Works In Progress
House In Bloom
When Dahlia Newberry returns to Southold, NY, for the summer to put her family’s beach house on the market, she is in desperate need of a life break. The only problem is that the house is a complete disaster, worse than she ever imagined. And it’s anyone’s guess how she’ll pull off getting it from fixer to fabulous, especially without a handyperson. On top of this, she has to share her barn with the easy-on-the-eyes reality star Noah Sterling from “Hamptons House,” when a love connection is absolutely the last thing on her mind.
Shortly after her arrival, she discovers a letter from her Aunt Lil in an old book. Her dying wish is for Dahlia to find a key that unlocks a secret spanning three generations involving a secret child. Dahlia has just one month before she takes her dream gallery job in Charleston. In that time, she must fix up the once-vacant house, including the gardens, navigate her layered feelings for Noah, and find this elusive key. In the weeks that follow, she unearths clues buried in the garden shared by two sisters, threatening the only certainty she’s known for the last thirty-eight years. With still no key in sight and a deadline looming, Dahlia quickly realizes this life-altering secret might never be exhumed. What will she do when love and lies drown the happy memories of the place and people she truly belonged with? Can the truth set her free, so she can finally bloom into the woman she was meant to be and find the love she deserves? Or will it bury her forever?
The House That Fixed Me
Lanie Hansen, a lifestyle blogger and house flipper, is about to turn 40. She is faced with a new adventure after an unthinkable tragedy. Although she is lost and broken, she’s not willing to give up or throw in the towel just yet. Lanie, her son Beau, and their rescue dog Ollie decide to leave their fifth flip behind, along with all their memories, in order to heal. She sets sail for a new season and a new house, this time a tear down on the ocean. Lanie’s resilience is tested as she embarks on a home journey like no other, with a true “fixer-upper,” and battles the demons of her boundless grief.
She must navigate the ins and outs of managing a high-risk and challenging home remodel for the first time on her own. As her seasons change, she readjusts her sails and follows her heart back to where it all began. She reconnects with Cole, an old love from her post-college Aspen days, whom she once saw forever with. The Ocean Cottage tests her resilience and gives her the clarity needed to embrace a second chance. In the process, she discovers how capable, valuable, and resilient she is, answering the question, can a house really fix her?
Home Wasn’t Built In a Day
What if I told you there was an easy way to get over the decorating hurdle and create a home you love that reflected you and your family? That you could find peace in a long-term plan and uncover delight in dating design instead of dread. That you didn’t need a designer on speed dial or to scroll for hours on Pinterest directionless ever again. That you could stop putting pressure on yourself to have the perfect house yesterday and start shaping a sanctuary with meaning specific to your needs. And that you could give your home the gift of time; after all, home wasn’t built in a day.
This book is a design guide to help everyday home enthusiasts envision the home they’ve always dreamed of and find joy in the process. It offers a step-by-step guide, with over 100+ ideas to loving the process again and leaving comparisons at the doorstep. It champions the idea that a home evolves over time and supports small victories as much as the big ones. It’s about making your home work for you, finding your place in design, and empowering you through these simple steps. The book urges you to listen to your instinct to cultivate the infinite possibilities of home. It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing, which is more reason to listen to your instinct and inner voice. You know what you like, so let’s figure out what that is.
