THREE THINGS I AM LOVING RIGHT NOW

I had a meetup with my sweet friend Cassandra the other day and we talked about a ton of different things but one of those things is how we both wanted to be a little better about these spaces and what we share here; both realizing our posts don’t have to be dissertations every time we share on our blogs.

So, in light of that, I thought I’d share a few things that are making me really happy right now.

I’m not sure if this will become a series but I kinda like the thought of that, unless you hate it, then maybe not.

Anyhow, to keep this from actually becoming a dissertation, here goes:

MUSIC

We have Sonos system in our home. Our friend works for Sonos so we started the system with some steep discount codes and added to the system from there. I absolutely love it and when our wifi was down a few months back, I wasn’t sure I would be able to survive without it. Plus, the hubs hates “tiny speaker” sound so, there’s that.

More than the speaker themselves, I’ve been making Spotify playlists almost everyday. Here are a few of my faves that I love blasting over the weekend.

You can add them to your account and do the same:

I LOVE MUSIC Playlist

PEN TO PAPER Playlist

SATURDAY MUSIC Playlist

MOVES

If you’re in Texas, California, The Carolinas or especially Seattle, we have some fun stuff planned for you.

Here’s a look at some of the upcoming events and dates for travel and the book:

For more information on the Go + Tell class and how you can register click here.

MOOD (boards)

Have you ever just been in a funk? Then all of a sudden, the weight or burden just seems to lift? Well, friends, that’s me right now. I’ve felt the weight of writing the book and so many other life situations over the past two years and now it feels as though life is just a bit more light and I can think a bit more clearly. So, in tribute to that light and airy feeling, I’m sharing one of my favorite light and airy boards on Pinterest. If you don’t already follow me there too for more visual inspiration. I just love how the things we see can evoke emotion and shift our mood and the way we feel.

I mean, can you see why I am obsessed?

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xo,

Kennesha

#mywholehome with Francois et Moi

Name | Erin Francois

Business Name | Francois et Moi

Social Handle | @francois_et_moi

City of Residence | Minneapolis, MN

Number of years in current home | 3.5 years

 Tell us the story of your home. To you, what sets it apart or makes it unique aside from the fact that you and your family are the ones who live in it.

What sets our home apart is that it’s a duplex. We owner-occupy the main floor of the home and rent out the one bedroom + den apartment upstairs. The units split in the entry foyer and are completely separate and self-sufficient.

 As far as the home’s history, we know the home was built in 1934 as a duplex, but not much else beyond that. I’d love to know more about the original owners and the thought process behind building a solidly-constructed, charming duplex during the heart of the The Great Depression.

 While opening up walls during renovations we found a newspaper in the wall dated 1937, and one of the headlines read, ‘Gang Smashes Vault, Carries Away $400’. We also found a brochure for professional landscaping services which I thought was interesting considering it was amidst tough economic times.

How would you describe your personal home style?

My style leans modern with moments of Nordic and Mid-century. The home’s architecture style is Tudor Revival and much more traditional. I love the way the our modern personal style juxtaposes the home’s early 20th Century charm.

What is your favorite space in your home? 

My favorite spot is our living room. It’s THE spot we hang out the most together as a family (we don’t have a family room or den). Most everything in here is hardworking, but also fits our style. The furniture is stain resistant; we’ve eliminated most sharp corners, and incorporated lots of toy storage, etc. so that we can relax and play as a family in here.

Also, the room is east and south facing so it gets wonderful morning and mid-afternoon light, and it’s home to some of my favorite collected pieces including an antique Persian Rug (which btw is an EXPERT spill camouflage-er!)

If you could share one thing about yourself with readers that you've perhaps never shared publicly or via social media, what would it be? 

Something I don’t talk publicly about very often was my struggle with post-partum anxiety when my daughter was born.

Even writing about it now, brings up tears because it was probably the roughest time in my life to date. As with many new mamas, my hormone levels dipped super low after having Sylvia. She had colic, and we later discovered she also had severe acid reflux, so if she wasn’t sleeping or eating, she was crying, often screaming. Literally morning to night.

I avoided going on anxiety medication for nearly 6 weeks post-partum in fear of how it might affect my breastmilk.

I was struggling to take care of myself, much less our tiny new baby. Every day was an intense struggle, and I had never felt so incompetent--so much like a failure

I began seeing a post-partum therapist, and ultimately went on anxiety medication, and within two weeks, I felt so much lighter. I could finally roll with the punches, and I started to find my new normal.

