 
Are you local? Do you know a college student looking for a fun (paid) summer internship? Send them the link to this post!
We are looking for just the right person to fill this important support role. Qualifications include:
1. Must be 18 years or over, preferably a student.
2. Valid driver’s license and transportation.
3. Knowledge of Mac computers and strong aptitude to computers, software, etc.
4. Experience with Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, WordPress & Instagram.
5. Be organized and have basic administrative experience.
6. Minimum of 1 year of interior design courses or equivalent experience.
7. Ability to commit 12-20 hrs/week (weekdays) for a 3-month session.
8. Be an independent, fast thinking, multi-tasker, motivated, individual with strong initiative and a desire to learn. Must have a sense of humor and a pleasant manner, especially with clients.
9. Have a great passion for design and interest in corresponding business operations.
Ok. Does this sound like YOU? Great! Here’s how to apply:
-Click the link below to download the application, along with a detailed job description, schedule, and qualifications required.
-Fill out the application and email to [email protected] by May 13, 2016.
-Interviews will be conducted after May 13, 2016.
We are excited to hear from you!
YP Internship Application
A few weeks ago I decided my front porch could use some serious LOVE. Ok, not SERIOUS love, but SOME love. A little attention. It looked so forgotten. Sad. Neglected. Ummm hello?? Is that the impression I want to give my guests? Or neighbors? I. Don’t. Think. So. That night, I cleared my desk, made myself the design client, and got down to business with a little fun on-line shopping.
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Here she is. Ohhhhh my porch is so happy today.
Oregon is enjoying summer-like weather the last couple days, so it was perfect timing to revamp the porch. I started by clearing everything from the area, including the cob webs and an inch of dust from the adirondack chairs. 😉 (UGH! Black paint shows EV.RY.THING) Next, I put down this cute new indoor/outdoor area rug to add some fun pattern (find it here). My porch isn’t huge, so finding the right size was key. This is a 4×6. No, the chairs don’t fit all the way on top of the rug. THAT IS OK. Let’s be renegades! Wooohoooo! I suddenly feel like skipping around the neighborhood announcing that my rug is daringly smaller than my chairs. Hey, to each their own, but I’m in love. WHOLE-hearted, ABSOLUTE, indoor-outdoor rug LOVE.
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Ok, let’s talk about this TABLE. This TABLE!!!! AHHHH!!!! I’m yelling right now, this table is so cute. I was walking through Real Deals in Salem, Oregon the other day, and then. THIS. All I could think was, “Must. Have. Table.” It will probably eventually make its way inside the house, but for spring/summer? PERFECT addition to the porch. AHHHH! STILL YELLING! 😉 (Oh, and bonus: the top rotates to raise or lower the table. CAN YOU EVEN? I lowered it all the way for the porch, but imagine the possibilities for INSIDE the house!)
Next up: pillows. Our porch gets blasted with late afternoon sunshine (fade much?), and hit by plenty of wind/rain/stormy weather (I’m sure my neighbors down the street love it when my pillow collection litters their front yards after a big storm), so indoor-outdoor pillows are a must. These are all from society6.com. Here’s a closer look: 
I love the graphic appeal of these black & white beauties. Totally eye-catching (find them here). And the front pillow (find it here)? SO CUTE! Can you believe these are indoor-outdoor? (Sorry, I’m yelling again.) A cozy coral throw blanket from Marshall’s is fun for those evenings when it’s cool outside, but you just need some fresh air. 🙂
The other chair holds the same black & white pillow and a bright coral herringbone pillow (find it here). So summer-y and fresh! A little tip: if you’re doing multiple pillows on a chair, be sure the “back” pillow is larger than the “front” pillow (we want to see BOTH pillows!) In case you were wondering about the adirondack chairs, we bought them from an unfinished furniture store years ago. I originally painted them red (with a PAINT brush…no. Don’t do that. Unless you have an extra 234 hours to kill.), and then a few summers ago, I spray-painted them black (yes, thumbs up to the spray paint. So easy and the satin finish holds up to cleaning).
