Best Better The Bookshelf Podcasts (2024)

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279 // Fall 2024 Home Decorating Trend Report 13:37

4d ago13:37

13:37

Hey friend, At the beginning of every calendar year, I share the projected trend report for the upcoming year. But as you can imagine things change within a given year, so in today's episode I'm sharing the 2024 fall trend report. You may be equally surprised to note, that much hasn't changed since January. A few things, but not much. According to …

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278 // Elevate your living room instantly with these 5 FREE decorating tips 21:34

7d ago21:34

21:34

Hey friend! Are you ready to elevate the look of your living room? Maybe you want a quick refresh and you're wondering how to spend your money for biggest impact? In this episode, I'm concluding my mini-series: If I had $500, what would I spend it on - this time we're hanging out in the LIVING ROOM. Because every living room is different and the ne…

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277 // TRUTH: decorating your home IS HARD if it doesn't come naturally, but getting help IS EASY inside The Collective, my monthly membership 13:04

11d ago13:04

13:04

Hey friend! In today's episode I'm sharing an example of what's inside The Collective, my monthly membership that is designed to be an extension of the show. Each month we will have a LIVE q & a where you can get your questions answered - there are no questions too big, too small or too (ahem) stupid. The LIVE q & a is a chance to check in on the p…

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Writing Your College Application Essay 23:15

11d ago23:15

23:15

In today's episode we take a break from discussing and analyzing creative fiction to examining possibly one of the most important, and certainly most stressful, nonfiction projects in a young person's life: writing their college application essay. Our guest, journalist Martha Mendoza, has been helping high school seniors with these essays for over …

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276 // Styling your home is all about experimentation: a behind the scenes look at styling a mantle 23:02

12d ago23:02

23:02

Hey friend! In today's episode I'm sharing an example of my secret to creating spaces that look refined, a bit more put together - like a designer was right there doing it for you! There is a difference between putting things on a shelf and styling decor items on a shelf / placing things on a mantle and styling items intentionally on a mantle. Insi…

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275 // How do I make my home look better? A behind the scenes look at designer advice inside The Collective, my monthly membership 18:44

13d ago18:44

18:44

Hey friend! In today's episode I'm showcasing a perk found inside my monthly membership, The Collective. A Room Edit brings the designer's eye into your space giving you specific recommendations for elevating the room while honoring your goals and aesthetic. You'll hear a Room Edit created for member, Susan and her den. Until this point it was an i…

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274 // Gallery Walls: The guidelines to creating cohesive gallery walls with or without grids 11:19

14d ago11:19

11:19

WHY IT WORKS Hey friend! If you've ever wondered why some gallery walls are structured differently than others and what makes one 'work' even though it seems to not follow any of the rules, this episode is for you. In this episode I'm sharing the two different types of gallery walls and the 'rules' to follow to create each one. I share insight into…

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273 // BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Something new is coming to fig & farm (at home) 2:26

15d ago2:26

2:26

// BIG ANNOUNCEMENT // Hey friend! This is a BIG week at fig & farm (at home). For 5 months I have been working behind the scenes developing a monthly membership called The Collective. If you have ever wished this podcast came with visuals, you're going to love The Collective. With weekly short trainings, LIVE group coaching sessions and guided hel…

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272 // Create a cozy fall home using this ONE simple strategy 18:22

18d ago18:22

18:22

Hey friend, Pumpkin spice lattes are out, the leaves are turning colors and it's time to start thinking about pulling out your box of fall decorations to get your homes fall ready. But BEFORE you do that and BEFORE you run to Target to see what's new for the season and bring home the items you just couldn't live without, I want you to consider your…

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271 // Do this ONE thing to immediately elevate the look of your kitchen! 21:05

21d ago21:05

21:05

Hey friend! Are you ready for a kitchen re-fresh? Today on the podcast we're continuing with our mini series: how to spend $500 in a single room to get the most bang for your buck! If you missed last week, where we elevated the look of our bathroom, go back and listen to episode #269. Remember...BIG change doesn't have to cost a lot and in today's …

