Recap: A Look Behind the Pretty Pictures

I know typically everyone does some epic Holiday party at the end of the year. I don't know about you all but I was wrecked at the end of last year! It was a hard year, I'm not going to lie! So many positives but it was hard. Online, we typically tote the beautiful wonderful perfection everyone wants to see online but I'd be lying if I said we didn't experience some challenges.

2022 was a year where the year was driving me and I was a passenger.

In hindsight, I think i was burnt out from the last two years of COVID life. From survival mode in '20 to '21 being one of the busiest and most sucessful years of FR to '22 just being a 'normal' year again. It'd been such go go go the last few years that I forgot how to function with 'normal.' But what does that even mean?

By the end of the year I was finally facing the emotional toll the last couple years had on me/ us...

We started feeling the softening of the real estate market, which made a shift in our typical large scale projects. We could tell clients were losing their confidence to really go all in financially, knowing the economy was shifting. I was dealing with a lot of hard middle school aged parenting, anxiety, homeschool life issues. Being pulled in so many directions to be a good mom, be there for my kids who were struggling and also being the best business owner and leader to my amazing team.

At the same time, the highs were SO high! The clients I did have were absolutely phenomenal! We wrapped up house #2 of a favorite client of ours in Woodside and got to dip our toes in the housing market down there. And boy do we love it! We were full speed ahead on a New Build in Healdsburg with an incredible architectural and build team Cahill Studios and Robinwood.

And we got published…internationally! In Casa Vogue Brasil and AD Middle East!

We went to High Point Market! And I met a new client at a dinner party at Drew Sweitzer's studio and realized her and her fiancé literally live up the street from me!

There were projects we never shot (Med Mod) that we got to go back and shoot and oh, last minute with zero planning opened up a 6 month pop up SHOP within a local store here in town.

Within all of that, we got a puppy, went skiing for the first time in 17 years, and I went on a Women Founders Retreat to Marrakech, Morocco then hopped over to Paris with my best friend.

I mean... So Ya, I was tired in December!

Once I had some down in over the Holiday, the girls and I treated ourselves to an amazing Spa day at Cavallo Point. The rain had finally subsided and we soaked up the sun, amazing views and an incredible day the spa there.

My motto for this year is LOVE. I hope this year brings you the love you've always deserved. I hope it brings you people who stay, people who mean what they say, and people who's actions align with their words. I hope it brings you people you'd never need closure from. And people who apologize when they make mistakes. I hope it brings you people who truly see you for who you are. And people who love your heart. Above all, I hope this year brings you home to yourself so that you never abandon yourself to get all of the above.
- Najwa Zebian