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2015 Year End Review

Happy New Year!!!

Can you believe it's 2016?  I feel like it was just yesterday that we were celebrating the launch of my new website. 

I couldn't let 2015 go without chronicling this epic year.  It was truly one for the books.  Shall we? 

We began this year, on this day actually, with the launch of my official Interior Design website.  It was a long time coming, but I felt like I needed a significant body of work to present before I officially put myself out there as a designer not just a design blogger. 

www.dwellbycheryl.com
Steve and Lauren of The Brand Affect did an amazing job.  I couldn't have been more pleased.  
Shortly thereafter,  I was contacted by Build Direct to inform me that I had been selected as one of the 15 Top Interior Designers in Charlotte.   


Say what?  I mean, seriously.  This one was a shocker.  I was totally honored to be counted among so many uber talented local designers. 

Then, Today's Charlotte Woman magazine contacted me to let me know that they wanted to include me in an upcoming issue that would showcase local Designing Women.


In the spring, I became the poster child for the Metrolina Expo's Vintage and Antiques Show (one of my local favs for fabulous vintage furniture and décor).


And THEN I was received an email from Hoffman Media, known for their popular publications Southern Lady and The Cottage Journal.  They'd found me online and liked my work and wondered if I might have a project to feature in one of their special interest publications due out later in the year.  Without hesitation I agreed and the next thing you know...


Southern Home Magazine
This one just may have been the biggest moment in Dwell by Cheryl history.  : )

As if that weren't enough, a close contact put Pride Magazine in contact with me and I was asked to contribute an article in their at home with pride issue.  It was my first time writing for a magazine and I have to say, I like it.  I loved this project because I was able to feature two of my favorite colleagues; Baity's Custom Upholstery and Cam Richards Photography.  Both of these guys ROCK!  If you're local, check them out.


I'm hoping that they ask me to contribute again.

In preparation for the shoot with Hoffman Media, I had to rush to complete my Master Bedroom Makeover. 


As it turned out, that was one of the only spaces that ended up NOT being featured in the Southern Home spread.  Enter Charlotte Home and Garden...


I had been in talks with them earlier in the year, but the right project hadn't come along yet.  They reached back out to me for their winter issue (now on newsstands and available digitally HERE) and a segment called Room We Love.   Well, guess who's room they love?

via Charlotte Home and Garden

See the entire article HERE

I think I needed to write this all down so I could process how amazing this year really was.  I'm so humbled and grateful for all of the blessings that have come my way.  OH and I did actually get a couple of projects done this year.  : )










Guest Room One Day Design


Wow!  If 2015 is any indication of what 2016 has in store, I'd better buckle my seat belt. 
Wishing you and yours a very happy, safe and blessed New Year!

"New Year, New Headshots"

Hi there!  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday last week.  I was able to enjoy a little time off work and a trip home to Mississippi to visit my family.  Don't you just love the holidays?

So much has happened since my last post that I'll need a few blogs to catch up.  With the new year on the horizon, I'm busy getting geared up for big things in 2016.  I can hardly wait to see what lies ahead.  With a new year brings so many new possibilities, new goals, new focus and for me new headshots!

Over the years, I've come to realize that how you present yourself in person and virtually is so very important for the small business owner.  I've worked really hard to ensure that my presence speaks to who I am as a person and as a business owner.  As my business and brand grows, how I present myself should as well.  So it dawned on me recently that it was probably time to step things up in the headshot department. 

I've gone through quite a few headshots in the span of a few years.  The first couple were really more focused on the blog than anything else.  You may also recall that I actually won a photography session last year and was able to get a few new shots done for the website launch at the start of 2015. While I do like the photos, I wanted a little more from them.


Fast forward to this past Summer, when I met Monique Floyd at a networking event for local creatives.


After meeting Monique, I followed her on social media and fell in love with her work.  Monique's  primary focus is  beauty photography and she's a pro at capturing women in our best light.  Her work is worth seeing, trust me.  Click HERE to check out her portfolio.


After completing my Master Bedroom Makeover, I had this wild idea to have a skirt made our of the leftover chintz headboard fabric and then have some photos made.


 Shout out to my Mom for whipping up a fabulous full skirt over the Thanksgiving holiday.


With the wardrobe settled, I scheduled a date to make it happen.  I also started to pin some inspiration for the shoot on Pinterest.


