I am SO excited to finally let you in on a little secret, a creative side hobby I’ve had for the past year (and something fun for you!)

Let me introduce you to If I Lived in a Cottage By The Sea, my new (digital) Dreambook and how it came to be!

Years ago, the If I Lived Here series on The Inspired Room blog brought together so many kindred spirits. I’m a dreamer and a homebody—and much to my delight, so are you!

We connected over our shared love of charming homes, cozy nooks, and dreamy settings—romanticizing what life might be like if we lived in a little coastal cottage or a quaint retreat by the sea.

But for us, dreaming wasn’t just about escaping reality—it was a way to uncover what we truly love and bring more of that feeling into our everyday lives. Sure, we might have wished for the dream home, but we didn’t stay stuck there. Instead, we gathered inspiration and found creative ways to capture the feeling of those dreamy spaces—right where we were.

While I no longer only dream of a cottage by the sea (my dream came true!), the funny thing is—I still love to dream about them. I always have, and I always will.

I imagine it is kind of like someone who loves golf (for the record, I’ve only played Putt-Putt!). Just because you’ve played once—or even live on a golf course—doesn’t mean you stop thinking about golf. Am I right? :)

About a year ago, I started experimenting with an AI design program as part of a creative series we were working on for our HomeBody community. The goal was to help HomeBodies visualize ideas for their homes. It was fun—but I quickly learned that working with AI has its quirks! Still, I stuck with it, learned as I went, and before long, I realized how much I loved dreaming up cottages by the sea. It became a fun and surprisingly inspiring hobby—all from the comfort of my couch. :)

I decided I couldn’t keep this to myself– I wanted to share my “cottage by the sea” dreams with others who, like me, love quaint, cozy, and character-filled homes.

And that’s how the Dreambook was born. With the help of AI design tools, I could dream up charming spaces and pair them with little “If I Lived Here” stories—each one a creative escape, filled with details I imagined in a cozy, seaside home.

Romanticize Your Life & Home

If I Lived in a Cottage By the Sea is meant to be a fun escape—a little daydream you can step into anytime. But if you’re someone who loves to dream (like I do!), it doesn’t have to end there. You can use that dream as inspiration to bring a feeling into your real home, no matter where you live.

I love that no one actually lives in the Dreambook cottages by the sea—they were created by me with AI design tools, purely for inspiration and dreaming! And I love that they may be a little quirky or imperfect at times, to me, that’s part of the charm! Even if a dream home feels a little over the top or not entirely realistic, it can still inspire us. This is why I love the Dreambook! We can imagine ourselves at home in any of these spaces, kicking off sandy shoes and letting the sea breeze drift through open windows!

As I shared in my books Love the Home You Have and A Lovely Life, creating a lovely life and home isn’t about perfection. It’s about intention, contentment and even finding joy in romanticizing the life and home you already have!

In my HomeBody Gathering Place courses and The Inspired Room blog, I love to encourage people to notice what inspires them—and then find practical and creative ways to capture that feeling at home.

That’s exactly what I hope this Dreambook will do for you: spark your creativity, fuel your imagination, and gently remind you to make life lovely—right where you are.

If you’ve ever dreamed of a cottage by the sea—whether you live in one or just want to recreate that coastal feeling—you’re a kindred spirit. I hope you enjoy this Dreambook as much as I loved creating it for you.

Come dream with me of a cottage by the sea.