California, Creativity, and Finding Inspiration in the Everyday

There is always something inspiring about stepping away from your everyday environment for a few days. A change of scenery has a way of sharpening your perspective, slowing you down just enough to notice things you may have otherwise missed. That was exactly how this recent California trip felt for me.

Over the course of two weeks, I traveled between Southern California, the Bay Area, and Sonoma, each place offering a different kind of creative inspiration. Some moments felt exciting and fast-paced, while others were much quieter and slower. Looking back, it is often those smaller moments that stay with me the most.

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I started the trip in Southern California, where I had the opportunity to attend the Billboard Women in Music Awards in support of my dear friend Gab, the founder of Rumi Lane. She created more than 1,000 custom tote bags for the honorees, presenters, and attendees, and getting to watch her work come to life on such a large scale felt incredibly special.

The evening itself was surreal in the best way. Walking the red carpet, hearing live performances from artists I have loved for years, and seeing people interact with something my friend created was such a reminder of what can happen when creativity and hard work meet opportunity. More than anything, I left feeling inspired by the number of talented and driven women gathered in one space.

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From there, I headed north to the Bay Area to spend time with friends and revisit a few places that have inspired me creatively for years. One morning, I wandered through the Alameda Flea Market, slowly making my way through each row of vintage furniture, artwork, textiles, and collected objects.

California flea markets always seem to carry a different kind of energy. There is something about the mix of old and new, layered textures, and unexpected finds that feels endlessly inspiring from an interior design perspective. Some of my favorite design ideas are born in places like this, where nothing feels overly curated and every piece tells a story.

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I ended up finding a piece of art for Tilly’s gallery wall, which felt especially exciting. Those are always my favorite kinds of purchases, the ones you were not necessarily searching for, but immediately know are right the second you see them.

One of the highlights of the trip was finally visiting The Vintage Rug Shop in person. I have sourced vintage rugs from Brittany for over a decade, so stepping into her showroom after all these years felt incredibly full circle.

Seeing so many pieces I had admired online gathered together in person was honestly pretty surreal. The showroom itself was beautiful, but what stayed with me most were the quieter details: the way the afternoon light moved through the room, a perfectly placed piece of artwork that somehow completed the space, a flowering branch moving softly near an open window.

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I think those understated moments are often what shape us the most creatively. Not the big statement pieces, but the feeling a space leaves you with.

That perspective followed me throughout the rest of the trip and has continued to stay with me since coming home. Lately, I have been thinking less about creating spaces that feel perfect and more about creating spaces that feel personal. Rooms that invite you to settle in slowly. Spaces that evolve over time and reflect the people living in them.

Before heading home, I wrapped the trip in Sonoma where I had the privilege of speaking at The Haven Workshop as one of the keynote speakers. I shared more about the systems and processes behind our business, along with thoughts on creative leadership and building a team. It was such a meaningful experience, and I left feeling incredibly grateful to have been included among so many talented creatives and designers.

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As much as this trip was about inspiration, it was also a reminder of how much community shapes what we do. The relationships we build, the places we visit, and the pieces we collect along the way always seem to find their way back into our work in one form or another.

I came home feeling creatively refreshed and excited for what is ahead, especially with several projects we are preparing to share soon. Trips like this always remind me that inspiration is rarely found in one big moment. More often, it comes from paying attention to the smaller ones.

Shop everything I wore throughout California below, along with more fashion, home, and travel finds over on my ShopMy.

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