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270 // Trend alert: Can you have a DEMURE home? 8 reasons why I say, 'Absolutely!' 17:58

25d ago17:58

17:58

Hey friend! Have you heard the trending phrase on social media "demure and mindful?" It's popping up everywhere and even my 13 year old son has taken notice (and he doesn't have social media). So it got me wondering...what in the world is everyone talking about? As I looked into 'demure' and what it meant versus what I thought it meant, I also noti…

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Answering the Call to Adventure 55:45

27d ago55:45

55:45

How do you shift your book's hero from their nice, cozy ordinary world into the adventure. According to Christopher Vogler in his book, The Writer's Journey, you have them answer the call. In this episode we discuss the various forms that the call stage can take, and also why, even the most willing hero must "refuse the call." To illustrate how thi…

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269 // Getting the BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK in home decorating, doesn't always mean shopping the best sales 26:12

28d ago26:12

26:12

Hey friend! So, you're ready for a re-fresh in your bathroom. You have $500 to spend and you CAN'T WAIT to go shop the sales so you can get the biggest bang for your buck. I know you know how to get the biggest bang for your buck...you do it when you're shopping for a car, clothes, even groceries. You can definitely score some sale items for home d…

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268 // Does your home feel a bit boring and generic? 5 EASY ways to add personality to your home this weekend 23:45

1M ago23:45

23:45

Hey friend! Does your home feel a bit boring and generic? Are you tired of living in the all white, gray, and beige that was trending for so long on Instagram? Are you ready to add a little personality and character to your home, but you don't exactly know where to start? In today's episode I'm sharing 5 ways to add a bit of personality and charact…

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Workshop: Plotting a Murder with Colette Clark 27:20

1M ago27:20

27:20

Does the mystery genre follow the Hero’s Journey? According to historical mystery writer Colette Clark. Not so much. Join us for our discussion about how Colette structures her novels and figures out who the murder is (sometime just before she finishes her first draft). Remember, we have a Writers Process meetup every Wednesday. Check us out.…

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267 // Feeling stuck decorating your open concept home? 3 tips to keep it cohesive 28:26

1M ago28:26

28:26

Hey friend! Does the idea of a home with an open concept sound nice until it comes time to decorating? Open concepts sound nice, but how do you create a home that looks curated, nuanced and cohesive when it's all essentially one big room? And how do you do that without just getting matching everything? In this podcast I'm sharing three ways you can…

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You are Now Leaving the Ordinary World 1:08:51

1M ago1:08:51

1:08:51

If you have read even just the first part of a blog post on the hero’s journey, you know the hero starts off in the ordinary world before embarking on their epic adventure. But the ordinary world is more than a boring place the hero is itching to leave. According to Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey, there’s a lot of that needs to…

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Announcement - A Farewell To Podcasts 4:18

1M ago4:18

4:18

Announcement - A Farewell To Podcasts by Ryan Kuether & Richard DalyBy Ryan Kuether & Richard Daly

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266 // Does your home look tired and dated? 5 steps to creating change in your home decor 27:37

2M ago27:37

27:37

Hey friend! Does your home decor look tired and dated? If you answered YES, you may be wondering what to do about it? In this episode I'm sharing 5 ways to assess the change that needs to happen in your home and the plan you should follow before you purchase a single thing! Here's where to start: 1. Identify the purpose of the room: What do you WAN…

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Boy Bands & Archetypes 33:27

2M ago33:27

33:27

In our regular podcast, we’ve successfully made it through all of Vogler’s archetypes (from his book, The Writer’s Journey). Armed with this knowledge we decided to see if we could identify the archetypes in Kim’s novel, What our Comeback Tour is Slaying Monsters (coming out this October). Along the way, Renee “learned more about boy bands then I’v…

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265 // The SECRET to understanding your design style is being a lurker 14:01

2M ago14:01

14:01

(Or a peeping Tom, but that feels uncouth to publish on a podcast title!) The SECRET to understanding your design style REVEALED!!! To have a cohesive looking home you need to: KNOW YOUR DESIGN STYLE To know your design style you need to: BE A LURKER OF BEAUTIFUL PICTURES (aka student of design) But what do you pay attention to? 1. You pay attentio…

