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Design Du Jour:

Dream a Little Dream in 2012

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Tobi

Well, it’s day 3 of my tour through my 2012 resolutions, plans and dreams. If you’ve been with me this week, you have read my resolutions for the new year. You know what I’m planning to accomplish, and today we are going to take it outside the box, or the “jar” so to speak and talk about my dreams.

It’s a scary thing, even for me, to put my dreams out in the universe. What if people laugh at me, or think I’m stupid, or silly? What if I jinx myself by telling you all what extraordinary wishes are in my head and my heart? Ok…well, so what?!

What do I really have to lose? If I don’t put them out there, they may never happen. If I am not willing to take that lid off the jar that holds my deepest desires, how in the world will the people that can help me achieve them ever even know about them?

What do I have to lose by being vulnerable and authentic and open? Our fears so often hold us back from really going after the things that we dream about, that we visualize, that we yearn for.  Many people would rather be pleasantly surprised if something accidentally happens to them in life, as opposed to taking a chance on being disappointed if they dream of something, go after it, and fail.

I, on the other hand, prefer to leave nothing to chance. I would never want to come to the end of my life and wish I had dreamed bigger and tried harder to make those dreams come true.  I prefer to dream big, plan big, take big risks, work really hard, and celebrate awesome results!  

 

And who cares if people think you are silly or stupid or worse? Apparently Coco Chanel didn’t let what other people thought of her hold her back. So why would we? I say “if Coco can do it, I can too!”

Will I have failures? Sure! Will many of the things I dream, not come to pass? Of Course! But the more I dream and the bigger I dream the more of those dreams I will realize. But you gotta dream big.  I mean REALLY B-I-G!  If you dream about being a billionaire and you only make $100 Million, I don’t think you are going to be too disappointed, do you?

So here they are in no particular order, 20 of my Big, Giant, Hairy, Scary, Dreams…with one extra thrown in for fun.

1. Write a Book…well actually, several.

2. Have an Apartment in New York City

3. Learn to Play the Piano

4. Travel Internationally every year and take my daughter with me

5. Be published in the other “biggies” that I haven’t made it into yet…Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Veranda.

6. Have my own furniture line

7. Have a Summer Home–the Hamptons, a Farm with chickens, or the Beach…I can’t decide.  Maybe I’d like all three!

8.  Have my own TV Show

9. Visit Maison & Objet in Paris

10. Have a Garden…a fabulous one both flower and vegetable.

11. Build a New House in Arkansas

12. Do the Kipps Bay Showhouse

13. Rent a Villa in Italy for a Month, followed by a Month in a Paris Apartment for the Summer with my mama, hubby, and baby girl in tow.

14. Have my own Radio Show

15. Have a house keeper 5 days a week

16. Make enough money to make significant charity donations every year of $25,000 or more (hopefully much more) to help less fortunate people have a more beautiful life.

17. Learn to Speed read so I can get through all the business books on my list

18. Spend 2 weeks in Maui every Winter and a week at Blackberry Farms every Fall.

19. Have my own column in a National Magazine or Newspaper

20. Take Culinary courses to learn to be a great Chef

21. Buy a Birkin Bag in a FABULOUS color!

So there they are. Now that wasn’t so bad, was it? I am ready to see what the Universe does with all this material. I’d be happy with even one of these “Biggies” this year and the good news is…I’m feeling lucky! Come on 2012, mama needs a new pair of shoes (or a house in the Hamptons, or an orange Birkin Bag).

So what are your big dreams this year? Come on, tell us! Put them out here in the Universe and see what happens. What have you got to lose?

Try out this neat course over at Mondo Beyondo starting next Monday if you need some help discovering them. I’ve done their Dream Lab before and believe me, it’s super inspirational.

Happy Dreaming!  xo, Tobi

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Planning for Success in 2012

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Tobi

Well if you’ve been here already this week, you know I am taking you on a tour through my resolutions, plans, and dreams for 2012. Yesterday was about my resolutions. Today we are looking at my plans. And boy do I have a list of plans!

People often tell me my accomplishments are “Awesome”. How can I do it all? Well my answer…Planning! One of my favorite quotes is “Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail, and I believe 100% that with the proper planning you can be “Awesome” too!

