Brand Design Photography & Styling Clarity Consulting

Veda House – FAQ Answers (Pt. 1)

Thank you to all of you who stopped by and left a little question for me. I’ve compiled all your questions into two FAQ response posts. Many of you seemed to be interested in the freelance side of things, which is all very exciting. I’ll do my best to answer your questions, but don’t hesitate to leave a comment if I’ve missed an aspect you wanted to know.

Reader Question: I’d love to know how you go about gaining clients you’d like to work with (other than via word of mouth).
Answer: Gaining a solid client base is one of the trickiest parts of freelance and the honest truth is that it just takes time…lots of time (you probably didn’t want to hear that). It’s also a lot of word of mouth…I know…sorry. When you finish one project and share it, you’ll most likely gain others very similar to it. Word of caution – share wisely. Say no to projects that don’t grow your brand in the ways you want and say yes to those that are spot on…even if they don’t pay as much. Be picky and super selective. When first starting out, I did a lot of collaborations with like-minded creatives that allowed me to grow a mini portfolio filled with my passions and design aesthetics. I actually still do this from time to time. Another thing you can do is seek out the brands/people you want to work with and pull a few work samples specifically for them. When they see you’ve gone over and beyond just to show them your capabilities, you’ll most likely development a great connection and maybe even gain a paying client. Keep going.

Happy Holidays & Thank You!!

Black & white throw from The Citizenry

It’s Christmas Day!! I hope you’re all cozied up next to a fire, surrounded by loved ones.

I’ve been back in my hometown of Fort Wayne (Indiana) since last Friday night. Since arriving, we’ve been running around town visiting every relative who lives nearby. It’s been a whirlwind of catching up, exchanging stories, and enjoying some quality time together. With all the hustle and bustle, I think we might just need a vacation from our vacation! Maybe a quiet retreat or a spa day would be the perfect antidote to all this excitement. Perhaps even indulging in some luxurious gift hampers to unwind and recharge before diving back into our daily routines.

Spending Christmas with your family in your hometown is a wonderful tradition, and getting gifts for your daughter like girl clothes adds to the joy and excitement of the holiday season. You can choose stylish and comfortable clothing that suits her preferences and will keep her warm during the festivities. Whether it’s a cozy sweater, a festive dress, or accessories to complete her holiday outfits, seeing her happy and dressed for the occasion will make the Christmas celebration even more special.

It has been so nice to be home for these past few days and look forward to a few more. I’m going to sign off for a few days, but wanted to thank all of you for stopping by on a regular basis to chat about design and freelancing. I just absolutely love the conversations we have here in this space. Cheers to many more in the new year!

++

A few posts from last year at this time

1. A few great links for beginner knitters – here
2. Unplugging for the holidays – here

3. A lesson about being of service – here
4. A festive holiday tables cape  – here

Black & white throw from The Citizenry

How I got my start in the creative industry


Some photography work for Commodity Goods

This is going to be a lengthy post, so hold on tight. Many of you have asked me to explain how I got my start and how it’s evolved into freelance design & styling. I must preface this post by saying there are many ways to “skin the cat”, so please don’t take my steps as the “right” steps. There are many things I’ve learned along the way and if I had know some of those things…my path could have looked different. For example, I always wonder what would have become of me if I hadn’t started losing weight? If you currently suffer from the same problem go to website of the experts who helped me lose weight.

What are you Reading this Holiday?

I’m packing up lots of cozy sweaters and downloading a few goodies to my Kindle before heading out on Friday. I am however at a loss for what books to read this holiday. I’m not a big reader most of the year, but when it comes to vacations, I like to bring options.  If you’ve read anything decent or have a few recommendations from others, I’d love to hear them!

