I need to brag about my dear friend Linda Grasso for a second.

Linda is the editor of Los Angeles magazine Ventura Blvd and the host of the SheSez with Linda Grasso podcast. She is a veteran journalist who interviews fascinating women about their bold, innovative, and sometimes badass moves. She and her husband Charlie recently remodeled the kitchen in their fantastic Encino home. They’ve lived in the house for years and have raised their sons there.

A little background, Linda and I go way back. We both worked at E! Entertainment Television, where we became friends after working on a project together. She has since been a fabulous confidant and consistent sounding board over the years! You may remember when she interviewed me on her podcast — which you can catch up on by clicking here.

Anyway, I went over to Linda’s house right before the remodel to have lunch with her and to brainstorm with her about fixtures, counters, the works. I loved her old kitchen… it had a Tuscan or French country feel to it. Linda and Charlie were ready for a change, though. This whole project started as an interior paint refresh, but it turned into a whole new kitchen. Like me, she is an avid cook and entertainer — so I understand her desire to create an inviting place that she’s proud of.

Happy May! I just made a pretty big update in my breakfast nook. Can you spot it?!

Ok, I’ll just tell you. I recently opted to switch out the chandelier in the nook and I couldn’t be happier with the decision. Sometimes it’s nerve wracking to take the leap on a design switch, but I’m all about following your gut.

Take a look at how my new light fixture changes the feel of the room (below)!

The best made plans…often go awry.  When that happens, I use spider mums!  This lovely spring centerpiece I used for an Easter gathering actually came together by mistake.

It ended up being the perfect, bright and fresh addition to the table setting — and it’s so simple to make, you could throw this together for any occasion!

So here’s what happened… I had 12 members of my family over earlier this month. The *perfectly-planned* plan was for a lovely garden filled with blue hydrangea.  If you caught my girl boss luncheon post… kinda like that! And my menu included barbecue chicken, lightly dressed kale salad, fennel and tomato salad, corn bread and from my Caribbean background the family gathering staple, Haitian rice (red rice and beans).

Introducing my cozy breakfast nook!

I love having a special space in my home that is bright and inviting — the perfect place to have a cup of coffee and start my day!

Whether you have a whole room or just a corner, these ideas will help you create a charming place to grab a quick bite before heading out or dine with the whole family. Have a look (below)!

Ladies who lunch!

I recently held a spring luncheon for four fantastic women to discuss a project we’re all collaborating on. There is nothing more inspiring than being surrounded by fellow girl bosses supporting each other and being able to create together!

I invited everyone over to my house for a gathering on my patio – which ended up being the perfect way to celebrate the beautiful spring weather!

Follow along (below) to see how I pulled it off!

The world changes when we change our perspective.

Every day I’m noticing little things about my new home in Beverly Hills that makes me fall even more in love with this property. The other day I was walking around the back of the house through the gated tunnel to my courtyard, when I realized I had never seen the view from this angle before.

I know this may seem like a trivial example, but it got me thinking about how we have the power to take what we see every day and look at it from a different perspective and be enlightened to even more beauty.

Is it just me or did January fly by? I wrapped 2017 by throwing an over-the-top winter dinner party for about 30 of my family and friends — and I’m just now getting around to sharing it with all of you! Better late than never!

If you watch my Instagram Stories, you know this was definitely a design-as-you-go project… so this one goes out to all the readers who are willing to fly by the seat of your pants!

This is a sneak glimpse of my dining room. So many room reveals this week from my Spanish style house here in Beverly Hills. This story is not about my dining room though…details to follow at a later date about the actual room itself and the beautiful art work hanging in it on the other side of this photo. Today’s post has to do with my obsession with vintage and antique finds. Sunday I went to the Pasadena Rosebowl flea market, the month before I went too…I love the hunt for beautiful things and the idea of mixing in old (saving the environment) and new things in a space. Much to my delight, in between all my flea market hunts, I was approached by EBTH, an online estate sale marketplace about doing a post. I had never heard of EBTH so I went on their site and my design hunter instinct kicked in…