Dynamic Women In Their Home - Molly
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what is bringing them joy.
Our next interview is with Molly Lam. Molly and I were destined to meet for many years because we were swirling around in the same handmade/makers community in the DFW area.
We’re in a year long series of interviews highlighting incredible women in our community. The focus of each interview is to have a candid conversation about their home, life, what they value, what feels challenging right now, and most importantly, what’s bringing them joy.
Our next interview is with Molly Lam. Molly and I were destined to meet for many years because we were swirling around in the same handmade/makers community in the DFW area. When I met her in the fall of 2016, I had come off of an incredibly taxing year of family health issues, followed by having a miscarriage of my own, all in the midst of studying for one of my Interior Design Professional exams. To say that meeting Molly as a fellow designer/maker at the Etsy Dallas Jingle Bash/Handmade Bash was a *bright spot* for me that year would be a total understatement! She stopped by my booth of paper goods and said the most sincere, kind things about my shop and my booth display. We hit it off, both encouraged and inspired by the design work we were both doing at the time, while also having young children about the same age. We’ve thankfully stayed in touch ever since and I continue to be inspired endlessly by the creative, color and dynamic work of hers over in her design shop, Tokodots. Since that show, her illustrations have evolved to various mediums, from prints, to cards, to fabric designs and surfacing art. She also has a card of the month subscription delivered to you monthly so you can keep a stash of beautifully colorful cards on hand for notes through out the year. Yes please!
Most days you can find Molly and I chatting about our kids, random house decluttering/organizing bursts, and how we’re navigating motherhood along side being a small business owner. I am so grateful to have her here to share with you!
Scroll down to enjoy my interview with Molly about all things home and life.
Photo Credit: Yony Lee Kim @ylkphotography
Share a quick snapshot of your last 5 years:
The last 5 years have been a whirlwind of the early years of motherhood as a SAHM to my two young boys, building and running a small stationery and art business.
What's your day to day like right now?
It’s the end of the school year (at the time of writing this) so things are crazy, breakfast and rushing to school in the mornings, usually followed by a little down time at home with my toddler after that. We spend time in the garden, making art, doing housework and sometimes just sitting on the couch to watch TV while I work on a project before naptime, then school pickup and the dinner/evening activity rush. By the time the kids are finally settled down some time around 8:00pm I find it really hard to make good use of that alone time! I like to just go to bed early if I can stay off of my phone, but a lot of days lately I’m up late trying to get in some time on creative projects.
How long have you been in your current home?
My husband and I moved into our one story, 3B house in the suburbs about 6 years ago before our oldest had his first birthday. Because of the timing of our move with a little one I let so many design decisions go for years and years and am still working through some ideas about how I actually want things to look.
What do you love most about your current home?
We have a “small” home by Texas standards, but I love that I can have eyes on both of my kids from the kitchen while I prepare meals in any of the areas they’d be playing in our house. When we were searching, we definitely had the kids in mind as we decided what was a priority for us at this stage, even if it’s not really what we ultimately love in a home.
We’ve also been really flexible about how we organize the space, and some rooms have seen many different layouts and setups for the kids as they have gone through different stages of childhood. We’ve eaten dinner at our dining room table about 3 times since we’ve lived here, and the rest of the time the room has been used as a “family work room” which has meant sewing spot, painting studio, Lego zone, puzzle area, or even cello practice area over the years. We’ve moved the table around the room in different ways, had a couch in there for a short time to accommodate a big tent in the living room, and cordoned the whole area off with a baby fence for a big portion of the pandemic. Our master bedroom, off the main living area, now has a big bookshelf, all of the art supplies, and several work tables for the kids because it is a convenient space we could lock off for the little one but I could still see and supervise from my spot in the kitchen. It’s not exactly the most relaxing bedroom setup for me, but we like that everyone has a variety of spaces to use throughout our home and that feels worth it for the sacrifice when the kids are small.
What's something you'd love to change/or feels challenging for you in your current home?
