Changing Leaves & Changing Seasons 🍁
November's Newsletter
Welcome to November, friends. 🧡
The days are getting shorter, the leaves are a little brighter, and I’m feeling the pull of something new.
My life has been full of new things lately—some fun and some not-so-fun.
I went to the ballet for the first time.
I have a new team structure at work.
I tried out a new hiking trail.
I started attending a new church.
I made new friends at a writing conference.
October was—in short—a season of new.
And while I am normally a creature of habit, there was something refreshing about embracing the changes instead of fighting against them.
Well, let me start by saying . . . I warned you. I knew October was going to be a crazy month and so I didn’t get as far as I would have liked with my writing.
Draft 3: 23%
Writing feels a lot like my backyard right now. (For those who don’t know, I spent most of last fall trying to reign in the jungle—something the previous homeowners had clearly given up on.)
And I made really good progress! But then . . . summer happened. And I was shocked to see how much greenery and weeds returned. 👀
Tending a garden (or overhauling a yard) is a lot like writing.
You show up. You put in the work. You trust the process. And you pray for good results.
Along the way, you will most likely:
Trip and fumble at certain points.
Wish you could pay someone else to do it for you.
Wonder if anyone else will appreciate the sweat and tears.
They will.
One day, you will look up and that thing that seemed so hard and impossible—you’ll be on the other side of it.
It’s no coincidence that the most rewarding things in life are also the hardest.
It’s hard work to believe in love when you’re single.
It’s hard work to stay at the same job for 20 years.
It’s hard work to raise kids to be good adults.
But hard work doesn’t mean something isn’t worth doing.
When I look at my “jungle” I can envision the oasis. When I’m at my keyboard, I can imagine someone holding my book.
We’ll get there—it just takes time. ✨
Despite it being a crazy-full month, I still managed (thanks in large part to audio books) to sneak in a few titles in October.
The Women by Kristin Hannah follows an Army nurse serving overseas during the Vietnam War. The story is rich in details and heart. I have a newfound appreciation for both the men and women who fought in that war, and those that continue to volunteer today.
By contrast, I’m currently halfway through The Seven Year Slip by Ashely Poston. (Fun Fact: My Book Club read Poston’s The Dead Romantics back in September for our Book Club Launch. I liked it enough to give The Seven Year Slip a shot!)
Speaking of Book Club—the November pick (if you’d like to read along with us) is Lovers and Liars by Amanda Eyre Ward.
The story follows three wildly different sisters as they reunite for a destination wedding at an English castle. There’s sure to be lots of family drama as old lies and new secrets emerge.
There’s three main projects I’ve been juggling lately with the house:
Getting quotes and scheduling an electrician to install an overhead light in one of the bedrooms.
Trimming back the weeds and new growth that sprouted in the backyard over the summer. Nature is resilient, y’all!
Working with Havenly on my living room design. (More details on this below!)
I have a pretty clear vision of what I’d like for this home, so I was a little hesitant to see how partnering with a design service was going to go.
Would they catch my vision? Would the communication be smooth since this is all being done virtually? Would I like the end result?
Well, I’m not done officially so I can’t speak to the end result—yet. But so far I have been blown away by the level of care, over-communication, and the design direction.
I honestly cannot say enough good things and am already dreaming up what projects I could have them help out with next. (And before you ask—no, I don’t get anything for saying any of that. I just wanted to share my amazing experience.)
They were amazing at incorporating pieces I already had and sourcing new items that would be right at home in the space. I still have a few final selections to make, but after that I’ll get my final concept board and a 3D rendering of the space.
The biggest project in this room will be creating the board and batten grid wall (which I’m hoping to DIY).
Full Disclosure: I’m not very handy. (My gifting is more in planning, organization, and envisioning a space’s potential.) So if I’m able to tackle this—anyone should be able to.
Until next month,
—Rachel