I'm sitting down with Julia Alexandra, known to most of you as Julia Curated, a historic home restorer in Staunton, Virginia, whose 1860s farmhouse-turned-English-manor has been featured in Virginia Living and is headed to Home Worthy next year.

We met at a Nora Fleming photo shoot at the Greenbrier and instantly clicked, and this conversation is everything I hoped it would be. We talk about:

• The wild, serendipitous history of her home — including the estate sale items she took on consignment at her old antique shop, only to realize months later they'd belonged to the very house she was about to buy
• What it means to steward an old home instead of stripping its history out of it
• Her five must-haves when antiquing
• Where her eye for taste came from and the lineage of women who taught her to notice beauty
• Getting sober in 2018, the same year she moved into the house, and how staying present-minded changed her relationship with alcohol
• A send-off story about her MySpace username that still haunts her to this day

Stay till the very end for that one.
Find Julia: @juliacurated on Instagram, Substack, and (reluctantly) TikTok

Laura Osnes is a Broadway veteran, Hallmark + Great American Family Christmas Movie Star, and founder.

Merry (almost) Christmas, ya'll!! Today's episode is ringing in the Christmas Spirit with the magical and oh so kind, Laura Osnes. You've seen Laura on Broadway stages as Cinderalla (...and Sandy...and many other Broadway productions) and also on your tv in Hallmark Christmas movies like Homecoming for the Holidays and One Royal Holiday.

I loved this converastion with Laura because not only do we chat about when she saw those two letters—G, O—from the Lord about auditioning for a reality show (ahem, I did watch this in real time over a decade ago) to cast the leads in Broadway's Grease revival and what it's really like on a Hallmark set, but we also dive into changing careers, trusting in God's plan, and how to know when a creative process is 'complete.'

Laura Osnes is a Broadway veteran who starred in six Broadway productions, including playing Sandy in Grease and Cinderella (yes, she still has the custom Stuart Weitzman glass slippers). After 15 years in New York, she made a bold move to Nashville, where she's now starred in Hallmark and Great American Family Christmas movies, and now creating Stagecraft—an online platform equipping the next generation of theater performers alongside her husband and fellow Broadway professionals.

In this conversation, we explore the beautiful tension between pursuing your passions and staying open to how those gifts might evolve.

Here's what we chat about!

• Recognizing and acting on Godly direction, even when the path seems uncertain
• Understanding the discipline required to excel in creative fields while maintaining joy in the process
• Discovering strategies for navigating major career transitions without losing your core identity
• Laura's Wisdom: 'Let your artistic creation be a mile marker for where you are at that moment in your life' - This isn't about creating something that will represent you forever, it's about capturing where you are right now.
• The difference between Broadway acting and television acting

I wrote down so many notes for myself personally from this episode, and I know you will, too. This is the perfect mix of finding Christmas spirit and getting our hearts ready for the New Year.

Listen with coffee or your favorite champagne!!

Follow Laura here! https://www.instagram.com/lauraosnes

Follow along with Stagecraft here!! https://www.instagram.com/mystagecraft/

Episodes mentioned:

Laura on In Joy Life with Mattie Jackson

Napkin Notes with Masey

Napkin Notes with Alexa PenaVega

Napkin Notes with Mary Hollis

Napkin Notes with Jordan Jo

Whether she's putting on cowboy boots to rope, or high heels walking into a boardroom - get yourself a girl that can do BOTH. And that's exactly who Jordan Jo is, and her story will completely shift how you think about Western culture, faith, and chasing your dreams.

Jordan Jo Hollabaugh is a professional breakaway roper, podcast host of "In the Loop with Jordan Jo," and Cowboy Channel broadcaster. She's won multiple championships including the National Finals Breakaway Roping aggregate title, and recently launched Cowgirl Armor—a faith-based community for women navigating life's challenges with courage and authenticity.

From recording her first podcast episode by passing her phone back and forth with a friend in a pickup truck to becoming a National Finals Rodeo champion and Cowboy Channel broadcaster, Jordan Jo's path proves that sometimes the best way forward is simply to start where you are with what you have.

In this conversation, we explore the high-stakes world of professional rodeo where split-second decisions can mean the difference between $25,000 and $1 million. You'll discover why rodeo athletes are some of the most mentally tough competitors on earth, and how faith becomes the foundation when everything is on the line. As well as:

• An insider's guide to professional rodeo structure, events, and culture
• Hear about the moment Jordan Jo almost won $1 million and how that "failure" became fuel for her faith and future success.
• Why vulnerability and community matter in competitive environments
• Understand the mindset strategies needed when 17,000 people are watching your every move in a 2-second competition.

Whether you're curious about Western culture, looking for inspiration to start something new, or wanting to understand how faith and competition intersect, this conversation offers a rare glimpse into a world where courage, community, and calling come together in the most beautiful way.

Listen to In the Loop Here: https://www.instagram.com/inthelooppodcast.jordanjo/

Follow Jordan here: https://www.instagram.com/jordanjo.hollabaugh/

Follow Elizabeth here: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethevans.co/?hl=en