New Decade, New Beginnings
I turned 31 yesterday. I had an incredible weekend celebrating with my closest friends, but I came home to the news of Kobe Bryant’s death. At 41. Exactly 10 years older than I am now. I’m not a huge basketball or Kobe fan more so than the average person, but the news left me speechless. There are a few things I’ll never forget from my 31st birthday and this is one of them. In a way, it made my birthday a little sweeter. I’ve always been one to celebrate birthdays big, but I felt especially grateful yesterday to have made it another year.
In the spirit of living to our fullest every day since we don’t know when it’s our last, I wanted to share with my faithful readers that I’m retiring my blog indefinitely.
For a few years now, I’ve had a life goal of writing a novel. I loved creative writing as a kid and filled notebook upon notebook of stories and dreams. I shared them with my family, my teachers, my classmates, my friends. It was my biggest passion and I want to take that back. So I’ve decided to use the time I was spending on my blog instead to focus my efforts on writing my novel. We aren’t guaranteed another day, so why wait?
It’s actually very apt that I published my first blog post in 2010 – which at the time was called An Apple A Day (for my maiden name Appleton). I started out simply by sharing the uncomplicated musings of a college student and then it grew into book reviews and my favorite easy/delicious/somewhat healthy recipes (that I know a couple in Washington state will miss!) and travel picturebooks and life lately and being a safe space to be vulnerable about my grief when my dad passed away.
I will miss this blog so much and the joy of writing it and reading all of your comments and how it impacted you. I never once wanted this to become a “job” or a way for me to make money, and it never did. It was simply a scrapbook of my life from 2010-2020 that I can’t wait to look back on for years to come.
This isn’t to say the blog will never return. It’s just the right thing for now. Sometimes you have to leave things behind in order to make space for something new.
Still want to know what I’m reading, where I’m traveling + where I’m drinking wine next?! Follow me on instagram @milledavis.
Cheers to a new decade and new beginnings.
xo xo,
Mille Davis
life lately
N Y C 
[terrific trip with our “central park” squad – perfect fall weather, tattoos, peloton, amazing food + drink, comedy club, broadway and more!]
H A L L O W E E N
[“why’s the carpet all wet, TODD?” “I don’t know, MARGO!”]
[annual hayes halloween party!]
T H A N K S G I V I N G
[1st annual Thanksgiving PIE Social!]
[smaller thanksgiving this year, but just as thankful for this family and those not here <3]
xo xo
life lately
[celebrated this || a gorgeous wedding with gorgeous friends!]
[cheered on this || tailgating szn has officially begun]
[hosted this || 4th annual fall party with the best cheese + charcuterie board ever]
[eating this || all the pumpkin flavored things, thanks to the best day trip to Trader Joe’s]
[enjoyed this || work travel from Florida to Canada!
You know what they say – Work Hard, Play Hard ❤️]
xo xo
10 Things: July, August + September
J U L Y
- Pedialyte popsicles are game changers.
- Even if you like Black Box wine, don’t even think about trying the whiskey.
- Bottomless mimosa brunch is always/never a good idea.
- 13 years later, Veronica Mars has still got it. #TrueLoVeForever
- People are legitimately divided on the purpose of a koozie.
- Find someone to take on their first 2am Waffle House experience.
- Have a beer with your parents’ childhood friends.
- You can do yoga poses while holding wine.
- Take your birthday off work.
- Jump in the pool.
A U G U S T
- It doesn’t matter if it’s “dry heat”, 105 degrees is too.freaking.hot.
- Traveling hungover is the absolute worst.
- 3-year-olds will ask you questions you’ve never even considered before.
- Be bold and take yourself out of a situation you don’t want to be in.
- Sometimes an ice luge is purely for show.
- Meet your significant other in another city.
- Be EXTREMELY clear to said significant other about what flight you’re on.
- Go see an Illusionist and allow your belief to be suspended, if only for 1 night.
- Don’t let the tiniest thing ruin your evening.
- Be patient; it is a virtue after all.
S E P T E M B E R
- PSL Cold Brew is the best drink Starbucks has ever created.
- Never let me eat Taco Bell in the car.
