The Top Most Asked Questions about my New Book | The Gift of Home

Hello Friends!!

I hope this post finds you well. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow marks 2 full weeks since my new book, The Gift of Home, has been released. So many of you messaged me photos of you receiving your copy of the book, or tagged me online, and can I just tell you – what an absolute DELIGHT it has been seeing all of you received your copies, and the excitement as you have shared how much you love it 🙂 It can be so intimidating sometimes when you spend months pouring your heart into a project, in this case my book, not really sure of how others will receive it, or if they will even like it. Getting your messages assured me that I did the right thing, trusted my gut, in putting this book out into the world – so THANK YOU!! Today I’m answering some of the most asked questions I’ve received about my new book, along with some of my favorite images from the book.

Here we go!

Question #1 : What inspired you to write this book?

I can honestly say that it was YOU! Each and every one of you inspired this book. It was birthed from a love of sharing my passion about home decor with all of you on this blog, and your faithfulness to come back time and time again and join in on that conversation. When I started this blog, it was out of a desire to encourage others that home decor doesn’t have to be tricky, and that we should decorate with the things that we truly love, thus creating spaces that we love to be in. It’s a simple message, but one that I want everyone to hear and feel confident when it comes to not only decorating their homes, but living in them as well. That it’s not just about picking out the perfect throw pillows, but that we are creating spaces that feel truly welcoming and inviting to all who enter. It’s a gift, one that can ground us, and leave us feeling refreshed and restored.

Question #2 : How is your 2nd book different from your 1st book?

From the outward appearance my second book is very much like the first one. They are identical in size, both physical and in word count. Both are hardcover and a coffee table like style. And while they both have the phrase “The Gift of”, you may notice The Gift of Gathering main color is blue, while The Gift of Home has a main color of green. I love that side by side they look like they are part of a set, but unlike the first book, the Gift of Home is all about Home – just like it’s title suggests. While the word and page count might be similar, instead of gatherings for each season, the Gift of Home is filled with chapters that discuss each room in your home. Along with my go-to decorating advice for the areas that I think are most valuable in making those rooms come alive.

Questions #3 : Did you take all the photos for this book, like you did in the 1st book?

Yes, I did!! Just like in my first book, The Gift of Gathering, I shot and edited all of the photos for The Gift of Home. Taking pictures of our home is really where the desire to write a book first came from. I love all that goes into getting the perfect shot. Or the “money shot” as they call it in the magazine world. After having a handful of magazine shoots in our home, I let out a little prayer letting God know that someday I would like to see my own photos in print. I love the styling, and planning out the details, and capturing the perfect layered look in the frame of each still shot I take. There’s a creativity to it that fills my soul, and I’m not sure I quite know how to describe it, but I feel like I come alive when I’m in the process of it. I took well over 1500 photos for the book, and then narrowed it down to about 70-100 per each room for my publisher and editing team to choose from for each chapter. When I’m working with my camera, I feel like an artist with a paintbrush, and it is truly one of the things I enjoy most about blogging and publishing.

Fun Fact – The Day before I had planned on taking pictures of our primary bathroom I decided to paint it! Yep, true story. I mixed equal parts of Sherwin Williams Peppercorn and Mindful Gray that I had on hand to create this pretty charcoal navy you see in the book. (see below)

Question #4 : How did you decide on what to write for this book?

I knew from the beginning that I wanted this book to be about home. But what about home exactly. I wanted to remove some of the myths that I believe hinder people when it comes to decorating their homes, and peel back the curtain a little on how to create those beautiful rooms you see in magazines and on Pinterest. I’ve always believed that everyone should be able to Love the Space the Live in, and I really wanted the pages in this book to help readers gain confidence when it comes to creating those spaces the we truly love. I am so passionate about it, that I actually wrote over 25,000 words too many! Can you believe that. When all was said and done, my editor and I had to go back to the writing board and trim the fat, and really decide what was the absolute best content to keep in the book.

Question #5 : What was the most challenging part about writing this book, and how long did it take to write?

Starting. I think that in any big writing task, the starting can sometimes be the most challenging. Where to start, what to start with, and what exactly do I want to share? I always knew the general idea for the book would be able home, but I didn’t want this book to be just another home decor book. Don’t get me wrong I love a good home decor book, but I knew for myself if there was going to be a book published with my name on it, I would want it to feel worthy of the title and the content inside of it. I wanted to make sure that the content would be applicable to anyone, and that everyone who grabbed a copy would feel like they learned something from it.

And of course if that wasn’t pressure enough, the exact month I was scheduled to start writing the book was March of 2020. And we all know how that went. Thrown into unknown territory, while loosing every ounce of quiet time to the now fact that I am full time homeschooling our children while navigating everyone being home, left little time to find inspiration for writing. I am so thankful for the family and friends who stepped in to take the kids sometimes for a few hours, and sometimes for a few days at a time so I could crank out my word count that made this book a reality. It really does take a village friends, one that I am forever thankful for.

Question #6 : What can we look forward to next?

This week, some of my blogging friends are joining me in a blog hop to celebrate the release of my book coming out! The Gift of Home tour kicks off Wednesday, and each blogger will be sharing one of their favorite things about their home. Something that truly encompasses their style, and what home means to them. It’s going to be so much fun to hear and see what each blogger has to share. You will also be able to ENTER for a chance to win a copy of my new book, The Gift of Home! Also coming up in February, we will be rescheduling my book signing at Purple Rose Home in Northborough, MA. We had to move the original January 8th date out a few weeks due to a few complications, but I’m so excited to be able to hang out with some of you in person, and sign some books! Stay Tuned for the new date.

Do you have a copy yet? I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. You can grab a copy HERE on Amazon, or HERE at Barnes & Noble, or ON SALE at ChristianBook.com – HERE.