 Danielle and I are got to meet up this week, for my relaunch of my Podcast 'Lifestyle By Design' not too mention one of my most favorite photographers Brett Neilsen was there to film it all...as this special Podcast has a video! So a big shout out to him for helping collaborate on this project! With the two of us getting in person time, I started thinking about what it means to find your tribe. This woman is so much more than a friend. She is a support, encourager and empowers me. For me, she is a bad ass professional woman who has collectively seen and done it all. And when I struggle with issues in my personal or professional life, I know asking her for advice means I’m getting thoughtful and compassionate advice. So what? Everyone has friends, right? The difference for me is that I’m not going to her for friendship (or just friendship). I go to her for criticism, for improvement and for a road map through murky professional circumstances. And she gets me. No judgement. In case you missed my interview, you can check it out here. Here are some other questions I asked Danielle before we met up for the Podcast. C: How would your friends and family describe what you do for a living? D: My son thinks I'm famous, but he's only 9 sooooooo. My husband thinks I'm running a non-profit because every time he turns around I'm doing something exciting for free or giving something away! But seriously... I'm not sure. I've never asked what anybody thought about what I'm doing. That's a good question though! I might learn something about myself if I asked! C: If I could remove all barriers and constraints what project would you do and would you want to be known only by that project? D: Well...let's look at my barriers! The only thing that seems to hold me back is myself. I think. If I had an assistant that kept me on task and handled my media I'd be a rock star! I'm my own worst enemy in a since. So many ideas so little time! I typically have to weigh my options being booked out as far as I am. Focus on work or focus on public relations! You can always tell when I'm lacking in one or the other. I'll probably never settle on one project! Everything is too exciting! I do have a little something in the works! Something that's not related to interior design, but the cards haven't fallen right for that one just yet! I'd love to share more of my life and if I were to make an impact I'd be satisfied! C: What are you most excited about with your work right now? What keeps you up at night D: I sleep really well....I recently set goals for myself and met all but one so now it would appear the only thing I dream about....the next step for me would be having someone that knows me well enough to call my next move or help me make my project more public! I guess you could say creating more of a buzz excites me! Of course she answers a lot more questions on the Podcast, so be sure to check it out! A big thank you to Danielle for being my guest host and a big thank you to Brett Neilsen, with Brett Neilsen Photography, for the audio/video and for sponsoring my Podcast! Would you like to be a guest host on my Podcast? Message me today! [email protected] For more information about Danielle and her services, visit http://sincerelydanielleshunk.com/
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Your Truth Will Set You Free
12/29/2019
 Some of you reading this can remember the voicemail left on my store phone late in the summer- if you aren't familiar with it that's okay, the contents of the voicemail were juvenile and filled with jealousy, and aren't worth mentioning here. That very same day a letter was put in the mail that made its way to the doorstep of the store.
Finding out your husband has been having an affair with a woman, Natalia, a Realtor here in our big/little city...whom I didn't even know existed...who was so gracious to do me a "favor" and send me an anonymous letter exposing their affair 4 months after the fact...and gives a half-assed apology because she can't even sign her letter... This day changed me. As you can imagine, finding out this information you really only have two choices- 1. Run, and let all of this manifest itself at some other stage in my life, but it's easier to just divorce him and run. Let it change me for the worst, close myself off to everyone to avoid being hurt ever again. 2. Stay, deal with the hurt, and open myself up to everything the Universe is trying to show me with this lesson (because I believe there are lessons in everything). The much harder choice if you ask anyone. I won't lie, I have spent the last several months somewhere in between both of those options. I have been in some of the darkest places, explored the inner parts of myself that actually scared me. Friends, family, and even my husband (who I will tell you has been working his ass off trying to rebuild from this entire ordeal) have all tried helping me as I sunk lower and lower. I realized I was comfortable sitting here as a victim. it was safe. A part of me wanted to keep my eyes closed. I wanted to stay hidden in my fear and anger, to sit in my righteousness with my pointing finger, sit in my victimhood. I wanted to defend why my life was so messy, to scream from the rooftops so everyone could hear my hurt. This pain left me frozen for months. Have you ever felt this kind of pain? If so, keep reading. I thought to myself over and over, "How can I move forward in the kind of work I do- talking to clients about making their inner worlds reflect in their outer worlds when my life is a fucking mess?" Oh yes, there it is...that little voice of self-doubt had reared its familiar head. It whispered, “You’re a fraud. You don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about. You don’t have your own life put together, and everyone will see right through you, you should just give up, do everyone a favor, divorce your husband and run.” So I sat in that anger and hurt longer until that same voice told me, "there is more to this life than what you are choosing, a place of love. There is a place that is eagerly waiting, a place of truth, a place behind the dense hurt and bondage