A Note from the Heart, re: Gratitude
At the risk of sounding cliché, as we approach Thanksgiving this week, I’ve been reflecting on all of the people, experiences, and intangibles I’m thankful for. Of course our loving family and dear friends, our health, our home, and the wonderful opportunities we’ve been granted this past year are top of mind, but looking more introspectively, this year has been a transformative one for me, and I wanted to share why.
Earlier in the year, I wrapped my biggest client renovation of all time. Okay, let’s be honest… That home was larger than my own home, which we’re still finishing-up one room at a time after nearly five years of living in it, so it was my biggest project of all time, period. It was a high-risk, high-reward project, and needless to say, it provided many important learning opportunities for me and how I approach my work. In the end, despite some new gray hairs and a handful of sick-to-my-stomach nights, it’s a project I am incredibly proud of. If you’re a local follower, be sure to buy the February 2024 issue of 5280 Magazine when it comes out, as this project and its owners’ philanthropic story will be featured there!
When that project eventually faded from my daily to-dos (late February ‘23), I told myself that I would take a step back from large renovations for clients so I could focus on other parts of my business, allowing me to be a more present mother to my two little ones, Joe (almost 5!) and Everleigh (2), and a less-stressed-out wife to my does-it-all husband Jason. What ended up taking place instead was that I found myself SO used to being around-the-clock busy that it was hard for me to build-in intentional moments of quiet. The entrepreneur in me again took on more than I could handle for the limited hours available to me during the day when Joe and Everleigh were in childcare. I ended up prioritizing work for my clients and brand partners over my own ability to be fully present for my family and our close friends. I burned the candle on both ends (this isn’t anything new, as my parents would tell you from my middle and high school years) and was constantly trying to keep up on my inbox; meetings; the children’s appointments, social and sporting events, and education; and make time without screens after the children went to bed so I could relax with Jason—something I wasn’t able to do more than maybe 30 nights from the previous year. For months, I felt like I was always behind, not to mention I pretty much made just as much as childcare costs this year, so I started questioning why I’m doing all this.
I started offering twice-a-month virtual design consultations during the day, which have been a GREAT way to meet some of the faces behind the handles who follow @nest.out.west on Instagram, plus I could scratch my creative itch while not having to commit to long-term renovation projects. I’ve also worked on a handful of small (one-room) virtual and in-home projects for previous clients over the past 6-8 months. These are the kinds of opportunities that I am beyond grateful to have—positive-minded people with home conundrums that invigorate me, people who are open to new ideas and suggestions, and who value my time and my vision. Each space provides a new challenge, and I LOVE that kind of creative collaboration.
Taking on 3-5 virtual sessions in a day, and doing this 2-3 days per month, I was able to bring in the income needed to help make ends meet. This helped me take one day a week off from sending the kids to childcare, so I could spend more quality time with them without feeling like it was setting me back on my work. My mama heart was (and still is) so full on these days, not to mention the evenings when we could take the kids out to dinner or bring a picnic up to the mountains while they ran around in the tall grass, travel with them to visit my parents and my siblings (and their little cousins) in other states, and take advantage of evenings when Jason and I could go out and focus on our relationship and our friendship.
I also wanted to give myself space to prioritize meeting and supporting other local female entrepreneurs. For starters, in the second half of 2023, I attended the grand reopening of Sarah O Jewelry, celebrated my friend Ky Lombardi’s grand opening of Cure Collective Denver (a premier collective of female-owned businesses), and discovered and fell IN LOVE with Denver-based Michelle Johnson’s national candle company Sunday Candle Co. Actually, I learned about her from another small business/shop owner named Lindsay Watne, owner of Lottie Lane in Erie, CO, who photographed some of her shop’s Fall collection pieces in our home though Home Studio List. And speaking of Home Studio List, I finallyyyyy got to meet the brilliant and so-incredibly-sweet owner Hannah Pobar at an open house networking event she held at another popular Home Studio. These are just a few of so many opportunities I’m glad I made time for (that in years’ past I would’ve had to pass up on due to my work load and being a mother of two small children).