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The Role of the Trickster and Other Archetypes 1:00:52

2M ago1:00:52

1:00:52

Are we done with archetypes now? Almost! There are just three more archetype chapters in Christopher Vogler's book, The Writer's Journey, and we have issues with two of them. The Shadow feels more like a force than a character and anyone from a legit supporting actor to unnamed gofer can be labeled an Ally. The one archetype we did like was the Tri…

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264 // Home organization made EASY with special guest and organizing expert, Nicole Gabai 48:59

2M ago48:59

48:59

Is your home ORGANIZED? Maybe it's NOT, not yet, but you'd like it to be. Maybe it's NOT because you don't have the time. Maybe it's NOT because you don't know where to start. Maybe it's NOT because it feels too daunting of a task to tackle. Maybe you THINK it is, but it's actually NOT! In today's episode I'm chatting with author and organizing exp…

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Workshop with Madix: Writing and Revising LitRPG 56:01

2M ago56:01

56:01

What if writing the first draft was the easy part? Every week on serial writing websites like Royal Road, hundreds of authors will upload 5, 10, 20,000, or more words of their latest saga. Many of these magnum opuses are LitRPG, a genre that's huge on Kindle Unlimited but pretty much unknown to most readers. In today's workshop we talk to LitRPG au…

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Female Shapeshifters and Other Questionable Archetypes 57:10

2M ago57:10

57:10

Everyone who's read a blog post on the Hero's Journey can spot the Hero and Mentor archetypes, but what about a Threshold Guardian, or Herald, or elusive Shapeshifter? Are these actual story archetypes or just personifications of the early stages in the Hero's Journey? Do they play a significant role in modern narratives? And just how sexist is Chr…

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263 // Have NO money to decorate your home? 10 easy tips for saving BIG 42:14

2M ago42:14

42:14

Summer Savings Series: 10 EASY tips for saving BIG money fig & farm (at home) was born on a budget! Next week, you'll hear exactly how it was born and how with a little creativity, it's not only remained solvent, but grown steadily into the black. This episode is for everyone, but is especially meant to inspire all those mamas who stay stuck in the…

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Workshop with Elana Gomel: What to do if your Hero is a Girl? 36:01

3M ago36:01

36:01

In response to Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousands Faces, aka The Hero's Journey, folklorists and academics (many of them female) countered some of the major steps and archetypes that Campbell claimed were universal. In today's workshop we explore the some of the ideas of The Heroine's Journey with author and academic, Elana Gomel. Using her ju…

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262 // DIY with Mr. fig & farm (at home): How we added character to our home while saving $15,000 33:57

3M ago33:57

33:57

SUMMER SAVING SERIES: DIY with Mr. fig & farm (at home) In today's conversation with Greg, aka Mr. fig & farm (at home), you'll hear that the secret to becoming a proficient DIYer isn't that you were born with it...it's that you've experimented and practiced. Greg shares that his previous build experience was building LEGOS. No high school woodshop…

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The Mentor Behind Every Great Hero 55:57

3M ago55:57

55:57

The Mentor -- Arguably the second most identified archetype from The Hero's Journey (after the eponymous hero). In his book, The Writer's Journey, Christopher Vogler has a lot to say about the mentor: why are they important, what do they do, what kinds of mentors are there, and do you actually need one in your story (okay, the last one might just b…

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261 // How one small DIY project built massive confidence in creating a home she loves with guest, Michelle Castro 53:27

3M ago53:27

53:27

Summer Savings Series: Adding Character in your Home the DIY Way with Michelle Castro Big DIY projects were never an option for my guest, Michelle, when she was renting her home. Once she finally bought her house, the proverbial gloves went on! Starting with the demo of an inconveniently placed fireplace turned into countless home projects and now …

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Workshop: Renee Creates a Monster-Hero 49:43