where the real beauty in life awaits." I finally had to open my eyes and be aware. To be accountable, to be responsible for healing my life. I have had to love myself until I was full- I still am. The dark parts of me that I saw didn't want me to understand that the fingers I have been pointing should have been pointing back at me the entire time. I had to finally ask myself, "is this pain and anger really worth my misery? Is the price I am paying really worth this one precious life?" I knew at some point during all of this, the time would come when I would be given the task to let go, the choice to be reborn. Betrayal and the hurt that comes with it, also comes the opportunity to chose whether you stay where you are or surrender. Surrender. I finally learned the art of surrender during this experience, and the art of grace as I let things go. The finding of my true self, becoming reborn again. The unfolding of letting things happen the way they are supposed to happen. To have trust that my life is happening just the way it should be, and sometimes the people we love the most hurt us the most. But if you can sit instead of run, you will see there are beautiful opportunities to grow- it is Source's way of giving you everything this life has to offer, reminding you that you are owed nothing from this life and realize instead you owe it to yourself to be more present in your life, to surrender. To surrender sounds scary, bringing more fear, but it is actually a beautiful divine word. It means to give up, to let go, to let go of the things that no longer serve you, allowing divine grace to enter your life- trust the journey, even when your life is filled with chaos and disharmony. Ride the turbulent waters until you make it to the clear water that awaits...it will happen. Trust that the Universe is rearranging your life to make room for the beautiful gifts that await. Because the truth is, life is messy. Sometimes on the inside and sometimes on the outside. We are all constantly growing and shifting. Transitioning from one thing to the next. Losing our way and finding it again, over and over, rendition after rendition. My eyes started to open to the truth, and once they did, that truth can never be unseen again. This is what real awakening looks like. It is with real awakenings comes an understanding that will allow you to stretch into the wide expansive being you were destined to be. Finding out who your true self is as you follow the pain you are holding until you realize there is noting more for you to do with it. Lay it down, sweet friend. Get out of your own way. Be still, as it is with this stillness you will see the glimpses of who you truly are on the other side of the anger and hurt. Abundance is waiting. It is here that I learned about forgiveness and that any forgiveness I have experienced at this point in my life isn't because someone else made me let go, it was because I chose to. So the power is mine, just like it's yours. We all want forgiveness to be this practical concept and practice- but the truth is we just complicate things, and I am no different. Except this time I surrendered to the practical explanation of how to navigate through this and forgiveness, for there is an intelligence inside each of us that helps guide us and open our eyes to the wholeness inside us. It is the work of magic and miracles, do not overthink it, for love awaits on the other side of forgiveness. And with that love comes liberation. You must listen to the part of you that no longer wants to suffer. The longing to be more alive regardless of the actions of others, for you are responsible for your life- this one life. I hope you arrive at your freedom as I did, because I forgive them. After learning of my husband's affair in the manner in which I found out, I have personally come to know this entire process as beautiful. The fabric that makes each of us whole and human. What I discovered is authentic living and having a beautiful life is not about having a perfect house or a perfect life. It is not some static, ideal state of color coded shoes or a perfectly organized closet. It is about staying connected to heart and home. Creating daily life rituals with meaning and intention. Celebrating realness and creating foundations that function. Beautiful authentic living is about being real and alive. Paying attention to what makes us happy. Living from a place of joy and play. It’s about trusting ourselves, supporting ourselves, loving ourselves. It blooms with honesty, vulnerability and truth...and never having to send a letter like I was sent, because when you love yourself you don't seek love from someone else's marriage. Beautiful authentic living is about flow. It’s not a state of pristine, predictable perfection. Nor a plateau of happiness to strive towards or protect, or closing your eyes when things hurt. It’s about creating a home base that is ever-open, ever-changing, ever-evolving...riding the rough waters and sometimes knowing when it's better to surrender. Beautiful authentic living happens from the heart. It’s as real as your flesh and blood. As human as your desires…your mistakes…and your dreams. It is the true, raw, ever-changing beauty of this tapestry called life. Unique to you and woven with love, and even forgiveness Beautiful authentic living is a wild ride. But one so worth taking.  