Apr 7, 2018 | Day in the Life, Everyday Life
Every time I do A Day in the Life, I am reminded of how much life can change in such a short amount of time, without really feeling different. I’ve been following along with this project (originally created by Ali Edwards) for quite some time, however, when I had photo hosting issues last year, I pretty much lost all evidence and previous posts. Regardless, I love this season that we’re in and even though I try to savor each day, reflecting and posting this here makes a difference.
Today, Chloe woke me up with one of her ridiculously loud yawns at 9:12am. I, of course, had to document the way she sits by my side of the bed and yawns continually (or in today’s case, barks) until I get up. She naturally ran straight to the back door to go outside while I got her breakfast. Back in the bedroom, she proceeded to jump on the bed to make sure Kevin got up too. After getting up and ready, we met friends – Jeff and Taylor – for lunch at Seoul Taco before heading to the Midwest Campus Clash for the gaming expo. I don’t know too much about League of Legends, but Avery (who met us there) and Jeff helped to explain as we watched. We didn’t have any stake in the game because Mizzou lost in the first round. During a break, we went to a rolled ice cream place…if, like me, you’ve never heard of this, you need to get acquainted. LIKE ASAP. Because wow, it’s good. We went back to the expo for a while and as we walked up I noticed the daffodils and had to play around with portrait mode on my new phone. We didn’t stay through the end of the tournament but we found out later that Maryville won. At home, we had dinner and I took Chloe on a walk. The beautiful sunset made the 40 degree weather worth it. When we walked back up to the house, I grabbed a shot of the pink and purple flowers since they’ll probably die in the snow that we’re expecting tomorrow. I wrapped up the day watching the Blues game (womp womp…we’re not going to the play offs) and working on blog posts for the coming week.
Thanks for stopping by! Happy Sunday.
Apr 6, 2018 | Everyday Life
It’s Friday, Friday! Gotta get down on Friday. I used to do weekend wrap ups on the blog and these posts remind me so much of those. I think these are my absolute favorites to write because they help me highlight the best moments and the small details I want to remember but will probably forget. Here’s a quick recap of what’s been going on in my life lately:
Kevin and I went home last weekend for Easter and we got to hangout with our families as well as our friend Bennet over dinner, drinks, and some march madness basketball. The guys have stayed connected via video games and they celebrated all their wins – called Chicken Dinners – in person, with 50 wings. This is why I love technology.
Dave, Kevin’s brother, came over last week and grilled up some food. Twice baked potatoes and the best burgers I’ve ever had. Notice that the veggies haven’t made it onto any of our plates. Ha! (PS: RIP table runner)
I joined Liz Lameroux’s Tell It: Collage class and have been powering away. I don’t know how much of it I’ll actually share, but I’m looking forward to more cutting and pasting and writing on this journey. The best part about these online classes is that it doesn’t have to end when the class is over. I can feel collaging becoming part of my normal creative routine.
The family gathered for Easter brunch and my oh my was it delicious. I love that we can all sit around one table and that we all had a say in the creation of Nana’s bitmoji. It’s amazing that you can take a photo and it will make one for you…if only my hair was as good as bitmoji thinks it is. HAHA!
Kevin and I upgraded our phones this past weekend and I’m on year 10 of Team iPhone (iPhone 3G, what’s up?). Naturally, I had to try out the portrait setting on Chloe and look how majestic she looks with that glowing fur. This camera is wicked and for that reason, I have to say that this has been my favorite upgrade yet.
Mar 2, 2018 | Everyday Life
Happy Friday, my friends! Today I’m sharing a quick recap about some awesome things that have been going on lately. I always have photos and stories that I want to share, but that don’t make sense to write a whole post about. Here are five of my favorite things from the last couple weeks:
I passed my Real Estate license test (as part of a professional growth goal I set in 2017), which is part of the reason I haven’t been around as much recently. This has been in the works for 6 months (I started last September!) and I’m so happy that the big test is over. Kevin surprised me by having this sign, balloons and sushi ready when I got home! I’m a pretty lucky gal.
I think it’s fair to say that the weather so far this year hasn’t been anything to write home about. Chloe and I have been keeping an eye out through the window – I’m daydreaming about better weather and Chloe’s been on the hunt for Squirrels getting ready for spring.
Kevin has been traveling a little bit for work and the pictures he’s been sending are making me a little jealous.
My team at work moved to a new spot and unlike my last desk, this one has a window! I brought in some plants and spent some time tidying up and clearing out my space. It’s crazy how much a little change of scenery lends itself to a new sense of productivity.