I picked up a few finishing touches at a darling shop in Lake Oswego, Oregon called “Piper Louie”…including this cute rustic lantern and “Flowers” sign, made by the sweet and talented Kristy at The Painted Nest (you can find her on Instagram @thepaintednest). The chippy white crate on the table is a favorite, a gift from my friend Debbie. The galvanized flower pot came from Marshall’s, and I stenciled a “4” on it (for the 4 members of our family) with acrylic craft paint.
Sooooo? Could your porch use a little LOVE? On the next sunny day, maybe you’re ready to shake the “winter” off of your porch and welcome the next season. There might even be some farmhouse goodness hidden in your garage, just waiting to be repurposed as porch decor!
Thanks for letting us share our little front porch tour with you! Here’s to sunshine, summer-coming-soon, and a pretty welcome for friends and family. Happy porch decorating!
What if? What if you decided to do something so radical, so unlike yourself, so risky that it absolutely changed everything? In the best way possible? What if you stopped asking yourself “what if” and you just stepped out in a bold move to chase that wild dream? What if your PURPOSE, that stunning beauty-of-a-thing you were CREATED FOR was just around the corner?
Sometimes we’re so caught up in the day-to-day. The chores right in front of us. The STUFF that bogs us down and keeps us from dreaming. I’m challenging you to take a peek around the corner with me. Just a 2-second glance. Because there it is. Are you going after it? Or would you rather stay back? In your safe routine?
I’m certainly no expert, but I get this question a lot. So I’ve been thinking about it lately. It’s been on my heart to share with you. Because maybe YOU are in this place right now. You don’t LOVE your current job. It doesn’t feel like what you were MADE to do. Well, before you take a leap of faith, here are 5 things I wish I’d known before I decided to follow my dreams.
(Here I am on my first day of design school. What an exciting day. I wanna tell that girl to BUCKLE UP! Whoa, she does not even know what’s ahead.)
1.That little voice inside? Listen. But make sure you’re listening to the RIGHT voice.
We all have it. That voice inside that’s telling us what we love. What we’re good at. What makes us crazy happy. Yes! Please listen to THAT voice! That’s the ONE! Trouble is, there’s also another thing we hear. The doubts. The “you’re not good enoughs.” The “who do you think you are?” Sometimes this voice is so loud (or we LET it be so loud), it drowns out the good voice. Stop that. When I decided to follow my heart, my passion, I figured it would be ALL “good voice in my head” time. Does that make sense? I thought that just because I was going to “school” for design, that would squash any doubts, and I would magically be an expert, totally confident in myself. Huh. How cute. I was so naive. It’s an EVERY DAY DECISION to block out that voice. To remember who I am in Christ, and that He has a plan for my life. That following this dream, this fun adventure that God created me for, is right where I’m supposed to be.
2.Following your dream is exciting and fulfilling.
If someone would have told me a couple years ago I would be doing this as a CAREER someday, I would have laughed. No, no, no, silly. I decorate and design for myself. No one else. What if they don’t like it? What if I don’t really have ANY talent at all? Getting over those types of questions has been so exciting. I have found I rely SO MUCH on the Lord in everything I do…especially in my work. My prayer from the beginning has been that as God opens doors, I’ll walk through them. It’s absolutely thrilling to pursue a dream. When things all start making sense, and you look at your past experiences, failures, jobs that didn’t work out, and you see that He was shaping you for THIS. That everything you learned along the way was for a purpose. This purpose.