If you can perceive it, you can achieve it, right? So for my plans (different from my resolutions which are traits or habits that I want to improve), this is a list of things that I have imagined and then decided to start, do, or accomplish in 2012. In one of my favorite books, Hard Goals, Mark Murphy teaches you that creating “realistic” goals and plans is only holding you back. You gotta go big people, and that is something that I can definitely do!

 

So, today I am bringing you a list of Big (and small) things I am taking action on this year to get to where I ultimately want to be.

And here they are…

My second One Kings Lane Sale–In less than 2 weeks, my second offering of products on the AMAZING One Kings Lane site is happening. It’s just around the corner. What a fun way to kick off 2012, right? Look for my sale Tastemaker Tag Sale on Saturday, January 14th.

Update my blog–I’m not necessarily talking a new look, but I want to switch things up a bit. It’s been in its current state for over a year now, so I think we need to add a little spice, don’t you?

Add more Video–One way we will be making all our sites more exciting this year, is by adding more video.  I want to bring you into my projects and experiences in an all new way.

Introduce a revision to InBox Interiors–My e-design site has been going strong for well over a year now, so I think it’s time to give it a new twist or two. Have any ideas of what you’d like to see added, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Plus I have a few exciting ideas of my own.

Travel to Morocco–Thanks to an invitation from the Design Investors, I will be traveling to Marrakech this year for the Design Leadership Summit. Now this is really stepping outside my typical travel plans.  I can’t wait for this adventure.

Dering Hall–I am so excited to be partnering with Dering Hall with a storefront this year. And being a part of some of their upcoming featured sales with Hearst Magazines is another highlight. If you don’t yet know about Dering Hall, the brand new marketplace showcasing the work and product of the nation’s hottest designers and artisans, then 2012 is the time for you to check it out!

Launch new Design Camps, Teleseminars, and E-books–I am thrilled to be bringing you more of my knowledge on both design and the business of design this year in a variety of ways and a variety of price points. I hope this will make me more accessible to more of you.

Create an All-new Tobi Fairley and Associates Website–So you can know much more about what we offer in the way of coaching, seminars, camps and more, stay tuned for an All-New website in the next few months. 

Pitch 5 projects or more to local and national media–I am excited to have at least 5 great projects that finished up over the last year and I am now ready to photograph and pitch to my favorite magazines…Wish me luck!

Introduce New Fabric Patterns and other Tobi Fairley designed Products to Tobi Fairley Home–I have some very exciting new patterns and other great products that I am bringing to Tobi Fairley Home. Stay tuned for these gorgeous new offerings coming really soon.

Launch products with 2 or more other manufacturers–My collaboration with Hickory Chair went so well in 2011, I am excited to be collaborating with 2 or more of my favorite vendors to bring you other products this year. I think you are going to love them.

More exciting speaking engagements–So far I am scheduled to speak at the Design Bloggers Conference in Los Angeles in February, the International Window Coverings Expo in Chicago this April, and an Interior Design Society Conference in Naples, Florida in May. I’m talking to several other venues about appearing at their events in 2012 too.  I hope to see you at one of these great events this year. If you are interested in booking me for your event, give me a ring!

Work on several new projects–I have the exciting privilege of starting several fabulous new projects this year including a hotel and a great high-rise penthouse. Stay tuned for more on these dreamy spaces.

San Francisco or Bust!–I’m heading with my family to San Francisco for the US Open golf tournament this June. Well for me it will be less about golf, and more about wine, art, shopping,and friends! But I am so excited that I’ll be with my family (about 15 of us) on this exciting trip to one of my favorite cities this summer.

Celebrating a new book–Some of my work is coming out in an exciting new book this year with Susanna Salk by Rizzoli. I am so honored to be included and I will be excited to celebrate the launch in just a few months.

I can hardly wait to bring you more exciting Holiday products this year (I know, I know…we just finished Christmas 2011). A full line of Holiday products will be out in September this year so you have plenty of time to buy before your holiday decorating and gift giving.

Buh Bye Comfort Zone–I am thrilled to be doing some serious work with my business coach in 2012, plus I’m heading to several new business conferences this year. I can’t imagine a year without learning so that is definitely on my list for 2012. And my coach has a way of pushing me WAY out of my comfort zone (which is pretty darn hard to do).  No rest for the weary, right?!? But this will mean BIG mental shifts are on tap for me in 2012. And I say…”Bring it on!”

