work

to market we go

A couple of weeks ago, we took a company trip up to Dallas for one of the best perks of being a designer: Market. Yes, I get paid to shop. But after conquering a 15 floor building and also a chunk of the Dallas Design District in 2 short days, it can get a just a little bit tiring and overwhelming. I’ve since recovered and am excited to share the experience with you. 🙂

My boss surprised us and upgraded our hotel reservations to none other than the hottest boutique hotel, Hotel ZaZa. Word is that Drake was staying there at the same time as us, and after some brief Instagram-stalking, we are 95% sure we saw his dad in the lobby. Dinner at Dragonfly was seriously one of the best meals of my life and it will definitely be on my hit list next time I’m in the D.

Here’s a few (blurry phone) pictures of some of the great things we saw in Dallas:

And of course, a summary of my fave items:

1. This new Currey & Co chandelier is sure to make as statement. Modern & classic at the same time.

2. Gorgeous black metal vases!

3. It’s all about the brass baby. How adorable are these tables?

4. Do a group of these wood deer heads on one accent wall for a fun effect.

5. Loving this awesome art line – lots of great prints to choose from!

6. Palecek’s new modern bar stool!

I’ve also pinned all these items to Pinterest – click here to follow along!

Ciao! xo

lately.

Let me sum up life for you in the last few months in one simple word….. Work.

Lots of it. Yes there are other things I do from time to time. Like eating, sleeping, and keep up with the NCAA tournament (my bracket may be busted, but GO SPARTY!!!).

(credit: Michigan State Spartan’s Pinterest Page)

My new job is not so “new” anymore. I’ve been there almost 6 months already!! I can’t believe just how fast time goes by. And as I’ve gotten familiar with all of our active jobs, my involvement level has risen. We have so much going, we are extremely blessed. I wake up thinking about it at 6am, and before bed I’m typing up a quick to-do list in my phone of items I can’t forget to do in the morning. I’ve been dreaming about it too. Sounds scary? It is. It’s insanity, but a good insanity. The kind that challenges me, tests my patience, and pushes me out of my comfort zone. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And I’m not dead yet.

We’ve got some cool projects in the works. And here’s a preview of a very modern one we are doing with Foursquare Builders:

(rendering is property of Foursquare Builders)

What else is new? Hmmm….. I got a new car – a little charcoal gray Ford Focus. This is pretty big news for me because I’ve never had a car payment. I’m kinda (extremely) cheap, so of course I got a good deal on it. (Having a dad in the car business is quite a nice perk I might add.) The only inconvenience was I had to go pick it up in St. Pete, Florida from my dad’s house. I KNOW, IT’S A ROUGH LIFE. So my friend Brooke came with for a long weekend and we turned it into a little trip. I got to see my Dad and the ocean, so I was a happy girl.

No visit to the Tampa area is complete without hitting up Busch Gardens. I love that place! It just makes me so happy and reminds me of my childhood spring break visits. We splurged and did the safari and got to feed the giraffes, which I totally recommend.

On the long drive back we stopped by my old home, Destin. It was my first time back since we moved to Texas almost 3 years ago. I felt so good to be back, even though it was just for one night. It’s just so beautiful and laid back. I will always have a special place in my heart for this area. And, like Michigan, it will always be my home away from home.

We definitely felt the effects of the polar vortex in Texas this winter. I even woke up to snow on the ground one morning. Actually it looked more like Dippin Dots ice cream, but whatever.

In the last few weeks Spring has sprung. The weather has been much warmer, so it’s time for me to come out of hibernation. We have a lot of home projects we want to accomplish before the summer heat strikes again. We’re running a 5k next weekend, and as you may remember, it is my first. And I’m totally not a runner, so this is a pretty big deal to me. I hope I can do the whole 3.1 miles without stopping – I’ve never been able to before!

Life is good.

Oh and Nate and Maci are both doing great!