A Change in Seasons

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Like a lot of things, I was a little late to the world of blogging, but a few years after it became popular, I had to jump on the trend. I've always enjoyed writing and sharing bits and pieces of my life. What better way to accomplish those things than with a little online journal. Life has changed so much since those days...for myself and everyone else. I can't really even imagine that time being real anymore. We've all been through so much over the last decade+. We're different people. The world has changed exponentially. Even technology is wildly more advanced.

The one thing that hasn't changed is the desire to be inspired. Even though we have social media in so many different forms, there is just something about the written word and still photos. Even better is when you're actively seeking those things out from someone you appreciate and admire, instead of it just being fed to you in an arbitrary feed that you might see or not. So, I'm bringing back the old school blog post here and there. Filled with anecdotes and pictures of life currently. I love a good DIY and RECIPE as much as the next gal, but it's even better being included in someone's life with more in depth details than social media can afford.

One thing that will always remain the same for me is my love of all things vintage. The way I decorate has shifted over the years, focusing more on one aesthetic more than others, but I don't know that I'll ever be able to hone in on just one time period or style to stick with. Instead, the pieces I bring into our home tend to make the rounds for a season or two and then I sell them to someone else to enjoy. While I don't have a brick and mortar to display in (yet), I will always have the heart of a reseller. I love finding unique treasures to add to our home, but very few of them are permanent. Getting pieces into the hands of people who are so excited by them makes me even happier than having them for myself.

This pigeon hole mail sorter is one of my most most recent acquisitions. I haven't bought furniture of any sort in a long time because we just don't have space for extra pieces. While I love the thrill of the hunt, the struggle to store items is real. I don't love the stress that they can add to our space, so I try to be picky with what I bring home. When I saw this piece at an ESTATE SALE, though, it was worth the effort to load it into my car and make the necessary adjustments to our entryway to find a spot for it. Luckily, I had just sold a plant stand that had been here prior. Must have been meant to be! I'm thinking I will style it for Christmas and then list it to find a new home...making room for something else!

I shared with my EMAIL COMMUNITY this week that our flowers were a bit of a letdown for me this year. We fought weather issues all summer and, paired with some poor planning, things just ended up being much less beautiful than I desired. Jason and I worked on clearing out some potted containers over the weekend and I realized I was so wrong to not be still enjoying the flowers. They are still beautiful, afterall, even though some are dried, some have blown over, and many have been eaten by bunnies and pests. I made a decision right then to cut as many as I can until the freeze comes (perish the thought). I want to gather as much plant goodness that I can to enjoy and commit to memory...to help make the cold months bearable. I guess I'm trying to remind and encourage you to see the beauty around you, even when it's hard and doesn't seem possible.

This is the third year a friend of mine has invited me to cut every bloom that I want to off of her incredible hydrangea bush. I think I got the most this year ever...I finally remembered my tallest ladder. There were still a few giant blooms on top I couldn't reach, though, so next year, I'll have to take Jason along with me.

Pro-Tip: If you have a Trader Joe's near you, always grab the black florist buckets to take your flowers home in. I use them for absolutely everything!

Now...Jason will tell you that we've had an increase in bugs in the house (from all the hydrangea, obvs.), but I'm telling myself that it's because we have some holes in our screens. Either way...the bugs are worth it to have such a bounty of gorgeousness! Stay tuned for my big plan for these.

Until my big plan comes to fruition, I put a few of the blooms in this large ceramic swan I scored at an ESTATE SALE. I think from the moment I brought this lovely piece home, I knew some hydrangea would end up in it. I'm so in love with this look, especially because it's substantial, yet still simple. Soon enough, I'll be changing this design out for the holidays...I better enjoy it to its fullest while I can.

Have you ever taken yourself on a date before? I highly recommend it if not. Obviously it's fun to adventure with your spouse or friends, but when you take little trips by yourself, more and different things will jump out at you. Last week, I decided to drive to a town about an hour away for their city wide garage sales. Unfortunately, it was a Thursday and there were only about 5 sales (the rest must have been starting on Friday). I didn't find anything at those few sales, but I did treat myself to a delicious coffee, enjoyed on the lovely patio. The drive over was worth it to take in the sights and some sunshine, but on the way home I hit a treasure trove of a sale. SEE WHAT I FOUND!

Remember when social media was just pictures of pretty things and the food that we were eating? I know people make fun of that, but darn if I don't miss it! Jason surprised me with some grocery store flowers a couple weeks ago and they couldn't have made me happier. Also, there's just something about those basic blooms that makes them last for so long. They're still looking lovely on our stove and make me smile every time I see them. It's the little things, you know?

If you've followed along with me for any amount of time, you know that I have been on a health journey for the last four years. It's looked different throughout, but at the moment, is mostly low carb and as much clean food as I can get. I have a hankering for some "junk food" every now and then, though. The other night was one of them, so we made chili dogs. I didn't have a bun with mine, but it was still amazingly delicious...definitely hit the spot. I used a nitrate free polish hot dog from Costco, homemade chili, a sprinkle of raw milk cheddar, and some yellow mustard to top it all off. I'm still thinking about this meal and, thankfully, we have some leftovers to recreate!

Coffee is a big deal in my life. Since I've given up pop and energy drinks on my health journey (haven't looked back in 8 months), my drinks of choice are coffee and sparkling water. Since I don't want to be taking in too much caffeine, I stick to decaf during the day, but I genuinely love the taste, so that's my draw to drink it...not the buzz.

Appropriately, I got to celebrate National Coffee Day with my equally coffee-loving friend, Jill. She's my oldest friend and I'm never not thankful for her. We've been through all the ups and downs that relationships see, plus lots of hardness in life. We discussed on this occasion how important it is to foster friendship, even when it's hard and inconvenient...it's that crucial to our lives. We even say "I love you," even though we can both be prickly pears. Try it with your friends...you'll be amazed at what that can do!

Speaking of coffee...this is my beloved BREVILLE espresso machine and it makes me so happy! When I quit all my bad drinks, I was spending too much moolah on coffees out and about. Something had to give. Thankfully, this beauty was on sale and we brought it home. Want some good news? It's on sale again!! This only happens a couple of times a year, so if you've been thinking of getting one, now is the time. We have the BREVILLE BARISTA TOUCH IMPRESS ESPRESSO MACHINE. It truly is fool proof and is so easy to use and clean. I haven't had a second thought about buying this. We've saved time and money having this machine at home!

I hope these little glimpses into my life lately have been inspiring to you. I enjoy being able to reflect on my own life in this way and it's fun to get to share it with you too!