Archives for June 2017

On Taking Risks, Changing Careers, and Adjusting to a New Normal…

June 22, 2017 by megan 1 Comment

I haven’t often discussed my career on the blog. It hasn’t seemed relevant to what you all came here to read about…home design and our little married life. But, in case you were wondering, for the last six years I have worked in the music industry…as so many of us do in Nashville. I interned at a record label called Fair Trade the summer before my senior year at Belmont University (where I, ironically, studied vocal performance), and in a God-ordained right place, right time scenario, they hired me part time after my internship and eventually full time when I graduated. I started in the marketing department and was eventually able to move into a role as a radio promoter. It’s a little known fact that artists have people working for them at their record labels who build relationships with radio stations all over the country to try to convince them to play their songs. That was my job. I had the honor of working for and with people like MercyMe, The Newsboys, The Afters, Hawk Nelson, Phil Wickham, Laura Story, Citizen Way and a host of other artists (keep your ears peeled for the continued amazing careers of Micah Tyler and Jasmine Murray. Y’all rock.)

This job, which I never expected and yet somehow stumbled into, has been a wonderful, life shaping, and important part of my entire adult life thus far. I have worked there longer than I’ve been married and since before I even was engaged. In many ways, I grew up inside my cubicle at Fair Trade. I hardly even recognize the person I was when I started at the age of 20. Fair Trade is the kind of company where people stick around if they can. My boss is one of the kindest, quirkiest, and biggest hearted people I know. My coworkers are gems. The artists we work for are the real deal, and they’re impacting lives with their music.

My job has afforded me the opportunity to travel all over the country, meet amazing people, and learn invaluable skills about how to work hard, be professional, and care for people in the process. It has been a safe environment for me to try new things, make mistakes, and learn more about myself.

I have always known this was a dream job, but I’ve also known that it isn’t my forever job. I’ve been on a personal journey to figure out what my forever job might be, and the Lord has been shaping and molding my heart to show me what that new path will look like. All good things must at some point come to an end.

Honestly, the new path all started with this blog, although I didn’t know it at the time. When we bought our first house in 2013, the interest I’ve always had in decorating turned into a full blown passion. With our very limited budget and knowledge, we began fixing up that old ranch house, and I found an outlet for my lifelong love of writing in this little corner of the internet.

Eventually, a few friends began to ask for my help decorating their houses, and I realized that helping people decorate and design could be a pretty fun side hustle, so Jeremy and I started Peach and Pine in May of 2016 as a fun project to do together (and because I can hardly stand to ever sit still).

It didn’t take long for me to realize that I wanted to do interior design as a career. The idea of designing and decorating homes and working with clients for a living seemed almost too good to be true. I am so passionate about it. I have to force myself to take a break; interiors get me so excited!

‘The actual idea of leaving the stability of a salary and a good job to be self employed was initially terrifying and I really doubted it. But at the beginning of the year, Jeremy and I both felt very clearly that 2017 was my year to make a career change, take a risk, and do this. The timing was still hazy, but I knew I had to take a leap of faith knowing that the Lord would provide.

So over the last few months, I’ve hatched a plan to do this full time. I met an incredibly talented designer here in Franklin, TN named Anna Berry (check out her website here), and she offered to bring me onto her team to work with some of her clients as I start this new career. That alone is the biggest blessing, and I am so grateful for the chance to learn from one of the best and meet and work with amazing clients. I’m learning by immersion with furnishing projects, bathroom remodels, and more.

All that meant, however, that I had to say goodbye to the job that I have loved and that has loved me so well over the last six years. I broke the news to my boss and my coworkers, and they have graciously allowed me to transition out slowly over the last couple of months as I finished some projects and as they searched for my replacement (which means I’ve been working the equivalent of two full time jobs while renovating our house. I’m tired). But this week, my first real job is officially over.

I am writing this post as I transfer the last of my files on my work laptop to a thumb drive and clear it off for whoever will use the computer next. Strangely, the gravity of this life transition didn’t hit me until I moved the last folder onto the external drive and changed the wallpaper on the desktop to something generic. That little act signaled the end for me, and the tears flowed freely.

I am so grateful for what my job in the music industry has meant for me and for the things I’ve learned that are already coming with me into this new season. I’m also grateful my husband still works in the music industry so hopefully I’ll still see some of the people I know and love. I’m also happy to be exiting on a good note, and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has said encouraging words to me in this transition season.