I never thought I’d buy a house with half-circle windows and really wanted something more interesting but here we are in the North Texas suburbs with lots of things I swore we’d never have. I have had a hard time expressing my own style in a home that is not really what I had envisioned for our family, but little by little we’re making it our own. We started by painting everything white, the walls and the kitchen cabinets, and try to use that as a base for the colorful textiles and artwork that we’d like to use in the space. The house has these small cutout shelf/nooks in some hallway spaces that really bothered me at first, but I’m finally figuring out how to use them in a way that I like.
In the last year, have you spent any time decluttering/editing in your home (if so where/why)?
Yes! It is a constant struggle, because I have a tendency to always be stashing things out of the kids’ sight—toys they are being too rough with, special items I want to have up my sleeve for when they need a surprise, or just things of my own that I don’t want out for everyone to see—and this often means stuffing things quickly into a locked cabinet, tall shelf, high counter, or off-limits closet and then not having the energy to clear it out when the kids are asleep. My guest room/studio closet, a few junk-type cabinets in the kitchen, and my desk are all places that I spend decluttering more often than I’d like, but as the kids get bigger I can find a little time and mental space to address these things, more than I used to at least.
If you have spent time decluttering/editing, what was the result? Was it helpful?
It always feels so great to declutter and get rid of things I don’t need but I’m obviously not doing it enough because there are certain problem spots that just need to be addressed again and again. Although each time I do a big purge—baby toys we’ve outgrown, maternity clothes I’m not saving anymore, and other unnecessary items, I’m getting closer to the simplified home I prefer.
What part would you rather do - declutter OR organize (+ why)?
I think I’d rather declutter.. I’ve spent years reorganizing things that were really just too big for their spaces. And now that I’ve realized the great feeling of leaving some spaces empty, I just want to clear out everything!
Where's your favorite spot in your home right now?
I love this hutch in our dining room/family work room. It had more of my own books and display objects on it until recently, when I had to make room for some growing book and Lego collections. But I love how my cookbooks can live alongside Lego manuals and everyone has their own space on this special piece.
What object in your home means a lot to you?
My favorite things are my quilts—mostly made by my mom but a few by me too. I wanted to find the right place to store them where I could enjoy looking at them all the time, so we settled on this console table in an angled spot leading into our family room. I love it because I can see them as I walk by (when the kids don’t have them draped all around the living room), but I also like that if I ever had to run out of the house in a fire I could probably grab an armful to bring them with me.
Tell me something fun or quirky about you I probably don't know...
I’m not an animal person. When I first moved to Japan after college I had a blog called “Afraid of Small Animals” inspired by my fear of the creepy crawlies that I figured would show up in my new apartment. Now that I have kids of my own I work really hard to show how excited I am to meet neighborhood pets so that my kids don’t end up scared too. But it might be in their blood.
OK, NOW A FEW RAPID-FIRE HOME QUESTIONS!
Light/bright OR dark/moody:
Light/bright
Open concept or separated rooms/nooks:
Open concept
Color or neutrals:
Color!
Real plants or faux:
Real.. if I can keep them alive
Listen to music or read:
Read
Favorite morning or daily ritual:
That first cup of coffee
Morning person or night person:
Morning
Favorite piece of furniture in your home:
My little Muji couch, the first piece of furniture I bought as an adult in 2005 in Japan and have found a spot for ever since. It’s faded and a little worse for the wear but still hanging in. I’d love to reupholster it in a bright, colorful pattern when the kids get a bit bigger. Maybe of my own design!
Do you dress like the interiors of your home?
Sometimes! Neutrals as a base for bright colors and interesting textiles… but I want to do a better job of mixing color and texture in my wardrobe. It’s a work in progress.
THANK YOU MOLLY for sharing more about your home and life with us! I love following along with your colorful life and designs and can’t wait to see what you’ll be creating next! Thank you for giving us a snapshot into this current season of life for you!
Photo Credit: Molly Lam | http://www.tokodots.com/
Portrait Photo Credit: Yony Lee Kim @ylkphotography
See Molly’s Shop on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/tokodots
Find Molly on IG: @tokodots
See you in the next interview!
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HAVE YOU GRABBED YOUR FREE DECLUTTERING FREEBIE YET?