R and R–Lots of weekends at the river and the lake will be included this year to rest and re-energize between all this work, travel, and living outside my comfort zone. I’ll need some river views and relaxing weekends to bring me back down to earth, I think.

So there you have them, my plans so far for 2012.  Yes, its a lot, but this is only part of what I will take on this year.  Does it scare me? Not too much, but I’ve been planning and accomplishing like this for years. It seems the more I put on my plate, the more I accomplish. And after all, if we aren’t pushed out of our comfort zone we’ll never make the leap to where we want to be.

So what are you planning and doing in 2012 to get you out of your comfort zone and into your sweet spot? I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Planning and Happy New Year. Join me tomorrow for some dreaming. It’s gonna be..well, Dreamy! xoxo, Tobi

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Resolutions: the good, fun, and the exciting!

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Tobi

Well, it’s a bright and shiny new year. And if you read my post yesterday, you know I am bringing you 3 days of major goal setting for 2012…Resolutions, Plans, and Dreams. Let’s think of them as brand new shiny goals for the year ahead!

So today I am starting with those ever-exciting resolutions.  I have written resolutions here on my blog each year since 2009 and I am proud to say my track record is pretty good to date.

This year, I am getting more focused than usual thanks to some work I am doing with Mondo Beyondo. Their workshop is more about Dreams, but in preparation they have helped me select my primary focus for the year to come.

And what did I choose? … … …Discipline

If you remember from reading my non-goals, I am great at getting more done that most people. I take action, work hard, and make things happen. Of course, I don’t totally lack discipline, or I couldn’t accomplish what I do. But I do get a bit bored with doing the same thing every day. If I were more disciplined, then I can only imagine where I might end up. Remember how I said my strength is taking something good and making it great? Well that’s what I want to do with discipline in 2012.

I have decided to take my resolutions down to only 6 this year (instead of last year’s 15). And I have also selected things that I am already good at, but that I want to do better. There’s always room for improvement, right?

So it will be like taking all my A’s to A +’s, which I think is a win-win. Not a moment will I spend on my weaknesses thanks to Strength Finders 2.0, but I will be working on going from good to great!

And when times get hectic, if I have to focus on only one thing this year, it will be Discipline, as I believe Discipline encompasses all 6 of my resolutions.

So in 2012 with an overall focus of Discipline in mind, here are my resolutions for this fabulous new year…

1. Get Organized–2011 was a bit busy and I let some of my organization fall by the way side, this year I’m on a mission to get things whipped back in shape so I don’t waste time looking for things. A place for everything, and everything in it’s place will be my new motto!

2. Get Fit–Last year my goal was to get healthy.  And I did it by losing 20 pounds and changing my eating from carb based to protein based.  Now my goal is to get fit.  This will involve exercise, weight-lifting, and lots of healthy, natural foods. I am even thinking about growing some of them myself in a backyard garden…what fun! This time next year, I will be showing you my arms and abs of steel.

3. Save More, Give Better–my church had a great focus in December based on Wal-Mart’s “Save More, Live Better” slogan.  They changed it to Save More, Give Better and it really made an impression on my 6-year-old and me. This year, we are going to get disciplined about the money we spend and ask ourselves, “can we live without it?” before we buy. What we save we will put in a fund to help others in 2012, not just during the holiday season, but all year long. So it’s a mommy-daughter Save-A-Palooza for 2012!

4.  365 Days of Thank you–I have always been disciplined at Gratitude. I have told you how I even keep a gratitude journal on my phone and iPad. But last year, my thank-you note writing fell short compared to years past. So this year, I am taking cues from this great little book and I am going to be disciplined enough to write at least one thank-you note a day. I know it will have more positive influence on me, than even those that I thank.

5. Fill People’s Buckets–Thanks to my work with Strength Finders 2.0 last year and spending time on their member’s only website, I was introduced to another little book that I LOVE! I have always liked complimenting, inspiring, and uplifting others, but this year I am going to make a conscious effort to do so.  If I can make a difference in other people’s lives and attitudes, it will be one of life’s biggest rewards.

6. Discipline as a Lifestyle–There are a few areas where it would make my life easier and/or better if I could improve my discipline. Some examples include getting up earlier, exercising more regularly, reading even more business books, using my vision boards more effectively, calling my clients more often, journaling, and monitoring my finances at home and at work more. This isn’t about adding a bunch of new tasks, it’s about being more consistent with the ones I already have. My typical “All or nothing” habits are holding me back a bit. I think ridding myself of those “Nothing” periods will really pay off.