I  wanted some "action" shots that really expressed what my business/brand is all about and I immediately thought about my partnership with our local Habitat ReStores.  The staff was gracious enough to open the store for me on a Sunday so that I could shoot on location. Seriously, they ROCK!


Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to fill a cart with vintage goodies to use as props in the shoot.  Honestly, I wanted to buy it ALL!  (I may have left with a couple of items. : )

Monique was amazing.  In addition to being a talented photographer, she's also a professional makeup artist.  That's a pretty handy skill for a photographer to carry around in her back pocket. 


There's nothing like getting the star treatment to make you look and feel your best. 



After an hour or so in the store, I felt like we had some pretty great options. 


I can't thank the Our Towns ReStore enough for their help.

via Monique Floyd Photgraphy's Instagram
After that, all there was to do was wait on Monique to do her magic... and magic she did. 
I couldn't be more pleased with the results...




It's hard to pick a favorite.  I love them all!  I'm particularly fond of the fact that I'm sitting on a vintage sofa in the last one.  I mean, given the fact that I reinvent so much vintage furniture, I think this one is perfect.  I also love the second shot because I'm shopping and that's so much a part of what I do (and truthfully who I am). 

I'm officially ready to knock 'em dead in 2016.  I've got a feeling, this year is going to be the best one yet!


"Friendsgivingmas Dinner"

What an action packed weekend!  I had an awesome install on Saturday and hosted my friends for Friendsgivingmas on Sunday.  Honestly, I went into panic mode on Saturday night when I realized that I was totally NOT ready for guest and I was absolutely exhausted from more than a week of running.
 
 
Thankfully I have great friends who don't mind chipping in and bringing things, so my events usually end up being potlucks.  Let's just say that's a great thing for someone as busy as I am.
 
  
 
I was most excited about decorating for the event.  I've been dying to use my gold flatware and this seemed like the perfect time.  I decided to go with mixed metals since
 I had silver chargers and purchased new brass ones at the ReStore recently for $2.00 each!
 

After picking up some fresh flowers I ended up keeping things very simple.  Alstroemeria is always a budget-friendly option and well....hydrangea are hard to resist. 

 

I was really pleased with how things turned out and best of all it was super simple.

 
 
The food was fantastic and we all had a fabulous time!  I may have just started a new tradition.
 
 
 
 Did I mention that the paperwhites I planted in November decided to bloom just in time.
 
 
 
Hope you had a great weekend too!
 

"The Holiday Hustle"

How is it possibly mid-December?  Is it just me or are the holidays zipping by at warp speed?  I thought I’d pop in (two weeks late) to share with you a few of the things I’ve been busy with since my last post.   However, before we get started, you may have noticed a new look here.  Yep!  I had my amazing web designers spruce things up a bit so be sure to take a look around.  The portfolio and design services button now link directly to my website.  Check them out! 

Now, as you all know, December can be a super hectic time of year and that’s certainly the case for me.  After completing my last client project, I had to buckle down and get my design school final project done.  After weeks of long days and nights, I finally presented my project this week and hopefully passed with flying colors. 



In addition, last weekend I had an awesome photo shoot with Monique Floyd Photography who captured some new headshots for me.  I’ll tell you ALL about that real soon.  It’s gonna be gooooddd!



This weekend I’m putting the finishing touches on an extended One Day Design project.  We’re essentially doing an install of the items picked up a few weeks ago during a One Day Design project and a few other items added by yours truly.  I’m excited to see how things come together in this blank slate.



Here’s a look at a few of the items we’ll be adding.




Lastly, because I’m apparently a crazy person, I’m hosting my friends for a Sunday afternoon Friendsgivingmas Dinner.  I know, you’re asking yourself, “What in the world is Friendsgivingmas?”  Well, while Friendsgiving (a new fad that denotes a time of celebrating the traditional Thanksgiving holiday with your friends, usually pre-Thanksgiving) is a great idea, it’s just not realistic for all that I have going on prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.  So, I moved my Friendsgiving celebration to after Thanksgiving, pushing it closer to Christmas hence, Friendsgivingmas. 


We’ll be dining and having a fun gift exchange too!  I’m excited.  Totally not ready, but excited. 
I’ll be sharing a recap of that here too! 

Let’s just say I’ve got my hands full for the next couple of weeks.  Until next time…
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