I always knew I’d be a stay-at-home mom. So when my baby girl was born, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be. What I didn’t anticipate was the feeling that arose right around her first birthday—I realized I had more to give. It took a while to figure out what that meant, but once I joined the Project Nursery team, I knew I’d found exactly what I’d been missing.

I’ve always been a creative soul and a big dreamer. I spent the first half of my life in ballet shoes, and when dance became a pastime rather than a future, I turned my love of art into a career as a graphic designer. Now I’m always looking for ways to add a creative touch to the design of my home, especially in my kids’ rooms. That’s why Project Nursery is such a perfect fit—I get to write about design and be inspired by other amazing parents, and I get to do it with my little girl playing at my feet and my newborn son in my arms.

I’m happiest when my daughter brings me her coloring book and crayons and looks up at me with big blue eyes, waiting for me to drop what I’m doing so we can color together. When we’re not working on our latest masterpiece, you can find us dancing in the living room, cooking a gourmet meal in her handmade play kitchen, cuddling with a good book or sharing a chocolate chip cookie.

– Courtney Barbe, Junior Editor