- Buy a newly engaged couple a bottle of wine – even when you don’t know them.
- Let celebrities enjoy time with their families.
- Trust, but verify.
- Key lime pie is always better in Florida.
- 75% of adults are magnesium deficient.
- Mix prints and just go with it.
- Open the Veuve on a random night.
- The bigger the charcuterie board = the better.
xo xo
10 Things: Jan + Feb, March + April, May + June
life lately: summer edition
The blog is back from summer hiatus! Here’s a snapshot of our summer – from NYC to LA to everything in between. ❤
N Y C
[spontaneous meet-up in my favorite city]
[I flew in from phoenix, he flew in from bentonville + after lots of delays and a comedy of errors, we finally found each other at la guardia at 1am]
[found the cutest lunch spot with lobster rolls + aperol spritz]
[the best live DJ ride with robin + DJ john michael
350 rides for me + 400 rides for husband!!]
[mind seriously BLOWN by Dan White, the Magician – highly recommend]
[explored williamsburg: smorgasburg (a foodie’s dream come true), brooklyn brewery + the william vale rooftop]
[sunset sails are my absolutely favorite]
[greenwich village: dinner at palma + snuck in to smalls jazz club]
L A
[labor day weekend]
[soaking up the sun in manhattan beach]
[exploring santa barbara + contemplating how to retire here]
[the national at the greek theatre – 9.2.19]
[room views + hotel pools]
[ended the trip at my favorite places with my favorite people]
E V E R Y T H I N G. I N. B E T W E E N.
[LE event of the SUMMER – Stephen and Jaimie get MARRIED!!!]
[celebrated my favorite guy’s birthday with concert, cake + daquiris]
[celebrated Becky’s 30th on the lake #thirtyAF]
[hosted family + showed them some of our fave spots around town]
[attended my very first national sales meeting with this awesome crew in phoenix]
[dinner + a show with the fam]
[it’s a hard knock life/summer without this squad]
[sunset sails, whether on the hudson river or beaver lake, never disappoint]
Summer was delightful, but now on to my favorite season of all – F A L L !
xo xo
life lately
[enjoying this || a perfect summer evening with tap dance, tacos + beer]
[celebrating this || our 8th anniversary with a special drink + handwritten letters]
[soaking in this || the start of summer fridays]
[loving on this || blushing bride-to-be]
[eating this || so much food at bite x2]
[dancing to this || girls night out to see our favorite 90s cover band]
[relaxing like this || the most chill 4th of july weekend with my favorite people]
Alright friends, I’m signing off for the summer!
Enjoy the longer days, the extra time with family + friends and take some time just for YOU (preferably with rosé).
I’ll be back in September with life lately summer edition, alllll the book reviews + more travel adventures! ❤
xo xo
10 Things: May + June
M A Y
- Celebrate anniversaries, even if it’s just with champagne on the patio.
- Something you loved last year might not be something you love this year.
- Celebrities – they’re just like us.
- Put your mozzarella in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes before eating it (trust me).
- Watching series finales is more fun with friends.
- A themed party is a better party.
- Sunscreen DOES expire.
- Wine hack: never order the 2nd cheapest wine on the menu.
- Add coffee grounds to your hydrangeas to turn them blue.
- There’s no place like home.
J U N E
- Visit/call/send postcards to your grandparents.
- Las Vegas sun is different than Arkansas sun.
- Wash your hair immediately after smoking a cigar.
- Don’t let your husband go to the dealership to just “test drive”.
- Long weekends are not the same as a week-long vacation.
- Sports can actually be fun if you have money riding on the game.
- You can make a delicious drink out of (accidental) frozen wine aka breakfast sangria slushie.
- If it feels like fate, take the leap and go for it.
- Don’t break in new shoes in Las Vegas.
- Take the bet; you have to risk to get the reward.
xo xo
10 Things: Jan + Feb, March + April
Vacation Picturebook: Reno + Las Vegas
R E N O 
We had the best start to our vacation visiting Kyle’s grandparents in Reno! They took us to Virginia City (old western town), we explored downtown Reno, and we had lots of late night wine in grandma’s gorgeous garden.
Then we took an amazing day trip to Lake Tahoe – one of my favorite places of ever!
