Keeping a Daily Record

I’ve been thinking about the value of keeping a daily record–both as a creative exercise and also as a way to find more value in the (sometimes mundane) everyday. In December, I posted a picture of an ornament from our tree on Instagram for each day leading up to Christmas. It was great for several reasons, but the two most important that I found were:

I had to think about the value of a very simple object each day.
It was a daily creative exercise that I could check off my list in less than a minute or two.

There are many different ways people can keep a daily record. Chronicle Books has several different One _____ a Day journals for gardeners, cooks, and doodlers alike. This Perpetual Calendar from 1Canoe2 is interesting because it has a card for each day and a line for each year offering the user the ability to think back while documenting the day. Likewise, this Q&A 5 Year Journal from Paper Source asks the user to answer the same questions for a 5 year span. It seems like such an interesting way to document personal evolution, doesn’t it?

In looking back through some of my own notebooks and sketchbooks I found this quote from a talk Debbie Millman gave to Knoxville’s AIGA in January of 2012 right after she had written How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer…

It takes a really long time for
meaningful things to happen.

As I read that quote today and looked back through my notes of her talking points, I think what she was speaking to was the fact that life is a process. Design is a process. We are in constant flux, and it is often difficult to see the big picture while you’re in the middle of the day-to-day.

But if you start to look closer at your day-to-day, I think there are some interesting things to be found. Two other notes that I found meaningful from that talk said…

Say yes!

Be aware of how you limit yourself.

So here are a few thoughts about keeping a daily record.

It is good to take note of where you are each day. What you’ve done and what you’re thankful for, what records you’ve listened to, what books you’re reading, what you cooked for dinner.

Forcing a habit that might seem uncomfortable at first is a great way to break through creative block. Record a little bit about your day (regardless of whether it’s a picture on Instagram or a line in a journal) and you may find yourself coming back to it later and seeing a little inspiration. David Sedaris, one of my favorite writers, has kept a journal for over 30 years. In 2009, he did a Q&A with readers of The New Yorker and said this…

I’ve been keeping a diary for thirty-three years
and write in it every morning. Most of it’s just
whining, but every so often there’ll be something
I can use later: a joke, a description, a quote.
It’s an invaluable aid when it comes to winning
arguments. “That’s not what you said on
February 3, 1996,” I’ll say to someone.

Use a daily record to help you see the bigger picture. Look at the details. Are there patterns? Can you see mistakes you’re making? Limits you’re putting on yourself. Do your priorities begin to emerge?

So tell me, are you a record keeper? And if so, what’s your method of choice?

The Prayer of St. Francis

A quick snap from NYC.

There has been so much tragedy in the news lately and as I watch people dealing with things that I can’t possibly fathom, my mind keeps going back to the prayer of St. Francis. The prayer has been in my head (and bookmarked on my nightstand) for months now so when a friend posted one line (highlighted in green below) of this last week in light of the news from Ferguson, I thought I should share the prayer in it’s entirety. During the hustle and bustle of this holiday season perhaps this will inspire you as well.

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

This Used Book Inscription

There are times when I see things at vintage shops and used book stores that I simply must have. Yesterday, just such a thing happened at the used book store where I was scouring the shelves for Jen Lancaster‘s book Such a Pretty Fat. (I fell in love with Jen the moment my friend Beth sent me the link for The Tao of Martha.) Anyway, when I opened the book, I saw this message written on the inside.

This should make you LOL while reading it.
I hope you enjoy this and please quit taking yourself so seriously.
I love you just the way you are.
Just be healthy!

I Love You!
Mom
8-30-08

You know, sometimes you just need some maternal wisdom–even if it’s not from your own mother! So your message (and mine) for today is this: Stop taking yourself so seriously! Try your best, and then trust that you’re enough. You! Just the way you are.

And also, maybe pick up a Jen Lancaster book. It really will make you “LOL.”

Surviving a Stressful Day at Work

Last week, I hung the November cover of Real Simple above my desk because food and pretty pictures make me smile.

How do you know if you need tips for surviving a stressful day at work? Well, if you’re not a trust fund baby and you’re not reading this blog post from your yacht, I’m guessing you may have had a stressful day on the job at some point. Maybe your co-workers are driving you insane. Maybe you just launched a huge project and everyone around you is short on sleep. Maybe the guy that keeps blowing his nose 2 cubicles down is making you a little sick to your stomach.

Or maybe all your creativity is zapped and you are considering giving it all up for a career as a mall manikin for the holiday season so you can just stand there quietly all day as people point and stare.

Whatever your case may be, here are a few tricks that have calmed my addled brain lately.

Focus on your breath. You don’t have to be “Oprah’s favorite spirit junkie” to “get your om on.” (Although, this article on The Coveteur is pretty great.) Taking a minute to quiet yourself and focus on your breathing can immediately calm you down. If you’re having trouble calming a racing mind, try taking one minute and repeating a phrase. I often recite a short scripture and, as I repeat it, the scripture becomes my point of concentration.

Clear your mind.

Carry some peppermint oil in your purse. I am a recent essential oil convert and while I don’t want to smell like a hippie any more than you do, peppermint oil is pretty magical. Inhale for a quick calm. Likewise, a single drop rubbed on your temples and/or the nape of your neck, can relieve some headaches.

Take a 5 minute walk. Get your blood flowing. Walk off some energy. Swing your arms. Dance a jig. Enjoy a change of scenery.

Find a small daily ritual that’s just for you. Me? I indulge in a 2 o’clock cappuccino. There’s something about spending a little extra cash on a fancy, hot beverage made by someone else in a noisy machine that really elevates my afternoon. It’s the little things.

Bookmark a little pick-me-up. This is usually mine.