Our most recent vacation, St. Thomas VI  Photo Courtesy of Candance Toscano I think we've all done it, you know, go on that much needed vacation to get recharged then start taking mental notes of all the exciting things you plan on implementing into your daily life once you arrive home. There is just something about changing the scenery for a week or two that makes us ready and excited for change. Perhaps it's the break away from work and how it makes you reflect on how much time you spend away from your spouse and children. So you tell yourself that as soon as you get home you won't go to the office on your days off like you used to, and you'll spend more quality time with your family. Or maybe you are finally able to relax while on vacation and as soon as you get home you'll carve out more "me-time" in your daily life. Whether it's a monthly trip to a masseuse, more reading, or even meditating more- but then we actually get home and reality sets in. And we end up doing the exact opposite of what we intended to do. We go back to work, we go back to the same routines, and vacation becomes a distant memory. We end up getting stressed out, forget about that masseuse appointment because you've got meetings and deadlines, kid's school projects to help with, things begin to pile up and you don't have any "me-time". Before you know it your cup is overflowing and you are ready for another vacation...the cycle just repeats. But what if there were a way we could make our vacation more intentional and nurture our entire lives (not just the week you're there)? This is where I really had to be mindful of what I wanted to get out of my vacations once I arrived home, but there are some things I needed to do before I left for my vacation as well. One of the biggest things I realized was the first day or two of my return are just as important as the week away. Honoring this transitional time is essential, not only for integrating all the nourishment I received on vacation, but also to ensure that my energy tanks remain full and it continues to support me as I move back into my day to day life. How To Create A Safe Landing Arriving- Home Routine! 1. Give Yourself a “Buffer” Day You can’t expect yourself to go straight from the beaches of St. Thomas to doing the normal hustle and grind in just one day — at least if you want to hold onto some of the beauty, peace, and relaxation you cultivated while you were away. If you know you need to be back at work on Monday morning, plan to arrive home Saturday night, so you have one day to settle in, exhale, and get ready for “normal life” to resume. Traveling is stressful, and I won't even get into how hard it is when you are traveling with children — even if you relaxed on your vacation. We all experience that natural “dip” in our energy and mood after the happy change of pace from being away. Use your “Buffer Day" as a time to just unwind, readjust, and reflect on the experience you just had. 2. Unpack those Bags! I am definitely not that person who leaves my suitcase around for two or three weeks, after a vacation! (Nor do I let my children!) I have learned: it’s SO important to unpack your bag as soon as you get home. When you leave it lying around, the truth is…. part of you is in denial that you are still on that beach in St. Thomas! Unpacking closes the energy of a trip and helps your body and mind settle back into home-life. You are able to transition easier to real-life too! 3. Love & Clean Up Your Space Like I stated before, there is a natural dip in our energy when we arrive home from a vacation. You may even get a little depressed (my husband is the worst, he actually sulks for days after we arrive home) Making sure your home is a beautiful place that you truly love makes everything so much better! After all: when your home’s a wreck, and you have nothing to look forward to, depression is a pretty normal response. I ALWAYS clean my house before we leave for vacation.. But if you've ever left the mess for a week only to arrive back home to it- well, that is definitely not going to help your "end of vacation blues" I do all the laundry, wipe down the kitchen counters, make sure there are no dirty dishes left out, vacuum, make the beds...I think you get it. I make sure everything as beautiful as I can for when I arrive home. Whatever you need to feel in love with your space, and focus on what’s great about being home. 4. Immerse Your Life with Vacation Lessons I believe it’s so important to honor the beautiful experiences in our lives, and find ways to carry them forward with us — in our hearts and in our homes. One way I do this is with my gratitude journal. I even bring it with me on vacation. I take a few moments every day to write not only bout what I am grateful for, but three feelings I experienced that day. You can also journal about what you loved most about your vacation, what you did to relax...make a list … and then, ask yourself…. “How can I create these feelings in my home and life right now?” Think about the areas of your life where you lose touch with these precious priorities, the daily thing in your life you can be grateful for. Come up with a few simple, creative ways to connect your vacation-world and home-world. Your home can be beautiful support for this process as well! I always buy artwork from every trip we take, but you can pick a souvenir or photo from your trip that most exemplifies one of these qualities. Place it in a spot you’re likely to see, everyday. This will remind you of what matters most … and keep you connected to the beauty and experiences of your vacation, long after the sand is out of your shoes.  Authenticity...the NEW Black?
2/26/2018
 In 2015, interior designers worldwide, okay- maybe not the designers….let’s start over. In 2015, our media decided that ‘Individuality’ was the new trend in interior design. Who decides this stuff anyways? Seriously, who decides what the latest trends are….I’ve always wondered that. Not because I follow trends, quite the opposite. It just seems…. Odd. Well, at least to me that seems odd- the concept of the media decides something, for all of us. I’ve always thought that interior design should always reflect individuality, however, at some point society decided that was wrong- and it is far more important to follow trends, keep up with the Jones’, and replicate every Pinterest photo that inspires you. Here are some examples of great designers like myself, who feel as though individuality never went out of style. Winston-Salem David Obel Rosenkvist N Studio I want to ask my readers, what’s more important to you- a home that reflects changing trends -or- a home that reflects YOU?   |
Designer, Life Coach, + Realtor® - Candance Toscano"You can design the life of your dreams and acquire that luxurious, fulfilled and empowered lifestyle you know you have always wanted." Archives
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