Learn 10 Not So Obvious Things To Declutter Now To Start Living Lighter.
Seasonal Shifts | How To Declutter + Design Your Way Through It
It’s an interesting time right now for most, where cooler weather (unless you’re in Miami per se) has you bustling around with a renewed sense of energy that was previously absent in those high heat months. While it is a time of year that for most of us feels like things are RAMPING UP, I’d encourage you to SLOW DOWN during this “Seasonal Shift” into Fall/Winter, as we dive into December. Look at it as a time to review a few odds + ends around your home to lighten your load as the new year approaches. The new year will thank you!
It’s an interesting time right now for most, where cooler weather (unless you’re in Miami per se) has you bustling around with a renewed sense of energy that was previously absent in those high heat months. While it is a time of year that for most of us feels like things are RAMPING UP, I’d encourage you to SLOW DOWN during this “Seasonal Shift” into Fall/Winter, as we dive into December. Look at it as a time to review a few odds + ends around your home to lighten your load as the new year approaches. The new year will thank you!
1. CATEGORY: CLOTHING
When you you start pulling out your cooler weather clothing, take a moment to assess each item + your likelihood of wearing it again.
PRO TIP: Keep a notepad handy + write down any essentials that you’re missing + need to shop for (ie. raincoat, gloves, warmer socks) —PS. I wrote that sock part as a reminder to myself! Last winter was rough…as a I tried to “create” one pair of warm socks by layering three together…yea, it’s embarrassing.
ADULTS
✓ Review your colder weather items in categories (ie. sweaters, jackets, scarves, gloves, boots, etc.) so you can assess what you have objectively + not as one big pile. This is a time to assess if you have any duplicates that aren’t used. Give those away to someone who can use them now!
✓ Ask yourself when’s the last time you wore the item? If you can’t remember + aren’t excited to wear it, let it go, Elsa style.
✓ Keep your best + favorites that you’re excited to wear. Donate the rest that are in good shape + could be immediately useful in someone’s life/home.
✓ Give these cold weather items a good wash + get rid of the dust bunnies, then fold/hang as needed so they’re easy to get to for the season.
KIDS
✓ Look at their clothing in categories (sweaters, jackets, sweats, etc.). Depending on where you live the quantities you need to support your lifestyle + weather conditions will vary. For example, here in NTX, it’s mild but winter can still get “serious” now + then so a good heavy jacket, raincoat we can layer with + a good hat, mittens/gloves, plus warm sweaters are still essentials. But we don’t keep many multiples. Beyond that, focus on layering pieces to create or remove warmth.
✓ Remove anything they’ve grown out of for the season or don’t wear/don’t have interest in.
✓ Make sure these seasonal items are easy for your kids to get to encourage them to get dressed appropriately on their own. If it needs to be hung up, make sure a stool is nearby if they can’t reach it on their own. We hang up our heavy coats, then put all the “cold weather essentials” in a separate drawer down low. Our everyday pants + long sleeves are in another “everyday” drawer because it is worn frequently.
2. CATEGORY: KITCHEN/FOOD
To do a seasonal breeze through of this, only focus on the items below to lighten your load. You can do another deep dive when you have time/energy.
PRO TIP: Keep things simple by breaking things into mini tasks, like one drawer at a time, one pantry category at a time (teas, baking supplies) rather than looking at everything all together which just fuels the “overwhelm”. Put your energy in places you know need TLC (like neglected pantry shelves or drawers that you can’t shut or find anything in). These are quick win/high impact suggestions, so feel free to pick + choose from the list or do them all if you’re feeling wild!
✓ Do a quick review of your pantry - remove old/expired foods + foods you’re not going to eat. Donate to a local food bank anything not expired or unopened.
✓ Jot down on a notepad foods or pantry staples you’d like to restock on for your holiday/seasonal favorites.
✓ Drawers - remove anything that never got used this year/you avoided (or you can’t remember the last time you used it). Toss broken/beyond repair items.
✓ Cabinets - remove anything that you no longer use, is broken or you’ve fallen out of love with. Donate (or sell) anything in good, usable shape.
