month, we are excited to welcome Kristine of Nibbles Grazing Boards. She’ll offer creative ways to dress up charcuterie. Guests will line up cheese, craft salami roses, and leave with a yummy selection of goodies perfect for sharing!

Need a fun idea for your kiddos? We love this – add some red food coloring to waffle mix and serve up a perfect pink breakfast at dinner. Make it even sweeter and drop a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top with some strawberries and chocolate chips. Dinner and dessert served together equals less dishes. You wanna put the kids to bed early? You know, for some quiet time. We get it. (Wink,wink)

Pick up this adorable heart-shaped waffle maker at Amazon

Whether you celebrate the love or cringe at gooey romantic gestures, we promise that our selection of Valentine’s florals will put a smile on anyone’s face. Our vases are brimming with farm fresh vintage variety flowers that are sure to brighten any day of any month.

Get yourself a hand tied bouquet or surprise a friend.

Amid all the head spinning politics and pandemic overload, our hearts are bursting with appreciation for our customers and clients. When you stop in to just browse, bounce ideas off of us, or just relax, we welcome you with open arms and smiles behind our masks.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!