‘And for those of you who knew nothing of my former career and therefore care very little about this announcement, the good news for you is that I will now have all kinds of new content for you! In fact, I have three client installs happening this week alone…so there will be lots to share in the coming weeks and months. Also, if you’re in middle Tennessee and need some help with your house, give me a call.

And in a final act of sentimentality, I wanted to share some photos of memories made over the last six years.

A Renovation Update

June 10, 2017 by megan 1 Comment

We have officially owned our new fixer upper for 11 weeks, and we have been working tirelessly to renovate. (For more photos from the start of the process, see here). This process has felt a little bit like drinking out of a firehouse. We have been living in our unfinished basement for 8 of those 11 weeks, and we have been without a functional kitchen during that time. It’s been trying, but we are making headway, and it’s so exciting to see my vision beginning to come to life!

As a reminder, here are a couple photos of where we started…

I want to update you on several parts of the process.

1. The Kitchen

We did a kitchen planning post here. There you will find all kinds of details about where we stand with this kitchen Reno. As of right now, we are about a week and a half to two weeks out from a fully functional kitchen.

What we have done:

– Rip out everything old
– Close up the existing patio door
– Install new drywall
– Wire new electrical
– Install cabinet frames
– almost finish painting the cabinet drawers and doors
– Build out the frame for the island
– Install a new beadboard ceiling
– Build out a new pantry
– Purchase all appliances
– Order our countertops (we chose Aurea Paragon Quartz)
– Installed pendant lighting and recessed lighting

What still needs to be done:
– Rework all plumbing
– Paint entire island blue
– Install cabinet drawers/doors and finish painting
– Find a sliding pantry door and install
– Install sink
– Install subway tile backsplash
– Paint ceiling and walls
– Finish trim
– Install appliances
– Build range hood cover

That list of things that still need to be done feels so doable! I can’t wait to have a functioning kitchen. I have grand plans for a beautiful, intimate and elaborate multi-course dinner party at the end of the summer.

2. The Living Room Ceiling

The biggest structural change we are tackling is the vaulting of our living room ceiling. This is the first big project we have ever hired out, and I have to say that it’s been amazing! I will do a detailed post on the process of working with our contractor, but it’s nice to come home at the end of the day and know that people have been there getting the job done. Here are a few photos of the progress!

3. The Floors

We did a detailed post about the process of doing the floors here. It was the hardest, most painstaking, least fun project we have ever done. But the payoff is huge! We love those floors so much. And we are done! Thank goodness.

4. The French Doors

In addition to the living room ceiling, our contractor put in French doors to our patio. They are installed if not yet trimmed out, and we love them!

5. Details, Details, Details

After the big things are done, we have lots of detail work to do. Trim, painting, finishing the dining room built-ins, etc. There are a lot of small projects yet to come, but I’m excited to be in the phase where that can really be our focus!

6. The Bathroom

I have no updates here. Although I have some fun ideas! For now, it still has ugly linoleum and weird painted countertops.

Bonus: The Basement (aka our living quarters for the last two months)

This deserves its own blogpost: how we survived living through our renovation. But for now, feast your eyes on the beauty that is basement/boxed in living! As I type this, we are still living down here. Yes, indeed. Oh the stories I could tell.

Progress is being made, y’all! It’s real–even if it feels SO SLOW! I can’t wait to have so many more photos to show. This is only going to get more fun from here.

Peach and Pine Travels: A Moment in Burgundy

June 3, 2017 by megan Leave a Comment

A successful trip isn’t determined solely by a well-appointed itinerary or significant sights. It is a collection of memorable moments strung together in a story. We take pictures so that we can revisit those memories, but sometimes that isn’t enough for me. I need to recount it with words so that I can record what it felt like to be in the moment–in full technicolor with all five senses. Hopefully my recounting will allow me to revisit that memory again and again.

Because my blog is about 60% helpful information and 40% self-indulgence (or perhaps that should be reversed), I am going to indulge myself for a few paragraphs as I relive a nearly perfect traveling moment in France. As a bonus, I hope that it persuades you that you ought to add traveling to your to-do list if it isn’t already there. (If you need more convincing, try this post, this post, and this post.)