L A S V E G A S
Night 1: We love the Cosmopolitan + Absinthe!! If you haven’t seen the show, we highly recommend, but warning it is VERY raunchy.
Pool days are the best days!
Night 2: We still love the Cosmopolitan and didn’t leave – found amazing live music + food at Rose. Rabbit.Lie, the coolest speakeasy behind a barbershop + late night milk bar cake (and secret pizza, obviously).
Another pool day and the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had in my life … also won $$ on my first ever sports bet. Yay Toronto!
Aaand then it was time for brother-sister Leo tattoos!
Fun last night at Container Park + Fremont Street
We had the best vacation spending time with family, and can’t wait to go back! ❤
xo xo
There’s No Place Like Home [5 Memories + Life Lessons in 5 Years]
In May, we celebrated 5 years in our very first home. I’m amazed by how quickly the time has gone and how much we still love it just as much as that first year. If there’s anything that could make me feel like a legit adult, this is it!
In honor of the anniversary, I wanted to capture 5 favorite memories in our home + a few things we’ve learned along the way …
- I’ll never forget our very first night in our first home. It genuinely feels just like one of those highlight reels in a move. We bought our favorite wine + beer, ordered pizza and sat cross-legged on the floor giddily talking about the future.
2. I love hosting and entertaining people, and we’ve had a lot of incredible parties at our house (My Golden Birthday, Annual Fall Parties, South by South Mouth NYE bashes, Game of Thrones finale, etc.) It’s really hard to choose just one, but I think our #WarmThisHouse party stands out the most probably because it was the very first. We hosted family + friends, ate macarons + took shots, turned our patio into a cocktail hour, and ended the night with costumes and jumping photoshoots. I love this pin board of our polaroid pics from the night that I keep in our bedroom. It reminds me of the simple things in life.
3. Here’s a life lesson: A house is hard work, but a yard is HARDER work. Boy, have we learned this. I’ll never forget the first summer in our house when I spent hours pulling freaking dandelions from the front yard. Then hours pruning our rose bushes. Then hours at the doctor with my infected hand thanks to the rose bushes. Another lesson – sometimes just spend the money to have someone help you.
4. We’ve made several updates to our home – changing light fixtures, patching holes in the wall thanks to dear ol’ Olli, but none so big as deciding to add on a deck, and husband’s only request: a hammock. It’s been some of the best money spent + best decision ever made.
5. Truly my favorite memory of all though in the 5 years of our home has been enjoying time on our front porch. There’s something so special about that white wrap-around beauty. I feel so much peace on that porch, especially in early morning and early evening. (especially in fall with a blanket, coffee + book!) I’ve planned international trips out there, had countless deep conversations with friends + intimate conversations with God, and most recently enjoyed a nice bottle of rosé to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. A lot of life has happened on this porch.
I’m so thankful to have such an amazing home to share with my family, and just as thankful to have some of our best friends living in our neighborhood. Aren’t neighbor friends so special?
I truly can’t wait to see what the next 5 years brings. ❤
xo xo
life lately
[drinking this || all the beer at our favorite event, fayetteville foamfest]
[loving this || the best monday night with literally everyone at the killers!]
[enjoying this || a quick trip to LA for work, eating at my favorite restaurant, spending time with one of my favorite people + running into DIANE KEATON!!]
[throwing this || game of thrones finale watch party, complete with themed food + drink and trivia with prizes]
[cheers-ing to this || an amazing long weekend]
xo xo
10 Things: March + April
Reminder: for 2019 I’m starting a new series – 10 things. I want to capture things I’m learning in my 30th year whether tiny or bold, big or small. The rules: It can only be one sentence, and there can’t be repeating lessons from month to month. It can be something I’ve learned in prior years, but needed reminding. I’m also including one picture per month that’s symbolic of the month for me.
My plan was to post this monthly, but the past few months have been craaaazy so doing a combo post again. Here are 20 things I’ve been learning:
M A R C H
- Don’t be lazy – put your outdoor cushions inside for the winter.
- Sometimes a 9:15pm dinner is the best dinner.
- Porch wine always tastes better than inside wine.
- Israeli hummus is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.
