1. Exciting News Part II. We wanted to be extra super sure it was going to happen before announcing anything, and are now very excited to share the next piece of news with you guys: The Davis’ are MOVING!! Before I freak some of you out, don’t worry, we are staying local (sorry, Mom). We have outgrown our first home quite a bit in the past year (kid stuff has taken OVER, y’all) and were lucky enough to find a great home in the Cypress area where we can stretch our legs and plant some new roots. We are excited to be closer to family and some great friends as well, not to mention that we will be 30 minutes closer to Lubbock…..ha! Every little bit counts, right?? Things have been very chaotic around here the past few weeks and now you know why — we are up to our eyeballs in boxes and wrapping paper and have been pulled in a dozen different directions with showings, then inspections, and now renovation meetings for the new home. I can’t believe we are doing this half of the time but we are really excited about the new adventure, a new community to be a part of, and a new home that we can make even more memories in.
2. Faux Taxidermy. Troy is a hunter and that means depending on the season, we have plenty of fresh, yummy meat in our extra freezer to enjoy. I love that part of his hobby and appreciate knowing where our meat comes from and what’s in it. However, one negative part of having a hunter for a husband (in my humble opinion), is their desire to display the ‘trophies’ they deem wall-worthy (all of my hunter friends will now disown me for saying that). Troy would cringe because I used air quotes on the word trophy (he is verrrrry proud of the buck mounts he has, and admittedly, he should be) but I can’t help to view this display of triumph as a little disturbing at times, particularly since I didn’t grow up in a family that hunted for anything other than a good deal. I love Troy, so I deal with this trophy aspect of it as much as possible 🙂 and can’t really complain since we only have two mounts in our home. But those two mounts have been quite a topic of conversation now that we are moving. I personally think that a massive 4-bay garage sounds like a 4-star retreat for a deer mount, but Troy wants them proudly displayed in doors…with AC…preferably over the fireplace or in some other location of great focal interest. I’m hoping to compromise by offering this alternative: a resin or papier-mâché deer mount sculpture. West Elm has a great selection of sculptures, and this one is another more affordable option. They’re all over the place, from Etsy to Z Gallerie! I love how clean and modern they look while still giving a rustic element to a space, and since Troy won’t let me spray paint his deer mounts white, I think this is a fabulous alternative, don’t you??
3. Happy Birthday! Today, my SIL Jordan turns 29 and my gift to her is a public proclamation wishing her a fantastic, love-filled day! 🙂 Just kidding about the gift part, but I do hope you have a wonderful birthday, Jo!
4. Organized. I am a write-it down kind of girl. Sure, my iPhone has an ap for all things organizational, but I’m old school I guess. I make to-do lists on scrap pieces of paper, keep a journal to collect all of the house info in one place (paint colors, contractor numbers, dimensions, etc), and have been using the same kind of spiral planner to keep track of my work and personal calendar. Sessions? Yep, they’re in there, highlighted in yellow. Doctor’s appointments are in red. Meetings are in blue. Personal time/vacations are in black 🙂 It has worked well for me since college, but it was always lacking something. As a creative, my planner is my lifeline and I need room in there to grow, to cultivate my ideas and create new goals as I navigate my ever-crazy schedule. I would love to be able to make list after list, brainstorm about session ideas, jot down places I can purchase props, and keep track of my workload, while keeping it all organized. The 1x 1″ boxes and tiny margins for note taking don’t really cut it for me, and I despise those thick planners with heaps of blank pages. All of this to say Whitney English, genius, has solved all of my planner problems. She is the mastermind behind the Day Designer, “a four-step daily planning system [that] can bring order to chaos.” I’ve had my eye on it for a while, not sure at first if it would work for everything I needed, but after reading the fantastic reviews and hearing about how much other creatives love it for keeping track of their personal and professional lives, I’ve decided it’s the new must-have for me. The 2015 edition goes on sale tomorrow and I have already set my reminder… 🙂
5. Thread Tune. I don’t think I have ever shared this little number with you guys, but it’s been popping up on my iPod a lot and I kind of love it so I’m posting it here for you to enjoy with me 🙂 Have a listen to this toe-tapping tune by Barry Louis Polisar called All I Want Is You (Bree loves dancing to this song!).
Have a great rest of the week!!