In my last Friday Five post I mentioned that my best friend, Brittany had gotten engaged. Not long after, I found a sweet little package of goodies in my mailbox asking me to be her Matron of Honor. I can’t wait to stand by her side when they say “I Do”!
Feb 2, 2018 | Everyday Life
Half of my camera roll is filled up with beautiful sunrises and sunsets from January. It must have something to do with looking for the positives in dreary grey days we’ve been experiencing. These moments have brought me to a fervent worship I haven’t experienced in a long time.
I’m such a routine person and that’s what I tried to capture for Project Life this month. One fun thing about living in an old house is that our bathroom doesn’t have an outlet, so I every day I blow dry my hair in front of a mirror that I lean against my bookshelf. Most of the time, Chloe joins me on the bed. I love capturing things that are boring and “every day” now because I know they won’t always be this way.
My best friend is getting married! When the middle picture popped up on my phone, I screamed. Really loud. I’m so looking forward to September.
Board games are my favorite when we have friends over! This month we played Bananagrams, Jackbox, What Do You Meme?, Utter Nonsense, Code Names and Forbidden Island.
A sweet face waiting in the window. Chloe watches me leave and is almost always waiting for me as I pull up to the house after work. Such happy parts of my day.
Jan 22, 2018 | Everyday Life
Even though we’ve been in the new year for a while now, it’s always a good feeling to look back through the previous year to be able to count up the many blessings and opportunities for gratitude. Last year was tough – I experienced a lot of changes, a spiritually dry season, and I spent a lot of time uncomfortable due to food sensitivity issues I was experiencing. That being said, I look back at my blog posts, photos, and met goals and feel overwhelmingly positive about the year as a whole. Here are some of the highlights:
January
- I kicked off the year with Thrive and my goals to focus on self care, work toward financial freedom, create boundaries for phone time, grow my faith and community, and focus on mental and physical health in 2017.
- We celebrated Chloe’s 3rd birthday by giving her a huge treat with “Happy Birthday” written in icing.
- Dad and I made STL Kolache “a thing” when I was in St. Louis after his knee surgery.
- We played lots of games – some of the favorites were Joking Hazard, Pandemic, and QuipLash.
- Kevin and I started watching This is Us and The Young Pope.
- Brittany, Taylor and I had a girl’s weekend in Columbia – I’m so glad we are making this a yearly thing.
- Books Read: The Magnolia Story, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us, That Hideous Strength, You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity
February
- I learned all about the surprise lilies that were growing in my backyard – they come up in February and then again later in the season.
- I started my second journaling bible for journaling through the Psalms, even though I only made it through the first couple weeks.
- I did my first ever no spend month – and loved it!
- Books Read: The Broken Way: A Daring Path into the Abundant Life, Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update & Show Your Home Some Love, and Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of CS Lewis
March
- Denise and Scott got married and they asked me to photograph their wedding
- Kevin and I celebrated our 2nd Anniversary at (what we found out was) the worst restaurant in town but I wrote a post about 50 reasons I’m thankful for him.
- I went social media free for lent and it led to a lot of changes in the way I interact online.
- Books Read: The Nesting Place: It Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Beautiful, The Silkworm, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Career of Evil
April
- We met Tricia and Kyle at Les Bourgeois and then hiked around town – I loved catching up with them.
- Kevin and I paid off one of my student loans, as well as my credit card for bad credit and I did a happy dance.
- Sarah and I planted our first garden in their backyard. I started a gardening journal to commemorate the whole experience.
- The first rose bloom opened at the #highridgeranch.
- Book Read: Under our Skin: Getting Real about Race – And Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us
May
- I got a new camera – the Pentax KP!
- After a lot of debate, I tried (and loved) essential oils for the first time.
- The fam took a road trip to Omaha for some quality time and it was a blast.
- Books Read: All the Words are Yours: Haiku on Love, Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live on Purpose.
June
- We celebrated the wedding of Adam and Kaylin’s in Southeast Missouri
- After a couple months of feeling terrible, I visited a doctor and started using the Low FODMAP diet which significantly improved how I was feeling.
- Books Read: Love Lives Here: Finding What You Need in a World Telling You What You Want, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
July
- I went to my first Royals game and had absolutely zero blue things to wear.
- Kevin and I did some damage on an IKEA shopping trip and we ended up with a new desk for Kevin’s office, a new rug and an end table. Good thing we only go once a year.
- I started watching the first season of The Great British Bakeoff.