One last thing: Your granny was right when she told you to “Hush!” Try to get quiet on your way home. If you’ve had a hard day, the last thing you need to do is come home and spew your crazy all over your loved ones. Drive home without the radio on. Put white noise through your earbuds on the subway. (This is my favorite white noise app.) Be quiet until you’re thinking clearly, and then arrive home with joy.

We’re Back To It

After three months of radio silence, we have finally returned!

Husband and I have been absolutely swamped the last few months and while I’ve loved interacting on social media, the thought of blogging consistently just seemed like a bit too much. This fall has brought with it many houseguests, parties, and road trips. It’s also brought a lot of work. We’ve been making some big improvements on our little home that we’ll share next week.

Not to mention the work for Uncle Scripps that pays the bills around here. We’ve both been lucky enough to work on the new HGTV.com that was released this week, and if you haven’t seen the new site yet, go take a peek. The new photo library is swoon-worthy, y’all!

But now, we’re back in business. I’ve missed our little block of the internet, and I promise to post some fun little things in the coming weeks. This Season of Thankfulness is my absolute favorite time of the year, and I’m so happy to share it with you. In the meantime, here are a few snaps from our life lately.

Life Lately

Fireflies from a current project

I’m not gonna lie, life last week was a little cray. Now that I am (finally) over being sick there was a lot of work to catch up on at ye old HGTV. (I can’t wait to share some of the crazy-cool stuff going on there, but you’ll have to wait until later this fall.) Things at home have been pretty busy too despite how serene that sparkly and library book look…

By the way, this book? Loving it! Is anyone else reading it?

This guy. So multi-talented. Some people complain about life being mundane or routine–we’ve never had that issue. In the picture above, he’s game-planning an epic response to the #RockyTopChallenge.

The idea is simple: Pride of the Southland alumni (like Husband) are challenged to sing/perform Rocky Top or give $25 to the Pride of the Southland scholarship fund. (Truth be told, I think everyone is doing both.)

Also on the list of mixing it up a little bit: redoing our entire kitchen. Y’all aren’t even going to believe the before & after photos. Butcher block countertops, penny round tile… I cooked dinner for the first time in the halfway-finished-space tonight, and I felt like I was hosting a show on Food Network.

Cutting countertops for the big kitchen reno. | Hannah & Husband

I can’t even tell you how thankful I am for these guys! They came over to help Husband install the countertops and watching them work together fascinated me.

So yeah, life is both hectic and awesome. A scene we’ve been quoting a lot lately…

In Which We Meet Our Goddaughter

You may have noticed a bit of radio silence around here of late. That would be because we have made not one but two trips to the east coast over the last couple of weeks in the trusty Volkswagen for a couple of big family milestones. The first one is really big (but physically very tiny) so she gets her own post.

We’ve made the choice not to post pictures of Goddaughter’s face here on our blog. But who doesn’t love baby hands and Brooks Brothers, right?

Weekend number one was spent near Washington D.C. meeting our goddaughter. I had no idea I’d ever have so much love in my heart for a little one. Her three-week-old self was tiny, floppy, and oh-so-snuggly. We were both completely smitten at first site!

Goddaughter’s parents, Tim and Jan, have been some of our very best friends for almost as long as we’ve been together (11 years!). So when we found out they were expecting, we were ecstatic! But you must understand that we are totally at that age when it seems everyone we know is either pregnant or trying to be at the moment. (Big note here: EXCEPT US!) Something must be in the water at work, there are numerous pregnant gals we pass in the park, and if one more person has the nerve to ask me about our timeline… Well…

But to have two friends that we love and respect so much decide to bring life into the world? Well now honey, that changes everything! It was as if no one had ever done such a thing before–and even if they did, what are the odds they did it as well as my girl, Jan?

It is completely mind-blowing to see friends that you already respect so much as two morph into a family of three. And, not just that, but producing a tiny human that will change the world just by the fact that she lives in it. (I swear, I’ll love her just as much if she’s a concert pianist, an ambassador, or the next poet laureate.) Well, needless to say we are quite humbled that we get to support this beautiful little girl on her journey through life.

It is probably worth noting here that if you’d like an honest and hilarious look at Tim and Jan’s pregnancy, they’ve been documenting it here. It’s totally worth the read.

So This Happened…

Y’all… I can’t even.

Because sometimes I feel like God is just messing with us purely for the entertainment of all of our friends (& enemies), be sure to follow of our adventures on Instagram:

Hannah: @hb_belle
Husband: @jamesaslaughter

We Have a Mouse

Husband staring into the kitchen.

Me: You see a mouse, don’t you?

Husband: Yes, but he’s a little guy if that helps.

Me: So all cute Beatrix Potter style?

Husband: Yes, but he shits in our house so don’t get too attached.

Evolution of a Home Pt. 3

The monogrammed metal container holding the roses was actually something my mom made for the end of a few pews at our wedding.

Two or three weeks before our wedding, we completely overhauled our house. And by “we,” I mean Husband, me, and numerous friends and family. They came in and stripped up layers of carpet (adhered to the floor with what I’m sure was at least three times the recommended amount of nails and staples), painted ceilings stained yellow, and gave every wall a fresh coat of paint. And while they did all of that, I spent days steaming and scraping the strawberry contact paper off the kitchen walls.

These pictures are from a little tour that I made for my Aunt Vangie our first winter. Looking at these always makes me laugh. When we bought our house we were so young. Neither of us had ever lived by ourselves, and we had no idea what our personal styles were–let alone what our styles would look like when they were combined!

So I went through folders full pages torn from magazines and sketches of houses I’d been designing since I was 12. From that I pulled a color palette I knew I liked–very American, very Cath Kidston, very homey. Here it is…