✓ Fridge/Freezer - toss expired sauces, foods, frozen items, etc. Clean + recycle as much packaging as possible.
✓ Spices - toss anything that’s old/expired (smell it to determine freshness, it should still smell like the spice or toss it) - plan to restock on your favorites.
✓ Mug Intervention - yes I’m talking to you! I’m totally game for all the warm + cozy drinks, but you don’t need 30 mugs to do, I promise you! Pull them ALL out on the counter + only keep your absolutely FAVORITES. The chipped ones need to go. Donate the extras in good shape. Phew! Don’t we all feel better now?!
3. CATEGORY: SEASONAL DECOR
NOW I probably have your attention! Are you ready to tame the seasonal decor chaos? OK, here we go!
PRO TIP: There is this unnecessary, ridiculous pressure each holiday season to buy new decor for your home. What’s the deal with this? Can we just kick this to the curb once + for all? I am here to liberate you. If you need to make a swap or bring something new in, something should be headed out the door as well. Keep reading for more tips on this below.
✓ As you pull out a box/bag/container of seasonal decor items, you’re going to objectively look at each item to decide if you’re going to keep it. PS. Your taste is likely going to change over time + that’s OK! Part with things you fall out of love with + make peace with it!
✓ Declutter as you decorate. Yes! It’s groundbreaking concept, join me! It’s great! I often sort as I open containers + keep a brown paper bag or box handy to add ornaments, knickknacks, art, garlands, seasonal platters, cups, etc. When you have it in your hands if you LOVE IT + you IMMEDIATELY know where it can be displayed/put out, KEEP IT. Once you’ve done a thorough editing on these items (+ have honed your personal style a bit more), there’s less + less to edit each year. Phew!
✓ Be incredibly mindful of what you BRING IN this season. It’s OK to love what you already have + not buy new. It is also OK to make some intentional swaps if there’s something you’re missing + want to add. But don’t bring in more than you need or will use. It is more to manage + store ALL YEAR LONG.
4. CATEGORY: EXTRAS
This category is really for the non-essentials in our life that do make life more enjoyable when we have boundaries for them. Let me enlighten you…
PRO TIP: If you have items you’re donating, plan to donate your items that week. Schedule it into your time + get it done!
✓ Pick one or as many of these “extras” to go through at your leisure: kids toys, magazines, books, decor, throw blankets, writing utensils, candles, lotions, soaps, teas, coffees, etc.
✓ Now pick an “extra” + review it by zone (by shelf, drawer, etc.) or do a full group (pull all your magazines together on the table to review). Keep only what you LOVE + USE + ENJOY NOW. The rest needs to go.
✓ Kids Toys - only KEEP the following: items they use/play with regularly, are developmentally appropriate, aren’t broken/damaged, are worth the space they take up in the home + it doesn’t interfere with valuable open/play space for them. Open space will always be more valuable than any single toy that exists on the planet. Let that sink in.
✓ Some of these “extras” may need to be tossed if opened, expired, etc. Donate or giveaway anything in good shape. Recycle/donate sell books + magazines. Donate decor items you’ve fallen out of love with but are still in good shape + could be useful in someone else’s home.
SO WHAT’S NEXT?
It’s time to enjoy the space you’ve just freed up throughout your home! Yes!! These are all ideas on where to start + by no means do you need to do all of them unless you’d like! I know you’ll love the results when you’re done.
If you’re needing help with more decluttering + you’d like more support from me, feel free to check out all of these mini course still available discounted through the end the year. Here’s the line up:
Clothing Closet Declutter Guide
Declutter Guide For Kids
Organization + Style Guide
Please feel free to DM me on Instagram / email me with any questions while you’re working through these mini courses. I am more than happy to help + keep you moving + encouraged!
And don’t forget, enrollment for the Declutter Your Home Masterclass will be open for enrollment again early next year! If you want to learn more about this holistic, deep dive into learning how to declutter + learn all of the skills you’ll ever need to declutter your home + life for good, click HERE. If you want to know the moment it is live again in 2022, make sure you’re signed up for EMAILS (light on your inbox + you’ll get a bonus low cost organizing guide too just for signing up!).
Thanks for being here.