- There is nothing like the first spring day.
- I am the worst uuni pizza chef.
- Give yourself permission to do nothing for an afternoon.
- Lemon coffee is not just a thing, but a very delicious thing.
- The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
- Don’t listen to other people’s negative opinions.
A P R I L
- It always seems impossible until it’s done.
- Wind therapy is a real thing.
- Add brussels sprouts to your crawfish boil.
- Sometimes the right thing to right thing to do is the hard thing to do.
- A fresh coat of paint can make the world of a difference.
- Not all tiki bar drinks come with umbrellas.
- Seeing my name in a byline never gets old.
- You can get a sunburn in April.
- A cookie can make someone’s day.
- Book the massage.
xo xo
10 Things: Jan + Feb
life lately
Life lately has been CRAZY. I’d sum it up perfectly with the manifesto –
W O R K H A R D . P L A Y H A R D .
I haven’t blogged in a month (since our trip to Philly), so here’s a little peek into my life as of late.
[traveled for this || great meetings in durham with my burt’s bees team]
[planned this (with some other party people!) || clorox spring fling at the holler]
[ate this || crawfish boil, round 1 + 2]
[loved this || two wonderful easter celebrations with the best family]
[enjoyed this || a night out with the girls to see Waitress at the WAC – which we LOVED!]
[soaking in this || the most beautiful spring weather]
[traveled (again) for this || more great meetings in SF with my SMG team
#foresightwarriors]
Busy month, huh? Philly > Durham > SF … and things don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.
But you know what I’ve been thinking lately – let’s be THANKFUL for being busy with all good things, and enjoy the little moments of joy and relaxation with my favorite people while I can. ❤
xo xo
10 Things: January + February
For 2019, I’m starting a new series – 10 things. I want to capture things I’m learning in my 30th year whether tiny or bold, big or small. The rules: It can only be one sentence, and there can’t be repeating lessons from month to month. It can be something I’ve learned in prior years, but needed reminding. I’m also including one picture per month that’s symbolic of the month for me.
Since I missed the first month, we’re starting out with Jan + Feb, so here are the 20 things I’ve learned:
J A N U A R Y
- 3 birthday cakes are better than 1.
- 3 happy birthday songs are better than 1.
- The sticks in shuffleboard are called Tangs and the discs are called Biscuits.
- I really can exercise every single day, even if only for 10 minutes.
- The most expensive wine does not always equal the best tasting wine.
- Don’t obsess over the weather – you can’t change it anyway.
- New year’s resolutions shouldn’t start until the first Monday of the year.
- It’s okay not to finish everything you start.
- I’m pretty positive I have seasonal affective disorder.
- Sometimes inanimate objects are really hard to say goodbye to.
F E B R U A R Y
- We have control over our fears, and they’re often not nearly as big as we make them out to be.
- I can get tired of drinking wine.
- Nobody cares or notices if you’re on third-day hair.
- Burmese food is delicious.
- Make time for Galentine’s Day just as you would for Valentine’s Day.
- If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.
- The best team building is traveling together, especially if it also includes working on a ranch in 40 degrees.
- If you want to sound sophisticated about wine, just say it has BALANCE.
- Being bold looks different for everyone.
- While February is the shortest month of the year, it definitely feels like the longest month of the year.
xo xo
life lately
[eating this || first ever attempt at making sunny side up eggs + chrissy teigen’s cheesy spicy hash
D E L I S H ]
[thankful for this || the best birthday party with the best people]
[loving this || 60 degree days]
[enjoying this || a cozy night in with husband for valentine’s day]
[celebrating this || mom + fred’s 4th anniversary with the family]
[watching this || february friday night film vault: oscars edition. hi, stephen!]
xo xo
Picturebook: Napa + SF
N A P A
[play hard]
F R I D A Y
[arrived at our SUPER ADORABLE boutique hotel, Rancho Caymus Inn
and yes, that is a hummingbird photobombing my picture!]
[no exaggeration, hands down one of the best meals of my life at michelin-star The Charter Oak]
S A T U R D A Y
[bouchon bakery + yountville = adorable pit-stop]
[obviously had to schedule in a stop at the napa sign]
[silver oak 2014 cabernet release day party – so many people, so much rain, so much fun!]
