Cypress Collective

07/06/2026

Proof that I liked a place: I forgot to photograph it. 😂 Haight-Ashbury stole all my attention, so now I have approximately four videos and a lifetime of memories. My favorite neighborhood in San Francisco, hands down.

07/06/2026

Some people come to San Francisco for the sourdough.

I came to stare at old houses like they personally owe me an explanation.

Our first stop was Dolores, home to the Painted Ladies—the famous row of seven Queen Anne Victorian homes. Yes, those houses from the Full House intro.

Everyone else was taking family photos. I was zooming in on porch columns, paint colors, and wondering what year someone made the regrettable decision to cover hardwood floors with carpet.

I’ve accepted that my idea of sightseeing is whispering, “Look at that trim,” while everyone around me is trying to find the nearest coffee shop.

The Southern Gothic in me is convinced every Victorian has at least one ghost with strong opinions about wallpaper.

06/30/2026

I had the vision… I just couldn’t see it.

My style has changed more times than I can count, and before I spent money on paint, wallpaper, and furniture, I wanted to know if everything in my head actually worked together.

So I did something I never expected—I asked ChatGPT to design my bedroom.

I fed it photos, inspiration, color palettes, and every random idea living in my brain, and it turned all of it into a space I could actually visualize before I ever picked up a paintbrush.

This video is exactly how I used AI as a design tool—not to replace creativity, but to help bring mine to life.

Would you trust ChatGPT to design a room in your house? 👀

06/28/2026

Some folks inherit money. I inherited my great-grandmother’s nightstand.

I’ve repainted it six times, and at this point I’m pretty sure she’s haunting me for the color choices.

The nightstand has outlived generations, questionable design trends, and every phase I’ve convinced myself was “the one.”

Around here, we don’t part with family heirlooms.

We just keep repainting them until the ghosts stop judging us.

06/21/2026

This isn’t the reveal. This is the beginning.

I took a handful of Pinterest photos, mixed in some oddly specific phrases like “Southern Gothic,” “moody heirloom,” and “slightly haunted but make it cozy,” and used ChatGPT to help turn the vision in my head into inspiration images.

Because here’s the thing—you don’t have to be an interior designer to create a beautiful room. Sometimes you just need a clear vision, a little creativity, and enough confidence to start before you know exactly what you’re doing.

Now it’s time to see if I can convince this bedroom to cooperate.

Follow along for Part 1 of this bedroom makeover miniseries. There will be paint, stencils, questionable decisions, and hopefully a room that looks like it belongs in a Southern novel by the time we’re done.

Before ➡️ Inspiration ➡️ Work in Progress 🖤

06/20/2026

I may have lost my mind… but I think it was worth it. 🌿✨

A few stencil placements, aching shoulders, and more patience than I knew I possessed, and this is where we’re at so far.

This little corner of our bedroom is slowly turning into the moody, vintage-inspired space I’ve been dreaming about. The full transformation isn’t finished yet, but I couldn’t wait to share a sneak peek.

Trust the process on this one. ❤️

Full stencil video coming soon.

06/17/2026

Welcome to Cypress Collective. 🌿

I’m Cara—a wife, mom, DIY enthusiast and believer that beautiful homes don’t have to come with beautiful price tags.

Here you’ll find budget-friendly home projects, simple recipes, gardening adventures, thrifted treasures, and the real-life journey of creating a home we love one project at a time.

We live on a few acres in the South, raise chickens, tackle DIY projects on evenings and weekends, and believe that a little creativity can transform almost anything.

Cypress Collective was created to share practical inspiration for everyday families who want a beautiful life without breaking the bank.

Whether you’re here for home renovations, cooking, decorating, or simply a slower Southern way of living, I’m so glad you’re here.

Pull up a chair on the porch and stay awhile.

06/12/2026