3. Following your dream is terrifying and humbling.
Oh ya. Stepping out…it ain’t easy. Getting over yourself and all your reasons it will never work, all the questions and doubts and fears. And then once you get into the thick of it, you make mistakes. You feel dumb. You start comparing yourself to others in your field and you feel like you don’t belong. Guess what? EVERYONE DOES THAT. Even the best of the best…the one you have on a pedestal in your mind? She questions herself. She makes mistakes. She feels like she doesn’t measure up sometimes. It’s all part of it, sister. Sure, it’s scary. Sure, you feel like an idiot sometimes. You can wallow in that for awhile (I am a professional wallower), and then hopefully you have someone in your life who will tell you to stop having a pity party, and just GO OUT AND BE AWESOME. No? Ok, then I’m telling you. Stop having a pity party and just GO OUT AND BE AWESOME.
(Here I am with my hubby on my “graduation day” from design school…He is my greatest support and the one that kicks me out of my pity party on a regular basis 😉 ).
4. Being “new” to anything is not easy. Or fun. Be transparent about it! It removes the fear.
WHYYYYYYYY do we do this? We’re fearful that we won’t be able to meet expectations. So we immediately turn to worry. We drum up all kinds of things about what others must be thinking or saying about us, and how we’re so inadequate. So we just need to go eat worms. Ugh. Being new is WORK. It can be difficult when every situation you come across is a completely new frontier and you have to wade your way through it (that explains my reoccurring dream about running under water). Guess what? I’ve found that being honest is the best policy. “Oh, it’s my first time here. Can you show me where such and such is?” “Oh, that’s not my area of expertise, I focus more on this part of the process.” FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS…we can’t be ALL things to ALL people. That was never the purpose.
(Graduation day! Here I am with my beautiful and ultra-inspiring teacher, Jan Springer.)
5. Doing what you feel like God CREATED you to do is the MOST beautiful thing.
You might be sick of hearing it by now. But it’s so true. People who are fulfilling their life’s calling almost glow. They exude a joy about what they’re doing. I’ve always admired this in others, and longed for it in my own life. So consider this today. What is it that you ENJOY like nothing else? Maybe it’s something you do “just for fun” but it brings happiness to the people in your life? What does that look like for you? Does it translate into a job of some kind or a way you can volunteer your talents? Start dreaming a little! Write it down. What would be your wildest goal? The ultimate thing you could imagine? BUCKLE UP. I’ve found that I couldn’t even have dreamt any of this. As I’ve learned to rely on the Lord for literally EVERYTHING, and He’s drawn me so much closer to Him, He continues to surprise me. You want THIS little farm girl to do WHAT? Ok. As long as you’ve got me? I’m in.
THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN DESIGN FOR YOURSELF?
If decorating and design just happens to be your passion as well, this is for you. I hear from people all the time that are wondering how to turn their love of design/decor into a job. How do you make the transition? How do you find clients? What do you charge? Do you have to go to school?
I’m not an expert. But I can tell you about my experience. And hopefully that can be an encouragement to you!
I’ve always had an interest in design/decorating. We moved fairly often as a young married couple, and I always enjoyed decorating each home, and using our things in new ways at each stop along the way. That lead into decorating for church events, doing work for friends and family (mostly for free), and eventually I sold repurposed furniture/accessories at a cute local shop. That became old, because I was a busy young mother after all, and design got tabled for a bit. Eventually I went back to work part time in the school system for some “fun money.” Meanwhile, my creativity dwindled. I no longer felt “in touch” with what was happening in design. My personal style has always leaned “country” or “farmhouse”, but I felt like maybe I was out of it? I didn’t see a lot of it around and figured, as usual, I was clueless. Then in 2014 we decided to build a house. Once I tapped into that side of my brain, the creativity flowed. LIKE CRAZY. I couldn’t sleep at night, there were so many ideas. My hubby asked when I was going to quit my job and do what I really wanted to do, and that was it. I quit. I did? Did I just do that? What the heck? I don’t do stuff like that. WHO ARE YOU JANNA ALLBRITTON????
