The Las Vegas Market at World Market Center Las Vegas used to be a design and furniture resource that I would never miss. I think from the first show, I may have only missed one or two. Their customer service and the wonderful team always took such good care of us, but something has changed. When they were too busy “being at lunch” to find out what had happened to my photographer’s pass and wouldn’t let her in, I decided it was time to do my shopping someplace else.

It’s true. Food can be enjoyed without using appliances, but it’s hard to enjoy an appliance without using food. You can have the best appliances in the world, but if you don’t know how to use them (or are intimidated by them) they are nothing but pretty placeholders.

I think that when we put 2020 behind us we could put “pivoting” behind us as well. 2021 was off to a hopeful start, but this Lifestylist® is realizing that 2021 may be the year of Plan B. The International Builders Show and The Kitchen and Bath Show were scheduled to start yesterday as virtual shows, but the technology gods weren’t having it. But we have found some ways that might make this year better than ever.

I remember it well. In 2018 at KBIS which is the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, Signature Kitchen Suite - an appliance company that had been in the background for a few years, decided to make a splash. They arrived at the show with this stunning, two-story booth and hosted the Champagne and Cupcakes event that is always a sought-after ticket at the show. While we were there, they told us about a new range they had that was going to change the way consumers cook.

The Lifestylist Brands came to be because what I was didn’t fit in one of the typical boxes. I didn’t want to be known as just a designer, cook, or marketing person - life is about so much more. Every challenge that I get, I try to approach it in a unique way to listen to the client and to figure out what they want, even if they don’t know what that is themselves.

This campaign for the Designhounds Design Influencer of the Year has been so much fun - I can’t believe it’s almost over! But that does mean I will be leaving for Las Vegas for KBIS and IBS, so there are lots to look forward to.

This weekend I thought a lot about this, and what makes an Influencer. Bottom line, you have to have something to share that people are curious about. Fortunately, I have an incredible photographer on call that’s used to my last-minute ideas. Lisa Stewart Photography was very kind to help me take my idea and make it happen, and I will forever be grateful.

With six days left, I decided to do an image that had the same amount of items in it as there were days left to vote and to earn people’s votes and support. It was a lot of fun, and it helps to have your own vintage shop and live in an old printing factory - I had a lot to choose from.

When I was named a finalist in The DesignHounds Influencer Awards, I was honored and thrilled with this opportunity to share what the Lifestylist Brands is all about. I started reaching out on Facebook and Instagram but quickly realized it was going to take more than that to win.

I’m quickly learning who my friends are. People that I haven’t talked to in years have been kind enough to share my information and say really sweet things, the groups that I’m involved with have been sharing and supporting, and I’m making new friends that believe in what I do now and have started following me.

Being a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier has given this Lifestylist® an opportunity to meet some fascinating, talented people and chef, restaurateur, and Dame Nikky Phinyawatana is at the top of that list. She invited us into her home so we could see what appliances she chose for her now home for our Candy’sDirt.com feature: Wine.Dine.Great Design. She also shared why she made these choices, and that she was one of the first people in the US to own this beauty. We love her choices!

We are miles away from the beach and our family this Memorial Day, but with all of the beautiful coastal blue products that we see inside and outside of the home this year, it's easy to get that coastal feeling wherever you are.

She did what most of us do - she started going online, talking to her friends, and looking for a place she could get the look she wanted for a great price. She then reached out to me to get my opinion, and what I saw was that she was dealing with a lot of incorrect facts. There was a lot of confusion about what was a truly natural stone product, what kind of stone it was and what was a modified or engineered material. Here are some suggestions that we would like to share that can hopefully make your shopping and decision making a little bit easier.

A few years ago I was at the International Builders Show and The Kitchen and Bath Show, and I found the coolest appliance line - it looked vintage but was brand new! It would allow me to have the retro look I love without the concerns of counting on a 60 or 70-year-old appliance, and the wonderful choice of colors made me happy every time I looked at them. They even offered a retro-styled microwave! I also really appreciated the fact every one of their appliances is handcrafted in their Elmira, Ontario shop, and you could tell how much love and thought goes into every detail.

It's bluebonnet season in Texas! Such a pretty time of year to discover some of the Farm To Market roads that spiderweb across Texas and do some serious bargain shopping along the way. Saturday was one of the prettiest days we've had in ages so I decided to do a road trip to Round Top, Texas.

It's pretty impressive that all three of these American appliance companies are lead by women - something to be celebrated on International Women's Day, and we were thrilled that Thermador stepped up with Capital Distributing, a family-owned company in Dallas to be the Escoffier Gourmet Presenting Sponsor at the Dame Good Party on Sunday. This is the annual fundraiser for the Dallas Chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier - an organization that raises money for women pursuing a career in the culinary fields. What a great way to give back and support future advocates and customers!

Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be so passionate about refrigeration, but now that's become a huge focus for The Lifestylist Brands. Having the right culinary preservation columns can make all of the difference when you like to eat fresh, locally sourced food. Being able to control the temperature and humidity can be the difference between having fresh leafy greens that last a day or a week, and now that I'm adopting more of a vegetarian lifestyle being able to keep my dairy products at the right temperature is making all of the difference. And notice that I said columns? Thermador makes it possible with their refrigeration, freezer, and wine columns to design the perfect combination for you. You can choose different widths and configurations for whatever your lifestyle and needs are.

With the days getting shorter, it’s more important than ever to be sure that you have lots of natural and indirect lighting in your home. As a Lifestylist one of my favorite ways to keep your home feeling fresh and new is by moving things around and making changes for the seasons. We recently visited the Clayton Homes of Desoto Home Center and made some easy updates in their model homes that you can do in your own home - Here are some of our favorites.

Have you ever noticed that once something is brought to your attention you start seeing it everywhere? We make a point of taking part in the KBTribeChat - a weekly discussion on Twitter that shares trends in the kitchen and bath industry. A few weeks ago the topic was “Why Natural Stone?” and ever since we’ve been more aware than ever of how many places natural stone is used - in some places it’s been used there for centuries.

This is the Design Dresser by Galley. Talk about everything in it's place - this is the ultimate example of function and how beautiful it can be. We can't stop thinking about all of the ways we would enjoy this beauty, and how much money we could save dining and entertaining at home! Excited that this was chosen as a winner of the Best of KBIS awards!

Home building is such a special career and industry - you provide something that is so personal and necessary to people, and the experience of building a home can bring people together or tear them apart - I’ve seen both. Attending shows like this gives building professionals not only the opportunity to be educated about what’s new but also to network.

The thrill of the find - when you go someplace that you usually wouldn't go and come across something as spectacular as this dining table that has a propeller as the base.

I found this gem at the Las Vegas World Market, and one of the reasons I try and attend this market every season is because they make it so easy to shop and discover not only trends but true artisans that come to share their work as well.