3M ago49:43

49:43

Last episode we explored the concept of the hero archetype as presented in Christopher Volger's The Writer's Journey. But analysis is one thing. We wanted to see if we could use the ideas to create/develop an actual protagonist. Renee's has a Frankenstein story idea that she so badly wants to read that she's willing to write it herself. In this wor…

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260 // From food stamps to $100k: Elaine's story of flipping furniture and selling on Facebook Marketplace 44:03

3M ago44:03

44:03

Summer Saving Series: Using Facebook Marketplace as a reseller w/ Elaine Mingus from Curb Vulture Have you ever wondered what happens to those piles of furniture, artwork, and misc. items of what appears to be trash on the sides of the road? Meet Elaine, a self proclaimed curb vulture, who willingly scouts out the finds so she can resell them for a…

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What Makes a Hero 52:40

3M ago52:40

52:40

Whether every protagonist is a hero is open to debate (and debate it we do in this episode) but it we can agree that the vast majority of protagonists in genre fiction are heroes (if not always heroic). In today’s episode we go deep into Christopher Volger’s chapter on the hero archetype from his book, The Writer’s Journey. To explore his ideas in …

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Workshop: Mapping Kim's Novel to the Hero's Journey 26:39

3M ago26:39

26:39

Last episode we mapped all 12 steps of Christopher Volger's Hero's Journey (as presented in his book, The Writer's Journey) to J.R.R. Tolkien The Hobbit. As you can see from Renee's show notes, they lined up pretty well. But what about a story not written by a British scholar steeped in mythology and folklore? For this workshop, we put Kim's soon-t…

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259 // This ONE hack will help you SCORE THE GOOD STUFF on FB Marketplace 43:15

3M ago43:15

43:15

Summer Savings Series: How to score the GOOD STUFF on FB Marketplace In today's episode I'm talking with Alissa, a client of mine. Just like you and me, Alissa has Pottery Barn taste, but a Target budget. Yet every time I talked with her on our decorating coaching calls (aka Decorating SOS calls) she would always show me her latest name brand home …

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258 // "Where did you find THAT?" and other questions you will be answering about the home decor you found at the thrift store 38:42

4M ago38:42

38:42

Summer Savings Series: Shopping at Thrift Stores pt. 210 (+6 more) things I ALWAYS look for! In today's episode we are wrapping up our series on how to effectively and efficiently shop SUCCESSFULLY at thrift stores. Why do some people always seem to find the good stuff? Because they have a system...go back and listen to Episode 257 so you can learn…

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Mapping the Hero's Journey 1:04:41

4M ago1:04:41

1:04:41

We've officially started our new book, Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey. And boy is there a lot in the first two chapters! First (or first after Kim's rant) is an overview of the Hero's Journey, yes, dear listener, we cover all twelve steps. And as examples for those steps we turn to... The Hobbit (the OG book version, not the movie). Afte…

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257 // 7 Tips for successful home decor shopping at thrift stores 27:14

4M ago27:14

27:14

Summer Savings Series: Shopping at Thrift Stores Creating a home that inspires you, delights you and one that you are proud of doesn't have to cost a lot. But sometimes it takes more than shopping the house and using what you already have - sometimes you need to shop for the items in need. Curating your home decor at thrift stores is one of my FAVO…

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256 // 3 excuses I hear about people not creating a home they love - maybe one of them is yours! 13:35

4M ago13:35

13:35

Three of the most common things I hear from you: * "I have kids so I can't have nice things." * "I don't have any money to make changes." * "I don't know where to start." Today is the last Quick Tip Tuesday I'll be releasing until the beginning of August, but like all good teachers, I'm leaving you with some homework - something for you to think ab…

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255 // Do you see your home's design potential? A behind the scenes look at how I pulled together an open concept home using one piece of art as inspiration 36:54

4M ago36:54

36:54

Do you wish you could have someone just come in and wave a magic wand to show you your home's potential? It'd be nice, right? To have someone come in and show you which colors they'd choose for the walls, what area rug they'd recommend for the living room - along with the chairs, the couch, the side tables, the lamps, the artwork...ALL the details.…

