Graduate school is an odd season of life. While many work full time during graduate studies, often others, like me, discover their graduate program isn’t a good complement to a standard full-time job and, like me, seek alternate ways to maintain an income while working towards the next career goal. For me, during even the…
It’s a little bit of a vulnerable thing to throw yourself a birthday party. I turned 36 this year, and with my birthday arriving at the end of a year that held both significant loss and much growth, I was ready to celebrate big. Most years insecurity has kept my celebrations and my invite list…
Recently while browsing (of all places!) Anthropologie’s website I came across a product I thought was pretty genius but dramatically overpriced: A small and adorably labeled tin that contained pre-waxed waxing strips that, when warmed slightly, can be used for waxing your upper lip when you are away from home or salon. It’s…
A few years ago as my mother was cleaning old documents from her home office, I was gifted a trove of childhood treasures: drawings and essays from my elementary school years that made the difficult journey home from school in my backpack in once piece and caught my mother’s eye. I think a lot of…
In 2015 I took the plunge, downsizing my life to adapt to a new adventure. As I began the process of selling my business in early 2014, I began preparing for the life transition the change would bring. 2015 dawned with me living in a 3,000 square foot home with 2 garages, a workshop,…
In 2012 Brad and I visited Ireland. After spending 2 days of our 2 week tripe in Dublin, we headed out of the city to explore more of Ireland’s natural beauty and smaller communities. Since our visit was in early March and we were concerned about weather, we rented a car and drove along the…
In 2012, Brad and I visited Ireland. After whirlwind big-city tourist adventures in Europe, this time we took a change of pace and adopted an uncharted path for our vacation. I’d become disillusioned with big city travel so for Ireland we spent a few weeks with a rented car exploring the southern and western coasts…
My quilt is currently for sale on this consignment site, snatch it up for a fraction of the price of new! Confession: when Anthropologie’s Jersey Cotton Rosette Quilt blew up on Pinterest I was all over it. After weeks of hemming and hawing and a lot of wasted time scouring the internet in an attempt…
[I originally wrote this article in the the summer of 2011, following the EF5 tornado that claimed 160 lives and 8,000 homes in Joplin MO. I’d used my professional experience in inventory management and distribution to help set up and manage the aid distribution for a relief center/shelter in Joplin and wanted to make note…
Pike Place market is one of the most alive places I have ever been. In every way, it is a sensory experience. Feet on uneven cobbled streets carry you towards the sound of the crowd and the dozen or so musicians performing throughout the market on a summer day. If you arrive early, the soundtrack…
As blog followers know, I sold my small business in 2015 and moved to Seattle to start grad school. I rented rooms for my first term, then fell in love with the tiny, tiny apartments in an old, old apartment building near my school, despite the fact that my first google of the apartment name…
Though not forgotten, this blog has been dormant for a few months- For an exciting reason! In July of 2015 I had the opportunity to sell my small online businesses and I took it! It didn’t take much soul searching to know where my heart was calling me: the Masters in Counseling Psychology program at…
A few times I’ve traveled abroad for a few weeks with my older brother as a companion. As siblings, we’re comfortable saving money by doubling up in one room, but as light sleepers and both occasional snorers, we were both forced to learn creative ways to sleep in strange places. Here’s my list of 5…
Lately I am enjoying more photography and appreciation of small delights around Hawk Hill. In this spring “Favorite Things” posts I got herb bouquets, art, and kittens. I’ve been trying to be more intentional about appreciating less glamorous things as beautiful- enter these sage blossoms and fennel fronds. Hardly standouts in the garden, they made…
I stopped drinking soda in January of 2013. I’d tried a few times before, and learned a lot, but it wasn’t until 2013 that I was ready to kick the habit for you. Like most behavior changes, it’s nearly impossible to just “stop” doing something, but replacing behaviors comes much easier. Instead of giving up…
(Undergraduate) College is more than a couple years in my past, and yet, the papers from a degree in English / classic literature never quite go obsolete. I paid far too much for the right to write these papers to justify just tossing them out, so below I’ve included a small selection of my undergraduate…
This post updated: Yes! The front door of Hawk Hill is lime green! This is a new blog about life on a farm in Joplin, MO. On December 1, 2010 I bought my first home, 3 acres just off the main road in Joplin, MO. 6 months later the Joplin Tornado struck. The 80 year…