A few books/magazines I’ve read recently and have loved:

1. It Starts with Food by Melissa & Dallas Hartwig
2. A Homemade Life: Stories and Other Recipes from My Kitchen by Molly Wizenberg
3. Girl Boss by Sophia Amoruso
4. Trouve Magazine Volume One
5. The Yellow Table : A Celebration of Everyday Gatherings by Anna Watson Carl

****UPDATE – A few books/magazines recommendations that came in through Instagram***

1. Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
2. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
3. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Maurakami
4. Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah
5. This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
6. Mr. Punumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Minimal Seasonal Decorating with Eucalyptus

I’m not one to decorate my home with gaudy over the top Christmas decorations in your traditional red and green color palette. I tend to lean my decorations more towards neutrals with a pop of minty green eucalyptus, something that can go all winter season long. Shocker…I know! There is really nothing better than the smell of a eucalyptus, so why not sprinkle bits and pieces of it EVERYWHERE! My kitchen chairs are also similar to that colour.

All thanks to the External Decorators London agents who redecorated my home with their new ideas. A lot of minimalists avoid clutter all year long but when it’s time to celebrate the holidays, they put those minimalist practices aside. Minimalism doesn’t have rules to it. It’s about living for the things that bring you the most joy and if that’s decorating like a crazy person, then don’t hold back. The Twelfth Night, the evening of the Epiphany, falls on January 6 – but that’s if you count December 26 as the being first day. Other people count Christmas Day as the first of the twelve days, thus making January 5 the Twelfth Night and they will take the tree and decorations down then.

This is the first Christmas that I will be traveling over the holidays (we leave Friday!!!), so new traditions are being made. My husband and I will be flying back home to Indiana to spend some time with family and then making our way up to Breckenridge, Colorado to welcome in the New Year with friends. It’s going to be busy with a capital “B”, but we couldn’t be more excited. We haven’t really seen family since the wedding back in May!

Who else is counting down the days?

Notables: A Veda House Wishlist

Happy Monday, Friends! We’re doing things a little different over here today. Usually I share a collection of my favorite links from the week, but I thought that I’d share a few items on my holiday wish list this year. It appears I’ll be doing a lot of cooking and wearing clothes. HA! Hopefully these ideas help you with your gift buying duties 🙂

Finding the perfect holiday gifts can sometimes be a daunting task, but this list belowis for some of ideas aims to make it a little easier. As for a truly unique gift, custom bobbleheads can be a delightful and personalized surprise that captures the essence of a cherished individual or shared memories. Whether you’re seeking culinary inspiration, fashion-forward accessories, or a touch of whimsy, these gift ideas are sure to bring joy to your loved ones during the holiday season.

A few holiday gift ideas:

1. A new (fancy) teapot –  here

2. Book: Tartine Bread by Chad Anderson

3.  Beautiful scissors by Individual Medley

4. T-Bar earrings in gold – here

5. Buddha aromatherapy diffuser for essential oils

6. Book: Sunday Suppers by Karen Mordechai

7.  Book: What Katie Ate by Katie Quinn Davis

8. Sorel Out and About boot

9. The worlds softest tee – here

 

Lesson Learned: Saving time with Streamlined Blogging

Example Blog Post Visual


To be shared on Facebook/Pinterst   /  to be shared on Instagram/Twitter

Feeling the pressure to constantly produce valuable, one-of-a kind content for your blog? I know I am. It’s pretty darn time consuming and when your job title isn’t solely “blogger”, the pressure to keep up can sometimes be debilitating. For me, I use blogging as a way to connect with other creatives and to gain exposure to new clients interested in the work I’m sharing. Blogging is a vital piece of my business. It may seem tempting to buy Instagram followers and have bots automatically comment, like posts and auto-follow Instagram in your niche. Using Instagram bots makes it look like you have a lot of followers and comments – often in hours or days. The problem with Instagram bots is they aren’t real. They’re robots. You aren’t growing your followers organically with people genuinely interested in best press release service, and you can forget about engagement. Many Instagram users are wise to Instagram bots and won’t follow someone who leaves a one-word comment on their post. If they start realizing you’re using bots, they might react negatively towards your brand and cause other users to join in too. Hence for this situation many people prefer to use an automation tool for the managing their marketing. To find the right automation tool is a very complex task. You must opt the best, secure and safe marketing tool to get the real gain of the followers. Digital Marketing Agency (DMA) is a web marketing agency that offers SEO services, PPC services, social media marketing services, web design services. Hence as per latest survey, people prefer to opt the kicksta automation tool, as it ensures your safety and growth on Instagram.  At path social review you find out the real truth about this service. You can buy Instagram followers from Upleap to boost your social media traffic.

