Monthly Archives: March 2012

Happy Weekend!

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Have a sweet weekend, y’all.  This week has flown by.  We are about to launch our first class in the prison system where my case studies will be taught, I’ve booked two trips, and I actually worked out three times!  Unfortunately I didn’t get to the laundry or to reorganizing my home office.  Ah, oh well.  Looking forward to planting some seeds in our garden and seeing friends this weekend.  Some weekend links:

Finally updated my ‘About’ section.

Have you discovered The Everygirl yet? I like what these Chicago bloggers are doing for young, career-driven women.

Do you love the arts? Are you in (or close to) Charlottesville?  You should attend this. I’m designing decor for the secret dinner Saturday night!

Tried this on at the store.  Completely obsessed. My love for long skirts will never go away.

An incubator for social entrepreneurs?  This is so cool.

Image

Spaces: Atelier

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Home office

Currently, I work for a professor, spending most of my time researching for a new business plan and writing case studies.  I don’t have an office, so oftentimes my local coffeeshop becomes just that.  I tend to love being able to walk through my quaint Charlottesville neighborhood to a locally owned cafe, sit on a bar stool, and zone into my work amidst the bustle of morning coffee drinkers and the handful of other regulars.

But sometimes when I am working on a more creative project or when I want to really dig in to writing fiction, I crave a space of my own to spread out my stuff and my thoughts.  I have half transformed our sunroom into my office, meaning I moved the furniture around so my desk would fit at the center of our large back window overlooking the magnolia, apple, peach, and fig trees.  The view is quite pretty for a suburban home pushed up against our neighbors, but the space itself is lackluster.  Here’s what’s inspiring me today – an artist’s workroom.

Home office

Home office

Home office

It’s funny how I am drawn to both whitewashed spaces and their darker alternatives.  I don’t seem to care for much in between.  I think a few things are key: natural light, fresh flowers, art on the walls.  I really love attic spaces too – there is something totally romantic about holing up in a small room all to oneself, exposed beams overhead, and a large window overlooking the countryside.

Workspaces: 1 source unknown (anyone know?), 2, 3, 4

Lately

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Gosh, where have I been?  Not blogging, obviously.  I’ve got some posts in the works, however, so stay tuned!

Here’s what I have been doing:

Hopefully, I’ll be back soon with more to say.  For now, go enjoy this gorgeous weather!

25 and it feels so good

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Mallory Butler

I’m 25 today.  Crazy, right?  Well, it seems crazy to me.  Do you remember when you were a kid and you’d imagine where you’d be at certain ages.  At 25, I thought I’d be climbing the ladder at some high power, highly glamorous job.  I thought I’d have all of my goals lined up neatly, checking them off one by one as if they were small errands on a to-do list.  I’d be married, we’d live in a cute little house in a big city just like the one my parents lived in when they were 25.  My life at 25 would be on a certain and stable trajectory toward success (and hopefully, fame; I did want to be a country singer, after all).  25 seemed so old, so mature.

And now, here it is: 25.  It has arrived quickly and without much fanfare.  A few things are true from the list of my childhood but more things are not.  I am not vying for a big promotion nor am I finding myself on a clear vocational path; in fact, my goals and, subsequently, jobs have changed and changed again.  We don’t live in a big city and, sadly, my country twang never quite developed properly.

And yet, I’m finding myself at 25 thankful, proud, hopeful.  I am married (and I truly won the lottery there), and we do live in a cute little house that is more and more becoming our home.  I am on some sort of meandering path to success; it has many detours and small alcoves for planting new gardens and breathing deeply.  There is room on it to find my footing and my voice.  The success part looks different as well: It’s much more colorful and a whole lot more self-made.  It involves working diligently for the good of others, putting in lots of extra hours to cultivate creativity, and sustaining the courage to make my own way.  So at 25, I can say I’m figuring it out.  With a whole lot of tenacity and hopefully even more humility.

Here’s to 25, y’all!  Thank you to all of you who have called, written, and made me feel loved today!  And special thank you to M.  I can’t wait for our surprise trip this weekend!  Birthdays are the best.

Image: Me as a child.  Pretty irrelevant but it makes me laugh every time.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

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Today is my mom’s birthday.  So in honor of her, a post.