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254 // If you had 60 minutes to ask a home decorator ANYTHING, what would you ask? Behind the scenes on a Decorating SOS call with home owner, Alissa 39:35

4M ago39:35

39:35

If you had 60 minutes to ask a home decorator ANY question about your home...what would you ask? You can cover A LOT of ground in a 60 minute conversation: area rugs, front door color, entryway benches, reupholstering said bench, correct furniture for the space, chair selections for a desk, how to style a landing area, opinions about whether to buy…

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253 // Paint is POWERFUL - The #1 recommendation to transform this tired 90s beige home into a cozy, cohesive lakeside retreat 14:34

4M ago14:34

14:34

The DESIGN VAULT is open until May 31st!!!! Home design is never one size fits all and shouldn't be. Because home design is specific to the person and their home and includes several factors like: home, budget, timeline, design style, personality, color preferences, etc. each home owner looking for help within their home might need or want somethin…

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The Writer's Journey. Let's Do This. 1:03:50

4M ago1:03:50

1:03:50

We're on the last chapter of Judith Barrington's book, Writing Your Memoir: practical advice on critique groups, plus the dos and don't of giving and getting feedback. It's practical and useful and everything thing we've come to expect from Barrington. And before we close the book on memoir, we give our final takes on the book along with what chapt…

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252 // Design Files: Three women, three homes, three amazing results 22:52

4M ago22:52

22:52

SALE. SALE. SALE. SALE. SALE. SALE. SALE. Are you an ACTION taker or an inspiration hoarder, pinning beautiful home decor pictures on Pinterest like it's your job? In today's episode, I'm sharing how three different women, with three different budgets, learning styles, and aspirations for their homes took a different pathway to achieving the goals …

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251 // Do these 5 things to make your home look like a designer was just there styling for you 15:08

4M ago15:08

15:08

So, you want your home to look like a designer was just there... Last week, in episode #249, I was answering a listener's question who wanted to know 'how to get the professional look' inside your home. Last week I shared 4 foundational ways you can create the look in your home that a designer was there doing the work. These four things are the bas…

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250 // Is cleaning your house a BORE? 3 steps to developing a cleaning routine that works for you 32:13

5M ago32:13

32:13

Cleaning: do you love it OR do you hate it? It's no surprise when you visit Pinterest, Instagram or the interwebs that there are a multitude of cleaning systems that are promoted as THE BEST with promises of having the cleanest house you've ever had in the history of ever. But here's the thing... Unless you LOVE cleaning, I think it can be hard to …

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Remembering the Day When... 1:11:14

5M ago1:11:14

1:11:14

Your memoir is about you (obviously) but it’s not just about you. In this episode we cover Judith Barrington’s chapter on how (and why) to bring events from the real world into your memoir. And in our writing exercise we try it out by remembering our own lives during a moment in history. Then it’s on to the penultimate chapter in Writing the Memoir…

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249 // The secret to decorating your home like a professional 11:23

5M ago11:23

11:23

How do you decorate your home to make it look like a professional did it? This is the question asked by one of our listeners - how do you get professional looking results when decorating your home? This is a two part series (subscribe to listen to part 2 on Tuesday, May 21st). Keep these four decorating principles in mind while decorating your home…

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248 // The outside of your home is a reflection of the inside: 4 Tips for boosting your home's curb appeal this weekend 18:34

5M ago18:34

18:34

Did you know? The outside of your home is a reflection of the inside. Those scruffy looking plants, that unkept lawn and all the stuff on your front porch...those are telling a story about your home. Creating a home that you love coming home to doesn't just start once you open the front door, it starts when you turn into your driveway (or if we're …

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Workshop: Naming Names in your Memoir 19:55

5M ago19:55

19:55

For this week's workshop episode, Renee wrote about the brief time she spent as a child in Pacific Grove, CA, taking care to identify specific streets and locations as recommended by Judith Barrington in her book Writing the Memoir. We discuss and analysis this technique to see how it can improve our memoir writing. Remember, we have a Writers Proc…

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