In this episode of Steward of Beauty, Jennifer sits down with artist and creative Lauren Fuhr for a tender conversation on beauty, faith, creativity and learning to notice what is sacred in ordinary life. Lauren shares how beauty has been woven through her life since childhood, from growing up in a home filled with art, interiors, antiques, magazines and family creativity, to carrying forward the artistic lineage of her mother and grandfather through her own paintings. She reflects on how beauty has taught her patience, optimism and the ability to find joy even in seasons of grief, uncertainty and surrender.

Together, Jennifer and Lauren explore what it means to see art everywhere: in natural light, lake days, linen, laughter, gardens, quiet routines and the feeling of peace inside a home. Lauren opens up about creativity as both a gift and a teacher, the messy middle of making art, the freedom of letting a painting, and a life, become something different than expected, and the way faith shapes how she creates and moves through the world.

This conversation also touches on slowing down, protecting capacity, letting go of approval, learning contentment, praying bigger prayers and returning to the childlike trust of being held by God. Lauren’s presence is full of warmth, humor, encouragement and hope, a reminder that beauty is not something we have to chase. It is already here, waiting to be noticed. This episode invites listeners to see beauty as authenticity, presence, faith and the sacred thread that carries us through both the hard and the good.

In this conversation, we wander through beauty, aging, wonder, perfectionism, motherhood, curiosity, grief, nature and the quiet practice of coming home to ourselves. Again and again, Summer returns to one simple truth: There is nothing you need to fix. Instead, beauty becomes something we uncover through presence, self-acceptance and learning to care for ourselves with the same tenderness we so naturally offer others. This conversation feels like sitting across from a trusted friend who gently reminds you to slow down, breathe deeply and remember that who you are is already enough.

Sanctuary Spa
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Episode Show Notes
In this conversation we explore:
• Why beauty is ultimately a feeling, not an appearance
• How stress disconnects us from our own beauty
• Creating rituals that nourish the nervous system
• The surprising exercise of making a list of thirty things that genuinely restore you
• Why slowing down isn't indulgent but essential
• The relationship between wonder, play and healing
• Learning to romanticize ordinary life
• What Summer discovered after closing Wrenwell and why letting go became an act of freedom
• Her father's lasting influence and the lessons that continue to shape the way she cares for people
• Why holding space can be more powerful than trying to fix someone
• The beauty of aging with acceptance instead of resistance
• The difference between caring for yourself and trying to improve yourself
• The role curiosity plays in staying alive to life
• Creating Sanctuary as a place where women feel completely safe to be themselves
• Why there is no product, procedure or perfect routine that can replace inner peace
• The freedom found in releasing perfectionism
• How self-acceptance becomes one of the greatest expressions of beauty

Memorable Moments
"Stress and beauty don't live in the same house."
"There is nothing you need to fix."
"I want women to feel safe enough to be completely who they are."
"Sometimes when you get everything you thought you wanted, you realize you didn't actually want it."
"I want to be curious enough to keep becoming."

Books Mentioned
The Relaxed Woman by Nicola Jane Hobbs
The Power of Fun by Catherine Price
Pixel Flesh by Ellen Atlanta

Raised in Venezuela surrounded by artists, designers and a culture that celebrated craftsmanship, Anabella’s love for fashion began long before she ever stepped into a design studio. Although she first pursued engineering, she eventually followed the quiet pull back to fashion, building AP Design House from a sewing machine in her basement into Colorado’s premier atelier.

Today, Anabella specializes in bridal alterations, custom heirloom veils, styling and mentoring the next generation of designers. Her work is rooted in timeless elegance, intentional craftsmanship and helping women feel deeply seen on one of the most meaningful days of their lives.

Our conversation explores purpose, creativity, patience, motherhood, mentorship, entrepreneurship and why true beauty is always about the person wearing the garment, not the garment itself.

In this episode, we explore:

• Growing up in Venezuela surrounded by creativity, art and design

• Why Anabella pursued engineering before following her heart into fashion

• The emotional power of clothing and how what we wear shapes how we feel

• The artistry behind bridal alterations and designing heirloom veils

• Why craftsmanship requires patience and why nothing rushed becomes beautiful

• How mentorship became one of the greatest joys of her work

• The connection between engineering, creativity and entrepreneurship

• Letting intuition and technical skill work together

• Building a business rooted in service rather than sales

• The legacy hidden inside a wedding veil

• Motherhood, purpose and redefining success

• Why beautiful spaces continue to inspire her creativity

• Learning to trust the long path instead of chasing overnight success

• The advice she hopes every woman remembers about herself:
 "You've got this. Just believe in what's within you."