Café Marlot // Chateau La Rochepot // France

I audibly exhale as I settle into the simple, modern black cafe chair and rest my travel-weary feet. Three O’Clock always feels like the perfect time for an afternoon coffee, so stumbling across a little cafe in an old stable near the entrance of the forest-wrapped Château seems serendipitous (and only when describing European travels do I feel like I can be as pretentious as to use a word like serendipitous…especially in reference to coffee).

I settle in for a break, and I am surrounded on either side of the round, white lacquer bistro table by my traveling companions — my sweet younger sister and my handsome husband. We are all slightly delirious with jetlag which seems to heighten our humor. We try not to annoy the composed French people sitting nearby us on the outdoor terrace as we laugh and reminisce about the day’s events.

Situated a few hours southeast of Paris, Burgundy is a quiet and picturesque region known for good food, better wine, and idyllic little villages. We wanted somewhere that wasn’t filled with American tourists, and the fact that we have only heard maybe one other native English speaker all day seems to confirm that we made a good choice.

Even though it is only mid-afternoon, we have already had a full day of Burgundian sensory overload. It started with a stroll through the bustling Saturday market in quaint but central Beaune. We sampled regional cheese and charcuterie from boisterous vendors who assumed we could understand their French sales pitches. We tried not to smell the Camembert cheese as we tasted it, but it’s difficult to separate the taste from the dirty laundry smell. We carefully counted Euros into the hands of a Boulanger in exchange for a perfectly browned, crusty loaf of French bread.

We selected a small cardboard carton of fresh strawberries and raved to each other about how perfectly juicy, sweet, and red each one was. It feels like it was the best batch of strawberries I’ve ever eaten, and I’m not sure if it really was exceptional or if the experience of eating a berry underneath the striped awning of a French market simply enhances the taste of anything.

I lingered in the booth lined with woven baskets and ran my fingers along the ribbons tied around their handles as I tried to convince myself I could fit one in my suitcase. I stopped at the flower booth to feel and smell every shape and color. I watched all the elderly patrons walking home with their baskets full of baguettes and thought how quintessentially French everything felt.

After a full schedule of market shopping, vineyard tours, wine tastings, and a beautiful drive under blue skies on the Route des Grands Crus, a cup of coffee is just the thing. We all hope to order an Americano or a similar beverage, but after staring at the mostly French menu for a few minutes in bewilderment and consulting our handy Rick Steves translation book, we all settle on something labeled “Long Coffee” and hope it will do the trick. We then debate out loud (after the waitress is comfortably out of earshot) what exactly could make a coffee “long.”

Once I have my lengthy coffee and classic white mug in hand, I can focus on the view. The air is warm enough to signal the end of Spring, but it is still crisp, so I keep my cardigan on over my sleeveless, black and white embroidered sundress. The birds are having animated conversation above our heads, and the wind rustles the leaves around on the trees and the forest floor.

Directly in front of our table, there is a gap in the crowd of dense, lush trees that allows us to see a rolling hill a few hundred yards away. Three white cows and a new Spring calf graze leisurely, completely unaware that their primary purpose in life is to be made into the most delicious Beouf Bourginion like the dish that our bed & breakfast host prepared for us last night.

To our left, the compact but stately Chateau de la Rochepot rises above the trees. The tile roof is patterned with burgundy, green, yellow and brown tones in the style so common in Medieval buildings in this region. Past a line of forest, the entrance to the drawbridge is visible. The castle reminds me of a cardboard pop-up castle that my sister played with as a little girl. The stereotypical moat around the stone wall and the round towers lining the outskirts are reminiscent of the medieval history studies I loved in elementary school.

As we look out on the 21st Century Burgundian countryside, it isn’t hard to imagine what it would have been like to walk up to this fortress on foot centuries prior. I conjure up romantic visions of knights in shining armor and damsels in distress, and I keep grabbing my husband’s and sister’s arms with emphasis and saying, “Just imagine what it would be like to be here in medieval times.”

I take small sips of my coffee to make it last longer so that I can savor this moment. The peacefulness of the scene stands in stark contrast to the hectic life I left back home. I needed this escape. I needed to remember that the world is much bigger than my seemingly endless list of responsibilities in everyday life. I needed to sit in this place and breathe in this air.