Search Results

These cookies are my go to for just about any occasion! Moving? Heres some cookies. Birthday? Cookies. Pot luck? These cookies! They are really pretty simple and this recipe yields about 24 cookies. Make the dough, refrigerate it and bake when you are ready to fill your house with the smell of warm cookies. Omit the coconut if you want, switch the chips up for dark chocolate or even peanut butter! Pro tip: once your cookies come out of the oven, top with more chocolate chips for them to look picture perfect! Hope you enjoy this recipe and find these cookies to fill your home with warmth and your belly with happiness! xx. k

Our calendar has been so full as of late. With raising Callan, enjoying the season, prepping our home for a wedding and everything in between it has been a bit chaotic to say the least. Sleep has not been abundant lately and I feel as if I am taking 2 steps forward and 5 steps back with a to-do list that never ends. Buuuut with all that being said, I am feeling extremely grateful for such a full plate and the ability to do all that we are given. Thats the thing, shifting my perspective to "I get to do these things" vs. "I have so much to do and I cant catch up" really keeps me grounded in the fact that my never ending to-do list is full of beautiful things that I get to do. Things I used to pray for, projects people want me to handle.. it is all truly a blessing even through these long tired days. So in order for me to still function through this chaos, I must embrace it and take it on for what it is. Therefor I continue each day to celebrate and live.. starting with these cookies! I have now made this recipe 2 times in the past week! Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies You can find this recipe here. They make about 24 cookies - a perfect amount to take half the batch to your neighbors! We have been working so hard on our backyard to prepare for the wedding we are hosting next month... We poured concrete pavers for a fun patio and while the concrete was wet we decided to freeze this moment in time with Callan's feet! Our wine down weekend looked a little different this year with our newest little addition in tow. We ran off to our favorite local wineries to enjoy some wine and wind down summer. Read about our annual "wine down weekend" tradition here! The evenings have been cooling off and we have been enjoying all the moments we can out by the pool before we close it. Over labor day we took advantage of the sales and purchased a solo stove. Honey Crisp apples are in season! We finished off the week with a trip to Lynds Fruit Farm right down the road from us to pick some apples! I love all these sweet traditions we have started this year and I am excited to see how it evolves over the years!

sometimes things wont make sense and thats totally okay because God is still in control and is working all things for good, trust in his character and his timing Hi. Happy September! A new season is on the horizon. Summer has officially worn its welcome with me. I am full on fall mode now that the nights are a bit crisp and the pumpkin patch is on the verge of opening. Fall is one of my favorite seasons yet typically seems so short lived. Although I am a huge advocate of trying to live in the moment and take each day as it comes, I am also a huge planner which puts me in a tough spot most creative days. Its the balance of knowing I am right where I need to be but being excited for the next thing. Typically in this small "season" of in between, the waiting, I can feel anxious and restless and things dont make sense. I have an urge to be here one moment and there the next. I stumbled upon the quote I picked for September and found it to be fitting. I know we all can feel pressure to feel the next thing, get excited for the next season .. that hasn't even arrived, and completely miss out on the last moments of the season you are in. #guilty. So, even though half way through this month a new season begins (which to many might not make a difference but I live by the seasons - new goals, switch up in decor and wardrobe, a total change up) * read about my seasons here. I am going to try something new, the first half of the month I am living in summer and holding on to the last days, the last half, once Fall officially beings, I will allow myself to shift into a new season. Trusting God's timing, knowing that with each day, each season we are in, he is doing all things for good. Things to celebrate this month: 6 Labor Day 22 First Day of Fall Just for fun: 5 National Cheese Pizza Day 13 International chocolate day 16 National Guacamole Day 18 Oktoberfest 29 National Coffee Day Local: Wine down weekend Blue Barn Mum sale Apple Picking Pumpkin Patch opens This is what my September agenda looks like... First half *summer* - Labor Day cookout pool party - picnic at the park - wine down weekend *see previous posts here* this year will look a little different but we will still celebrate! - football kick off - work on office makeover - finish outdoor projects *hopefully* Second half *fall* - repot all of my house plants and give them a good fertilize - deep clean the house - pull out halloween and fall decor - go to the pumpkin patch - make a spiked cider - family photos to prepare for holiday card Inspo for the month September is a fickle month, a toss between the end of summer and beginning of fall. I love the mix of the two seasons colliding. Enjoy being in this very moment friends, what is to come will come. xx. k

