Breezing Through Life Lately – 10 Things

Hi darlings, this week is the first of the year kicking my tush and I’m ready. I reordered about 11 sleeves of Nespresso pods (that’s 110 shots of coffee) and my calendar is blocked off and I’m ready to enjoy 2018 and work hard. Between the home addition this year and attempting to get phone calls returned, there have been other things going on too I thought I’d fill you in on.

Posts like these give me a little mental creative break from the norm of content and let me share with you what’s going on in my life and also remember the small blessings – even when other projects seem to be dragging. *wink*

So here we go, an update on my life.

1. There’s a chance I’m 0% European and 100% Asian. After my 23andMe results said I was .2% Ashkenazi Jewish, I uploaded my results to get more of a breakdown with WeGene.com/en saying I have 0% European – that .2% could have just been noise. I’m confused but in the end, I’m not losing sleep over it. I posted a video of me finding out and it already has 10.1K views!
2. I made $270 selling old clothes on Poshmark this month. The rest I gave away to my girlfriend, a single mom, she’s always my first go-to for hand me downs, I know she appreciates it and it makes it guilt free getting rid of my belongings. Check out my Poshmark closet here and read my tips on how to have a successful Poshmark close here, I have 10K followers! And with that money…
3. I bought a vintage, 1940s rug from Turkey for our kitchen! I am so excited for our kilim rug to arrive, I have been wanting to adding a wide runner to our kitchen and I am hoping it fits in our space just right in terms of color.
4. My down time is over. January was it, it’s time to get working and I’m OK with it and ready! I have my groove down now, work days and shoot time on Saturday with the hubs who has gotten so good with photography.
5. I’m getting great interior design advice via Podcasts. I have been learning so much listening to Ballard Designs podcasts. Just last night I learned when it comes to decorating bookcases and accessories, avoid anything smaller than the size of a cantaloupe. If you get a lot of little things it can look cluttered. And haste makes waste – like don’t rush into buying to fill up a place, eventually you’ll replace it. Instead, waiting for that piece, even if expensive, is worth it.
6. I sold my office desk, and lots of outside furniture within a few weeks. Patio furniture had to go, we’re minimizing and getting new stuff in, and I sold my desk I had for almost 10 years (it was a Ballard dining table) because…
7. My new office desk arrives Friday!!!!!!! Here is my desk – when I first saw it I was like, that’s weird looking. Then I looked closer and I was like, wait look at all those drawers and the holes for wires and the other side is a bookcase, that’s genius! Then I thought about it for a good month or two and knew I really loved it. I bought it in white, though I did debate getting grey birch. I upgraded for the white glove service so now I don’t have to worry about how it’s going to fit through doors, that’s not my problem, it’s just going to be placed right where I want it – worth it!
8. I do have an international trip planned this year. Canada. Pahahahaaa. That’s the joke between me and Benjamin as this year I haven’t even thought of an international getaway – so many domestic trips and lots of other plans I can’t get my head around it just yet. This isn’t to say I won’t, because I’ve been going someplace on the other side of the world for what seems the past 5 years it seems hard to stop, but for now, Canada for my friend’s castle wedding.
9. I’m cooking more. OK, half cooking. I warm things up from Trader Joe’s but I grab fresh broccoli from our garden and stir fry it in lots of butter. It works. We also have been grilling huge filets of Alaskan Salmon caught by my best friend’s husband from his yearly Alaska trips. Speaking of Alaska, I’ve been once and my parents have been over a dozen times via cruise.
10. I’m shooting a wedding this year!! I know, BIG deal. I haven’t photographed a wedding in many years after I left the wedding industry at the end of 2014 and shifted to editorial photography and focused on lifestyle blogging. I loved every single wedding I photographed up to the very last one in New York. My girlfriend Rachel is getting married Diana and Benjamin style – as in 25 guests on a hill and ceremony only. I’m elated to have been hired to do this and share it with you this spring, no not going back into weddings but more than happy to shoot weddings this style :)

Who knew there’d already be some surprises in the new year? I hope this year has been treating you well so far, and you feel confident and ready to take on the tasks in front of you. While I have goals, I also just live day to day and enjoy those moments.

Sometime the best accomplishments happen minute by minute. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see the big picture yet. You might have just started your painting. xx

Hair and makeup by Lizzy Marsh, Photography by Autumn Renae.