fishnets & mushrooms (ootd #2)

When it comes clothing color schemes, for many years I’ve been a brown+cream combo kinda girl, but lately I’ve gone back to my roots and have wanted more of the stark black+white combos again. Now I’m in desperate need of some black boots.

Also very happy to be bringing the mushroom purse back out, because it’s her time of the year to shine. A couple years ago Instagram targeted me with this purse in an ad, and I’m embarrassed to admit that they knew exactly what they were doing. I bought it as a Christmas gift for myself. I love it, and it’s held up really well 🍄✨

although my baby monstera has grown considerably, she has yet to produce a split leaf

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one

Okay, here’s the thing: I am refusing to go back to letting my entire personality be centered around being disappointed and let down by life.

It’s not necessarily easy though, because it has definitely felt like every time I get back on my feet lately life bitch-slaps me again. The audacity.

You see, Agnes has given birth. And (drum roll, please), she had two (two) black-and-white kittens inside of her. One of which was stillborn.

So therefore: there is one healthy kitten.

(naturally we’ve been referring to it as “one” while we wait to see if it’s a boy or girl)

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daisy jeans (ootd #1)

Two things:

1. I finally learned how to make Dutch braids

2. I thrifted my first pair of non-skinny jeans in like…15 years

Actually, the latter isn’t true, since I’m still fully in my flare-pants/bell-bottom era. But now I can see why Gen Z brought the relaxed fit back, and despite continuing to hold on to my millennial skinny jeans, I’m fully on board 🌼

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snail mail

Cute little notecards that I painted for Taylor’s birthday last month, because I’m not the only one in the family who enjoys sending snail mail.

Snail mail is very important, and I firmly believe that you should send handwritten notes to the people you love. When my great-gramma died a few years back and my grampa was cleaning her house out, he was surprised at how many letters he found from me tucked away in drawers. Years and years worth — and the best part? She always wrote back to me in her beautiful cursive, beginning each letter with a “Dear Jordie” ❤

click the photos to enlarge them

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cruel summer

I cannot believe that we’re already into September — time is currently moving so fast, and also so excruciatingly slow (I’m still waiting for Agnes to start popping some kittens out, and I’m getting so impatient. I want to meet Amelia ! ! !).

Labor Day weekend means the annual country fair, and it’s quite convenient that Taylor now lives two minutes from the fairgrounds, so I just had to meet her at her apartment and then we carpooled there on Friday night. Last year the star of the show was a sweet half moon, this year we had a gorgeous full moon glowing orange above all the neon lights (once in a blue moon, baby).

I really was in awe, and just kept stopping in the middle of the crowds and pointing up to the sky like do you all see this??? I wish I could have captured her in high quality, but alas, I was only equipped with my phone’s camera (I brought Luna to the attention of some fellow fairgoers though, so you’re welcome to everyone who got to truly appreciate her beauty because of me).

there were so many friendly vendors that Taylor and I were chatting up this year, the vibes were impeccable

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little blue dress

I finished flipping this thrifted dress a few weeks back, but then life got so crazy that I simply did not have the energy to get the photos I wanted of the finished project. Although I did succeed in finally getting out to the garden with my camera last week, life is still crazy, and I definitely haven’t been feeling like my best self lately. Last night I was laying in bed watching a show and I just thought: oh my god, I am not who I want to be at all right now. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. At the end of most of the recent days I’ve felt like I’ve done nothing but wait for bedtime, just to simply have to start over again the next day. The audacity! It’s exhausting and a little lonely.

I kinda feel like getting a haircut, overhauling my wardrobe, downloading all the dating apps again, and changing my entire personality, but I just don’t know if any of those things are the right thing to do when I’m in the midst of feeling so unsettled (we’ll see, maybe I’ll just do all of the above).

Anyways, right now I’m gonna sit back and give this little blue dress her much-deserved moment 💙 I think this might’ve been the sundress Caamp was talking about when he sang:

I found out yesterday / that I’m in love / and I don’t know what else to say / but thank you, Lord / for that sundress on that Saturday / walkin barefoot down the beach

the garden is doing splendidly, by the way

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goldenrod

Would it be considered a major character flaw that I often end up feeling like shit when I hang out with people my age, but hanging out with my 14-year-old cousin was the highlight of last week??

I remember when she was born, and I remember rocking her to sleep on hot summer days, and running through the sprinkler with her in big t-shirts. She was the tiny baby cousin that we all took care of.

But now all the sudden she’s a smart, funny, kind, real person, and instead of me having to entertain her, she’s at the age where we can just be friends. And we get to talk about life, and books and shows, and binge movies in Taylor’s apartment, and share memes, and bond over how much we cry because growing up can be lonely as fuck.

click on the photos to enlarge them

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wedding gift

When I say that I damn near cried when I was sent the reference photos for this custom portrait…what is this Pinterest-worthy love!? I’m obsessed.

The woman who purchased this portrait had been given one my pet portraits as a wedding gift from her friends, so she then turned around and ordered this beauty for her friends’ wedding gift.

I’ll admit that I was a bit nervous to get started on it (it’s been a hot minute since I’ve painted human faces) but I was so happy with the outcome, and now it’s wrapped up and en route to Canada ❤

(people have way too much trust in me)

click on the photos to enlarge them

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fever dream

The past two months have honestly felt like a fever dream.

First, the unexpected reconnection happened and was so weird and fleeting that I sometimes feel like I made the whole thing up (maybe I am delusional). Then, just as I had begun to get my shit back together, my family and I are now faced with the grand adventure of moving out of the house that I’ve lived in my whole life. The house, and land, that we created to be a haven for ourselves (just as we started to enjoy our meadow too!).

And it’s not because we wanted to move. It’s not because we were looking for the adventure, or because we always imagined a different life for ourselves. It’s not because we don’t love the land, or love the house, or love the area that we’ve called home for 24 years.

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