We are halfway through August which really feels like summer is coming to a close. I have taken a pause to really appreciate this last bit of season we are in. With such a change in our life the last couple of months it has been hard for me to slow down and soak in these moments. I have decided to really be present and focus on more mindful moments. This time will pass and I will never get it back . . I am in drenched in baby love and lack of sleep but I wouldn't trade this time for anything. No matter how sleepy I am, I know I will miss these days. August sunsets are always the prettiest We started a new tradition of going to the sunflower patch I did a little modeling for R.Riveter's 10 year Anniversary coming up We finished up and closed on Gibson finally! A little before shot And after... We always break bread at each renovation once we have completed. We take this time to thank God for the opportunity and to pray in the home for the new owners. And finally we celebrated Callan turning 3 months! Time really has flown by. I have been more intentional with my time, knowing when to slow down and rest and when to be busy and create memories. This has allowed me to really soak in these days and fill them with more mindful moments, what I will cherish most! I hope your August has been beautiful and as it comes to an end, I hope you too have many mindful moments. xx, k.

breathing dreams like air Hi. It's August. August is like the Sunday of Summer The "back to school" month. No matter where you are in life, school age kids or not, this month always has that fleeting summer feeling which sometimes makes you want to either relax and soak in the sun or celebrate and hold on that much longer. For me, it's a bit of half and half! This month is never too eventful considering there aren't any holidays. The days are long and hot so I spend most August days in and near the pool. I gear up for the Pataskala Street Fair. Last year it didn't happen because of covid but this year it is on! Since we live on Main Street the parade goes right in front of our house which is always such a treat and the perfect gathering spot. We have a big party and invite people over for bloody Marys, a cookout and pool time after the parade! But once that is over the rest of August falls back into a very sleepy, relaxed, over sunned couple of weeks. Just for fun: 4 National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day 10 National Lazy Day Local: Street Fair My August Agenda.. - street fair party - work on decluttering my closet and focusing on more of an intentional wardrobe - plan for Halloween costumes - plan for our Fall family photos - work on getting out to go for a run once a week - close on our investment property! - plan for our next venture - go to the Winery - check out the Cidery - house goals: pergola, back & side porticos - work on wedding design for upcoming wedding at our house! Inspo for the month As summer starts to wind down and the golden sky turns more pink this time reminds me of change, a new season is upon us. Soak in the last bit of this season and where I am now. August slipped away like a bottle of wine . . xx. k

As we have settled into the long sun drenched summer days I have a new appreciation for slowing down and enjoying these moments. Ive been working on truly elevating everyday. Taking each day as it is. Starting my morning with gratitude and prayer really elevates my day to begin with. I get up and move my body, enjoy nature and how it feeds my soul. As much as I enjoy my work online it has been so important for me to shut it down and do work with my hands. Whether that be gardening, cooking, painting... just getting creative and a bit messy. We have been trying to enjoy being outside as much as possible Picnics by the pool I have been loving baby wearing and this Solly baby wrap! #ProjectonGibson update We are in contract! We didn't even have to list the property which made this process and finishing up really smooth. We are almost done which means I will post about the entire thing soon! More baby wearing and park walks! Slow Saturday mornings We had a photoshoot at our house for the Holiday Winter Collection for R.Riveter Handbags! I finally started in on the playroom project! Starting with these stripes! I decided to do horizontal and vertical! The Vertical stripes wrap two walls with only 14 gray stripes - I chose this to hide a sentimental element in the design. The 14th is our anniversary so I left it at that. I clipped some babys breath from our backyard, I love how organic it looks! We finally started in on our backyard project - starting with digging out these checkers for a unique patio space! aaannnndddd finally... I worked on this watercolor mural for the playroom. I love how this project had no rhyme or reason and I could just get creative with it. It is definitely different and a lot of fun for this space, now to merge the stripes and mural together for a really unique playroom! As much as I have sloooowed down to enjoy these days I have also been very motivated to create and get back to designing! It's all about balance and that is something I have been finding to be very sweet. enjoy your summer sweet friends. xx. k

