Sometimes You Just Have To Get Out Of Town

I think we all have those times in life that stress piles up and becomes unbearable. Something drastic needs to be done to find a release from the anxiety. For me, I have to get a change of scenery to clear my head and my spirit. Memorial Day weekend was the ‘you have to do something drastic, you are having an anxiety attack’ moment. Between deciding I needed to escape Dallas, and making the drive to a dear friend’s place in Austin, it had been all of 5 hours. I love and hate that some of my best friends have moved to Austin, because it means they don’t live close anymore, but I always have at least three options of places to stay in ATX with a moments notice.

 

So off I went down the highway to Austin on Sunday afternoon. Good music, large empty fields, and zero skyscrapers. Once I arrived in Austin my friends offered me a beer (I am a craft beer girl all the way) and picked life up as if we had never been apart. I love that I know enough people in Austin that it never feels like I am with strangers in a town I don’t know that well. Later that evening we ended up at a house party where we sang, played music, grilled tasty food, made s’mores, laughed, and had a wonderfully relaxing evening – exactly what I needed.

That night I slept so hard that I forgot I wasn’t in Dallas. Such a good way to wake up, even better when you wake up in a house full of some of your favorite people. The friend I usually stay with has a new flat mate, and we have become fast friends. We ended up talking for hours Monday morning about life, work, stress, how to not be stressed, meditation, guys, relationships, and a ton of other things….. Do you ever, on a rare occasion, meet someone that you immediately feel a soul connection to? That is Mirka. We get each other. When you find someone like that, and then you get to hash out life with them when you are in crisis mode it can change your entire outlook and mood almost immediately, which is exactly what happened. Mirka is full of life, her energy is vibrant, and she has so much love for the world and the people in it. This girl shines, and I am so blessed to know her. If the only reason I drove to Austin Sunday afternoon was to talk to Mirka on Monday morning, then that was enough. I haven’t forgotten about the crystals, Mirka. 🙂

After reluctantly packing up my things to go back to Dallas, I stopped to have coffee with another dear friend that moved to ATX about 8 months ago. Miss this girl fiercely. We, as any good friends, sat down with our coffee and pretended like there wasn’t 200 miles between us. Obvs. After another refreshing conversation, I was prepared to hit the road.

Picked out my jams for the road, and headed down the highway. Not long in to my drive I realized that duh, there is massive construction going back North currently, and duh, it’s the end of Memorial Day weekend. On any other day, this would have totally bothered me. I have no road patience, none. But due to the fact that I didn’t want my trip to be over, the two hours extra that it took to get home were no problem. During this delay, I saw an exit for an ambiguous “Main Street”. I decided to see what a Main Street in the middle of nowhere looked like. I drove for about a quarter of a mile when I stumbled upon a quaint and enchanted little town. I felt like I had literally driven into the town of Southport, North Carolina where Safe Haven was filmed. I didn’t want to leave. Being a lover of photography, I stopped several times to walk around and take pictures. Eventually I knew I needed to get back on the road if I was going to return to reality and take care of the mound of clothing that needed to be washed, feed my kitty, and get sleep for the week to come.

My heart was full. My soul was refreshed. I will be reminiscing back on that trip for a long time as the trip that got me through the Spring and in to the Summer of 2014. Peace and love to all of my friends that walked with me that weekend through the pent up anxiety and stress and brought me to the other side. I love you.

 

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Case of the Monday’s

When I woke up this morning and the sky was still dark, I knew it was going to be one of those days that the sun was going to try to stay in bed for as long as possible. I will admit, I was jealous that he didn’t have any where to be, and it’s Monday. If I could have my way, I would be at Crooked Tree Coffeehouse this morning. If you don’t feel like braving the world, but want a perfectly crafted cappuccino, then this is the place for you. Put your clothes on, get in your car, and drive to your second living room at Crooked Tree. You won’t be disappointed. The patrons are fabulous, and the barista’s skills will knock your socks off.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

All right reserved – Buckle & Birch

Today’s favorite colors are coming to you via Jersean Golatt’s feet. Jersean is an amazing Freelance Photographer based in Dallas where he lives with his beautiful and talented wife, Laura. These two are a killer combo in all things administrative, and creative. I am so thankful to know and get to work side by side with this power couple, and can’t wait to meet their future twin models that will be arriving Summer 2014.

Laura and I produce events in the Dallas Metropolis. This picture was taken in Deep Ellum at one of our early morning meetings for an event meeting. At any event Laura and I have produced, Jersean is there with latte’s in hand, and ready to do anything we need help with. Jersean Golatt is a rockstar.