[photoshoot at robert mondavi – and of course, more wine]
[and then somehow we got in CARPOOL KARAOKE! this is the only pic I got (though plenty of ridiculous videos), but it was tricked out with lights, microphones and an iPad to choose a song. why is this not more of a thing?!]
[burger + french dip at Rutherford Grill was exactly what we needed]
[plus a hot tub night, ha!]
[no better way to start Sunday than with a Mumm Napa tour]
[aaand more sparkling wine with our Gott’s, which was DELICIOUS]
[our favorite winery – Bremer! we even signed up for their wine club, and obviously had plenty of fun on our own private tour + tasting]
[well yes, it did rain ALL WEEKEND and we didn’t get to do our hot air balloon ride, but we had some of the most picturesque views and seriously the best 30th birthday celebration!]
S A N F R A N C I S C O
[work hard + some play]
[first can we talk about how gorgeous these views were from our hotel?!]
[wonderful dinner with some of my favorite people at Nopa]
[ate some new food + made some new friends at Burma Love]
[couldn’t have ended the week better than with the best team building at Slide Ranch – we worked, we hiked, we ate amazing farm-to-table food and we honored a lost team member. love this work family so much! <3]
xo xo
30 Before 30: Update
Update: I did not complete my 30 before 30 list.
And I’m okay with that.
Y’all, I was striving so hard to complete this list before turning 30 last weekend. But to what end? Because I promised myself I would complete it? Because I made a public promise to my fellow readers, friends and family?
But then I realized, is it worth it to knock things off the list purely for the sake of doing so, and not for the sake of really doing them?
I was discussing this recently with a friend and she called it the “girl scout mentality” – we were raised to stick to our commitments and never break them no matter what. But the older I get, the more I kind of think that’s BS. Sometimes you just can’t do it all, and THAT’S OKAY. This same friend also said, I think this is the lesson you were meant to learn from this list.
Wow.
I literally sat speechless and we both literally got goosebumps because it was so evidently true. I then thought back to my #1 resolution for 2019 I had written in my journal several weeks ago: Remove perfection as a goal.
Does anyone else need to hear that as much as me?
So okay, I’m not perfect and I didn’t complete the list, but that’s okay. As husband said, you just add them to your life list and do them when the time is right.
All that to say, I did knock a few more off the list these past few months (and actually ended up crossing off 23/30!), so here’s a complete update on my 30 before 30.
-
Start a new adventure.I’ve worked for Walmart for 6.5 years, as my first job out of college. I’ve officially accepted a position at Clorox, and couldn’t be more excited/anxious/thrilled to start this new adventure.Make a complex meal 100% from scratch.This one might have been my favorite one to check off the list thus far. I knew the meal I wanted to make was Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon and knew it would be more fun with help from my mom! It actually wasn’t as difficult as we thought it would be, just verryyy time consuming, but TOTALLY WORTH IT. Oh my gosh this was delicious.
Hike Pinnacle Mountain + eat a Hubcap burger at Cotham’s.- Successfully do a one-armed push-up.
See a critically acclaimed show.This one makes me so happy because I’ve been dying to see Hamilton and Mom got me tickets for my 29th birthday for our trip to Chicago. It was AMAZING. Absolutely go see it if you get the chance.- Volunteer 30 hours. (17 hours complete!)
Buy all my friends a round, randomly.I really loved doing this one, and it was the perfect occasion – Thanksgiving Eve at Club Frisco.
Play video games with Husband for a night, complete with pizza + beer.This was so fun! We played Mario Kart (he schooled me), tennis (both won) and a fighting game (which we also both won, to Husband’s chagrin). I definitely need to get in Husband’s world and do this more often!- Intentionally choose to stay by myself one night in a hotel. Obviously I’ve stayed by myself before, but for work or when husband was away – not intentionally.
- Learn a song on the guitar.
- Be in a play.
Learn to play blackjack.Nephew Jack taught me this one over Christmas. I learned the basics and now we just need to head to Downstream (or Vegas!) to really play!
Make a signature cocktail.Another Christmas check – the most delicious drink with prosecco, vodka and raspberry sorbet aka The Raspberry Millay!
