Hi friends!
I know that there’s still a few days left in October… but I thought it would be fun to go ahead and recap some of the things that happened this past month. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for not skipping over Thanksgiving (bring on the taters!!) - but typically when the clock strikes midnight on Halloween it turns into a bit of a holiday frenzy - and being a small business, I want to get ahead! So, I hope that you don’t mind that this post is a few days early :) Like a lot of people, October is one of my absolute favorite months, and this one definitely did not disappoint.
I’m going to start with some life things and then get into the art! So if you’re only here for the art, scroll down a little bit :)
LIFE
First Date Reenactment
First, Curtis and I celebrated our first date anniversary! I know I know…a lot of people probably think that once you’re married you should only celebrate one anniversary.. but guess what.. we don’t care! Our first date was very special for us, and one can never celebrate too much in my humble opinion.
For those who don’t know, Curtis and I met on a dating app called Hinge - very romantic! I had just moved to the city after spending the summer in Europe, and I was living with my aunt and uncle :) Now you might think I was setting the bar low..but I had been on a *few* bad app dates in my 20s..and I was very impressed that Curtis had set a date, time, and place for our first date. In the world of ‘let’s grab a drink sometime’, we love a man with a plan! Because when is sometime!!! Little did I know that I would end up marrying someone who has to put everything on a google calendar. I mean everything. He even has a reminder to make the bed every morning.. but hey, it gets made!
I digress. Curtis asked me to meet him at Sparrow, a really cute eclectic Cuban cocktail lounge at 7pm on Friday, October 4, 2019. I remember I wore black pants and a white sweater, and I thought I was totally city girl chic - when thinking back on it, I probably looked more like a member of a junior high jazz band. He told me he was on the first table to the right when you walked in, so I confidently walked up to the first table on the right only to be greeted by a sweet little old couple. Oh no, I thought..it’s happening..I’ve been catfished by this old couple.. But just as I thought my dating app nightmares were coming true, I saw Curtis sitting at the bar waving me over. Apparently after he sat at the table, the host let him know that you could only order drinks at the bar, so you might as well sit at it - and he was “just getting ready to text me about the change”. Likely story!!
So anywho, that was the beginning. I know ‘love at first sight’ probably sounds super cheesy, but seeing Curtis for the first time was such a core memory that I will remember forever. Our conversation flowed, we laughed, we went to Lux Bar and took pickleback shots, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. And even though we don’t take pickleback shots anymore (woof) on October 4th, I’m still very grateful for our first date reenactments of going to Sparrow and Lux Bar, because I want to keep these memories alive forever.
Blog is Back
One thing that I’m most excited about this past month, is what’s happening right now! The Blog is Back! I’ve missed writing. It’s so fun. I might not always be grammatically correct and I might use way too many exclamation points..but it’s fun. To me, it feels very cozy and freeing. Honestly, I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I started again! We’re only a few weeks in, but I am so excited to see where it goes :)
Apple Orchard
Our friends asked us to go to Edwards Apple Orchard and y’all… this was like the Disney World of apple orchards! I wasn’t really sure what to expect because I’ve only been to pumpkin patches, I’ve never actually picked apples - but it was SO fun. And honestly..these were the BEST apples I’ve ever had. We had amazing apple cider donuts, and I got the cutest sherpa pumpkin from the gift shop! Which made me happy, because I had been eyeing something similar on Pottery Barn, so I was excited to find one from a local business. We brought home so many apples from the trip, and I made a really yummy apple crisp and decided to go crazy and put salted caramel on top.. I’m WILD!
Calligraphy Class
My friend Kylie and I have been talking about doing a Sip and Script calligraphy class, and this month it happened! I was soooo excited because my instagram friend Amanda from XO Art + Design was teaching it - we have been following each other for awhile and it was so fun to finally meet her in real life. This class was extra special because it was…SPOOKY THEMED! Amanda was such an amazing teacher and it was just such a fun, relaxed class. I would 100% check out Amanda for any calligraphy services you need (she did Kylie’s wedding envelopes and I still have mine saved because it’s so gorgeous!) or if you want to learn calligraphy for yourself - take one of her classes! It is always fun to learn something new.
