GRATITUDES + BREAKTHROUGHS // March 14, 2017

Gratitudes

I made another run to Brooklyn last week to collect the last of the furniture. This time my Dad and I left home at 3:30am to try and beat the morning rush hour traffic… we didn’t. We loaded up the furniture in the rain and trucked it all of the way back to Virginia. The last two weeks I’ve spent a total of 20+ uninterrupted hours with my Dad, something that we tend to miss out on as we grow older. We talked about my childhood, my future plans as well as his childhood. I heard him recall stories about his Dad – my Grandpa Freddie – and highlights from when he played league football. He also told me stories about when he met my Mom and dates they went on, things that would have normally been passed by in the all too typical “weather’s nice” conversations. I’m grateful for that time together, the laughter and stories shared as well as the cups of coffee and Dr. Pepper.

With the furniture back from Brooklyn it was time to start planning to reorganize and redecorate. There are few things that bring me as much joy as the feeling of comfort in a freshly decorated home. I should probably clarify, I don’t mean buying all brand new furniture, and clearing Target out of their newest home collection. I’m talking about adding a piece of family furniture that was passed down or an art print or simply rearranging to make the space feel new and inviting again. I’ve been working on that this week, and I can already feel the energy in the house shifting.

Saturday + Sunday were spent with my two youngest sisters. I recruited them to help me move and unpack a few of my things that had been in storage for the last 2 years. The three of us cleaned, organized and put things away which was majorly helpful, but it was more than that. It was quality time together, again something that we miss as we get older. After a day of moving/unpacking on Saturday the three of us rode down to the Richmond area to make a final decision on Kensey’s wedding dress. She told us she thought she found it on Friday. I can say confidently that I was wrong about the first dress, she was absolutely stunning in this dress. I could tell the minute she walked out of the dressing room,  she lit up and looked so confident and comfortable. I can’t wait to see her pull together the jewelry, veil and shoes for her wedding in November.

I have finally stumbled upon a nail polish I was trying to grab almost a year ago, Gelato On My Mind. It is a cool icy blue that reminds me of Iceland and also this frigid weather we are having. It’s the perfect bright pop for winter instead of those dark grays, blues and blacks and on the flipside bright and cheerful enough for spring and summer.

Breakthroughs

I think I’m becoming a morning person. I didn’t think it was possible but it seems like my average wake-up has been around 7:00am. Now I get plenty of help from Tom the cat, who relentlessly meows at me until I get up to feed him, and Mosby who then hears the cat and wants to say “good morning.” I have found though that after settling the animals that I don’t go back to sleep, that instead I start my day. I would have never thought I would have been able to efficiently function before 10:30am but I’m doing it and I’m damn proud. Here’s hoping this isn’t just a streak but a new routine.

p.s. I know those of you that have known me for a number of years and can remember me sleeping peacefully well past noon and still not being pleasant when I woke up. That coined me the cool opposite nickname “Sunshine,” for being so chipper in the early hours. That part hasn’t really changed, I still don’t enjoy being up that early but I have found an appreciation for the quiet stillness of the morning and the beams of sun that peak over the horizon.