There are weeks that feel sharp and focused, and then there are those that feel like a beautiful blur of everything I love most — business, creativity, family, and a few deeply personal dreams unfolding in real time. The past couple weeks have been filled with an abundance of those magically messy moments.
Two weeks ago, the kids were out of school, so we visited California for some family hangs in the sun. We had lunch and margaritas with my grandmothers, planted tomatoes in my dad’s garden and consignment shopped ‘til we dropped one day with my mom. I even got to visit my favorite flea market – the Long Beach Antique Market – to source special pieces for our stores and hat bars.
There’s something about digging through bins of old brooches, racks of perfectly worn denim, and one-of-a-kind textiles that reminds me why I started this business in the first place. It’s not just about product. It’s about the thrill of the hunt, creating one-of-a-kind style and all the storytelling in between.
It’s about honoring the past while styling it for today. I found some incredible vintage gems that are already trickling into stores. I can’t wait to see how you incorporate them in your life.
In between family time and shopping hauls, I shared something personal — a new chapter for the kids and me: our Laguna Beach cottage. After I sold the buildings in Deep Ellum, I decided to invest in my family and a place where we could build core memories.
Nestled near the coast, it’s the kind of place that instantly slows you down. Soft light, salty air, sandy feet, and nowhere urgent to be. This home isn’t about business plans or deadlines. It’s about movie nights (High School Musical and Valentine’s Day, this trip), early morning walks, living room dance parties and making memories that last long after the seasons change.
As a mom with a tween and teenager, those moments are everything. I work hard. I build. I lead. But I also deeply believe in creating space to just be with my kids — to laugh, unplug and let them see that dreams can be built and balanced. The cottage will be our place to reset when I step away here and there. A place for creativity to flow differently. A place for us.
From California adventures straight to Texas build-outs — the pendulum swing is real. We’re in the final stretch of preparations for our Houston store opening, and the to-do list is long. Fixtures, merchandising plans, final styling details, training schedules — all the little things that turn a space into an experience – are my full-time job right now.
Last week I installed the store with some of our team. Store installs are equal parts exhausting and exhilarating. You pour months of vision into a white shell box and suddenly it becomes real in just a couple crazy-busy days.
The install was everything you’d expect — ladders everywhere, boxes stacked to the ceiling, last-minute fixture changes, and a constant soundtrack of hammers and laughter. Between the dust and the disorder, there were moments where I just stood back and took it in.
Seeing our racks assembled, our product finally merchandised, and our vision come to life inside four actual walls was emotional. This store represents growth, grit, and ten years of showing up since our first Houston Flea pop up event. From flea market tables to a Houston storefront — what a journey. And honestly? We’re just getting started.
And then — one of the biggest heart-swelling moments of the past 14 days — the very first copy of my book, How to Style a Hat, arrived.
Holding that first copy was surreal. There are years of experience, lessons from our hat bars, styling secrets, stories, and so much love poured into those pages. To see it printed, bound, and beautifully real felt like a dream I didn’t fully let myself believe until it was in my hands.
It’s more than a book about hats. It’s about confidence, self-expression, and finding your signature style. I am so incredibly proud of this project and truly cannot wait for you all to see it.
The past two weeks have reminded me that growth can be peaceful and hair-pulling at the same time. From flea markets to store installs, from book launches to beach sunsets, I’m grateful for every piece of this windy journey. Here’s to building businesses, building homes, and building memories — sometimes all in the very same week.
Xoxo,