Don’t take my word? See for yourself. >>>> http://www.jersean.com/

Let’s Take A Walk

Dallas doesn’t have mountains or a skyline overlooking Lake Michigan like Chicago, but I have found this hometown of mine very beautiful in its own way – shouldn’t that be how we see everything? Unique and set apart simply by being the only one of its kind. I thought I would take you on a little journey through my view of the city and where I find the beauty.

Evenings I remember that I live two miles from White Rock Lake and I grab a friend, a bottle of wine, and sit on the dock before the sun sets below the trees on the other side of the shore.

Grey April afternoons that produce delicate raindrops resting on my windshield in lovely patterns.

Looking up, looking up and seeing how wonderful the sky is!

Taking a walk through an empty lot by my house, after a long day of work, to find dandelions growing amidst the rocky ground.

Even late night grocery shopping at Whole Foods has its perks for scenery.

Most of the time, the majesty of this city is the things that the universe brings to the table, making me truly stop and appreciate my surroundings. Finding beauty in the small things, the simple things keeps me in love with Dallas day after day, season after season.

I encourage you to find the things that change your view, that encourage your creativity, and inspire your heart.

“Taking time to live life will only inspire your work” – Unknown

 

*All photography belongs to © Buckle and Birch

Sometimes People Won’t Understand Your Journey

I started this blog a couple of years ago with the intent of blogging my way through an Interior Design degree life-plan. Ha! The best made plans, you guys, the best made plans… So here we are again, but with a different approach, on everything.

So let’s pick up where I left off. I was working as an intern at Brunschwig & Fils in the Design District downtown. Loved that internship, the people, the company, the product, the clients, all of it was great. During that summer, I was in my second and last semester of Interior Design, though I wasn’t aware of it at the time. The school I was attending was loosing their certification and I was not going to be able to become licensed if I continued with their program. Looked at going to a university in the area, and things just never panned out. The door was shut and I was disappointed. I had been seeking out a career in some form of creative design for so long, and nothing seemed to fit me like Interior Design. I floundered for a good year trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, how I could put my talents to use, and struggled through the doubts of thinking, ‘who would hire a girl with no experience on paper’? I have finally come out on the other side of 2013 for the better. There is no way I could recount all the things that have transpired this year, and all the ways that I have changed, it has been so transforming.

The one and only – Dallas, Texas

When I was younger, before I was in my twenties, I thought that when people became grown ups, they knew everything. As a child I was surrounded by people who seemed to have life figured out. Scared of nothing, and able to handle situations vastly beyond my capabilities, the adults I knew made it look easy. Now that I am in the last months of being in my twenties, I am realizing adults don’t know that much at all. Now we are just thrown in to situations and have to constantly think on our feet, hoping that the decisions we make do not result in calamity or come back to bite us later. No wonder grown ups are always tired.

If I have learned anything this year, it’s that I am forever going to be growing and changing. How does all of this relate to my passion for art and design you ask? My style has changed in almost every regard over the past few years. I feel like a completely different person than I was in my early twenties. I wish someone would have warned me about all this change, haha. Someone probably did and I just wasn’t listening, like a typical kid.

Reference the first post on this blog. Same living space.

I seek simplicity in every aspect of my life. The paintings that I create, the objects I choose as decoration for my abode, or the food that I make – which my room-mate will inform you is rarely done in our house. Let’s face it, I am a single white female in Dallas, when am I going to be home long enough to cook? I would rather grab a bottle of wine and some great cheese from Whole Foods and go to the lake with a friend and watch the sunset before I will set aside more than an hour of my day cooking and eating something at home. Dear gentleman in Dallas looking and hoping for a single white female that cooks at home, I know some, don’t lose hope.  In the words of my dear friend Wes, “different strokes for different folks”.

Sunset at White Rock Lake – Summer 2013

Fast forward to April 2014. I am now working in a showroom in the design district full-time. I am working beside an amazing Creative Director, and with a wonderfully talented and creative team of individuals in luxury furnishings and lighting. I get to be creative at work, and then come home and do my own projects. I feel like I have found the best of both the career lifestyle and artist lifestyle. No more ‘starving artists’ ‘salary’ for me. I took a risk, I hoped that my daydreams would become real life. I took a chance on myself, and I was surprised. Sometimes you just have to keep jumping off cliffs till you find the one with the lost treasure in the waters below.