Image 1: Sarah Ortega of Sarah O. Jewelry; Image 2: Dinner with my friend Trish Sidebotham, Owner of Sagewood Interiors; Image 3: The grand opening of Cure Collective Denver to support my friend (and basically neighbor!) Kylynn Lombardi (center)… also pictured here are Nicole Pankopp @simplyalignedhome (far left), Cortney Lynch @cortneylynchdesigns, and Mari Anesi @anesihomedesigns; Image 4: Hannah Pobar, Owner of Home Studio List, at her Fall Open House; Image 5: Loni Haskell, Owner of Loni Haskell Interiors, at a private media walk-through inside the 2023 Rock the Block homes; and Image 5: Lisa Bengtson, Owner of BlendWorks Digital Marketing (and here’s her site—she helped me a TON when transferring this site over from Wordpress!), photo credit: Kiera Wagner.
All of this being said, toward the end of 2023, I realized that the thinner I spread my joy of making and photographing pretty spaces, the further I strayed from why I created @nest.out.west in the first place. I missed the community of likeminded people who were in a similar boat as the one Jason and I were in, which was that we wanted to make our house a home, but needed to do so on a budget. We’re not made of money. I often would bring the kids to work with me so I wouldn’t have to have a babysitter. We work hard for what we have, try not to spend much on non-necessities, but similar to many people out there, we like nice things—or at least the illusion of “nice” (we love IKEA hacks, repurposing, thrifting, and designer dupes).
This business—a hobby-turned-career—wouldn’t have made it as far as it has without the immense support I’ve received over the past seven years from the people who tune in to my content each week, sharing a kind word, asking great questions, tapping on all those links, sending me useful resources, passing along new client referrals, checking in when things seem off, and cheering us along as we navigate through new DIYs. We are still learning with every project we embark on. We make mistakes, we don’t always have the budget to do the high-end/designer solution, and some of our reveals have been called nasty words. Ultimately, it’s the people who know how to put themselves into another person’s shoes, who remember that “if you don’t have something nice to say, it’s best to not say anything at all” (just scroll past), and who practice the Golden Rule who keep me going. I’ve heard people say, “Your vibe attracts your tribe,” and I must say, I’m beyond appreciative of my tribe. You guys continue to show up in the sweetest, most sincerely positive and kindheartedly honest way. When you disagree with something I say, share, or do, it’s always done with kindness and open-mindedness. Some of us have had some pretty deep discussions over direct messages. You also share your home struggles (and victories!), as well as fertility struggles (and many victories here, too!!) with me. It’s a blessing to be in a position where so many people trust and confide these things in me, and I want you all to know that it is something I never for a minute take for granted.
My business truly is personal (the caption on the post above touches on a little bit of this, too). When you put so much of yourself and your home and family into your story, which becomes such a huge part of your “brand" and your life, it’s hard to draw the line between being an authentic voice within one’s niche and letting it become too personal. It’s taken me seven years of growth and self-reflection to realize that I will not make everyone happy. I just heard a line in a country song that said, “I am not for everyone,” and it resonated with me, especially after this year.
With that, I shouldn’t need to feel as though I’m selling my soul (along with selling-out my family) in the name of authenticity in order to keep my brand partners and certain followers satisfied. I’ve taken a large step back from the amount of content I’ve shared over the past few months. It’s interesting when I look back to 2016, when I was a middle school English teacher with no children of my own yet, and Jason and I had just moved into our first home (which was builder-basic and at $385K, was way over what we ever thought we’d spend on a starter home). I almost didn’t create an account in the first place because it seemed too self-absorbed for my comfort level, but one of my close friends encouraged me to share the DIY customizations Jason and I were putting into that home. She said it could help others who were in a similar position feel empowered to make their house their home. This was before I ever imagined my account’s reach could possibly grow to as many people as it touches today. Before I understood the responsibility that came with sharing my resources, our processes, and my genuine recommendations (and brands/products/people I would *not* recommend).
In general, I have always sought to be a source for inspiration, motivation, and spreading joy and kindness. I value the people who continue to show up and support my business, show love for others, practice empathy and understanding, and manifest positivity. If you’ve made it this far, please know that I’m grateful for you. Feel free to DM me anytime on Instagram—I really do make an effort to reply to every message! I love getting to know the people behind the handles who follow our home and family, and I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Cheerful Holiday season!
xo,
Cait
P.S. I have some REALLY big life updates to share, but before I can, a few more things need to fall into place. I will not have a newsletter published in December, just with all of our travel and family plans (and with how late in November this one is being sent out). I hope you’ll tune in this January when I can (hopefully) spill the beans!