Friends, I can’t thank you enough for your uplifting comments, emails and Tweets re: yesterday’s post. You are such a positive, encouraging bunch and I feel so lucky that you gather here daily! Enjoy your weekend (I’ll be working on a new film project for the bulk of my time – more on that later!). In the mean time, here are some fantastic finds from around the web that landed in my inbox this week:

1. Erin Jane Nelson and Ming Lin are raising funds to offer a FREE summer school for the arts in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Very, very worthy cause.
2. I’d love to don this moon crop top over maxi dresses this summer!
3. Callie Thompson’s new work is stunning (especially the Friend series!).
4. Also of note? Emily Green’s necklaces. One of each!
5. Kelly Lynn Jones makes me want to want flowers.
6. This fire truck guest house is a huge chunk of genius.

See you Monday, dears! And if any of you have ideas on how to keep this transparency/authenticity movement going, I’m all ears. I’d love to incorporate such inspiring thoughts more often!

Good design doesn’t come easy.

To see the AFTER photos of Erin’s house remodel, it looks amazing-incredible-easy, but we’ve also been able to get a glimpse of all of the hard work that has gone into the project. (Thanks for keeping it real, sweets!)

Great lives, just like great design, are no accident. They take time, effort, and work.

What if you committed to working as hard as you can to make your life as incredible as possible? What if you went all in? What might be possible then?

(Cause, come on, we can all imagine how it would feel to have a life as dreamy as Erin’s house, right?)

IMAGE CREDIT: SOUL HUNTING

When Jess Constable hit “publish” on this post, I hope she was proud. The kind of proud that makes you feel you should put on your running shoes and flee for the mountains, much like a curtain-clothed Julie Andrews frolicking about. I hope she twirled that day, because she deserves to.

And when Ez contacted me to start a viral blogging campaign about transparency, fear and anxiety, I hope she was proud, too. Because when I agreed to participate, I twirled. I twirled and twirled and twirled, so fantastically inspired by this community of genuine women that surrounds me. At the same time, the all-too-familiar fears of anxiety and rejection began to creep up inside me as I wondered what exactly I would (could? should?) share with the world.

The truth is, I spare a lot of details about my personal life on this site. For a lot of reasons, of course, which is something people say when they’re scared to admit the true reasons. And for me, those true reasons stem from fear.

When I started my personal blog in 2001, no one was listening except for my college roommate and the computer hacker down the hall in 2B. And now? Now there are thousands of you, which scares me to no end. I’m so much more comfortable highlighting the amazing lives that other creatives are building, rather than let you in to see the cracks in my own foundation. I’m a shack writing about the many Sistine Chapels of the world, and in doing so, I forget that even shacks provide shelter amidst the storm.

So, in honor of celebrating the shack in us all, I present to you a list of Things I’m Afraid to Tell You:

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Today’s picks simultaneously fuel my wanderlust and my nesting instincts; I want to travel to far away shores and return to a home curated to cozy perfection.

1. Masami Akatsuka’s blog, Cocon, is every bit as lovely as her handmade goods. In addition to beholding her beautiful making and styling chops, we’re given a peak into her sweet family life in France.

2. 8 Rue Caffarelli  documents all of Christine Kim’s envy-worthy adventures. Her photography is as alluring as her lifestyle: watching  stars and sunrises atop piles of rugs in the Sahara, bike rides along the Siene, and dining on what looks like the tastiest food from all the world’s corners.

3. Jantien and Hester are behind Dutch design company, Tas-ka, and the accompanying blog is (not so surprisingly) chock-full of inspiration and awesome finds. I’m in hot pursuit of one of their adorable wall racks, myself.

And I must say (as a gatherer of awesome blogs), I could’t be more excited for Erin’s new Design for Minikind; congratulations on a wonderful new project, Erin!  Here’s to warm homes, adventuresome travels and , of course, a happy Thursday.

Friends! I cannot wait to show you the final sunroom makeover (video tour coming in a few weeks!), but until then, I’ve got a handy tutorial on how you can build your own custom bench seating (which is sadly un-styled in the above photo, but I knew you’d understand). We’ve even got a genius solution for those of you that hate backless furniture (raising my hand here!).

Check out our custom design and tutorial on HGTV.com, and don’t forget to tell me what you think in the comment section!

I’m endlessly inspired by this work of art from Tuija Helena Markonsolo, which is crazily covered in beading and other generally awesome things. Also of note? This insane dress. And because I’ll never be able to afford the original to frame in my hallway, the print is available at Saatchi for just $20. Is it true? Does justice exist? I think so!

LINK: TUIJA HELENA MARKONSOLO

My love of pencils lives on – this week I’m sharing how to create your own personalized pencil, perfect for infusing subtle inspiration while checking off your daily to do lists.

MATERIALS // 22o grit sand paper, carpenter pencil, small set of alphabet stamps, ink stamp pad

STEPS // 01 PREP THE PENCIL Using the sand paper, rub the pencil until the wording is erased and you have a blank pencil.

02 // STAMP THE PENCIL After deciding what you want to spell out on your pencil, work backwards to stamp out your message.

03 // Once you have your message stamped out, sharpen the pencil, using a utility knife and you’re finished!

So easy to make, yes? And wouldn’t it serve as a great embellishment to a wrapped present? Happy crafting!

Sometimes you find the most unexpected patterns right outside your front door. Three cheers for street style!

LINK: STREETFSN

Birds absolutely freak me out (I can’t tell what they’re thinking!), but patterns? Patterns I will embrace forever. Especially when they’re all exploding together like a melting pot of deliciousness.

LINK: JULIA GALDO on BEHANCE

1. Poppy Festival Dress ($47.99) at ModCloth
2. Bennick Wedges ($80) at ALDO
3. Chantilly Lace Cuff ($98) at Stella & Dot
4. Pom Pom Flower ($15) at ban.do
5. Metal Keeper Super Skinny Belt ($10.91) at ASOS
6. Sophia Studs ($32) at Loren Hope
7. XL Coloured Clutch ($99.90) at Zara

LINK: BEN GILES