Inspiration Wall

I'm exhausted.

The last time I moved, I was 22... fresh out of college... and moving into my first apartment.

Four years later, the whole process seems a bit more exhausting than before.

But, the move is underway! And I'm so blessed with parents who are here to help every step of the way.

I'm slowly starting to get a "vision" for my new place, and one thing that's a must is an inspiration wall.

I've been seeing them pop up in some of my favorite design blogs. A section of wall where all of your "favorites" are grouped together.

This inspiration wall can be found over at Ashley Ann Photography. I loved how she grouped together pictures, prints, mirrors, etc. for her daughter's nursery.

I also love this inspiration wall found via Made By Girl. Again, a mix of prints and pictures, and of course the monogram. I'm a sucker for monograms.

I'm thinking about doing an inspiration wall either in my living room or office. I love the idea of incorporating some of my favorite black and white Spain pictures, a couple of prints, a few crosses and anything else that inspires me.

What would be a part of your inspiration wall?

Checking In

Happy Monday!

Everyone's week off to a good start? I am VERY excited... because... it's finally move-in week!

My mom is here, and let me say... she is such a trooper. I have a very busy work schedule the next few days, and while I'm a slave to my desk.. she is cleaning, packing and organizing! I'm SO thankful.

When I got off work tonight, we took a big "haul" to the house. We packed up both of our cars, and made the trek to Brookside to unload and unpack. Things are (slooooowly) coming together!

I can't wait to have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday OFF of work so I can start putting things away and turning this house into a home! :)

And, can I just say... I can't WAIT to have my first trick-or-treaters.

Emo

Blogger now has a new feature that allows you to track your blog “stats.”

Hello, Canada! You like me! You really like me!

Something about my blog resonates with you. So, thanks for reading. And Happy Thanksgiving!

I also learned that I get my highest amount of readership when I write… “emo” posts.

I mean no offense by that term. It’s one used loosely around my household.

To me, “emo” is… emotional. A bit dark, intense, or slightly uncomfortable/awkward/unsettling.

Let me say that this definition of emo is NOT Webster approved. In fact, the “Lindsay” definition of emo is somewhat broad. Example: I consider heavy metal and non-Starbucks coffee emo.

Anyway, the point of this post is… something clicks for you all when I write from my heart. Real, meaty topics that might be a bit uncomfortable or intense.

And, I’m so flattered by that. I am most proud of the posts I write that are raw and very… me.

So, thanks for reading! If emo isn’t your thing… just click on the VIP Lounge button for lots of “fluff”!

Fluff… a “Lindsay” definition for another day.

A Quick Update

Holy cow... what a week!

I have had NO time to blog. Or work out. Or do my new devotional. In fact, it's a task of epic proportions right now just to get up, dry my hair, put on a decent outfit and get to work!

Life is busier than ever... and I'm loving every second of it.

I have SO much to share... but tonight, a quick update will have to do!

In the BIG news department...

I close on the house tomorrow! :) From Saturday afternoon on, I will be in pack-ville. So much to do, so little time. SO worth it. My dad will be here for the closing, and thank goodness my mom will be here to help me pack. She is an organizational PRO. (Hey, I got my skills from someone!)

On Saturday morning, I will be in Norman for Brittany's baby shower! I can't wait to celebrate Baby Girl Lee!

Tonight, I attended my first Tulsa blogger meet-up. So much fun! I hope to find some time this weekend (in between packing boxes) to read some new blogs!

And in the coming weeks, look for...

*a look inside my Toby photo album (it turned out amazing!)

*pictures and fun details from Brittany's baby shower (click the VIP Lounge button!)

*an announcement about a big project I'm working on here in Tulsa!

WHEW. October... off to a crazy start!

Sweet Dreams

As all of my faithful followers know, the past few months have been pretty rough for me. And through a lot of heartache and grief, I have started to heal.

But something interesting about the whole process is that I don't have a lot of memories from July through mid-September. It's like I had temporary amnesia.

And, it's not that I blocked it all out. The opposite- I felt every single second of it. But I retreated into myself. It was experiencing sadness and grief and hurt, and I needed to block everything out for a bit. My walls of defense came up.

Something I'm finally realizing, coming out of the worst of that grief and heartache, is that so much of the sadness I felt- and still feel- comes from the death of my dreams.

I had a whole life and future envisioned for myself. I could picture my life so clearly with him. Even Toby was a part of that vision. And, just like that, it all went away.

But the last few weeks, I have felt the spark come back. My zest and energy and dreams. They started slowly trickling at first, and now it's like a waterfall. All of these wonderful dreams. Some small, some big.

New dreams are starting to spring up from the ashes of the old ones.

A couple of weeks ago, I finished a fantastic devotional by Sheila Walsh called "The Heartache No One Sees." It was such a wonderful tool in my healing.

And appropriately, today I started a new devotional by the same author- "God Has A Dream For Your Life."

A week from today, I will be moving into a new house. Big dream, not even on the radar three months ago, now coming true.

For the first time in a long, long time I don't know what's coming next. But I can honestly say... I can't wait to see what it is.

Feeling Gray

As I start to plan colors and themes for each room in the new house, there's one color I just adore....

gray!

Purple has always been one of my favorite colors, and I just think purple and gray look so pretty together.

Eventually, I'd love to get a new couch. This gray couch would look awesome with a couple of purple pillows.

Obviously, since I love all things bird-related and have a couple of bird cages... I adore this branch side table.

I love these gray-striped sheets. And how cute would they look with a solid purple duvet cover in my bedroom?


... and, yes it's not gray, but I adore this little bar cart for my backyard.

I found all of this over at West Elm.

What colors are you falling for this time of year?

Packing

I've started packing my apartment. And, I'm finding, with each box I pack, that I have very mixed emotions about the whole process.

I moved here four years ago last month. I remember the day I moved in so well. I accepted a job I wasn't sure I'd like just two weeks before. I came down with my mom, decided to live in the third apartment I looked at, and before I knew it, we were loading up a Uhaul and making the Highway 75 trek from Plano to Tulsa.

This has been a good home for me. I know the trail nearby like the back of my hand. I fall asleep to the sounds of busy sirens on Memorial. My cabinets are "baby-proofed" due to an overly curious cat who once lived here. I said "I love you" here to someone really special for the first time.

I've had parties, game nights, celebrations and lots of laughter here. And I've had heartache and tears and sleepless nights here, too.

I'm trying not to tie up all of those memories to this place. I can take them with me, after all. They don't have to be packed up with the pictures and candles and books.

But some of those memories are being put away, whether I like it or not. Some things will be left here, in this apartment, the day I turn in my key.

Change is hard. But the unpacking in a new home, the new memories to be made... that makes it all worth it.