Where has the year gone? I always know that once the Fourth of July rolls around half of the year is over and we only have half left! I love the Fourth of July. We have a pool so it makes celebrating and hosting so much fun! Brandon and I have always enjoyed hosting and being the absolute most with it! Now that we have a baby, not like he will remember this year, we really want to make the effort to put real traditions in place. This includes going all out, its what we know best. Being intentional with our time and celebrations is something we want to show our son. To grow up excited about holidays and celebrations and to know how to really have fun with it! Life is short, you might as well celebrate it. So, this year I really stepped it up with the decorations, which has been so much fun to do. To be able to get creative and go all out totally fills my cup. We made a spread of food and invited over friends and family to enjoy and celebrate our freedom! Brandon woke up at 3am to start smoking some pork for the pulled pork sandwiches! We topped them with our coleslaw On the side was my pasta salad Chips of course Then for dessert I made these Honey Lemon Blueberry cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Icing. And of course Brandon made 3 different ice creams, Vanilla, Blueberry and Strawberry. See the theme there? It is so much fun for us to host and create these memories. We love being able to cook and serve for others. Hope everyone had a fun and safe Fourth of July and remembered the true reason we celebrate! Thank you to all who has served for our freedom! xx. k

may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears Hi. I cannot believe we have made it half way through 2021. I also still cannot believe I am a mom. What a beautiful half of a year it has been. One of my favorite things to do is take time to really reflect, reflect on the last 6 months and where I am in this very moment. I opened my computer today and my inbox dinged with a new email from myself. Every once in a while I send myself emails and I always do for the half way point of the year so I can check in on what I have or have not accomplished in my life and goals. I use futureme.org to send myself emails to my inbox for the future. This really helps keep me on track and push me to do better. It is so important you take a moment to evaluate yourself. Are you happy? Are accomplishing your goals? Hence this months quote, may your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears I am letting that be my motto for this next letter I write myself to set the tone of the last half of 2021. I want all of my choices to be centered in God and to be of hope, not allow my fear to take control. Fear keeps you stagnate, hope allows you to grow. I always want to be growing, not only for myself but for my husband and son and for the reason I am here on this earth, to help others. Things to celebrate this month: 4 Independence Day Just for fun: 6 National Fried Chicken Day 14 National Mac + Cheese Day 18 National Ice Cream Day *ok a big LOL at the "just for fun" celebrations this month because you know.. it is still swim suit season! Now that we have settled into a routine for this month milestone with Callan I feel a bit more ambitious to get back to myself. I now am cleared to work out again, my time for "maternity" leave is up and I have settled into this motherhood role pretty comfortably. Which feels great because ironically this is the month I typically check in with myself and shift for the rest of the year. My July agenda is a bit more intense than the last but with each month I am still giving myself an abundant amount of grace when it comes to actually accomplishing these things. I am enjoying these slow summer days still and keeping a perspective of this time I will not get back. Prioritizing my agenda is important for me to continue to be mentally healthy and show up for my husband and son! So here is what is on my July agenda.. - slowly get back to work and figure out what that looks like - celebrate the fourth with a big pool party - make fried chicken - use Brandon's Father's Day gift and make ice cream for family and friends! - plan + schedule vacation - prep for the months ahead / I like to take each month and really set myself up for success by brainstorming plans and ideas! - check in with myself, write a letter for the last half of the year, set new goals - officially list Gibson - christmas photoshoot at our house - finish the office/ playroom makeover *potential DIY project* - get a start on the exterior plans in preparation for a fall wedding we are hosting! *some goals I am setting for myself - - be able to get back to running, even if its slow and short - rebrand and really figure out career moves - practice morning gratitude - chisel out time for me Inspo for the month With the most breathtaking golden hours the year has, I am feeling so inspired by these warm tones. I am also completely yearning to get to the beach and sink my toes in the sand and ocean foam. Til then, I am here in Ohio soaking up the sweet coo's of my month old baby dreaming about his first trip to the beach! Food for thought: these are the days you used to pray about. They are here now, live it, enjoy it, even amongst the chaos! xx. k

