THIS WEEK’S ROSE AND THORN

Happy Friday! I’m off on a once-in-a-lifetime trip this weekend: NetJets invited a small group of bloggers to fly to Palm Beach for the weekend and I have a good feeling this is the first and last time I’ll find myself on a private plane, haha. I will be Insta story-ing it up if you care to follow along!

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This week’s rose was hearing from more than 1,000 who have taken the reader survey. The vast majority of you offered super helpful constructive criticism and it got me totally revved up to make Design Darling the best it can be. A few comments I loved:

“Would love to see you transition more into lifestyle (travel, home, etc.) as you settle in to married life. As a semi-newlywed with no kids, my husband and I are building our home together and would love to get some inspiration from someone doing the same. Also – love your insta stories the most when you are being you! Funny and sarcastic – showing us it’s not all perfect.”

“The personal posts (even when “off brand”) are some of my faves, but always appreciate your consistent aesthetic and appreciation for quality over quantity.”

“I understand how important it is to selectively share on the internet, but I think there is so much to you that is unique and compelling, and it’s a shame that you don’t share it more often. I appreciate how concise you are, and your ability to let the high-quality imagery do the talking, but I truly think that you have more to offer. Learning about your cooking woes last week? Awesome and SO relatable. Let’s talk about that. Managing transition (NYC to Dallas to Greenwich, getting engaged and then married, etc…)? Let’s talk about that. I think you have so much power to dig a little deeper into the stories you tell and turn it into amazing, helpful content. You have a lot of influence. I’d love to see you use it in a big way!”

“Love your fresh, modern take on preppy style! I love seeing your Nantucket posts and hope to take a trip there this summer based on your recommendations. Not to be overly personal, but we are at similar stages in our lives (I got married in June, and buying a home and starting a family are also on my 101 list) so I would love to follow along as you share those stories.”

“I think you’re great!!! It still pisses me off that some people unfollowed you after the women’s march. I think you’re so diplomatic while still holding your values and I just really appreciate that. I wish you all the success in the world!”

“Loved your wedding series, especially getting to see your wedding video and clips of your family! Would love to see more personal posts – I’m sure there’s some pressure on you to keep the blog “aspirational,” but you seem like such a fun, hilarious person, and it would be great to see that side of you more on here, not so curated.”

“Thank you for sharing your life in the way that you do; I know living a public life is not without its challenges, but I genuinely feel inspired and excited reading your blog.”

It was after reading these comments and others that I wrote yesterday’s post about being myself on the internet, so I want to thank you again for taking the time to help me improve. It’s an incredible privilege to connect with so many of you through this platform and it makes me excited to improve both personally and professionally. Knowing you’re picking up what I’m putting down — and want more of it! — makes my week and then some.

This week’s thorn was insomnia… ugh. I almost always sleep through the night, but at least a couple times a week I have a really hard time winding down and actually falling asleep (and it doesn’t help that Will is usually asleep and snoring before his head hits the pillow). For some reason I get in bed and start thinking about everything I did that day, everything I need to do tomorrow, an email or a text message I forgot to respond to, etc. A few of my friends have recommended meditation but I think I’m the least patient person in the world and get so restless trying to sit still for even 5-10 minutes. Who else has trouble falling asleep? Any tricks that have worked well for you in the past?

What were your rose and thorn this week? I’d love to hear from you!