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*inspired by the belief that "the earth never goes out of style," we blend modern, organic design and intentional living where form and function coexist seamlessly.
ICONIC Portfolio
Residential
Commercial
Upcoming
Shop
My Warehouse
Ground Floor
Substrate
Merch
About
Team
Contact
Press
Journal
*inspired by the belief that "the earth never goes out of style," we blend modern, organic design and intentional living where form and function coexist seamlessly.
Journal
Marble or Dirt
September 30, 2024
Welcome to Marble or Dirt
Entry
01
Welcome to Marble or Dirt, or what I would describe as a place you can come to when you want to design or life inspiration, a positive mindset shift, a weekend getaway itinerary, or where you can catch up with a friend. Life can sometimes seem so complex; I’ve learned that it all comes back to mindset. I first learned about the law of attraction when I was in a confusing and toxic time of my life. It’s the idea that your beliefs become your actions.
However, I’ve realized it’s hard to retain information when your mind is cloudy. The concept didn’t fully resonate until I became a clearer human.
Looking back, I know now that I had a burning passion inside of me since I was little. The good thing is, I listened to it. Since I was young, I’ve always been told that no one could stop me if I was determined to do something. The law of attraction subconsciously drove me to follow my passion for interior design. In a world that seemed so complex, interior design was the one thing that made me happy. I was obsessed with it, and it felt so simple in a world that felt so complex and confusing. It was my driving force where time could pass quickly, and I’d get lost. What’s that one thing for you?
I made one of the best decisions of my life and moved to Arizona after graduating from college in Pennsylvania. I knew that if I wanted to enter the interior design industry, I needed to move somewhere with more opportunities and get out of my bubble. Moving to Arizona, my eyes were opened to a completely different culture, aesthetic, and what my future could be. I fell in love with the desert and modern architecture, continued to follow my passion for interiors, and got my first job in the industry. I believed that I wanted to do interior design and that I would figure it out. The toxic and complex side of my life still existed, and while I was growing my interior design skills, there was a vast external cloud over my head that told me I could never do this. Being young and immature, I thought my fate was decided, and it was something I just needed to cope with until I got so low that I realized you have nothing to lose and there was no longer a risk of making a change.
It’s that mindset, that mental shift, that changes everything. When you realize what has been sucking the life out of you and you cut it out, you become mentally invincible. I realized I had the power to control my destiny, and unless I wanted to be miserable for the rest of my life, I needed to make a change. This is absolutely when my life changed almost overnight.
I met someone who would love and support me for who I am and help me discover myself and who I want to be. Everything I dreamt about was before me, and that burning passion told me to stay. I knew I was on the right professional path, but it wasn’t until my personal life aligned too that everything changed. Like a vegetable garden, if you only water part of the garden, your garden won’t flourish. I feel so lucky that I discovered this at such a young age, and sometimes, I feel like the happiness I feel now is to make up for the terrible experiences I encountered before and for me to share what I’ve learned.
The past 7 years (since I had this realization) have been a whirlwind. It’s been hard work, but it’s been a dedication and commitment to put myself first and build a life with someone so aligned that we can grow individually and simultaneously.
Along the way, I became an unstoppable entrepreneur, with goals so far ahead of me that I can somehow see so clearly — hence, watering the garden. Amid this, scaling and maintaining a successful business is complex and scary. It’s not toxic, but it’s a responsibility and commitment. Because of this, I craved an outlet to keep my mind clear and avoid burnout.
Growing up, I always knew that I loved nature, being active, and spending time outside, but along this journey, I discovered how much this feeds my soul. It’s the best self-care I’ve found. When you disconnect from technology, reconnect with your thoughts, friends, and loved ones, and see the most beautiful landscapes you could ever imagine, the world becomes simpler.
As I write this, we’re at our 61st visited U.S. National Park, with just two left to get us to all 63 U.S. National Parks. This was a personal journey my husband and I decided to embark on while being entrepreneurs and just — life. There will always be things to do; I know I will never have that feeling of ‘I wish I took that trip.’
Now — why marble or dirt? It’s an intention that I can apply to almost anything in this life. It’s how you spend your time, what foods you consume, what content you watch, and much more. It’s the premise that the best things for your mind and body are either the highest level of physical space, material, or foods (such as high quality, hand-crafted furniture, a farm-to-table meal, a highly designed hotel, etc.) or it’s so raw that it’s plucked from the earth in raw form (such as using a solid block of wood cut from a tree for a side table, eating berries off of a wild bush, or camping in nature). That’s the stuff that makes your soul feel whole, and I’ve found that it’s the in-between stuff that isn't as fulfilling.
Do I follow this 100% of the time? No. Is life perfect? No. Are there things I wish I could change? Yes. But what I wish I could change, I have no control over, and that’s how you make peace with it. You can’t sulk about something you have control over fixing or working on, and it’s pointless to stress over something out of your control. This mindset allows me to view life more simply.
So there you have it; with this blog, I hope to bring you life, design, and travel inspiration, whether in an itinerary, brain dump, or educational tip. I hope to see you here.
Author
Kaitlyn Wolfe
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Date
October 30, 2024
October 08, 2024
September 30, 2024
Title
A New Era for ICONIC
The National Park Journey
Marble or Dirt
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