October Lately

October has felt a little unsettled, in the way that seasons sometimes do when you’re somewhere between where you’ve been and where you’re going.

Our Florida vacation ended earlier than expected, with a hurricane changing the plans we had made. It’s strange how quickly you can go from being away, enjoying a little escape, to figuring out how to get home. I suppose not everything is meant to unfold as neatly as we imagine it will.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the things that make me nervous and the things that make me feel alive. Sometimes, they happen to be the same things. I have a work trip to Chicago coming up, and while a part of me is a little anxious about it, another part is genuinely excited. I’m trying to make room for both feelings instead of waiting until I feel completely ready.

I think that’s where I am with a lot of things right now.

I’ve been slowly finding my way back to long-form content, wanting to spend more time documenting the things I make, the ideas that come to me, and all the little in-between moments that usually go unseen. There is something lovely about having the space to tell a story properly, rather than trying to fit everything into a passing moment. I want to do more of that. So, if you have been missing me, or simply want to spend a little more time here, I’ll be sharing more over on my YouTube channel.

And then there is Blue Rochelle, which seems to be asking me to imagine something a little bigger.

For a long time, I’ve thought about this business in terms of the things I make and the things I sell. But lately, I’ve been trying to look beyond the individual objects and imagine the world I want them to belong to. I keep coming back to the idea of a design studio — a place for objects, materials, art, styling, and all the curious little things that catch my eye. Something with room to grow, room to change, and room for my interests to coexist without needing to fit into one tidy category.

I don’t have it all mapped out yet. I’m collecting thoughts, moving pieces around in my head, and trying to give this vision a shape. Perhaps that is part of the work, too: learning to see what something could become before knowing exactly how to get there.

In the midst of all this thinking, there is also something new taking shape behind the scenes. The Field Notes Collection launches November 1st, and I’m excited to finally share it. There is something fitting about introducing a new collection at a time when I’m thinking so much about where Blue Rochelle is headed. Each new project feels like an opportunity to explore an idea, follow my curiosity, and discover a little more about the kind of creative practice I want to build.

There is always a little vulnerability in putting something you’ve made out into the world. You spend so much time with an idea before anyone else gets to see it, and then suddenly it belongs to the world, too. I’m trying to embrace that part of the process rather than overthink it. For now, I’m letting the work speak for itself and enjoying the anticipation of sharing something new.

One small thing that has made me particularly happy is the new face I’m working with for the website. I gave them free creative direction, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how good it feels to leave room for someone else’s interpretation. I think I’m learning that having a vision doesn’t mean needing to control every detail. Sometimes, the most interesting things happen when you let another creative person bring something of themselves into the mix.

I want more of that for Blue Rochelle. More collaboration, more experimentation, more room for unexpected things to take shape.

Of course, the holiday season is creeping closer, and if I’m honest, I’m a little freaked out. There is always that quiet pressure this time of year to make more, do more, prepare more. The calendar fills up, the ideas start multiplying, and suddenly everything feels like it needs to happen at once.

But I’m trying to resist that feeling.

I want to build something meaningful without making myself miserable in the process. I want the business to grow, but I also want to enjoy the life I’m building around it. I want slow mornings, time in the studio, ideas that have room to breathe, and the freedom to follow a thought simply because it interests me.

Maybe I don’t need to figure everything out this October. Maybe I just need to keep paying attention.

To what excites me. To what feels different. To the ideas that keep returning, even when I try to put them aside.

The vision is still taking shape, and so am I.

For now, that feels like enough.