Best. Valentine's. Ever.

This year's Valentine's Day is one I will always treasure.

In early January, not long after posting about my 2018 goals, I received a message from artist Sabrina Cabada: would I be interested in collaborating with her, and interior decorator Nicole Lanteri, in Sabrina's pop up art gallery re-opening in Clarendon in February? The answer: YES!!!

(A few of you might have caught my artisan gift wrap session at Sabrina Cabada's gallery in Dec ... so much fun!).

Hand painted papers from our holiday gift wrapping session at the gallery.

Needless to say, it was a whirlwind. Sabrina, Nicole and I met in January; the pop up was scheduled to re-open a few short weeks later in mid-February. Nothing like racing towards a deadline! 

The opportunity was/is one of a lifetime: to collaborate with these two, and essentially have a temporary showroom and vignette in the gallery this spring, in the heart of Clarendon, right next to the Apple store and other big brand retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Crate and Barrel. To say I was/am beyond excited would be an understatement.

Getting ready for the big day! 

An early behind the scenes shot of Interior Decorator Nicole Lanteri's new Design Lab in Clarendon.

Artist at work: master wallpaper hanger Michael DiGuiseppe works his magic with our Tunisia leaves in blue paper. 

Sabrina's artwork is amazing; her paintings a timeless blend of portraiture, fashion, style and color. Nicole Lanteri's interior design skills are incredible. Browse through her portfolio, and it's hard to choose just one favorite space ... I want to live in them all! Nicole has exceptional talent for creating spaces that embrace unusual combinations of color, furniture and more; her spaces are an unexpected, comfortable and modern mix that knock it out of the park, every time.

 A beautiful arrangement by florist HB Fiori that greeted our guests on opening night.

As luck would have it, I had already been scheming to have a Mira Jean "show the love" party in February - a way to celebrate and thank clients, friends and family who have supported Mira Jean along the way. This Pop up was a way to do just that -- and more. 

When I launched Mira Jean Designs, I never dreamed this opportunity would come about. But that's the thing about dream jobs. When you start working towards them and making it happen, more great things come about. As I shared on Instagram following our opening night, one word keeps repeating through my mind: Gratitude.

Interior Decorator Nicole Lanteri, artist Sabrina Cabada and yours truly after the party on opening night ... still smiling! (And p.s. isn't that drum pendant behind us Fabulous?! Custom made by lampshade designer Linda Daniel of Elle Daniel. Contact us if you'd like more info!). 

A huge and heartfelt Thank you!!! to my friends, family, colleagues, clients and the fellow artists and local businesses who helped make this special night, and this space, possible. I couldn't have done this without you - and can't think of a better group of people to celebrate with. Best. Valentines Day. Ever. 

xoxo, Kate

p.s. Stop in! We would love to see you at the gallery and hope to be in the space thru mid-May. Hours are Wed thru Sat, 11a - 5pm and by appointment. Message me anytime and I'll meet you there!

Our vignette at the pop up gallery. Browse our textile and wallpaper collections and schedule an appointment to meet with the designer and we'll help you select the right mix of color + pattern for your home.

Original Painting by Sabrina Cabada, now on exhibit at the gallery.

New Year, New Goals

Hello, 2018!

Recently, I listened to a segment on the great podcast, A Well Designed Business, where a business coach shared she blogs twice a week ... Twice Every Week! Yikes, that is often.

I love sharing more on my work with you here -- and giving you a bit of insight into what you may just get a glimpse of via Instagram. My biggest challenge as an artist, mom, entrepreneur, textile designer and small business owner? Finding the time. So, Thank you for reading and indulging my "post when you can" approach.

In this post, I wanted to focus on goals in this new year and what lies ahead. I have always been kinda big on goals. (After all, it was a New Year's resolution that launched Mira Jean Designs in the first place).

As I kick off 2018, I had the pleasure of celebrating with a group of fellow Awesome Women Entrepreneurs. Such a great way to begin the new year! We gathered at the sweet little local boutique The Urban Farmhouse on Wilson Blvd. The energy in the room was palpable. The guest speaker was Successful Culture CEO Marissa Levin -- talk about inspirational!

New year, new business inspiration: the group of Awesome Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) members at The Urban Farmhouse in Arlington, January 2018

Here are some of my favorite words of wisdom heard from Marissa and others throughout the evening. I hope these gems inspire you, too, in this new calendar year:

1. Never let others determine your worth

2. Know what you don't want

3. People who question you are only as valuable as you allow them to be

4. Be able to get really lean, really quickly, is key. As are ... 

5. Pivot(s)!

6. (Be able to) Fly the plane while you are building it

7. The antidote to fear is confidence

8. Have a healthy respect for mortality. (As Marissa shared, "When I get to the end, I won't have any regrets.")

9. Remember: a wall leads to a doorway. 

My Mira Jean Designs goals for 2018? They include:

#1 - Find the right showroom partner in California (if you can recommend one, let me know!).

#2 - Mix it up! -- In 2018, I'll be offering a variety of new works and services, including art and "Refresh a Room" services -- all true to the Mira Jean brand, love of color and desire to help make people's living spaces brighter.

#3 - Launch a new collection -- I've been scheming and painting away; this spring you'll see a new mix of textile and wallpaper designs added to the Mira Jean Designs line. (Hint: what in nature has fronds?).

#4 - More fully live a creative life -- I love every minute I can spend on art, interiors + design. My goal in 2018 is to seize more opportunities to make this creative work possible. It's work that truly makes my heart sing.

Would love to hear your 2018 goals, too ... direct message me or post here and share away. Let's go get 'em. Welcome, 2018! I'm already glad to meet you. 

xo,
Kate

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