Homecoming
I had not been back to my college town since 2016, so this year my friends and I decided it was time! Curtis and I drove down to Carbondale, and it was really fun to show him where I went to school. I had forgotten how pretty Southern Illinois is this time of year. It can be a strange feeling to go back to a place that used to consume your whole life, and now kinda feels at reach. Some things were exactly the same, and some things were different..it blows my mind that Pinch (the best college bar) isn’t there anymore, but now there’s a Culvers (we got custard twice)! So you win some, you lose some. I think there’s a word to describe the way it feels to go back somewhere..but I’m blanking on the word now - so let me know if you think of it. Anywho, I’m so glad we went because we were due for a good road trip, and I got to see some of my closest friends (and their babies!!). We also got to see my parents on the way there and back, which I’m always grateful for. GO DAWGS!
Family Birthdays
For the Reynolds fam, October is kinda like a mini Christmas - it’s my sister’s, grandma’s, uncle’s, and aunt’s birthday - so there is a lot to celebrate! Leo especially loves it because it means that we go out to Geneva to celebrate, and he loves my grandma’s yard more than anything. She also makes the best potato salad. We missed my sister though, but she is vacationing in Costa Rica - so I think she is doing okay. I already can’t wait until we will all be together this Christmas!
ART
Okay, now let’s move on to some exciting art things that happened!
My new Print Shop went live, and I could not be more excited about it! Would you call me overdramatic if I told you I got tears of joy when my first order came in? That’s okay, I’m used to it. But really! It’s so nice that everything is in house and I can make sure the prints are to my standards :)
I think my most random project this past month was the Mummy Bottles - but there’s something so satisfying about getting something out of your head and into real life. I also wrote a tutorial on how to make your own, which would be perfect for this upcoming weekend!
Custom Pet Mugs had a big comeback this month, and ended up being the top seller - who knew! They do make the cutest gifts :) I love drinking out of my Leo mug in the morning.
And finally, Custom Pet Ornaments are LIVE! I know I know, it’s not even Halloween - but these ornaments take time to paint, pack, and ship - so I wanted to offer them right away 💕 I love capturing your pet’s personality, and want to have time to make them extra special. Thank you to everyone who has already placed their order - I know it’s not always easy to shop small + shop early, so it truly means so much!
Oh, one more thing - I also added this festive FaLaLaLa Print to the shop :) I’m going to frame an 11x14 in a vintage gold frame for some colorful decor this year. And while I was at it, I made a FaLaLaLa Mug too.
Last minute addition: I also painted this pumpkin just for fun! I highly recommend pumpkin painting, because you can really do whatever you want :) This is such a creative time of year - I love seeing all of the costumes and crafts.
Okay, I think that is the bulk of all that happened this past month! If something truly groundbreaking happens over the next couple of days, I will be sure to come back to this post and add it. I am heading to my friends house tomorrow night for fall festivities - so who knows what could happen! Here are some random bullet points to close us out:
Current Favorite Recipe:
Creamy Tortellini Soup from Damn Delicious.
Current Favorite Song:
Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift, but really I’m obsessed with the whole Midnights album. I could write a whole post about it
What I’m currently watching:
Rewatching Gilmore Girls. I feel like SO many good shows are coming out in November.
Leo’s Highlight from the month:
Rolling in the dirt at grandma's right after getting groomed
What I’m looking forward to in November:
Painting all the ornaments
Adding more prints to the shop
Getting back into a good workout routine - I’m going to join ClassPass so I can try some new things out.
Going to our friends’ wedding in Chicago!
We’re going to Seattle for Thanksgiving! I’m SO excited. I’ve never been! Curtis’s sister (aka my sister!!) and her fiance just moved there, and we’re so excited to visit :) We’re also going WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING and looking at their venue!! Ah! It’s going to be so fun.
Wow, if you’ve made it this far - thank you!!! Sometimes my fingers just get to typing and I don’t realize how long it is until the end. I hope you enjoyed! I would love to hear what your favorite thing was about October, and what you’re looking forward to in November :)
Cheers!
Rachel