 I don’t share this story very often because I don’t want to come off as ungrateful for our uneventful pregnancy and our beyond-incredible daughter. I’m sharing this because post-partum anxiety is so much more common than I ever imagined, and if I can help even one person to know they’re not alone, they’re not ‘crazy’, weak, or a failure, then it’s worthwhile.

What was life like for you growing up in your childhood home?

I grew up in Northern Minnesota, in a town on Lake Superior. We were very middle class—maybe even lower-middle class, but I had a wonderful childhood. My parents were both very involved and worked really hard to give my older sister and I every opportunity.

My mom was (and still is) an incredible seamstress and avid maker, so she was always sewing up clothes and costumes for my sister and me, especially on Halloween. I think I won the church Halloween costume several years running thanks to her.

 My maternal grandmother was a fashion artist for a local department store back before photography was used in print ads. She was also very into making, painting, drawing, etc. too. I remember a vivid afternoon as a young girl, maybe 7 years old, sitting at her kitchen table surrounded by paper and massive box of art supplies and her teaching me how to draw facial features.

 Needless to say, there were lots of opportunities and supplies close at hand for me to experiment with as a kid. I’m not even sure my mom and grandma intentionally encouraged my creativity, it was simply what they liked to do, so it was only natural to include me in the fun.

What does home mean to you? What do you want others to feel when they enter/spend time in your home? 

For me, home is where I can decompress and recharge with my family. I want others to feel welcome and relaxed as they spend time at our place, specifically great natural light and an uncluttered, thoughtful design sensibility are two ways I try to achieve this.

Proudest DIY?

I’d say my proudest (largest) DIY to date was taking on our fixer upper duplex. We jumped in right away with a double kitchen renovation, navigated the process of legally becoming landlords, and found a tenant in a matter of 4 months. Looking back it was a lot, but we didn’t seem to think so. It was a blast.

Do you think you've learned to embrace your story? Your home? Why or why not? Explain. 

I think I learned to embrace my story or journey sometime in my late twenties when I began to really internalize the idea that there are so many ways to live a full life: all different kinds of American dreams and lots of ways to define ‘normal’.

 Owner/occupying a duplex may seem unusual, but it’s our version of an American dream. We see it as an exciting stepping stone. A way to save for the next place, live in a Minneapolis neighborhood that would have otherwise been a financial stretch, and allow me to work part time when our daughter was born. Being that the duplex isn’t our forever house, I’m not sure I’ve ever really looked at our home situation as something to embrace, but rather to celebrate.

If there was one piece of advice that you could give to others as to how to embrace their home and their story, what would that be? 

1. I would say try to focus on the positive trade-offs. By living in a smaller/older apartment or holding off renovating your kitchen, are you able to pay down your student loans faster, save for a house down payment or perhaps retirement? There’s a lot to be said for living within (or even below) your means to lay the foundation for goals that might currently be out of reach.

 When we were first married, Ken and I lived in a fairly crappy 1960’s apartment for 6 years in order to save for a 20% down payment on a house.

2. Practice Gratitude Daily. Write down or discuss with your partner or a friend, one or two things you are thankful for. On freezing Minneapolis winter nights I often think just how lucky I am to have a warm spot for my family to lay our heads. It’s pretty crazy just how powerful gratitude and positive thinking can be.

Thanks so much, Erin, for sharing your home and heart with us.

ABOUT ERIN

Erin, a self-proclaimed Francophile, is an interior styling nut and DIY’er to the absolute core. She uses her background in interior design to create handmade, modern pieces for the home that add originality, beauty and functionality to the everyday and is drawn to visually clean and modern spaces that are softened and made approachable by handmade and imperfect pieces that add soul and affect how we, as homeowners, interact with and feel in our spaces.

You can find her on social here. And on her blog, here. You can also shop some of the items you see above on her blog via the “shop my home” tab.

THINGS YOU CAN'T GOOGLE

A couple of days back as I was preparing lunch for myself and the hubby was taking some time to finish some things up online (read: monitor all of my numbers and read reviews) I heard him shout with excitement from our dining table “Bae, you got your first bad review!”.

Now, a bit of background on this: I’d been waiting for this moment. I’d talked to my team about it and my book agent assured me the day would come.

I couldn’t really decide whether I was a glutton for punishment or a sucker for conflict (maybe a bit of both?) but I just wanted to hear more than positive things about the book.