live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink in the wild air The time has come to welcome a new season, summer. From June 20 through September 22 we celebrate 91 days of summer. This season is full of long sun drenched days, messy wind blown hair, tan lines and bbq's. A whole lot of country music, cold beer and ice cream runs. Late front porch sitting, top off the jeep driving and mid day dips in the pool. Summer, you are one of my favorites. Full of adventure, this is where life happens! This is my first "a new season" post of the series, seasons. Read about seasons here. So here is your little inspo guide to Summer and how to really embrace this season for what it is and all that it offers! I encourage you to make your own summer "to do" list full of fun summer activities! Here is just a small glimpse into some of the things we hope to do in the next 91 days! Currently listening to my country playlist 1. sunglasses 2. sandals 3. perfume 4. hat 5. shorts 6. swimsuit 7. shirt 8. sunscreen 9. book 10. purse 11. lipstick 12. rosé These sunglasses are perfect for summer because they are affordable and polarized. Smell is the #1 trigger to memory and like I talked about in my post here, I switch up my perfume with the seasons. Summer welcomes Acqua di Gioia, this scent just reminds me of summer and sets me into summer mode and gears up my memory for all that I love about summer! This hat is what I always grab when we take jeep rides with the top off and when I am laying out by the pool. Its classic and affordable. I am a total denim short girl all summer long so to have a tried and true is important for me, I love how these fit over my new mom belly and how they are still long enough to cover my bum. Ok this book, if you havent already heard about the Netflix movie coming out about it, watch the trailer! And then do yourself a favor and pick up the book and read it next time you are poolside. I love having a good summer book and this one doesnt disappoint. Another book I love which I read last summer was Where the Crawdads Sing.. I also heard a movie was coming out about that too and I am anxiously awaiting that! This purse has become my go to favorite! It is small yet big enough to hold my essentials, I love the skinny strap and being able to wear it cross body. The print is perfect for summer! One of my favorite red wines is the Cloudline Pinot Noir and they just recently came out with their Rosé and I love it! I haven't been able to find it at Kroger yet but if you are local take a drive to 1837 Wine & Spirits Emporium in New Albany, they have an amazing selection. Here are a few of my favorite summer go - to recipes. I have so many more new recipes I want to try and will add to the cookbook if they are winners! A few of my favorite things about summer are... - dining al fresco - farmers markets - evening swims - post sun naps - driving with the doors off the jeep - bare feet - cookouts - thunderstorms - ice cream - sunsets - front porch rocking with the string lights on - tan lines Summer, I love you. Here is to a new season, 91 days of fun, sunshine and adventure! I hope you also have a great season full of fun and new memories! xx. k

This dump of photos looks a lot different than the last. A little extra special love is sprinkled into most of these photos and I am so happy about it. My camera roll has been very full as of late .. all I do is take photos because I never want to miss these moments. Currently listening to this playlist Sipping on water.. more like chugging out of my hospital cup still! Snacking on these protein bites Peony season, it has come and gone too quickly Enjoyed having giant fresh bouquets in every single room. I love the fragrance they give off and the pillowy full blooms. If only they lasted all year long! #ProjectOnGibson update! The floors have been installed and let me tell you, these are so good! They are durable and you cannot beat the price. Here is the link! When life gives you strawberries... Make strawberry ice cream! For Father's Day I got Brandon an ice cream maker (he has been wanting for a while!) and the first ice cream we made was with these fresh strawberries. It was so good! We have so many flavors we want to try out! Speaking of Father's Day.. we made his dad's favorite ice cream, banana, and made our own custom labels to give as a gift! Here are the disposable containers, they are the perfect personal size (think ben and jerry style size). I made the labels on Canva and printed them on label sticker paper! Soaking up all the baby snuggles and sunshine! The weather has been hot but there has been a few mornings and evenings we are able to spend on the front porch rocking and loving on this sweet boy. This ring! Brandon surprised me with this sweet ring from GLDN It is the slim signet ring with a C on it for Callan. I love that I can add more and stack with each kiddo we have. Just a sweet little something I can wear everyday that is completely timeless! A few photos we snapped that I will cherish forever! We are drowning in baby love over here, lack of sleep but a lot of love! These days are long but oh so sweet, a time I will always cherish! We are moving into a new season, summer, with a new outlook on life and very full hearts. xx. k