- Make a YouTube video that gets over 1k views.
Start my book.Win at least 1 trivia night.This one was totally out of the blue, but glad it happened the way it did. We won the poolside Hollywood Trivia on our family vacation in Mexico. Go Team Guacamole!Write 30 handwritten letters.This has also been one of my favorite ones to check off the list and I’m planning to set a goal for myself to write letters every year!- Take a dance class.
Go to a movie solo.I went to see Crazy, Rich Asians (which was THE BEST) and it was so liberating to go to a movie solo. I also happened to be the only person in the theater, so it was extra solo! Ha!Ride 300 miles.Maybe this one didn’t take as along as anticipated, but it’s still checked off the list and I’m proud!Dye my hair pink.So this one, I can at least say I tried. I covered my hair (twice!) with pink hair dye from the grocery store to no avail. I’ll try again or just clip some in!Do 5 things that scare me.(1. Leave my comfortable job of 6.5 years. 2. Ride a snowmobile 3. Therapods aka Sensory Deprivation Tank – ask me about it and I’ll tell ya more. 4. Seriously discuss having kids. 5. We’re booked for a hot air balloon ride next week in Napa, something that’s been on my bucket list for years!)Give an amount of money that is significant to me and is significant to someone in need, but do it in such a way no one would ever know it was me who gave it and expect nothing in return.I won’t share details, but this was so rewarding and definitely something we will continue to do, and probably my favorite on the list.Travel to a state I’ve never been to.This one actually happened without me even realizing it. I thought I’d been to North Carolina, but hadn’t – and now I’ve been twice for work this year. Check!Take a personal day, for no reason at all.Challenge myself with a new hobby.I didn’t realize it at first, but this is totally the Peloton! Since I didn’t grow up in sports or really sticking with an exercise routine, riding consistently has been a huge challenge for me and totally feels like a new hobby! We even chose to ride while on vacation – something I never thought I’d do, ha!See someone in concert I’ve been dying to see.- Find an artist whose perspective of the world I appreciate and buy a piece of his or her work.
Take a spontaneous trip.Someone could probably fight me on this, but it’s my blog so I’ll do what I want – our NYC trip was totally spontaneous for me. No, it wasn’t a pick-up-and-go trip, but our friend Mark called, said he was having his 30th birthday party in NYC and did we want to go? I never turn down a trip to New York, so we said yes, but not planning something like that several months out is my kind of spontaneity!!Plan a huge 30th birthday bash.
BONUS: Read 30 books.
Here’s to 30 more years!
xo xo
life lately
[getting excited about this || early saturday morning planning session for our upcoming napa trip!]
[LOVING this || 60 degree day + impromptu patio beers]
[celebrating this || our favorite 33-year-old’s birthdays with a blind wine tasting party]
[eating this || delicious brisket chili from wright’s barbecue]
[obsessing over this || $10 lilies from sam’s club!]
[trying out this || rent the runway unlimited – ask me about it! loving it so far]
[enjoying this || cozy snowy saturday with magazines + coffee]
xo xo
2018: my year in pictures
J A N U A R Y
birthday celebrations in lake tahoe with literally everyone
F E B R U A R Y
started a new job at the clorox company and haven’t looked back!
M A R C H
amazing family vacation in mexico
A P R I L
little rock trip to hike pinnacle mountain + brunch at lost forty
M A Y
fayetteville foamfest – our favorite event of the year
J U N E
TAYLOR SWIFT in chicago + deck warming party
J U L Y
trip to NYC (including live peloton ride, obviously) + the best 90s night for husband’s birthday
A U G U S T
palm springs for kira’s 30th!
S E P T E M B E R
beyonce + jay-z in dallas
O C T O B E R
the national in kc + 3rd annual fall party
N O V E M B E R
two terrific thanksgivings then a detoxing weekend getaway
D E C E M B E R
girls weekend in nyc + got some very important people engaged + amazing family time + ending the year with the best nye bash
Cheers to 2019!
xo xo
[a catalog – my year in pictures] 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010
5 years later.
5 years later I still miss you.
