This post was originally supposed to be a regular 'ol DIY showing this fun statement wall that I've been working on. It, like the new concrete floor, is finally finished post flood! The lyrics are from the song "Baby, You're My Light" by Richard Hawley, which is one of Nate and my songs. And this is where the DIY post turns into a life update: Nate and I have decided to end our near 7 year relationship and the past couple of weeks have been the most intense and terrifying roller coaster ride I've ever been on. It was completely mutual and we both still love and care about each other infinitely. We just felt like we were no longer our best selves within our relationship and are better suited as friends (seriously, the best of friends- our bond is deep and something that we're not willing to just throw away.)
Nate and I met when I was 20 years old- I was a baby! It's kind of surreal to be on my own after so long. Part of me is extremely excited to find myself again and explore who I am as an individual. Part of me is also so so so scared. Nate is my rock- we've been by each other's sides through some pretty crazy life events. He's also the fun and social extrovert to my shy and internal introvert. I really need to learn to put myself out there again- it was so easy to hide behind him (and I mean that in a loving way not in a "he overshadowed me" way) because it just comes naturally for me to be more of a wallflower. But I'm ready to meet new people and re-connect with friends, go on adventures and explore life, and just be comfortable being me, solo.
It's pretty weird that my last relationship update on the blog was "Look! We're engaged!" This transition is going to be hard, but we've already been so much better together since the split- happier, lighter, more supportive of each other. It's so hard to explain and it is NOT logical (something that has been difficult for both of us to reconcile!) But it feels right and it feels like we've both learned so much from each other and from this experience. I'm so excited to see where both of us go in this world, and I know that having him by my side as a friend is going to be incredible. As for this statement wall, I'll be updating it again within the next couple of weeks because as much as I love him, single Courtney definitely doesn't need our sentimental song on the wall! It's an amazing song though- you should check it out if you haven't heard it and maybe shed a tear or two over how beautiful it is :) Thanks for letting me share- I'm excited to start sharing my adventures and new journey here! xx Courtney
A good friend of mine from childhood got married in Pennsylvania a couple of weeks ago, so Nate and I drove there with my family. We explored Philadelphia for a few hours (OH MY GOD Federal Donuts!!!) and had a total blast. Our first stop was the The Mütter Museum which was unbelievably cool. I respected their no photo rule and it was SO HARD. So many awesome anatomical specimens and skulls and the SOAP LADY. I would highly recommend that you visit if you haven't.
The town we stayed in was a bit quieter and so beautiful. It was close to Valley Forge so we went there the morning of the wedding. It was really interesting and fun to explore! The wedding itself was hands down one of the best I've ever been to. It was stunning and filled with so much love (and dancing! to an amazing band!)
It probably seems odd that Nate and I went on this vacation with my family even though we're not together, but it was honestly 100% a-okay! He moved out a week after we got back, and we've still been hanging out- I feel so lucky to have him as a friend. Plus, he totally puts up with me photographing him every 5 seconds which is pretty great :) xx Courtney
We shot a wedding video on Saturday and it was so much fun. The bride and groom were a blast and totally gorgeous. It was delightful to see people at their absolute best and happiest! We also met a lot of great contacts who we hope to get to know better as we enter into this new business. We also learned that while our dresses were super cute, it miiiiight be a better idea to wear more practical clothes to the next wedding we shoot! xx Courtney and Samantha
Ay yi yi! Life has been crazy lately. I can't believe that it has been three months since we've posted here! I had so many fun posts
lined up and then BAM! Life threw a flood straight at my face. Our
apartment is a basement apartment, so we got to deal with the
repercussions of a 26 year old water heater. On the bright side, we have
a sparkling new one which heats our water beautifully! On the down side
we had to completely tear up our wood laminate flooring because it
leaked underneath and unbeknown to us there were THREE (!!!) hidden
layers of ugly carpet from the 70's that were soaked and started to
mold. UGH. Luckily none of our furniture was ruined, and we decided to just keep the concrete floor. I'll be sure to post more on that later because OH BOY- sanding, cleaning and sealing a concrete floor on your own when you have no experience is HARD. Nate works a zillion hours a week so I did most of it solo. I'm in love with the finished result though which is all that matters! And it has pushed me to finally get our space to a place that feels almost finished and more...us. It's pretty great.
I babysat my niece, Drea, during the week for the past couple of months and it was so much fun! She's 18 months old, which is basically my favorite age ever. We went to Samantha's house for a photoshoot/playdate a couple of months ago and it was a blast to see her play with the girls. Zandros gave her a tour of their house (a very important part of the visit!) and they played with legos and ponies galore. Samantha's wildings are so cute and have grown SO MUCH SO QUICKLY. I'm loving getting to know them and their personalities as they get older. xx Courtney