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Hullo, friends.

This week has been one of rebuilding.

Not the dramatic kind.

The quiet kind.

The mentally exhausting kind.

The kind that comes with tech friction and the occasional eye twitch. (IYKYK.)

I've spent the past several days untangling systems, rebuilding parts of my business, and creating a foundation that will support what's coming next.

It's not glamorous work.

Most of it is invisible. Some of it has involved a little kid-friendly cursing... though there aren't any kids around.

Shiitake mushrooms, anyone? 😉

Why do I put myself through this?

Simple.

I've learned something over the years:

Strong businesses are built on solid foundations.

The same is true of healing.

Neither happens overnight.

Both happen one intentional step at a time.

So if you're rebuilding something too—a business, a dream, a home, or even yourself—I hope this newsletter reminds you that progress doesn't always look exciting or linear.

Sometimes progress looks like showing up, doing the thing you've been dreading, and realizing it wasn't nearly as bad as you imagined.

And sometimes...

That's enough.

🩷 Nicole

This wasn't supposed to become a patio makeover.

It started with one problem.

After Kenna passed away, every time I opened the back door, the first thing I saw was the lounge chair where she used to sit.

Like every other space in the townhome, I had intentionally arranged the patio for her. She only had to take a couple of steps outside before she could sit and relax.

After she was gone...

The empty chair was all I could see.

It felt like a gut punch every single time I opened the door.

So I did the simplest thing I could think of.

I rearranged the furniture.

Not because I wanted a makeover.

Because I needed the space to hurt a little less.

And that tiny change revealed something unexpected.

Once the furniture was moved, the patio suddenly felt...unfinished.

One problem solved.

Another one uncovered.

Also, the concrete was scorching hot in the summer, and I’m happier shoeless, so I added a real outdoor rug. (North Carolina concrete and bare feet are not friends. 😂)

Then my mom and my older daughter, Rachel, surprised me with a beautiful pink hydrangea in memory of Kenna.

The only problem?

The plant was already too big for the pot they chose.

So I bought a larger planter at Sam’s Club.

It was such a good price that...well...

Obviously, I bought two because balance.

And since the pink hydrangea needed partial shade, I picked up a white hydrangea that actually enjoys full sun. (It's already teasing me with what looks like this year's first blooms.)

The original pot?

Perfect for the grocery store basil that officially kicked off my little herb garden.

Problem solved. Make it delightful.

Then the oriental lilies decided they'd rather faint dramatically than stand up, which meant pollen everywhere...

...including the brand-new rug.

And that’s how garden stakes entered the chat.

Problem solved. Make it camouflaged.

Since my backyard isn't fenced, I added a solar Ring camera for a little extra peace of mind.

Problem solved. And sustainable.

When I moved into this townhome, I loved that the previous owner had already planted hostas, irises, gladiolas, lilies, and liriope.

At the time, I didn’t have the energy for another project, like landscaping.

Life was already full.

Now, strangely enough, tending to a few flowers has become one of the quiet ways I'm learning to tend to myself.

The patio isn’t done. Like me, it’s a work in progress. And that’s okay. I decided to pause and prioritize. I decided to lay out all the changes I wanted and needed to make. All of this is in my 300 Wishlist.

Someday, I’ll have a fountain in the empty corner.

Oh, and I have plans for some solar outdoor lighting.

And eventually, I'd love to hide the HVAC unit using rolling planters with privacy screens.

Still, I’m wildly impressed with my progress thus far.

What surprised me most wasn't how much the patio changed, but how much I changed.

See, I didn't wake up one morning determined to remodel my outdoor space. I woke up trying to figure out how I could make it possible for me to spend time on the patio I’d once loved without bursting into tears.

So, I started by solving one problem.

Then another.

Then another.

That's when I realized something:

This isn't just how I decorate. This is how I've been living my life all along.

I solve a problem. Then I make it pretty.

Beauty isn't the opposite of practicality.

Sometimes it's the reward for solving the problem in the first place.

So if there's a corner of your space that isn't working, don't start with a makeover. Think smaller. Less intimidating. Like an edit.

How does an edit work?

💖 And while you’re doing so, make it pretty.

I’m getting ready to begin the — a free, gentle reset for anyone trying to find their footing again after burnout, heartbreak, grief, upheaval, or simply a season that changed them.

We’ll focus on small daily anchors, reconnecting with ourselves, learning to want things again, and beginning to build what comes next without demanding that we magically become a whole new person overnight.

If that sounds like something you need right now, I’d love to have you with me.

Every month ( and sometimes every newsletter), I’m going to share a few things I accomplished, finished, replaced, upgraded, or checked off from my Wishlist.

Partly for accountability.

Partly because I’m training my brain to notice progress.

And mostly because I hope it inspires you to start noticing your own progress and inspire your lists.

The Wishlist isn’t just about big, dreamy someday things. It’s also about the tiny upgrades, practical fixes, comfort items, and little quality-of-life shifts that make real life feel softer.