5 years later I want to tell you about how kyle and I are super into vinyls now – old and new, always growing our collection, because I know you’d just love that.
5 years later I still remember the worst phone call of my life and the longest, loneliest flight from arkansas to ohio.
5 years later I hold on to the few months leading up to this day that were full of memories – taking funny pictures while passing out candy at halloween, enjoying a gorgeous fall day tailgating, thanksgiving at home with the family and christmas together before we parted ways, us to vacation in seattle/vancouver and you back to ohio for work.
5 years later I still remember the last text you sent me – making sure we got home from our vacation okay and that you were watching Cash Cab, our favorite, and we’d talk tomorrow.
5 years later I still think of you every time I pass a woodie station wagon or finish a crossword puzzle or hear “classic rock”.
5 years later the holidays are still hard.
5 years later I want to tell you about my new job – about my amazing coworkers and how I’m doing something I love and how I’m happy, because I know you’d be so proud.
5 years later I want you to take me deep sea fishing in key west – because you talked about it all the time and we never got to go.
5 years later I want to sit on our back porch and drink a beer together.
5 years later I want to tell you we saw Ben Bailey from Cash Cab in NYC this summer.
5 years later I want you to know we’re happy, we’re all happy – but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten you or love you any less.
xo xo
Love, your little darlin’
A Tribute: Wonderful Father, Loving Husband of 40 Years, Loyal Friend aka Donny “Rooster”
life lately [christmas week edition]
[great christmas party at samantha’s to kick off the week of festivities!]
[non-christmas event – celebrating Mom’s birthday with drinks at 21c]
[celebrated with this fun crew + made (double batch!) boeuf bourguignon – it was a hit!]
[potentially a new christmas eve tradition with husband – make your own pizza night, including english muffin pizzas husband loved making when he was a kid]
[zero christmas morning pictures (which included chicken + waffle brunch!), but post-brunch and presents included relaxing and nap time]
[finished the day with a wonderful dinner at the in-laws!]
Not pictured: a quick trip to Little Rock to see more family, including my 98 year old grandmother – we’re so thankful for all of our amazing family and such a wonderful Christmas.
Now to see what 2019 has in store! ❤
xo xo
life lately
[enjoying this || ozark brewery’s 5 year anniversary
and for giving us an excuse to drink beer before noon]
[drinking this || cappuccino in a Starbucks HOLIDAY CUP]
[loving this || last ((freezing)) tailgate of the season]
[celebrating this || beautiful lady at her bridal shower!]
[thankful for this || two amazing families to celebrate with on thanksgiving]
xo xo
[post-thanksgiving] weekend getaway
S U N D A Y E V E N I N G
The wind wails and the fire cackles.
The garland glimmers and the poodle snores.
Thanksgiving is now behind us and the anticipation of Christmas lies ahead.
In the midst of the busy holiday season, husband and I decided to take a respite, just the two of us. We packed the makings for chili and a special Italian red, and brought only our coziest clothes. We vowed to do a phone detox, focusing on the present weekend with the presence of one another. We drove only an hour away, though we might as well have been a million miles away – with stunning lake views, great conversation and the joy of spontaneous, secluded living.
A few things I learned from this little weekend getaway of ours:
– You don’t need to keep your phone next to you at all times.
– You’re not really missing anything on social media.
– Finishing a book in a weekend is one of the best feelings.
– Sometimes all you need is abundant sunshine and the gift of time to reconnect with your significant other.
– Enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee on a patio is one of life’s little luxuries we should all take advantage of more often.
– Don’t lose sight of what’s most important this holiday season.
xo xo
30 Before 30: Q3 Progress Update
Alright, we’re getting into the final stretch, friends! Only 3 more months to go, which means the holidays are (basically) here and then it’s my birthday. I’m actually really looking forward to turning 30. Is that strange? Maybe it’s just because I love birthdays??
I’ve still got quite a few to knock out, but here’s an update on completing my list of 30 things before I turn 30 from the last few months …
-
Start a new adventure.I’ve worked for Walmart for 6.5 years, as my first job out of college. I’ve officially accepted a position at Clorox, and couldn’t be more excited/anxious/thrilled to start this new adventure.Make a complex meal 100% from scratch.This one might have been my favorite one to check off the list thus far. I knew the meal I wanted to make was Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon and knew it would be more fun with help from my mom! It actually wasn’t as difficult as we thought it would be, just verryyy time consuming, but TOTALLY WORTH IT. Oh my gosh this was delicious. We already have a plan to make it again for the whole family for Christmas dinner!