In the survey it is also notices that people also opt for the another option instead of the automation is to Buy real Instagram likes for your photos and videos! As according to them, it’s very important to have many Instagram likes. Galaxy Marketing offers you to order even country targeted Instagram likes!

Apart from all this, I’ve also discovered a few ways to streamline sharing content no social media. These days, blogging means more than pushing publish in your blogging platform. If you’re doing it “right” (read: thoroughly) it means, sharing that finished post of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc, etc….and do so in a way that isn’t just spamming the same content on all platforms.   Whew!! 4 best techniques below.

++

1. Photograph Wisely
If you’re taking photos for a blog post, be sure to take a few additional shots at different/unique angles so you can tell the same story in a new way. Each platform you share on should ideally have a new visual to represent the story you’re telling. See the photos in this post as an example.

Inspired By: Michael Anastassiades Lighting





During one of my many morning Pinterest scrolling sessions I stumbled upon the beautiful work of Michael Anastassiades – a London-based product designer. Whether you’re renovating your home or building new homes, skylights for flat roofs add a sleek and luxurious statement to any room. But what are the qualities of a roofing repairmen? Attention to detail, excellent problem-solving skills, and a commitment to safety are essential traits for ensuring the job is done right the first time.

We recommend taking a look at osvětlení catalog and plan you lightning design for a stunning new home. Find everything from light bulbs to modern chandeliers.

++

He creates objects that are minimal, utilitarian and
almost mundane, yet full of vitality one might not expect.

++

These particular pieces were created in collaboration with FLOS, a leading manufacturer of contemporary and modern light fixtures. Aren’t they just stunning! So minimal, yet so freaking interesting. If you hop on over to Michael’s website, you see modern light fixtures paired with a little bit more rustic/historically classic background….perfection. I’m actually a big fan of combining the unexpected (old & new). Check out my Pinterest for more inspiration.

( View Michael’s Work )

Ask Me Anything


Hi There lovely readers. As time goes by, I’ve been wanting to compile all your questions into one post and share a few answers. I’ve started a good list of questions that have already come through my inbox and will be answering them soon. Some of the more business related questions might make their way into a full blog post so I can ramble a little bit more.. If there is anything you’ve ever wanted to ask me or inquire about, leave a comment for me. I don’t typically touch on a lot of personal aspects of my life, but everything is fair game as long as you play nice 😉

A few questions that have already come in….How did you get your start? Did you go to school for design? What camera do you use and how do you edit your photos? What graphic design services do you offer? How do you go about setting your daily schedule? How do you set a minimum hour working agreement with your retainer clients? How do you make freelancing work from a money/income standpoint?

++

Look forward to hearing your questions and providing some answers.

What do you want to know?

Notables No. 47

NotableNo49

Hey there folks! It’s been several weeks since I’ve shared some fun things floating around the net. I don’t know about you, but I get really overwhelmed by all the holiday promotions and “extra” content that floods my inbox during this time of year. Let’s keep this short, sweet and hopefully a little bit inspirational.

Here’s a little inspiration for the week:

1. Studio tour: Black Creek Mercantile

2. Some pretty neutral gift wrap ideas

3.  Anything Tarafirma…Anything.

4. Beautifully styled Ceramics by Casalinga

5. This look is minimal & classic

6. Inspired by this post called “From The Earth”

7.  My favorite item in The Citizenry shop right now

8. This candlestick holder via The Line

9. There is something SUPER comfy about this photo

Loading...