a birth story raw, real & unedited. The weeks leading up to the birth of our son were less than ideal. Waiting was killing me. I was so bored and began to become really uncomfortable. A lot of opinions rolled in telling me to enjoy this time and how tired I will be after. But I am tired now. I would rather be tired with my baby in my arms. I was so ready to get this show on the road. Well, his due date came and went and every passing day I had at least 5 people asking me if I was still pregnant. I started to become annoyed. No news is no news people. The constant asking was just a reminder that I am in fact still pregnant and now becoming increasingly impatient. I was so over being pregnant my doctor asked me if I wanted to schedule an induction, without hesitation I said yes. But then as the time passed I felt guilt, I felt remorse. Is this how I really want it to go? I had this vision, expectation if you will, of going into labor and rushing off to the hospital. I was so done with this pregnancy and I was beyond ready to meet him and become his mom but I also so badly wanted my body to do its thing. It's was a confusing feeling between wanting it to happen and wanting to trust God's timing and my body. I started to feel very scared of the induction, what if my body and my son aren't ready? What if I am selfishly making this happen when it isn't supposed to? I was shutting down. I stopped responding to text and calls from people, I even didn't want to talk to my husband. I was really in a battle with my own mind. My idea and plan is not going the way I want, but I am the one who said yes to the induction? I spent the last week leading up to the induction completely out of my mind bored and frustrated. Frustrated with myself and my body, hoping it would just kick itsself into gear. Frustrated that I was letting myself behave this way and not try to enjoy this time. It was a really challenging week for me. I didn't like knowing that if he didn't come on his own, that meant Friday at 9 am May 28th I was going in to have him. I hated knowing that. And for someone who loves to plan and have control this completely threw me. I didn't want to already know his birthday, I didn't want to be prepared. It gave me more time to over think and stress. I know I was being hard on myself and I was flooded with emotions. For having a really easy pregnancy this last 2 weeks was something I did not enjoy. So I prayed. I prayed for patience and strength through this waiting time. I prayed for peace in trusting God's timing and plan. Thanked God countlessly for even being able to experience pregnancy all together. I had a few good cries and on Tuesday night May 25th I had a chocolate milkshake and watched The Worst Cooks in America with Brandon to cheer me up before bed. 10pm we turn off the lights and not even 5 minutes of closing my eyes I had a shooting pain and thought, can this be? I didn't want to get my hopes up but they kept coming. I opened my app to track them and they were consistently 5 minutes apart and about a minute long. I woke Brandon up from only about 15 minutes of sleep and told him to get ready, I think its time! By 11pm we were headed to the hospital. God is so good. On May 26, 2021 at 2:18pm we welcomed our sweet baby boy, Callan Vance Galik. At 6 pounds 1 ounce and 19 inches long. Looking back on my time leading up to his arrival I am glad I went through a bit of discontentment. It made me realize just how blessed I am and the importance of truly trusting in God. His timing is perfect, better than I could ever plan for. I appreciate the growth of gaining more patience and letting go of my own control and expectations. As I write this post we have spent 2 incredibly sweet weeks with Callan. Becoming a mom is completely life changing. Brandon and I feel so grateful for this boy and our family. He truly is a blessing and a daily reminder of God's love. We have the happiest baby and are soaking up every bit of this precious time. Thank you for all of the warmest wishes. xx. k

With breastfeeding I try to keep my calories up with great snacks that have lactation properties and protein. I came across these before I had Callan and made a batch. Brandon and I love them and we snacked on them up until I delivered! No telling if these helped my milk supply come in but they sure are delicious. We always have these in the freezer for snacking and even when I am no longer breastfeeding I will love having these around. By that point I could probably omit the brewers yeast powder but the rest of the ingredients are great! They have a nice amount of sweetness and the perfect texture! A great pick me up especially when I am craving something sweet! Let me know if you make some or put your own twist on it! I thought about adding coconut flakes! Enjoy! xx. k