Take a chance on yourself, you might be surprised at the outcome.

Lately I have desired a place where I can collectively hold my love for life, laughs, art, writing, photography,  design, typography, handmade things, friendships,  good wine, and sunsets. Welcome to the new blog. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy making it.

Every girl should have a Little Black….Dresser?

I frequent a local thrift store. And by frequent I mean that I am such a regular that the employees know me by name, one of which I have even become friends with. Hello Matt, if you are reading this. I was pa-rousing the back room one afternoon when I stumbled across this little gem. The top was raw (not so fantastic) wood and it was beat up, just my kind beauty! Looked at the price tag, only fifteen dollars! I had been searching for a drawer set of sorts to keep all my design materials in, and this little thing fit the bill.

My next stop was Home Depot. I knew exactly what I wanted to do to this empty canvas of raw beat up wood, paint it! Not just ANY paint, the Martha Stewart paint line, Martha Living©, has magnificent options for a reasonable price (around ten dollars). Directly adjacent to the Martha Living© Textured Metallic and Metallic Glaze paints there was a beautiful stencil. With gumption and quick feet I paid for my new toys and made my way back home.

After hauling my current find out of my car and up two awkward steps in to my house, I assessed the plan of action. I grabbed a towel and a bucket of water, gently erasing any superficial traces of misuse and neglect from the worn and sturdy frame. Apart from a little bit of chipped paint, the body and drawers were in great shape. So I cracked open the Textured Metallic Paint by Martha Stewart and picked up a paintbrush. The paint goes on fast, and I only had to put on one coat of paint which dried in twenty minutes. After the textured paint dried I used the metallic paint and stencil to finish off the top. The whole project from start to finish was only about an hour and a half. Fast and beautiful.

As my little dresser filled with materials and was adored over the next few months, something was missing but I couldn’t put my finger on it. A couple of weeks ago I was mesmerized, as per usual, in Anthropologie where I saw these gorgeous, to-die-for knobs. But at thirty-five dollars a pop, it was not in my budget. So I waited and found the ones now on the two drawers at Hobby Lobby on sale for five dollars each.

My little dresser is the perfect size for both the materials I needed to store, and for the small wall that is sits in front of. Best part, all materials and dresser added up to just under fifty-five dollars.

The Animal Print Rug

What am I doing here? What is this blog about? Let’s start with a story, because everyone loves a great story.

When I was a little girl, my mother had subscriptions to all kinds of home decor and craft magazines. I remember pouring over page after page becoming immersed for hours over the colorful pictures. When I was lucky enough to get my hands on old magazines that were no longer wanted, I would cut out my favorite rooms and keep them in a file under my bed. I had no idea what I was collecting them for, but they were my treasures, and that was enough for the time being.

I remember going to the store with my mom and seeing this rug–it was cheetah print in the middle with a border of jungle plant leaves and zebra print just on the outside, and it was huge. I knew I wanted it for my room the moment I saw it. At the time I was in this animal prints meets Asian style with lots of red and black (no clue what I was thinking), so this rug was just perfect! Does a pre-adolescent child NEED a rug? One could argue no, but I would argue (at the time) that I could not live without it!

Details:

Age: I was about the age of ten

Career: Fifth grade student by school year, hooligan by summer

Income: $10/week

Cost of new crush, the Rug: $100/US Dollars (remember I said it was huge)

Math: Age+Career+Income=over 2 months of savings, with no spending!

It took me more than 2 months. I think it was more like 6 months because I was horrible at budgeting. I didn’t even know what the word “budget” meant. But finally, after scrimping away my dollars and change, I announced that it was time to go purchase my rug, so off we went to the store. As a ten year old girl, I had purchased my first significant piece of decor for my room, and it was a wonderful feeling.

FAST FORWARD 18 YEARS

Replacing the file of room clippings under my bed, I still have the rug. Yep. It’s no longer my style of choice, but until last week I had not mustered up the gumption to part with it. I am officially donating it to a friend for her classroom, and I am at peace with the separation.

I tried all kinds of career ideas and choices before landing in Interior Design, and all of them were artistic, but none of them really fit. After much prayer and frustration in other jobs and schooling, I found my place. I have never been happier or more inspired by those around me.

So what are you going to find on this blog, and what should you expect to see? I hope you find inspiration for your own home, projects, and life! I will be sharing things that I find in design that are too good to not praise, posting about my own projects, and keeping up with the Jones’ from other fellow bloggers. I hope that you enjoy what you find here, and I look forward to hearing from you!