Hike Pinnacle Mountain + eat a Hubcap burger at Cotham’s.- Successfully do a one-armed push-up.
See a critically acclaimed show.This one makes me so happy because I’ve been dying to see this show and Mom got me tickets for my 29th birthday for our trip to Chicago. It was AMAZING. Absolutely go see it if you get the chance.- Volunteer 30 hours. (17 hours complete!) This quarter included a charity kickball game and volunteering at the Arkansas Public Theatre.
- Buy all my friends a round, randomly.
Play video games with Husband for a night, complete with pizza + beer.This was so fun! We played Mario Kart (he schooled me), tennis (both won) and a fighting game (which we also both won, to Husband’s chagrin). I definitely need to get in Husband’s world and do this more often!- Intentionally choose to stay by myself one night in a hotel. Obviously I’ve stayed by myself before, but for work or when husband was away – not intentionally.
- Learn a song on the guitar.
- Be in a play.
- Learn to play blackjack.
- Make a signature cocktail.
- Make a YouTube video that gets over 1k views.
Start my book.Win at least 1 trivia night.This one was totally out of the blue, but glad it happened the way it did. We won the poolside Hollywood Trivia on our family vacation in Mexico. Go Team Guacamole!Write 30 handwritten letters.This has also been one of my favorite ones to check off the list and I’m planning to set a goal for myself to write letters every year!- Take a dance class.
Go to a movie solo.I went to see Crazy, Rich Asians (which was THE BEST) and it was so liberating to go to a movie solo. I also happened to be the only person in the theater, so it was extra solo! Ha!
Ride 300 miles.Maybe this one didn’t take as along as anticipated, but it’s still checked off the list and I’m proud!- Dye my hair pink. Again, something I’ve always wanted to do. It could just be a few strands, and it could wash out after a day. Either way, I think 29 is the best time to do it.
- Do 5 things that scare me. (1. Leave my comfort zone job of 6.5 years. Trust me – it’s scary. 2. Ride a snowmobile)
- Give an amount of money that is significant to me and is significant to someone in need, but do it in such a way no one would ever know it was me who gave it and expect nothing in return.
Travel to a state I’ve never been to.This one actually happened without me even realizing it. I thought I’d been to North Carolina, but hadn’t – and now I’ve been twice for work this year. Check!
Take a personal day, for no reason at all.Challenge myself with a new hobby.I didn’t realize it at first, but this is totally the Peloton! Since I didn’t grow up in sports or really sticking with an exercise routine, riding consistently has been a huge challenge for me and totally feels like a new hobby! We even chose to ride while on vacation – something I never thought I’d do, ha!See someone in concert I’ve been dying to see.- Find an artist whose perspective of the world I appreciate and buy a piece of his or her work.
Take a spontaneous trip.Someone could probably fight me on this, but it’s my blog so I’ll do what I want – our NYC trip was totally spontaneous for me. No, it wasn’t a pick-up-and-go trip, but our friend Mark called, said he was having his 30th birthday party in NYC and did we want to go? I never turn down a trip to New York, so we said yes, but not planning something like that several months out is my kind of spontaneity!!Plan a huge 30th birthday bash.The planning has begun for a week-long birthday celebration, obviously.
BONUS: Read 30 books. (24 complete!)
xo xo
life lately
[enjoying this || much needed girls night]
[feeling proud about this || hit my 100 peloton rides!
next goal: 150 for my live ride in NYC in Dec.]
[loving this || lots of cozy reading by the fire with poodle snuggles]
[laughing at this || gridiron show with the family
also, eating this amazing smokey and the (gouda) bandit pizza before starting my no-cheese 30 day challenge]
[watching this || adorable show at the Walton Arts Center with the best people]
[dressing up for this || H A L L O W E E N P A R T Y !
post malone + the Gump family]
xo xo
m.davis xoxo 