THREE MONTHS IN THE MAKING

Well hello there, friends.

As I slowly re-adjust to normal life after taking Part 1 of the NCIDQ exam (there are three total parts that, when conquered, I'll earn my interior designer credentials), I wanted to share what I've been up to in between the late nights of note-taking, the flash-card-filled lunch hours, and the early morning memorization. I'm so relieved to have hopped this hurdle, even though I don't know the results yet.

The point is: I'M FREEEEEE.

Thank you to the family for celebrating at my new favorite happy hour spot, Enso Winery.

First off, I'd love to personally thank the many local coffee and tea houses that sustained me, especially Case Study Coffee, Pip's Original, and Tea Bar. If you're ever in Portland, go to these places. You can thank me later.

Anyone that has talked to me in the last few months knows that I've developed a healthy obsession with Tea Bar and their matcha lattes. Join me, won't you? (Don't worry, there will be a dedicated post in the future on just how great this place is)

During study breaks, I've been attempting to be a responsible newlywed and catch up with our thank you notes. We are about halfway through, and many apologies if yours is not in the mail yet. But they will be soon!

I also had the pleasure of putting together this adorable Save the Date for Dave and Erin's upcoming wedding. They had an awesome winter photo shoot around some of their favorite Philadelphia spots, and had so many adorable pictures that it really made my job pretty easy. I'm excited to get started on their invitations!

Oh, and BEER! The husband and I also learned how to home brew! My cousin, Tom, is an experienced home brewer, and as a birthday gift to my husband, Tom, he bought ingredients and showed us how to brew in his backyard. They finished bottling yesterday, so we should be enjoying a tasty IPA in a few weeks. Needless to say we're hooked, and can't wait to make more.

Don't worry, I've also been cooking up a storm when I can find the energy, and making a boat-load of nachos when I can't. Major props (is that still a thing?) to the husband for stepping into the kitchen more often than not these past few months while I wrote notes until my hands (almost) fell off.

The most exciting moment of the last few months was taking a Food Styling and Photography workshop at Elder Hall here in Portland. Not only was I able to learn A LOT, but I also met a handful of incredible members of the Portland food community. I can't wait to tell you more about it.I have already been back for a cheesemaking class, and look forward to enrolling in more workshops that challenge my skill set and spark creativity.

It was invigorating to push myself out of my comfort zone, especially since I've been known to deny myself these opportunities in the past. And I tried to reason my way out of not signing up for these workshops.

But my husband kept telling me these three powerful words that I will forever be grateful for:

"Invest in yourself."

That has been the theme of these last three months, and though I've been distracted from the blog with studying, health issues, and design deadlines, I have turned a corner that I thought was nearly impossible.

And I'm excited to share this journey with you.

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THREE MONTHS IN THE MAKING