Studio Notes 6-12-25

Summer is here in Charleston and school has been out for almost two weeks. My week off feels like it was ages ago, but I made it to the beach a few times and spent a lot of time in the yard. We hired help to clear out the beds in front of our house and along the left side of our property. New shrubs have been planted and a mountain of mulch has arrived, too. It’s been a long time coming and I’m thoroughly enjoying this moment of potential as I think about what we’ll do next. I’m excited to see how our garden will influence my art and design work in the future.

From my sketchbook:

On my mind:

• Growth and release. I have a note on my phone that says “time + pressure = change.” But, I’ve been reflecting on how we also need time to release to make space to grow.

• AI— the endless possibilities, ethical implications, and what comes next. I’ve been playing around with some of these tools, and I’m taking a class with my entire team this summer, led by my business coach, Holly Howard. Learn more here.

• Planning my book talk and thinking about what makes a compelling one.

Reading, Listening, Watching, Looking:

• I watched Pride and Prejudice again as it was leaving Netflix. The scenery inspired me to start taking post-dinner walks through the park. I’m hoping to do this nightly, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way.

• My niche magazine exploration continues — this time with Palmer, The Palm Beach Reader. Thank you to my sister, Grace, for the recommendation.

• Spoleto! I went to two very different performances: A ballet by the Limón Dance Company and Isaac Mizrahi’s show. Both reminded me of the power of in-person events. Making something with this vision and working together to make it a reality feels like a radical act. The first half of the ballet was more modern and I found it particularly moving. Afterwards, I jotted down a few notes to myself:

“Patterns in motion, cycles.
Heights of the lines forming and shifting.
Arms linking and releasing
slow tension—
apart and together.
Soles of feet meeting, legs shaking, and feet pounding in rhythm become part of the music.”

On Decorating and Home:

• Acorn vases. We got these as teacher gifts this year.

• Nice hand soap is such a treat. I recently picked up a bottle of Flamingo Estate’s tomato hand soap. The scent is amazing, but I also love the feel of the soap itself. Side note—I’m counting down to tomato season and looking forward to Baba’s tomato sandwich.

• We’ve been eating more freshly made bread at home thanks to my friend Allison and her new bakery, Grit. It’s an easy thing to have on hand for entertaining that feels more special than crackers.

To Inspire:

• I won’t be back in NYC until the fall, but the current Hilma af Klint exhibit is on my list.