So there they are. My BIG 6 for 2012 to take me from good to great! It won’t be easy, but the more discipline I practice, the easier they will get. What’s on your list for the year?

I hope you will join me over the next two days to hear about my plans and my dreams for 2012. It’s going to be fun! And please let me know how my team and I can support you in reaching your goals.

Good Luck and Happy 2012~ xo, Tobi

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Happy New Year and a Resolution or Two…

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Tobi

Happy New Year, Friends!

I am so excited to welcome 2012. I think it’s going to be a cupcake year.  By that I don’t mean easy, but one where we are going to live in our “sweet spot” with lots of great “extra” things that come our way just like icing on top!  As I have said many times here on my blog, I just adore the chance to start fresh and to get excited about a whole new set of goals, plans, and dreams. And I can tell you I feel a positive energy this new year coming from all of you like I haven’t felt in a long time. I know it’s true people, 2012 is our year!

 

Resolutions…

So this year I am going to do things a bit differently here on the blog with respect to the new year. I am going to share with you my resolutions, those things I want to work on or implement this year, many of which are personal. But all of which, with some discipline and hard work,  I know I can achieve!

Plans…

Then I am going to share with you some of my big plans for the year. These are things at home and in business that I am going to do this year, places I am going to visit, and ideas I am going to launch. I’m ready to “Just do it” for this list in 2012 so get ready to roll up your sleeves with me, friends!

 Dreams…

And last, I think I will even share with you a few of my dreams.  Those GIANT things that I would just love to accomplish in 2012. This is really a big thing for me to put out there in the universe. Things that one might put on her bucket list, things that we usually only think about but don’t speak of. I am going to put those out there for all of us to read and we will see if I just might get lucky enough in 2012 for some of them to come true. These are that “icing on the cupcake” that I was talking about! I’ve always heard, ”put it out there in the universe and the laws of attraction will bring it to you”, well I think I’ll give it a whirl and we can check back 12 months from now and see if it worked.

So I hope you’ll spend the next 3 days with me while I share my Resolutions, Plans, and Dreams.  I also hope you will create these for yourself over these next 3 days.  And if you are willing, I’d love for you to share them with me so we can achieve them together over the next 12 months.

To give you a head-start in preparing to set your goals, here are a few great books, sites and programs that you might want to check out or even sign up for.  I will be using several of these myself over the next year to achieve my goals.

To achieve your Resolutions and Goals, try the 100 Day Challenge .

To make your plans come to life not just this year, but the next 3, try the 3 Year Vision Plan to set you on your way.

 To get a little help with your dreaming, the Mondo Beyondo workshop may be just what you need.

And don’t forget two of my all-time favorite books…

The 10 X Rule by Grant Cardone

and Hard Goals by Mark Murphy

Good luck with getting all you want to do this year on paper. I will see you back here tomorrow with my resolutions.

Happy New Year!  xoxo, Tobi

P.S. A special thanks to Jennifer for introducing me to the 3-year vision plan!

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The January Features are Live!

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Tobi

Wow!  Here we are in 2012 already and I’m happy to share with you my newest blog features!

Home & Garden

This month’s Home & Garden feature explores a recent InBox Interiors project.  It’s a fun game room for teenage sisters.  Check it out!

 

Style

The Style feature is all about Meg Caswell.  She’s the winner of HGTV’s Design Star season 6 and the host of her own show Great Rooms.  I’ve got a great Q&A with to share with you!

 

Color Coded

Pantone has announced “Tangerine Tango” as the 2012 Color of the Year.  I’ve put together an inspiration board in the Color Coded feature revolving around this color trend.

 

What’s Hot

 

From the northern coast of Africa, the “Morrocan Chic” look is still going strong.  In the What’s Hot feature, I explore some of the hottest products available in the marketplace.

 

Designer Secrets

 

What common furniture problem can you solve with everyday glass cleaner?  It’s revealed in the Designer Secrets feature.

 

Entertaining

 

This month I’m turning 40!  I’ve created a few schematic drawings for a dream birthday party with a Moroccan theme.

Enjoy!

 

 

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