Now here’s the part you need to know. After looking into design programs in the area, I enrolled in Heritage School of Interior Design in Portland, Oregon (see their website here). It. Was. Everything. A lot of people said “Why do you need to go to school? You can do it without that!” For me, it was all about confidence. How to run a business. How to source items for my clients. And so much more. On the design side, my teacher once said, “You already know the music. I’m just teaching you the lyrics.” YES!!!! That was exactly the truth. If you love design, you already have a great eye. You already have a feel for what works. The program at Heritage just taught me the words that go with it, and gave me the tools I needed to make it a career. The most exciting new thing at Heritage is their introduction of an on-line program. If you’re across the country, but you want to benefit from a GREAT program, please take a look at their website. You can read about the online program here, and please tell them I sent you!
Ok. Get your paper out. Nooooo….you need a bigger piece than that. Start writing down your dreams. What are your priorities? How do you want to use your talents to be a world-changer? Now give it all to HIM. And BUCKLE UP for an amazing ride.
Do you ever feel like you struggle to make your spaces feel cozy? Like they’re ALMOST there…but not quite?
Guess what? I’m coming over today to decorate for you. 😉 Ok, maybe not literally, and I’m sure you’re relieved about that. But what if there were 7 (easy to follow) steps to cozy-just right-welcoming-casual-well decorated happiness? That’s what we’re talking about today…so simple, so fun. Aaaand you don’t even need to take notes. Ready?
1. PAINT COLOR. It sets the stage for cozy.
This is one of the most-asked questions on the blog, and social media. The wall color in our home is Valspar “Coconut Milk.” It’s a great neutral in any room, but it might not be YOUR color. Maybe you’re more into the gray tones. Maybe you like a little darker tone. Whatever your preference, start with paint chips…and don’t just look at them in the aisle at the hardware store. Take them home…in YOUR lighting, with YOUR exposure, next to YOUR furniture, flooring, etc. If you think you’ve found just the right one, congrats! Buy a sample of it, and paint it on several walls in your home. The color will look different in each location due to lighting, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. No one wants to repaint a room because they’re unhappy with a snap decision on paint color. Aint nobody got time for that.
2. AN AREA RUG. (this one is from wayfair.com, find it here.)
I already know what you’re gonna say. Your room is carpeted. YES, you CAN put a rug on a rug. I feel like every room should have an area rug. IT’S EVERYTHING! Did you hear that? EVERYTHING. It adds pattern, texture, defines the conversation area, and, back to our purpose today, BRINGS. THE. COZY. I know, I know…you have kids and a dog, and a house-rabbit, and the occasional goat running through. Still. An area rug. Run. Get it now. Lest you still need your mind set at ease, we have a very light-colored area rug in our main living space. We have 2 teenagers, the adults in this house are spill-prone (I’m not naming names), and our dog likes to punish us in unspeakable ways that test our rug cleaning abilities (I think you know where I’m going with this). Somehow, the rug still looks great!
3. PULL THE FURNITURE AWAY FROM THE WALLS. Go ahead, walk on the wild side!
Ah-ah-ahhhh…don’t skip this step. If you have a fairly large room and your furniture is lining the walls to leave a big open space in the middle, ask yourself, WHY? Because it makes it look bigger? Let your new area rug define the space, and bring your furniture up onto the rug. Create a more intimate conversation area. And guess what? Having a little open space BEHIND the furniture will actually make your room feel very inviting and is pleasing to the eye. Bonus: the next step will really finish the look…
4. USE TABLES TO ANCHOR YOUR SEATING ARRANGEMENT (this cute sofa table is from wayfair.com, find it here.)
So, you’re right. A sofa floating out in the middle of the room does look a little crazy-times. We need an awesome sofa table, and maybe an end table and coffee table to anchor the arrangement. When I go into a client’s home, they almost ALWAYS have at least one of these, either already in the room, or hiding in the garage. Do you have something that could be repurposed or painted for a fresh new life in your home? Or maybe you’re ready to make a little investment in something new? This little cutie from Wayfair won’t break the bank! (See link above.)
