It feels like decades since I’ve sat down to write, reflect, and share anything beyond a quick Instagram post or recipe. The past year brought a lot of big change for me and in true introvert-fashion, I hibernated into myself, not really processing any of it while it was happening, and just muddled through what felt like a busy year. It wasn’t until actually writing about it month by month… Keep Reading
I think we’re all waiting for the clock to strike twelve on 1/01/2021 and find out that somehow this entire year has been a really long dream nightmare. The optimism that comes with a new year and a fresh slate is just as intoxicating as the champagne we’re clinking together to ring in the New Year, but as we all sober up we have to realize there’s still a very… Keep Reading
STRANGE TIMES. Life for everyone is getting a little bit weird, scary, and unsettling, but I’ve tried to remain as “calm” as I can. Job security for myself and others feels uncertain and I’m finding myself worrying about losing all that I’ve worked so hard for… which in full disclosure threw me into what felt like a panic attack today. All things considered.. I guess I’m doing pretty good if… Keep Reading
I finally did it! I mentioned a long time ago that I wanted to transition away from the name Tattooed Martha. That name felt like it was part of an old life and didn’t really encompass where I want to take the blog. I had several name ideas, but nothing really felt quite right so I held off on making any switches. Then this past fall we were having a… Keep Reading
The last three weeks in a nutshell: I officiated my 2nd wedding, turned the ripe age of thirty-one, went hiking through caves, started horseback riding lessons again, came down with a cold, and bought a new(er) car… oh and I’m kicking butt at work! 😉 It felt good to write all of that because I’m constantly feeling like I’m failing. But when I actually step back and look at my… Keep Reading
Photo by Raelyn Ramey Photography I kept feeling like somehow summer passed me by this year, but after writing this post and going through the hundreds of photos I took over the last 3 months, I realize I’ve just been incredibly busy! I actually feel like I really made the most of the free time I did have in between house projects and work. The one thing I was disappointed… Keep Reading
While it may sometimes seem like I’ve fallen off of the face of the Earth, I’m very much alive, kicking, and moving things along as best as I can. April and May seemed to blur together with a 70/30 split between work and family. Chris’s brother, Andrew, moved to Texas at the end of April so we made sure to get a lot of quality time in. Taco nights are… Keep Reading
I’m thinking that I need to up the Daily Life posts to two or three times a month because things have been changing quickly around here! We’re about a month into living in the new house now and I can honestly say that it truly feels like home (and as you see above, Punk feels the same). We had our first family dinner here on Sunday and it was really… Keep Reading
I had a whole list of posts that were supposed to get edited and scheduled for this past week, but after my closing on the 14th was delayed to the next day, and the next, and the next and a few blizzards in between, any idea of a schedule or To Do list kind of flew out the window. That’s okay though because…. I FINALLY BOUGHT A HOUSE!
Today is a really special day for me.. not because I’m overly patriotic and love celebrating President’s Day, but it’s because on this day 3 years ago I decided to get really honest with myself and with others. I had come to the realization that one chapter of my life was ending, but I had no idea what was ahead. I didn’t know where I’d be living in the next… Keep Reading
Goodness gracious.. how is it still January?! By this point I thought I would be writing, “I can’t believe it’s March!” but something about this month has just stretched on for an unnecessarily long time. Perhaps sliding my car into a ditch twice, the white knuckle drives home in the snow, and/or that I’m just two weeks away from hopefully/maybe/possibly/ CLOSING ON MY FIRST HOME! I’m waiting to hear back… Keep Reading
We’re a week into 2019 and things are already off to a great start. We took off this past weekend to get out of town and spend some time at a cabin with family and friends. It was a nice way to blow off some steam after a hectic holiday season and there were plenty of good meals, good laughs, and good times shared. The real highlight of the weekend… Keep Reading
Alright it’s the beginning of the end (of the year that is) and I’m ready to end it strong! I don’t know if it’s just the right culmination of stress, anger, energy, and determination, but I have this fire to make things happen right now. I’ve been creating more regular content, reviving my newsletter, and writing out some concrete plans on how to navigate from the life I’m currently living… Keep Reading
Hello November! Last month was full of travels, straight back to a full work schedule, and house shopping. If you followed along on Instagram you saw that I celebrated my 30th birthday in Paris, traveled through to the south of France, and then across Italy. It was my first trip abroad and we packed in A LOT over the course of 3 weeks. Friends and family keep asking me about… Keep Reading
I know the official start of fall isn’t for a few weeks, but in my mind it has already started and I’ll be the first to say BYEEEEE SUMMER! Don’t get me wrong, summer has it’s moments, but when you have a vacation planned for the fall, humidity is not your friend, and you’re basically a vampire and fry up like bacon anytime the sun hits your skin.. you kind… Keep Reading
Summer seems like a season where you get to kick back, work very little, and live a playful, stress-free life. My summer seems to have missed that memo and has been quite the opposite. I’m at one of those annoyingly frustrating, emotionally exhausting plateaus in my life. I don’t want to say it’s a downhill point because I’m generally happy, grateful, and optimistic for a lot of things in my… Keep Reading
I’ve been trying to spend as much time outdoors when the weather allows and Chris surprised me with a little nature date a few weeks ago. We checked out a state park we had never been to before and took Bella The Basset along for the adventure. We walked some trails and then ventured down to the Middle River Ford where you can drive across. I know that’s probably pretty… Keep Reading
I wanted to start the week out with a Daily Life post, not only to catch everyone up on the last several weeks, but to use this to hold myself accountable. I’ve been struggling with finding motivation and energy to focus on creative work, leaving me feeling even more burned out at my fulltime job. I want to get back to one of the very basic reasons of why I… Keep Reading
I think we’ve officially hit the point in winter where we are all ready for it to be over! When you can stay home and snuggle up with your favorite fat cat and a cup of tea it’s not too bad, but the reality is that I’m commuting in it every single day which makes for some white knuckle driving and me saying a lot of, “Oh shit oh shit… Keep Reading
I suppose it’s a little ironic that by the time I finally get around to having the courage and time to edit/publish a post about marriage, love, and divorce it happens to fall on Valentines Day. Happy Valentines Day.. let’s talk about love and heartache. I want to begin by explaining that most of what I’m sharing here was personal writing never meant to be read by others. It was… Keep Reading
Well Hello 2018 and all the lovely optimism that comes with you.. and all the frustration of changing “17” into “18” every time I write the date. My new year started out with celebrating my mother’s 60th birthday, which is odd to say because I still view her as a beautiful and young soul. And I promise I’m not trying to get daughter brownie points or anything. She’s truly an… Keep Reading
The past few months I’ve felt really guilty about not posting as often as I should. Typically on my days off I would get called in, had a ton of errands to catch up on, or things just wouldn’t go as planned, leaving me with no recipes and no content to share. Over the last few weeks I’ve been spending a lot of time reflecting about why I started a… Keep Reading
The last two weeks have brought a lot of change (good change), travel, and celebrations. I accepted a promotion at a new store, turned 29, and went on a week long 3,300 mile road trip through the southwest! I kept my birthday low key and spent it at home with my family and boyfriend. Later we went kayaking at sunset (I’d never gone before) and enjoyed a few beers on… Keep Reading
Oh Mylanta! I actually have a day off and a moment to write! I took a few weeks off from the blog at the beginning of this month while I was working extra hours at my full-time job before traveling and then of course a week off to enjoy said travels, so it’s nice to finally play some catch up. So let’s get to it! Any time the seasons change… Keep Reading