In my dreams, we live next door to each other, somewhere in the woods with a lakefront view (and the lake would always be cold and refreshing, our favorite).  I think you know where I’m talking about.  Every morning, we rise with the sun and meet up on your deck.  I bring the coffee and you provide the ambling garden setting in full bloom.  Have I mentioned it’s always summer? It is.  But not too hot; we know you hate that. We prop our feet up and listen to the water rise and fall.  We talk about Dad and Michael, about our prayers and what we should make for dinner that night. Mostly, we dream.  It’s our favorite thing to do.  We ramble on about big ideas and what we’d be doing if we weren’t doing what we are. Me: a writer in France. You: a chef and sommelier in France (I convince you to move to France with me).   We plant gardens and read literature and eat only the most decadent foods.  You teach me the names of flowers and we take lots of long walks.  We fuel each other’s inspirations and leave the practicals for later for our husbands. Satisfied with the new lives ahead of us, we don our bathing suits and head for the rocky shore.  The water’s like ice, but when has that ever stopped us?

Sound good?  I’ll meet you there.

Happy birthday to the person I am most like in the world (and the person I hope I am most like in the world).

Need: A Nap

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Mallory Joyce

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday.  Some weeks, I feel so all over the place and my brain kind of turns to mush.  Whenever I have weeks like this, it always puts me into organize-overdrive.  Like, clean everything.  And make lots of lists. Problem is, I should probably just have regular habits of organization and cleaning in my normal routine.  And just like that, another list is born: Habits I Need to Form.  Y’all, I think I need a nap.

Do you have any special methods of organization?

Image via FFFFOUND

New Love: Michele Norris Art

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Art Inspiration

The colorful landscapes of artist Michele Norris are not exactly new to me, but I can’t help but post about my love for them.  A few years ago, I had the great pleasure of working for an art gallery which represented Michele.  Her pieces, with their bold brush strokes and dripping paint, speak to the movement and spirit of her land and seascapes.  As she herself writes, “The landscape moves beyond simply the illustration of an actual location and begins to symbolize thought, emotion and energy.”  One of these pieces (the one above) is especially meaningful to me: It hangs on my dining room wall.  This landscape spoke to me.  It looks just like a small field overlooking Lake Michigan in Door County, Wisconsin (my favorite place in the world, but that’s another post) where I have shared some of the most meaningful moments of my life.  I love this painting.  Isn’t it a gift how art brings life to an otherwise dull room (or dull moment for that matter)?  Please do check out Michele’s work if you have a moment.

art landscape

landscape artist

All images of Michele’s work from her website.

Moments: A Wife’s Gratitude

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Style blog

Dear Michael,

Thanks for taking care of me last week when I wasn’t feeling well (including that late night trip to Wendy’s for french fries, which, I admit, is indeed a strange craving when one is ill.  Also, thanks for knowing to get two orders of fries. You’re the best).  Thanks for always saying “yes” when I ask if I can leave the light on a bit longer so I can read before bed.  It’s nice to know you’re next to me, and I’ve finished some wonderful books.  Thanks for not saying anything about the pile of discarded clothes that I have allowed to grow to an obscene height on my side of the room.  I know it bothers you, and I promise to take care of that soon.  Thanks for encouraging me to take practical steps toward my goals.  The idealist in me is forever grateful.  And thanks for indulging that idealism.  It’s so good to know that you believe in me, that you will cheer on my ideas, and that I can trust you to bring me back down to earth.

I have a lot more to be thankful for, like how good you look in a pair of dark jeans or how your beignets are out of this world, but I think I’ll leave it at that for this week.  Glad you’re my best friend.

Yours,

Mal

PS – Go Heels!

Image of husband looking totally handsome by me

Happy Weekend!

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Style guide

Y’all, I am thankful it’s the weekend.  I’ve been struggling with some serious allergies for the past week, and I’m hoping some weekend rest will cure me.  March is my birthday month and though winter doesn’t technically end until after my birthday, I like to consider myself a spring baby.  So here’s to spring, my friends!

It’s going to be stormy here in Cville, but I’ve got plans to wear my new hot pink pants to inspire some sunshine in our weekend.  I can’t wait to bop around First Fridays and see our good friend, Matt Kleberg, at his solo show.  Check out his new work!

And now for some fun weekend links to put some spring in your step:

Are you as obsessed with those giant paper flowers from the Ruche lookbook as I am?  Learn how to DIY here!

To the point advice for making things happen via The 99 Percent.

We have a thing for good bourbon in our house… I wonder if this tastes as good as it sounds?

Absolutely loving this faux wedding by a local Charlottesville photographer (and friend!) Elisa B. via Snippet & Ink.

I moonlight at Anthropologie, and we got this amazing romper in this week.  (See above).  I’m obsessed. The styling of the March catalogue is also a big winner in my book. Are you a fan of rompers?  Jean rompers?  I think my husband will say no… but really, was the romper made to impress men?  I think not.  And I think not it will stop me from wearing it.

Hope your weekend is full of sunshine!