5. LIGHTING
Oh my goodness. Lighting, lighting, lighting. NOTHING makes a room feel cozier FASTER than some beautiful lamp lighting. The goal is to have a triangle of light in a room, so maybe you have a lamp on the sofa table, a lamp on an end table, and a floor lamp at the end of the sofa or next to a chair. When purchasing lamps, consider the color of the shades, and keep them similar (when the lamps are turned on you’ll notice the color a lot more, especially if they’re really different). And here’s a fun little tip…you can hide the cords under that new area rug you got! VOILA! Lamps all over the room, and not a cord to be seen. These pretty options are also from Wayfair, find them here, here, and here.
6. PILLOWS AND ACCESSORIES.
Let’s start with pillows. Oh the opportunities! Have some fun mixing patterns, textures, and adding a graphic punch. If your pillows are flat as a pancake/they’ve been spit-up on/the dog has shed an entire extra dog onto it…it’s time. Treat yourself to a few new pillows…you won’t believe the difference it makes! I’m kind of loving this combination…just in case you see something you love too, here are the sources:
a. Floral b. Plaid c. Trellis d. French e. Swiss Cross
Aaaaaand accessories. The finishing touches. This is absolutely the fun part, the frosting on the cake. This is where you can reeeeeally inject your personality into the space. Just keep in mind, a good mix of textures is so important. Some greenery for “life” can lift a room (find this cute faux succulent here), some darling storage options (this cute basket set is timeless AND cute! Find it here), and for all of you farmhouse lovers out there, don’t forget something shiny (find this pretty white artichoke vase here)…this plays well alongside all of the rustic rough textures of the farmhouse look.
7. AUTHENTICITY. Be true to your style.
The most important part of the process of feathering your nest. Be true to what you really love. A few years ago, I felt like my style (farm chic) wasn’t really “in” anymore. I felt lost. What do I like if it’s not THAT? I tried to decorate in a way that I felt was “happening” at the moment…but it wasn’t me. It wasn’t even fun because the look didn’t bring me joy! When we built our home, oddly my first instinct was to bring OLD STUFF into the picture. The juxtaposition of the old with the new seemed like the perfect marriage. I got up the guts to tell my hubby that I wanted our old Goodwill hutch to be the crowning glory in the living room. Ya, you know that big old thing we were gonna take BACK to Goodwill? I’m thinking it should be the anchor to our spankin’ new living room. Friends, he went for it. I’m not saying he looked super excited about it, but he went for it. And the rest is farmhouse history. It’s so completely liberating to be yourself. To be surrounded by things that make you happy. Like CRAZY happy. And your friends/family/guests will feel it. And they will LOVE it. Because YOU, my dear, brought the cozy.
I’ve seen a lot of “top 9” collages this week…people showing the pics that got the most “likes” on their social media. It’s been fun to see everyone’s highlights. Well it got me thinking. What if I do a little bit different spin on it, and reflect on 9 (actually 10!) influential women in my own life over the last year? Oh, each one is such a blessing and means so much to me! No, this doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with design (my usual topic). But as we say hello to a brand new year, I thought it was appropriate to start with gratitude. And to tell these ladies just how much I love them!
HAVE to start with my beautiful mom. She has influenced me in so many ways, but wow. What an inspiration. You will never hear her say a negative thing about anyone. She loves Jesus with all of her heart and she absolutely exudes His love. She works hard, loves and supports my dad in everything he does, and has a heart of GOLD. Gold, I tell you. Mom, thank you for being a “glass-half-full” kind of person. I love you!
Next is my pretty Aunt Penny (no, you’re not seeing double, she’s my mom’s identical twin). We were so lucky to grow up living pretty close to Penny, and spending lots of time with her. She can make anything fun (when we were little, she would say, “Come and make memories with me!” Ya, she meant “Come and fold laundry with me.” ha ha). She is such an encourager, a cheerleader, and is always interested in what’s going on in our lives. Just a treasure.
My beautiful mother-in-law Phyllis is amazing. She raised 2 awesome sons, dedicated her life to church ministry with my father-in-law, and has such a servant’s heart. She is hilarious (and passed that on to my hubby) and has the best laugh. If Phyllis is in the room, you WILL have a good time.
