10 Life Updates

e shot this for a recent campaign I posted today – the strawberry tablecloth is a vintage one I picked up a few months ago. I had a yellow and blue tablecloth I bought in France long ago and when we started shooting I just didn’t love the way it looked so I swapped them!

I thought I’d give some updates around here, I picked a number and I have no idea what I plan on sharing so this will be sporadic – let’s see what comes to mind!

1. French Chateau renovations on YouTube. I started watching Doing it Ourselves on YouTube, it’s about a guy named Michael who bought a gorgeous French Chateau with his brother and sister-in-law and they are renovating it. It’s gorgeous! There’s a gardener’s cottage and another home from the chateau! You can also stay there. He also shares his friend Stephanie who has her own channel and a different chateau, “The Chateau Diaries” and they are so fun to watch!! I like Michael’s renovations, so fancy! I love that they aren’t getting kicked down and people and their supportive communities are helping these beauties be restored. It’s so entertaining!
2. On the home project front, we’ve got a few things going right now. Electrician work to swap out a ceiling fan, mount a TV in the living room, add some outlets, plugs, light, swap kitchen lighting fixtures (finally pulled the trigger on buying the lighting…).  See this post when I photoshopped different light options, which ones did I go with…?
3. I’ve been working on Christmas campaigns already – it’s early I know, and I pulled out my boxes and put it up, then immediately took them down because it’s too early for me. I once put up a tree before Halloween but I think I’ll wait until mid-November which seems late to me, but I got my little taste! You may have seen them on Instagram lately.
4. I booked a window cleaning. I’ve never had our windows professionally cleaned, but now that we have so many with the garden room, windows and skylights, I’m realizing we really need this as we begin to entertain. Do you guys get your windows cleaned? Or the outside of your house? This seems like a concept I should have known sooner but I finally realized we just want to get done because I don’t want to clean all our windows and skylights.
5. I’m learning to release myself of expectations. Now you all know I appreciate and admire hard work. I’m a hard worker, I’ve always been a totally ambitious career focused woman, but at the same time, I can easily fall into heavy hustle mode forgetting that there are other priorities I have. Slowing down would be ideal, rest is more than OK, it’s necessary, and who said I needed to prove to anyone that being busy or hustling means a valuable lifestyle?
6. I wish I collected antiques and thrifted earlier to build my collection. I have always loved antiques but I just wish I collected sooner. One of the pieces that have stayed with me the longest and I knew would, is a set of 4 architectural prints. I think I never realized the deals and uniqueness of thrifting had I developed a better eye back then. I think sometimes thrifting items can easily turn into a mess but I guess you really don’t know who you will be or are becoming until you get there.
7. I have been getting up earlier every day – 7:30. Don’t shame me if that’s not early for you haha, but it is VERY early for this night owl with no kids. I’ve been setting my alarm and just getting out of bed and getting the day started. I get so much more done. I just make myself go to bed when I’m tired which is now before midnight and I need at least 8 hours of sleep. I feel so much more productive you guys!! But I will not get up earlier than that.
8. I placed another order for a David Austin Rose online. I needed another Queen of Sweden so it will arrive around end of January to be planted. It needs to go between my other two and I realized I had more room! I am so glad that some of these roses didn’t die over the summer, I would have been so upset!
9. I bought an incredible pair of antique chairs this week. They popped up on Facebook Marketplace and I knew instantly I needed them right away, I couldn’t stop thinking about them.  The chairs have character and I was looking for chairs that would be a conversation piece, like art! They will flank our dining room buffet and be used as extra seating. I’ll probably reupholster them, I was thinking maybe a white faux leather? Hmmmm, need to ask people what they think!
   
10. I have a shoot tomorrow (today).  I was stumped on a #1o but realized I need to wake up early tomorrow (by the time you read this) to shoot some corporate headshots so I’m off to bed!

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Diana Elizabeth didn’t fill in the window between the two doors – it’s just photoshop. Benjamin said it looked too busy with the window for the campaign so I filled it in with photoshop.