Welcome, and let me tell you – I am so glad you are here. For taking the time to get to know me, and what exactly Casita Blanca is about.
Years ago, I had dreams of becoming an interior designer but ended up going into construction to work for a General Contractor where I quickly became the subject matter expert in interiors. One of my clients nicknamed me “Joanna Gaines”, and I helped with projects that had complex interiors working hand in hand with the Architects + Interior Designers. I built trust with my Design Teams to make decisions for the project if they could not, and often helped with the finish selections by way of creative resourcefulness.
On the side, I began a fashion blog some time ago, which developed a lot of necessary skills relative to social media but was primarily based on Instagram, not Facebook. Earlier this year, I got the idea to create a space for everyone to be able to share their designer interiors, design challenges, looks for less, and so much more. I created a Facebook group. That’s right, Facebook. However, I never anticipated for it to grow, and fully expected the only members that were in it to be my mom and dad for the entire life of the group. But boy, did it grow. In order to keep in stride with the growth, I had to be adaptable and agile, and was sprinting at a rapid speed. Being an engineer, problem solving speaks to me and I studied where the white space was. What I realized is that there was not a true judgement free, positive place for people to be able to share their homes while feeling encouraged, inspired, and positively reinforced. So, I did what I do best. I was a cheerleader for each group member which by doing so, truly what I really love and am passionate about broke through – helping others. From this, other people followed suit and created an enthusiastic space for others to be able to share their own knowledge and support one another. I’ve often been referred to as a “bridger of people” and “a warm light”, and this was a physical manifestation of those characteristics.
After creating the group, what I witnessed was something that I am so extremely proud of. To see group members submitting posts that began with “this group has given me the courage to ask for help with my space” or “I am so inspired by everyone’s comments, here’s my home based on feedback from you all” was gratifying. To know that I created a place to bridge a gap of design need + design expertise, all while fostering a sense of community by showing others what people can truly do once they are emboldened and uplifted. The Facebook group continuously surprises me, but always fills me with gratitude and fulfillment when I read how kind and helpful everyone is.
What genuinely matters the most to me, is creating good will content to be able to share with all, hoping that it impacts even just one. Helping people is at the root of me and is the thing that drives me the most. While interior design is important, being a good human supersedes all.
I hope you enjoy your time here, and got to know me just a little bit better.
