Thanks to all the fabulous new friends of AMBER HOUSLEY! We welcomed dozens of new newsletter subscribers and Facebook friends in this last week alone. I look forward to sharing with you new ideas for design and entertaining. Of course, I’m also excited to reveal the winners of the Spring Giveaway. If your name is listed below, be sure to send me an email (hello at amberhousley.com) with your contact information and we will get your prize out to you this week!

Handpainted Wine Glasses: Cynthia Kain

Stoneware Measuring Cups: Nicole Carfagno

Retro OJ Glasses: Kristi Murphy

Lots of great blog posts coming up this week! Wishing you a wonderful Monday, y’all!

I’m not sure if it’s the 72 degree weather I enjoyed this past weekend at the Cultivate Workshop in Jacksonville, or the fairy godmother wishing I did last week when dreaming up a Lilly Pulitzer spring break wardrobe. It could even be the ridiculously warm winter we’ve had in Nashville…but I’m ready for Spring to get here already!

One of my favorite home and entertaining decor stores is Pier One Imports. I was there last week and the whole store was decked out in Spring! I had to restrain myself from picking up every bright floral patterned item in sight. I mean, VALENTINE’S DAY isn’t even here yet, and I like to give every holiday their due display in my house. Pictures of my Valentine’s decor coming soon!

I needed a reason to go home with just a few small items, and wouldn’t you know it, some of YOU lucky readers have the opportunity to win one of three super cute and super spring decor items! I’m busy dreaming up a great new AMBER HOUSLEY newsletter that will launch next month, and would love for you to have it in your inbox. For the chance to win one of these three great prizes, you simply just need to register for my email newsletter by clicking here OR you can type your email address into the field in the right sidebar and click “SUBSCRIBE.” For an added bonus, you can get an extra entry by “Liking” us on our Facebook page located here. Just add a comment below letting me which prize you would love to take home and if you’ve entered both ways to get your bonus entry! And yes, those of you who are already subscribed to the newsletter or liked are entered to win too!

First up, we have the handpainted floral motif wine glasses. The picture above shows two different types of glassware, but the winner will receive two wine glasses. I can’t think a better way to use these than to sip a cold glass of white sangria while on a long overdue conversation with a girlfriend! I also used these same glasses in my tablescape design for StudioWed Inspired Bride event last week. Here they are in action…adorable, right?!

Photo courtesy of Justin Wright Photography

The second prize is a set of adorable stoneware measuring cups. They are really reminiscent of something you’d find at Anthropologie, but at half the price. These would look cute even displayed on your desk or craft room, as containers to hold paper clips or other fun notions!

The third prize is a set of cute retro orange juice glasses. These were just so fun and hip and put a big ole’ smile on my face. Drinking juice from these would be a great start to anyone’s day, right?

I hope I’ve brightened your winter day just a little bit with this Spring home entertaining inspiration. Now go get to entering to win one of these fabulous prizes!

This contest is open until this Friday, January 27th at 11:59p.m. CST. Winners will be announced Monday, January 30th here on the blog. Ready, set, GO!!

One year ago today, I walked out of a meeting room in Atlanta a changed person.

I am amazed at the confidence I gained that day. The determination. The heart. The willing to make things happen.

In this past year, I’ve traveled far and wide. I’ve met so many new friends in places, in workshops, in events that I never would have gone to otherwise.

I put things out there for all to see. I shared my authentic dreams and goals for my business, with many more things being added every day.

And yesterday it all came full circle. I spent the day in Jacksonville, Florida doing something I had longed to do – sharing all my marketing knowledge and ideas to a room full of wedding professionals, all of them there to better their business. If you know me, I love encouraging other business owners! I want to be everyone’s personal cheerleader and personal coach (and if you know me well, you’ll know I’m also very honest and won’t hesitate to tell anyone how they can do things better).

I still can’t believe that some even traveled from as far as New York City! It was a long weekend full of knowledge and conversation. So much so, that I had quite the sore throat after three days of chit chat with new friends. :)

As I read updates and chatter from all of the excited attendees for the upcoming AH Inspired workshop, my excitement is growing more and more. All the uncertainty and fear of launching and hosting my own workshop is gone. I woke up this morning feeling happy and fulfilled, knowing this journey I’m on is exactly where I’m supposed to be.

An important note to self I wrote one year ago, that I remind myself daily:

Tomorrow I’m headed off to sunny Jacksonville, Florida to meet and greet some wonderful wedding professionals and speak on marketing at the Cultivate Workshop. As I checked the forecast (gasp! 80 degrees and sunny!), it made me wish for a fairy godmother to grant me a whole new wardrobe full of colorful resort chic wear to take with me.

Hubby and I are also headed here to Sandals Emerald Bay in Great Exuma, Bahamas in April. I’m a longtime certified Sandals Specialist, so if you’re looking for recommendations on selecting one of the fabulous (and countless resorts), I’d love to help book a honeymoon or anniversary trip for you!

These pieces I hand selected from Lilly Pulitzer’s 2012 collection would be perfect against the backdrop of a Caribbean blue sea for our little Spring Break getaway, don’t you think? Love all the aqua and coral colors for Spring!

Have a great weekend y’all!

(source: tried to trackdown original artist, via Pinterest link, but was unable to find original source)

Today I’m starting a new journey as an artist. It marks the start of  the next couple of months as I’m going to be soaking up a lot of inspiration and knowledge to expand my business via the Soul Sessions.

That word “artist” scares me. I’m self taught in everything I’ve done and at times in my business journey, it makes me feel like I’m trying to be this “designer” person who has no business calling herself one. At the same time, I’ve realized that a piece of paper that says a degree in a certain area doesn’t make you an expert in it. I may not have the background in color theory or typography, but I still have a passion for creating beautiful things and putting my “art” out for the world to enjoy. I’m also happy that others are even willing to pay to have a piece of my little world of pretty things for the past five years.

Part of facing my fears and intentionally building my business this year is to explore areas of art and designing that I have longed to develop….but too scared to try  because I didn’t have the “background” or qualifications to do it. I’m now ready to push those fears aside because I know all these ideas buzzing in my head and heart are worth putting down on paper. I’m telling you, reader, that you were designed to do those same things, too. You don’t need any paper or years of experience or this or that to be a success or start your business or new idea today. Taking my own advice as I move forward to seeing where this next little journey takes me!

All of these thoughts remind of the nineteen fear-facing women who will be joining me at the AH Inspired workshop on March 3 in Nashville. One seat remains, will it be yours?