Thinking about the past...

The other day my mom received a phone call from a woman, named Diane, who was putting together a family ancestry album and was in need of photos of my home (in Sacramento - yes I still consider that my home). At first this seemed like an odd request, but it turns out her grandmother got married at our home on May 18th, 1924,  almost 90 years ago.


It's incredible to me to think about my home in the past and just how much history comes along with it. When we first moved to Sacramento 10 years ago I remember my parents telling me that our home was built wayyyy back in the day, but I never really thought about it's old foundation because so much of the inside had been remodeled as the years had passed. Besides the creaky doors, spooky basement (not one dog will go down - they just stand at the top of the stairs and bark - I swear they see ghosts), and backyard sewer floods due to the old plumbing, the house seemed to be in pretty good shape.

When Diane called my mom and told her her story it was a bit of a wake up call for me. I know everyone always says to live in the present and not focus on the future or past, but sometimes I think looking to the past can ground us and inspire us in the present. To think about the individuals who built our home, and the families who lived in it before us, makes me gracious and appreciative of each person and the love they put into it to create what it is today. Throughout the last 90 years each family has left a little piece of themselves & their stories behind, leading to the creation of the best home I've ever known.

I remember having conversations with my friends in the past about our parents and how they had their OWN lives before they met each other. We were always so flabbergasted to think that our moms and dads had an entire childhood and young adult life without each other because all we'd ever known is the two of them together. The same is true of my home. To think that it had a life and story  before I came to know it only makes me intrigued to learn more.

The neighborhood I lived in is known for its tree lined streets, complete with ginormous sycamore trees that tower higher than any house. I never stopped to think that at one time those huge trees were young and small, planted in rows on a wide open street. So much has happened since the day those trees were planted to today. If anything, I hope you take away from this post that life is full of a rich history and we should seize it to learn more about how we came to be today and to inspire us to leave our mark for the future.

Diane ended the conversation by sending some photos to my mom that she passed on to me. The pictures are from her grandmother's wedding that took place at my home. I will add some of the photos below so you can see how much has changed since 1924. See if you can spot the small trees and buggy on the street :)

On another note, I am heading to Austin for a little vacation with the bf so I'll be MIA for a few days, but expect a fun post when I get back! 

xo,
Courtney

If you look at the picture on the right they were standing in between the little orange sign in the grass and the big tree near the sidewalk with their backs to the car in the photo. Do you see the difference in tree size?!

Do you spot the buggy??

This is my home :)

And here's a cute picture of my dog Bode (the big one) and my brother's new little puppy Cooper!

Tablescape!

First off, I want to say thank you for all the kind words and support! As soon as I posted that I started a blog I received so many wonderful words of encouragement from friends and family. It was very unexpected and appreciated :) You have given me much drive to keep this blog alive and kicking! Now to the post...

Moving to a new place with no furnishings in tow (besides my bed of course) has allowed me the opportunity to decorate our apartment any way I like. Well, ok maybe not ANY way seeing that I am a lover of all things pink and sparkly and Kellen.. well he's not. Needless to say I had to tone down the pink and stick with more neutral tones that work for us both.

In the process I have found that neutral is the way to go! I love being able to accentuate the neutral colors with throw pillows, flowers and candles instead of swimming in a pool of color. However, I can't deny that if one day I have my own office it will be bursting with color :)

One of my favorite furniture pieces in our apartment is the dining table. It's simple yet still exudes a sense of rustic/shabby chic charm. I have always been a fan of the long farm tables (probably from all of the beautiful tables I have had the chance to work with at weddings & styled shoots) but our little apartment isn't quite fit for a big table. When I came across this table (thanks to an old roommate) I was smitten. Not only is it the perfect size but it's also just my style.

That being said, I wanted to share with you a few pictures just to give you a taste of our apartment and to show you my tablescape. It's very simple.. still have some things to add, but I figure it's a good start!

That's my table on a normal day-to-day basis. Like I said, it's very simple but still has some fun elements and textures.

As an added bonus I decided to add a few more things to dress up the table as if I were having a couple friends over for dinner. Not too much is different but I just wanted to give you an idea of how some silverware, place cards, and rosé can jazz up a tablescape a bit more :)

 

I hope you enjoy! Until next time.. 

xo, 

Courtney

An Introduction

I don't even know where to begin but here goes nothing...

I have wanted to enter the blogging world for some time now but haven't had the courage to do it.. until now! Maybe it's that Midwest charm that has finally given me the confidence to expand my horizons and share a little of myself to an audience broader than my mom and my boyfriend (haha I'm lucky they still love me).

Anyway.. for anyone who doesn't know me, I'm Courtney, a wedding planner from San Francisco who just made the move to good ol' Oklahoma City. I left the fabulous San Francisco life behind to start a new adventure with my 9 year (going on 10...CRAZY!) boyfriend Kellen. I have been here in OKC for almost 3 months and let me tell ya, it has been quite a change. Pros and cons of course - but all around a good change.

In San Francisco I worked with a fabulous wedding planner Yelena, who in the end has become one of my closest friends. Many people gasp at the thought of me leaving a life as a "wedding planner in San Francisco" to move to Oklahoma.. with no job.. but I welcome any change with open arms. I'm still young right?

Being here in OKC, and not right in the middle of a wedding planning frenzy in San Francisco, has really made me realize how much I need some sort of creative outlet which leads me to this blog. In this blog journey I hope to share my experiences in life, try fun DIY projects, and to continue my wedding planning past by sharing tips, tricks, and projects that I am working on :) I hope you all stay tuned and help me build this blog together with your support!

For now here's a snapshot of me...

Things I love:

• Traveling the globe
• Any kind of chocolate
• Kellen, of course
• Spending time with my family
• Anything that sparkles
• Kate Spade (everything!)
• Tea - I have to have a cup every night!
• My dogs, Bode & Maggie
• Peonies - How can you not love peonies?
• USC Trojans! Fight on!
• Enjoying a fabulous meal with loved ones
• Painting my nails a different color each week
• Flowerbomb perfume
• The color pink, bows & ruffles 
• Laughing with old friends and new
• Dressing in style - favs are J.Crew & Anthropologie!