Pretty in Pink- Kate Collins Interiors

Hi friends! It’s Wednesday…humpday….almost the weekend!

Hope you have had a great week so far, we’ve been settling into desert life well.

Today, I have the wonderful Kate Collins of Kate Collins Interiors as my Pretty in Pink guest. She is the owner of a fantastic boutique interior firm in CA. One of my favorite projects I have ever seen is the Bumble Cafe she designed in Los Altos. It’s a genius concept- a lovely space with delish food, with a playroom and built in child care. Why don’t more of these places exist?!?

Kate and I became friends during an iteration of the One Room Challenge, and I’ve loved getting to know her, her family, and her design exploits in CA. She is kind, funny, and a terrific mom. Isn’t it amazing that you can develop a friendship over the internet? It still blows my mind.

When she first told me this story, I was floored, and I feel really honored she has agreed to share it on my blog.

Do you have a personal experience with breast cancer?

Cancer struck my life in huge way when I lost my dad to Pancreatic Cancer. Pancreatic Cancer can be one of those awful silent killers. My dad didn’t have any symptoms until it was too late. I’ll never forget when we were told that my dad had about six months to live. I was 27 years old and it was a month before my wedding day. My dad was so weak at my wedding that he could barely walk, but he walked me down the aisle and we danced our final dance together that night. After my wedding, my husband moved to Chicago for business school, and I stayed in California to help with my dad. My mom and I did all that we could to care for my dad when he was in hospice at home. It was the most difficult time of my life.

A few months after my dad passed away, I felt a lump in my breast. I was so traumatized by what happened to my dad that I was afraid of dying from cancer. Without telling a soul, I thought I had terminal breast cancer. I carried this worry around with me for months being to afraid to tell anyone, not even my mom or my husband. I finally found the courage to tell my husband and he stood by me as I made the appointment with my OB. My OB felt the lump and then referred me to a specialist. I was so panicked in the specialist’s office but he was the most gentle and kind doctor. He could sense my panic and talked me through everything. He reassured me with how much breast cancer treatments had advanced. He took a sample of the lump. The results came back inconclusive and they needed to take a more in depth biopsy of the lump. I panicked for the worst. Fortunately, all was okay and it was a non-cancerous lump. I had it re-checked a few years ago and all still looks good.

What struck you most about this experience?

Telling my husband, calling my OB, and going to the specialist were some of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, .but also some of the most important things that I have done in my life. I have two young girls now and I have to think of them. I need to be brave and get strange things checked out by doctors. It may be frightening, but ignoring them is worse. Cancer doesn’t just go away by digging your head in the sand. And if you’re too scared to directly call the doctor, tell a loved one and ask that they make the appointment. Then ask the love one to come with you to the appointment. And remember that so many cancers can be fought and cured. Also, fortunately as in my case, it may end up not being a malignant cancer, but benign. But by going to the doctor and finding that out for sure, I got rid of that black cloud that was constantly over my head.

I know my dad lost his life to cancer but his sister has faced breast cancer twice now and fought it with a vengeance. She is healthy, bubbly and still ever the life of the party.

As far as pink in my home…

What can I say, pink is my favorite color. It’s not my husbands favorite though so I try to ‘lightly sprinkle’ it throughout our home but I may have a heavier hand than my husband would like. 🙂