bold2boss

Some life experiences are transformative, ripping apart the way you understand, view and experience life.  As I lay there in that dim room, searching through a haze of exhaustion and confusion, I knew this was to be one. I could see a tiny ruddy body, limp and lifeless; my baby girl, torn from my body now transforming my life.  Silhouetted figures lean over her speaking in hushed tones; tubes; chest compressions..she’s dying…alone in this dark room surrounded by strangers. I reach for her, struggling to get closer, to give her something familiar in all this strangeness…  “Baby,” I whisper, “I’m here, stay with me…stay, please stay.” She did stay.  Her tiny delicate body wired up, naked under the harsh buzzing lights of the neonatal intensive care unit.  My delicate black haired baby, clinging to life…fierce eyes glaring and penetrating my soul. I went home without her…empty, desolate and alone...waiting for her to gather strength, waiting to bring her ...

The rough edges of the bureau draw me closer. The ruts and worn edges under my fingertips are like the groves of a record, replaying our precious stories. Memories flood around me, mixing joy and aching nostalgia… little feet pattering down the hall soft rosy cheeks snuggled against teddies Laughter and warm embraces, music and dancing feet. …passing time. My fingers linger on the imperfections as I savor the precious memories… our life and love resonating in these marks, our history inscribed…our beautiful life… beautiful imperfections have a beautiful week xo shelley

It’s January. Christmas vacation is over and it’s time to get back to work….well, actually I’ve spent a good chunk of vacation time plastering walls and painting so I should say back to my other work…my other work that I also love, as a nurse teaching at the local Baccalaureate College. I love my work in health care and I love-love-love my work in design…but it’s kind of a weird combination!…and every day of the last 30 years I’ve wondered ‘Health and Design – what’s the connection??!! Well, let me tell you what I’ve figured out – the connection is nothing and yet also, I think, it is everything . …nothing…well not completely nothing . , I have found connections between the two concepts – people, creativity, organics, and many others points of curious interest. …but more importantly, I have also found it’s everything …core, essential interconnections between health and design. And I have to tell you, so much of the really deeply important, meaningful things I know about beautiful ...

I love design books, particularly those demonstrating uniqueness, creativity and insightful discourse. These gems, scattered throughout my rooms and lining my bookshelves, consistently inspire me in my designs – provoking me to view design through different lenses and to consider alternate approaches…flipping through their worn pages, I am compelled to design and I rarely make it through the chapters before I hop up and begin a new project or rearrange a display. The following six are a selection of my ‘go to’ design books. I have included the book cover photo, which, for all of these books, well represents their unique and distinct flavor…to respect the copyrights, I’ve refrained from including their beautiful content pictures (very hard to resist considering the amazing photos…be sure to check them out in person!) One of my favorites, that I return to again and again, is the design book The Family at Home by Anita Kaushal (2007). This beautiful book, featuring inspiring designs that ...

My hand is on the door, waiting to close it behind me as I’ve done without thought so many time before…walking the kids to school, biking to the park, heading out for dinner.  But this time I won’t return.  I hesitate, looking back into the empty rooms, our first home, so full of life and love… now just memories reflected on bare walls.  Kids giggling on the sofa, little round faces open and joyful; pillow forts under the chairs; friends gathered in the kitchen, laughing, cooking; babies born.  Our home resonating with our life and love, resonating ‘heart, home and health’. A cherished life, cherished memories.  I feel the weight of passing time.  I close the door. And now a new home, full of possibilities…walls to tear down and warms spaces to create…a new home for new memories, a new home resonating ‘heart, home and health’ . heart, home, health   is the life-blood of our dwellings, expressing the essence of who we are and what we care about, keeping...