About Anabella

Anabella Poletti is the founder and creative director of AP Design House, a Fort Collins bridal design studio specializing in bridal alterations, custom heirloom veils, bridal styling and mentorship for emerging fashion designers. Originally from Venezuela, Anabella grew up immersed in beauty through the influence of her interior designer mother, artist grandmother and a culture that celebrated craftsmanship and elegant dressing. After earning a degree in industrial engineering, she followed her lifelong passion for fashion by studying design at Colorado State University.

Since founding AP Design House in 2015, Anabella has mentored more than thirty aspiring designers while helping countless brides experience the confidence and joy that comes from garments crafted with intention. Her philosophy is simple: timeless elegance, meticulous craftsmanship and serving others through beauty.

Connect with Anabella Poletti /
anabellapoletti.com
@anabellapoletti_

A Note from Jennifer

This conversation was recorded before two powerful earthquakes struck Anabella’s home country of Venezuela. As you listen, I invite you to hold Anabella, her family, and the people of Venezuela in your prayers. In recent days, she has been sharing updates and ways to support those affected on her AP Design Instagram.

If you feel called to help, Anabella has recommended the following organizations: Alimenta La Solidaridad, We Love Foundation, The House Project and Sonrisas. Beauty has a way of reminding us that we belong to one another. Thank you for joining me in holding Venezuela close during this time.

What if great design isn't about creating something new, but uncovering what has been there all along? In this conversation, Jennifer sits down with interior designer, artist, entrepreneur, and founder of State, Laura Arledge, to explore the deeper layers beneath design, creativity, intuition and beauty. Together they discuss Laura's early dreams of becoming a singer, the artistic lens she brings to every project, and how her work has become a practice of listening not only to clients, but to architecture, intuition, possibility and purpose. Laura shares how design is far more than aesthetics. At its best, it becomes a way of helping people better understand themselves, creating environments that support who they are and who they are becoming. Throughout the conversation, Laura reflects on creativity, motherhood, self-trust, the role of intuition in her work and the courage required to continually let go of who you think you're supposed to be in order to become more fully yourself.

This episode is a beautiful reminder that purpose often reveals itself slowly, that beauty exists in every season and that some of the most meaningful work we do is helping others feel more at home within themselves.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why Laura originally wanted to become a singer and how that dream shaped her creative life
• The relationship between artistry, intuition and interior design
• How design can support belonging, inspiration and self-expression
• The importance of understanding who a client truly is before designing for them
• Self-trust, creative courage and letting go of fear
• Why beauty is about more than aesthetics
• How nature, relationships and everyday moments invite us into deeper appreciation
• The seasons of creativity, including the importance of fallow periods before growth

About Laura

Laura Arledge is the Founder and Creative Director of State, an interior design studio known for creating deeply personal environments rooted in story, lifestyle and artistic expression. Through a thoughtful blend of intuition, strategy and creativity, Laura and her team design spaces that help clients feel more connected to themselves, their families and the lives they want to live. Laura is also the creator and co-founder of First Fridays Creative Coffee, a monthly gathering that brings together creatives, entrepreneurs, artists and visionaries to connect, collaborate and build meaningful relationships within the creative community. 

What if the woman you have been searching for has been inside you all along? In this conversation, Jennifer sits down with embodiment guide, writer, speaker and podcast host Erin Pettis to explore femininity, sensuality, self-trust and the lifelong journey of coming home to yourself.

Together, they discuss the subtle ways women learn to disconnect from their bodies, desires, creativity and intuition, and what becomes possible when we begin to reclaim them. Erin shares her own path of self-discovery, from years of seeking answers outside herself to developing a deep relationship with her body, her desires and her inner knowing. Through stories of embodiment, spirituality, play, movement, marriage and personal transformation, she offers a powerful invitation for women to trust themselves more deeply and live more fully expressed lives. Throughout the conversation, Erin reflects on inherited beliefs, the pressure of appropriateness, the difference between performance and embodiment and why healing is not about becoming perfect but about becoming whole.

This episode is a reminder that there is nothing wrong with you, nothing missing within you and no finish line to cross. The journey is simply one of remembering who you are.

In this episode, we explore:

• The difference between performance and embodiment
• Why women often become disconnected from their desires and intuition
• The role of play, movement and sensuality in self-discovery
• Inherited beliefs, shame and the pressure to be "appropriate"
• How embodiment can become a spiritual practice
• The relationship between self-trust, pleasure and personal responsibility
• Why healing is not a destination
• The power of giving yourself permission to take up space
• What it means to come home to yourself

About Erin

Erin Pettis is an embodiment guide, writer, speaker and podcast host whose work helps women reconnect with their bodies, desires, intuition and personal truth. Through workshops, retreats, one-on-one mentorship and her writing, Erin creates spaces for women to explore sensuality, self-trust, embodiment and self-discovery in a grounded and deeply human way. Her work is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: women are not broken; they are often disconnected from themselves. Through curiosity, permission and embodied practice, Erin helps women reclaim their aliveness and discover the freedom that comes from living in alignment with who they truly are.