Where has the time gone?!

I forgot I had a blog?!
  

Most would think so since I haven't posted in months.

To be honest, I just hit a big rut & had too much change! 

Most would say... "That's the perfect reason to blog", but I didn't!

O well,  I'm not going to try to catch up...
I'm moving forward & going to make this a habit again!  

I have lots of fun things I want to share...

I'll leave you with one quick hint
as to what the next couple of post are going to be about.

Until next time...

How about a little... Modern Swank

In my non-existent blogging days (err. months), I have been meaning to tell you all about a little business venture I have been working on....

After we took our wonderful "Two Year Honeymoon" as we like to call it, I immediately found out that  "The Jenkins Architecture" I had been working for... for nearly 5 years was NO longer going to be!  Change of heart, midlife reassessment, whatever you would like to call the owner's decision to venture away from the design business...

I knew immediately that I wanted to start freelance designing.  Having been in the design field for nearly 10 years now, I have learned the projects that I LOVE to work on, and vise versa... the ones I hate.  My life needs a little creativity.  Let me take that back quickly... A LOT!  I have met many contacts along the way & know that with much effort, I CAN BE SUCCESSFUL!

The best part of this new gig is that I am now able to choose the five W's when it comes to my job.  Well maybe not all five... but the what, where, when, etc.  It's been wonderful so far!

So let me unofficially welcome you to Modern Swank Designs! 

(Click link above to visit shop & bookmark it for your next event)

I plan an official welcome once I get all the business plans in order, but for now a sneak peak at what I have been spending my time doing over the past couple of months.

 Not only am I doing design projects, I have also been doing a little event planning!  Would you like to see a sneak peak of one of my most recent jobs?!

 

In my next post, I will give you the back story on this beautiful bride & her awesome groom!

Three Months!

Holy Banana Balls!

Three months...

Have really passed since I last posted. 

Shame, Shame on me!

I was reminded by one of my *IRL. Women's Retreaters...

That a couple of people used to read my blog.

Yep.
Probably not anymore.

I have NO excuses.  I have just been flat out busy.  

Too many other things piled higher on the plate than my blog.  

O well.  Life will go on.

My blog's not the only thing lacking attention.  

Check out my flippin' office.

Yep.  

This is where my husband and I are supposed to be productive....

Mmm. daily.  Oh, Contraire!

You see, this room used to be just a little cluttered.  

One day, I had had enough... I thought!

I decided it would be a swell idea to sell all the furniture in our house.  

I will save those details for another post, ahem.  

This included, but is not limited to
In our office alone....

~ Selling all the book cases
that used to hold those trendy storage boxes

~ Buying for some unknown reason.... 

   15 large green Tupperware boxes
to store the 100's of books & ish in.  

~ Selling the Guest beds that slept three bodies in this room.

~ My husband's anciently old gold "Man Chair".  

   The chair he has worked in...
pajama's, morning hair and all for 4 years.

~ O and I must have sold my sanity too!

What on earth was I thinking?!
(I still do not regret the exciting change though)

Now we are left with a large mess 

Oh & the green lawn chair he is working from each day.  

Comfortable, right?

On a serious note...

This room resembles how I feel our life has been the last several months.

(Not complaining!  Just stating the facts).

Utterly Chaotic & Out of Control!

We are however making headway.

  Things have to get worse before better right?

We have experienced the worst I hope, ha.

In the next couple of weeks...

~ We will have finished painting the trim,
In this newly painted Tennessee Orange room.

~ We will have a new wall of built-in cabinetry
to hold our office supplies

(temporarily stashed in Tupperware boxes).

~ The fantabulous new hounds tooth glider
For my husband to work in daily... will have arrived.

~ We will have refurb'd a new chest of drawers
to match the new design scheme

Walah! 

Before we know it,
this room will be back in tip top shape
& ready for business!

Just as this room will continue to shape up...
So will the other aspects of our chaotic lives :).

In the meantime, I will try to better keep you posted!

Ps.  I will also take time to switch camera lens' 

So that you can get a better glimpse at the room
& not just a fixed 50 view.

Seriously, with the look of this room...
and the story behind it. 

I didn't need to waste my time doing that this morning!

Appropriate Title? Life Goes On...

SO much has happened since I last posted.. 

I don't even know where to begin.  

I am slowly but surely going to get back to making blogger

a daily accomplishment... on my on going to-do list!  

MckMama's  "Stream of Consciousness" style 

would be the best way to fill you in on all... 

Well, some of the changes that have taken place in 

the Laney lifestyle over the past 4 months.

We celebrated my Mom's 60th Birthday, Easter, &
Hannah Grace & Zachary's Birthdays.  

Our good friend Chubbs married Meagan
@ a beautiful ceremony in Charlotte.  

We attended with the best company, Josh & Cristina.

Oh, & Monty & Marlene.  We had wayyy too much fun! 

My husband won the Hooter's golf tournament at Rock Barn... j/k.  

He did play though, does that count?

We saw several concerts...
Jimmy Hendrix Tribute & Alice in Chains were two.

April rolled around & we prepared for
our "2yearhoneymoon" to France.  

I had more office work to do that month than I wanted to do in a year
(but life goes on & I did it). 

A small volcano erupted in Iceland that jeopardized our trip... 

& then a bigger one didn't ever blow.  T.T.L.

We went to another wedding & visited friends in  Greenville.

We boarded a plane & flew across the seas...

We had shitty craptastic weather the whole time we were in Pari'

My North Face jacket caught on fire & I cried.  

We celebrated my 26th Birthday... I got a Longchamp & a Swatch, 

both of which made me smile!

We went back to work 2 weeks later & my boss had a change in heart.
Closing his company & changing careers. Fabulous! 
Perfect timing, you know.. Suddenly,
after taking a LARGE financial splurging trip & all...

I was jobless! Sheesh.

& pissed, and all the other words in the between.

On a good note:  I bought my computer from my boss...
for CHEAP.

So Now I CAN BLOG!
Yes...

& Life goes on!

I paid a lot of money to register for my licensing exam

& suddenly, I have all the time in the world to study.

Check back with me to see if I have used my time wisely... 

You know to actually study & not procrastinate.

 We went to the beach.  First with my mom & dad, 

then just me with mom & dad, 

then just mom & dad,

next whole family + children with mom & dad.

Laney loves the dog park.

She also loves to roll in the mud at the dog park.

& then hates getting the much needed bath afterwards!

I eat lunch with my husband almost everyday & I LOVE IT.

We went to another fab. friends wedding in Durham &

Caught up on the Flip Mode boys lives & their women.

I have inspiring lunch dates with friends & that is beyond refreshing.

We had a rockin' 4th of July party & the cops came... whoops

Laney loves to snuggle & really enjoys getting to sleep in
(with her mom until.. well too late in the day)

&  in case I forgot to mention...

 Life goes on!

My dad was in a "totaled" car accident, but thank goodness he is OK.

Sarah moved back to South Africa & I miss her.

My husband scraped his leg on frisbee golf & didn't cry.

We visited the town of Franklinton for the first time... I was not a fan.

& then had a mini massive panic attack.
(when Sarah sees this picture she might panic too, ha!)

But, as I said before "Life Goes On"!

& I am choosing to roll with the punches...

 & make the best of each day!

On a final note... 

I'm back to blogging, 

thanks for sticking around!