Five Year Journal: I used to journal all. of. the. time. when I was a little girl. But something sounds daunting about journaling as an adult. I have so much to say, so many thoughts, and not enough time to write it all down. Rather than spending an hour every night journaling my thoughts, this Five Year Journal has given me a condensed space to “adult journal” daily. To give you an idea about what these journals are, (more…)
Reading: For the Love. I’ve actually been reading this book since January because a friend gifted it to me for Christmas! I’ve been picking it up and reading a few chapters here and there over the last couple of months, and now I’m almost done with the book. It’s written by a mother whose a public speaker and has a really fun perspective on life. She’s unapologetically honest in her writing and there have been several “laugh out loud” moments in the book.
Loving: My five year journal. This will more than likely make it into my Monthly Favorites post, but I wanted to talk about it now as well! I started using it a little over a week ago and it’s something that I’ve absolutely loved. The concept of the journal is that you carve out time each day to reflect on your day and then you write one or two sentences to sum up your thoughts. Each page of the journal has 5 sections that represent the 5 years you’ll be filling out the journal.
Watching: Casey Neistat. Casey is literally the coolest and most inspiring person to watch on the internets. He’s a filmmaker and YouTuber from NYC that makes daily vlogs. I am completely inspired by his work ethic and creativity. He has really unique thoughts about work, life, and following your dreams. And his daughter Franny is the absolute cutest.
Planning: I would really love to plan a trip to San Francisco in the coming weeks. For whatever reason (it’s probably inspired by Casey’s NYC vlogs), I’ve wanted to escape to the city for a day. I’ve been wanting to get some cool shots of the city to put up in our home, and just spend some time exploring nooks and crannies of the city!
Yesterday my parents moved out of our family home of 12 years and I wanted to write down a few thoughts about our time here while it’s fresh. It’s funny how a home can mean so much and hold so many memories… I know it’s not the walls of the home, it’s the people who really create the memories. But, the times we shared here were special, it was a part of my older childhood and I’m grateful for it.
This is the home where all of my buddies used to come over after school and do our homework together before volleyball, basketball, and baseball games. Those high school boys used to raid my poor mom’s pantry, but she always kept it well-stocked for them. We had movie nights, met here for Homecomings, had sleepovers with friends, and opened our home to all of my high school friends over the years.
For whatever reason my family is big on scaring each other. It probably stems from my wild father, but my brother and I get the biggest laughs when we scare our dad. We definitely had our fair-share of jumping out at each other around hallway corners and our laundry room in this home. It makes me laugh just thinking about how jumpy my dad can be.
This is the home where Jeff and I first started dating, in fact..he asked me to be his girlfriend on that very driveway up there, before my 4pm shift at Steve’s Pizza ;). It was here where I shocked my dad by announcing I’d be getting married at the ripe age of 22…sorry about that dad! And it’s where we had one of my bridal showers before the big day. We’ve shared holidays with extended family here, game nights with friends…and so many special times over the years.
But here we are, 12 years later and the timing is right. My parents needed to move on from this family home and start a new chapter in their lives. My brother and I are grown up, living in homes of our own and it was time. It’s really not the four walls and roof that make a house a home, I know this. But, I really will miss our time on Dotty Street, it was a good home for our family and one that I will always love.
New plant: It’s no secret that I love all plants. I think they bring life into my home and add a nice pop of color to my otherwise white home ;). This is called a swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) because overtime the leaves separate and look like little slices of swiss cheese! Now that the weather is warming up and Spring is in the air I’m adding new plants to little corners of our home.
Big Magic: You can read my thoughts on this book here. It’s going on the record for an all-time favorite. It’s equal parts creatively inspirational and a kick in the pants to get out of your own way.
Expandable rack: Little by little I’ve committed to hanging things on the walls of our home. Our budget is slim so finding fun pieces that take up enough wall space, like this expandable accordion peg rack has become the perfect solution for us. I think mixing metals and mixing wood tones is one of the best ways to add contrast in your home. So, I love that the peg rack is different from our nightstand and dresser. I also think it will be fun to swap out new accessories on the pegs as the seasons change.
Pit Putty Cream: I’ve slowly started using all-natural, green beauty and skincare products because I’m not super interested in filling my pores with chemicals if I can avoid doing so. However, the one product that has proved difficult to find is an all-natural deodorant that actually works. That is, until I found Pit Putty. This stuff is incredible. I have tried both the stick and cream versions and my preference is the cream because it soaks right into your skin. The Pit Putty stick tends to crumble because it’s coconut oil based, but the cream rubs right in and seems to lasts longer. Another amazing thing about this product is that you don’t need very much of it to work so it lasts 2-3x longer than my old deodorant sticks.
Bioderma makeup remover: I’ve seen beauty YouTubers rave about this makeup remover forever and I finally remembered to order it on Amazon a couple of weeks ago so I could give it a try for myself! I absolutely l.o.v.e. it. Not only is this product fragrance-free, alcohol-free, paraben-free, and hypoallergenic, but it makes my face feel super fresh after all of my makeup has been removed and it does a great job at removing every last bit of residue. I’ve also heard rave reviews about Garnier’s cleansing water as a cost-effective alternative but I think Bioderma is definitely worth the investment.
*all products linked!
I love this time of year where Winter & Spring intersect. The afternoons are warm enough for flip-flops, t-shirts and an iced-coffee..while the evenings beg a few hours curled up with a blanket and hot cocoa. Other parts of the country seem to experience bitter-cold this time of year, but it’s different where I live. It feels a bit like fresh flowers on the table, windows open, and general Spring-like things in the air.
This time of year is made for rejuvenation and off-season relaxation. I’m so excited to use this refreshing season for creating better systems within Nicole Dianne, creating my 2016 business plan, checking off goals I’ve had for months, taking some time-off, reading books, spending time with friends and family, and maybe even taking that pottery class I’ve been talking about.
Oh, and I’m fairly certain I need a fresh bouquet of tulips on my desk for the entirety of the next two months.
Welcome
Welcome to the blog! You’ll find everything here from portfolio work and tips for new photographers, to personal posts related to motherhood and bits of my home! Stick around to see what’s new each week.
Email: nicolediannephoto@gmail.com
Located in Sacramento, California