This one is actually two. My younger sisters, Julie & Jamie. Growing up, we fought. A lot. We stole each other’s sweaters, screamed when the other wouldn’t get off the phone, and scared the daylights out of each other on occasion (thanks, Julie). But growing up in a small farmhouse, we all shared a room, and those were the best of times too. We stayed up talking until HOURS after bedtime, worked side by side in the orchard earning money for our Cabbage Patch Dolls, and share the best, most cherished memories of life on our farm. There’s nothing like a sister. She’s the only one who will tell you that shirt looks dumb. Or that you should stop acting like you’re 77 years older than you actually are. 😉 A sister listens to your issues, and can actually give you some insight and perspective…and surprise, is probably going through something pretty similar. I’m so lucky to have 2 of the best.
Megan. One of the main reasons I do what I do. She has prodded me along to follow my dream of interior design from the start. She’s a treasured friend, my graphic designer, drop-dead gorgeous, is mother to 2 cutie patooties, and is ALWAYS there for me and my many, many, many graphic design/blog/computer-ish questions. Talk about a blessing.
Janna. BFF for years (and yet we’re NOT old, right?), stunning ray of sunshine, always has a “we-can-do-this” attitude, bubbles over with God’s love, and always a fun partner in crime. We’ve had so many crazy adventures and I absolutely can’t WAIT for the next one, whatever that might be. 🙂 We’ve been through some of the darkest, deepest, waters together and also celebrated the greatest moments of happiness. The hours FLY by when we’re together and there’s never enough time to talk about everything. Cherished friendship.
Sandy. My Bible study leader, one of the pastor’s wives at our church, sweet friend. The moment I met Sandy a few years ago, I loved her. She instantly makes you feel like you’ve known her forever. I can’t even explain it…she’s just a kindred spirit. Sandy, thank you for your sweet texts, your warm smile, and for making me feel like you’ve got my back! What an awesome woman of God!
Sam, or Sammy-cakes as we like to call her. This girl. So sweet, such an encourager, loyal friend, always positive, and fun to be around. She is always thinking of others, blesses my kids with their favorite treats on their birthdays…and well, lots of other times too, and is a beautiful wife and mama to 2 adorable kiddos. You know that kind of friend that makes you feel loved? Yep, that’s Sammy-cakes for ya.
This lady. Wow. God broke the mold when he made Jan Springer. She is one-of-a-kind, a VERY talented interior designer, beautiful, spunky, hilarious, and was my teacher at design school. The words she spoke into my life STILL ring in my ear on a daily basis. She taught me so much…about design, about being a woman in business, about life. Her zest for life and design is contagious. Thank you so much for everything, Jan…and for inspiring me in so many ways!
10 beautiful woman. 1 lucky me. So thankful.
Who are THE people in your life? Give them a call. Send them a text. Drop by with some flowers. Let’s show “our people” what they mean to us!
Happy New Year, dear friends.
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Julie - The link to download the application is not working for me. Anyway you could send me the application?
Thanks,
Julie
yellowprairieint - Hi Julie! So sorry about that! The link is working now. Let me know if you have any further issues. 🙂
Andrea Ference - Is it required to be local? I’m from Arizona and graduated from ASU last year – looking to gain interior design experience! I follow you on Instagram and absolutely LOVE your style.
yellowprairieint - Please apply! 🙂
Jessica Baker - Hi Jana!
I know that you’ve closed the window for applicants, but by any chance are you still looking?
Thanks so much!
Jessica Baker
yellowprairieint - Hi Jessica! I’ve hired a summer intern but if you’re still interested in the fall, send me a note. I may be looking for an assistant around Sept.?
Jessica Baker - Awesome! I would love to be considered for the upcoming fall. Thank you for responding and I’ll be in touch.
Have a good summer!
Jessica
Jessica Baker - I’m sorry, I spelled your name wrong. ? *Janna