As I stood in the kitchen he read to me what someone who said they’d been sent the book for a review, thought of it all.

This reviewer mentioned that there wasn’t a thing in the book that they “couldnt’ Google” and they went on explain that they were giving it “two” stars instead of “one” because there were a couple of positive things that they found interesting to them but other than that, to them, it was practically a flop.

To my surprise, even though I’d waited for this moment, I didn’t cry or even feel bad—I laughed. (not at this person, of course but more at what was to come) I actually found their use of language and explanation as to why they didn’t like the book quite creative to say the least and had great admiration for their ability to confidently and effectively “speak their mind”. (word nerd)

Here are a few things I am focusing on in all of this:

1. This book (nor I) is not for everyone.

2. Why, in the midst of criticism, it is crucial to stay focused.

3. You can’t Google your story. You have to tell that.

THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR EVERYONE

But there’s something in it for everyone. I have these highlighted in my profile on my Instagram feed but I thought it was important for me to expound a bit on this thought here. I know, to some of you, this probably made perfect sense but in an effort to be the excellent communicator I claim to be, I wanted to break this down a bit more here where I have more room and time and you all have way more space to process.

A long time ago when I was growing up in Alabama and being raised by my grandmother, one of the things I can still hear here saying to me over and over is “ you are not for everyone and that is ok”.

I’ve taken that with me well into my adulthood and it has served me well. In this case, very well.

I understand that while there are many who support me and Restoration House and the message that I attempt to spread there are likely a dozen more who are NOT here for it.

Guess what? I am absolutely fine with that! I know that for those who are not interested in what I share here, there are more who do and those are the people and you are the community of supporters I’d like to focus on. We all have our tribes and I trust that those who find value in what I share here and beyond will connect with it in a unique and special way. I also understand that even if other want to make it their personal mission to bash it, that it’s not personal.

I have to fight (sometimes) to detach myself from that lie so that I can move on into what God is and has called me to do here.

GOTTA STAY FOCUSED

If I am being honest, when the news of my first negative (but surely not the last) review came through, I was totally fine and have been but I’d be lying if I said that not even for one moment was I even slightly shaken by the thought that more were coming and that even though this one wasn’t that gentle, more would come that would make the one prior to it look like light work.

How many times in your life (I can’t even count for my own) have you been in the middle of one of the most amazing seasons or moments only to have it snatched away by something that really paled in comparison to the good thing? Because of our human nature, we tend to be drawn to the things that really should not capture our attention. Nine times out of ten, those are negatives. And don’t those things just seem to come at the most “convenient” times?

On that day, I had to make a conscious decision that I would not allow someone’s thoughts or opinions to destroy or take away from what was meant to be a time of celebration. One that I’ve worked two hard years to get to, mind you.

It is our responsibility to guard that. No matter what, I was and am determined to keep that joy. That peace. That fun. It is our responsibility to hold space for these moments. I am convinced that no one is going to take this away from me. Whether you are celebrating something like your new book or that you made it through the week without yelling at one of your kids. Count it all joy, friends, and be determined that NO ONE is going to take that away from you.

YOU CAN’T GOOGLE THIS

This part may be my favorite. The reviewer’s comment read that “there wasn’t any design or DIY tips that she could not Google”. When I responded on my IG stories, I mentioned that she was right. I also added that there isn’t much that you can’t Google these days if we’re honest.

The point is this: You can’t Google your story. You have to tell that.

If you’ve followed me here long enough you already know that I am a lover of a good story and, not just any story, but your story—our stories—the collective stories that connect us all.

What I share in this book is more than just fun DIY and home tips or “3 quick and easy ways to…”. There’s more than that and that’s not to say the ones that do offer those things are any less; just different goals. I think that’s ok.

There’s a lot of that out there and while each author will put their spin on it, it just wasn’t what I felt called or asked to write. I knew that if I told my own story with sincerity and authenticity, it would resonate with you and that’s the point.

“You can’t Google your story, you have to tell it. ”

I didn’t want to give you something that look like everyone else. I didn’t want to give you just another reason to compare your life to others’ around you or to strangers on the internet. I wanted you to somehow read what has happened in my life and find a connection point to your own. My hope was an is that it would cause you to recognize the similarities yet also embrace the differences and, in your own way, tell THAT story. My prayer is that it would beckon to the home of your heart to to share the things you can’t Google. And that, for me, makes it all worth it.