Friday Five
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”!
Currently
F I N I S H I N G
I’ve recently finished a couple books I started reading at the end of last year. My goal for is 2018 is twenty, so I’m on a pretty good pace for the year. Any recommendations I can add to my list?
S U B S C R I B I N G
I catch up on all my favorite blogs on an app called Feedly. I’ve added quite a few new ones to my list lately and have enjoyed some “old” faves: My Favorite Adventure, The Larson House, Young House Love, Learning to Live on Purpose, and Amanda Rose Zampelli. As you can tell, I’m all over the board as far topics I like to read about.
W I S H L I S T I N G
I’ve had my eye on some new shoes lately and I’ve been keeping my eye on these and these. It kind of seems ridiculous to be buying open toed shoes while it’s 30 degrees or less outside, but hey…a girl can dream!
W A T C H I N G
I’m not normally a huge TV person (give me all the books), but I’ve had the Olympics on in the background every chance I get. Kevin and I are also tying to get caught up on This Is Us, so that’s on the to-do list for the next couple days.
H E A R T I N G
At the beginning of the month, I started a photography challenge and I’m excited about how it’s going so far. At this point I’ve used all of my lenses and a wide variety of subjects inside my house. I’m hoping to make time for a photoshoot or photo walk by the end of the month.
Friday Five
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.
2017 in Review
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.
What I’m Pinning
sources: jars | planters | door | bed | weaving | green plants | blah | macaroons
I love creating vision boards from pinterest images – whether it’s designing a room, putting together a color palette or visualizing my goals for the year, it always turns out to be a favorite project. I love the process of picking out photos and balancing them with other things on the page. In general, I’m a practical pinner – my boards are full of recipes I’ve tried and love, home hacks, and journal inspiration I thumb through when I need a jumping off point.
Because of the pinterest algorithm, this naturally means that I see a lot of the same things, however, when I found the first photo (of the jars) I quickly detoured down a rabbit hole which lead to a new board. I picked out a couple that jumped out or inspired me and started creating a collage. Deciding where they go and moving them around to balance and coordinate is one of the best parts, but what I never expect is how the photos are similar. Seeing them together helps me to realize what types of things are resonating with me and what things I might want to consider as I work on creative endeavors this month. I’m feeling particularly inspired by Caylee Grey (blog & instagram) lately and I see that reflected in some of the photos I’ve chosen that are more feminine and muted in color.
Other themes I’ve noticed: line work, natural materials, contrast, white/blank space, muted spring colors, patterns, leaves, cozy and soft, geometric elements, and femininity.