- Book Read: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
August
- I TURNED 26 YEARS OLD!
- Now that we each have a camera, Kevin and I went on one of my favorite dates ever – a photowalk
- I finally finished the garden journal I had been working on all summer.
- Danielle and I formed a Bible Study that focused on digging into the book of Matthew.
- Book Read: The Artist’s Way
September
- I took photographs at our annual family golf tournament during Labor Day Weekend.
- We went to lots and lots of Mizzou football games
- Kevin and I celebrated eight years together.
- We joined a couples small group at church and we made lots of newly married friends.
- Books Read: Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World, How to Win Friends and Influence People
October
- Mom and I surprised my Grandma and our family by hopping on a plane to visit them in California.
- Kevin and I dressed up as Peanut Butter and Jelly for Halloween and it was my favorite costume to date.
- Books Read: Scarlett, The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well
November
- I made a long, yet non-comprehensive list of some things I’m thankful for.
- We celebrated Thanksgiving in Columbia for the first time – our friend Claire made these beautiful pies
- Our Black Friday traditions of shopping late into the night on Thursday was upheld, even if I did have to work the next day.
December
- I documented the entire month by completing a December Daily album.
- Kevin got a promotion at work and we celebrated the best way we know how – yummy food!
- My family spent Christmas Eve shredding at the outdoor ice skating rink.
- I started watching Friends for the first time – don’t judge me!
- Books Read: Present over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
And there you have it! A full year wrapped up into 12 photos and a couple words. It’s hard to believe we’re already well into another year, but I’m full of anticipation for what is to come in 2018.
Dec 20, 2017 | Everyday Life
It’s been over three months since I’ve shared anything in this space, which is probably one of the longest hiatuses I’ve taken since starting my blog in 2010. I spent a lot of 2017 focusing on (read: overthinking) my purpose and my why for everything I do. That being said, I know I want to continue writing and sharing my life in this little corner of the internet but I know I want it to feel different. I’m still trying to figure out what it’s going look like, but right now there’s no pressure. So instead of trying to backfill posts (like I’m tempted to do) I’m just going to dump lots of photos here and let you see what I’ve been up to recently.
I went to California in October and I snagged this shot out of my car window before heading to St. Louis to catch my flight. Chloe looks out the window at me every time I leave the house, and I loved having Kevin in this photo too.
My trip to California was a surprise that only my mom and I were in on, so it was fun to show up and catch everyone off guard. I love a good secret and it was so fun to be there for my cousin’s birthday. We got to do a lot of normal stuff – soccer games, bake cakes, and sit on the patio in the nice weather.
Kevin and I aren’t huge fans of costumes, so we normally put off deciding on one until the last minute. This year we went for something super easy that we could wear over our normal clothes. Best. Decision. Ever.
We were gifted a DNA test for Chloe and it turns out that all of her recent ancestors are labrador retrievers. Not sure where she got her height, weight and personality from, but we love joking about her being a purebred.
The California fam was in town the weekend before Thanksgiving, so we opted not to head home again for Thanksgiving day. I worked both Wednesday and Friday so it made sense not to drive to St. Louis for less than 24 hours. It was the first Thanksgiving that we didn’t spend with family, but we were lucky enough to be invited to Thanksgiving with our sweet friends. These pies? All handmade by Claire.
The following weekend, Taylor and I spent the weekend in Wisconsin for Brittany’s birthday. We had a blast meeting Evan, shopping, eating and breaking out of escape rooms. I knew I had found a new favorite city when I found my way into a bookstore that had a collectors edition of Gone with the Wind and a complete copy of the Chronicles of Narnia before we even left the airport.
To celebrate Kevin’s birthday and some job changes, we ate dinner at our favorite steak house. This place is right around the corner from us, and gosh darn it, we can smell it every. single. night. We love a good meal and this is the best place on the planet, especially when it’s all decorated for Christmas.
This photo was from our small group Christmas party. We joined the small group and met all these lovely folks (pictured below) in September and became fast friends. I can’t get over how thankful I am for this group.
Kevin finally let me put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving (for the record, he was the one who put the outside Christmas lights up on November 21st last year (Instagram Evidence) . I purchased this tree for $6 three years ago when I was working at Walgreens. Since we moved into our house, I’ve been looking for a taller replacement but haven’t found anything that fits the space. This was the first year I included the Hallmark ornaments my parents have bought for me over the last 26 years as well as Kevin’s childhood ornaments. I have to admit, the sweet memories made me like the tree a little bit more.
