A Few Regular, Daily Sites
The past few months have taken me to Nashville, TN, High Point, NC and now Boston, MA. I rarely travel this much but the change in pace has been welcome and exciting! Eventually, though, it feels good to slow down and get back to a regular routine. These photos are just a few snapshots outside...
The Scoop… (what’s up with Hilary Inspired?)
Okay, folks. I realize that I’ve been throwing around a lot of coded language and veiled comments these past several months. For those of you who have the convenience of knowing me in person, you’ve probably already heard the news. But for the rest of you, I can only imagine your total confusion. Well, grab...
Breath of Fresh Air
I’m not exactly what you’d call a “numbers person”. I can work my way around a generous tip calculation, but let’s just say that my talents shine more brightly in other areas. Good thing. Because I’ve been desperately looking for an excuse to avoid adding up the days since I posted on this blog last....
It’s All About to Change!
I’m a lazy New Year’s Eve-er. I’d rather stay in with a fridge of tasty left-overs and self-serve drinks, a cozy blanket and my current favorite Netflix pick, my husband and my puppy. I don’t spend much time reflecting on the previous year and my new year’s resolutions typically consist of no more than a...
Flower Cooler of Ideas
My brain is a flower cooler of ideas right now. In the winter time of creativity (when a person is too busy with other things to do much of their own), a slew of ideas have been blossoming in my mind. They’re still not fully matured yet and the timing isn’t right. So, for now,...
Compensating
A rushed morning begun much later than usual. No time for breakfast much less coffee. Creative inspiration for dressing… zilch. Yep, it happens… often. You know, some days you’ve just got to dress for comfort. Oh, yeah. And some days despite all non-chalant efforts, the outfit still doesn’t work! Don’t be fooled by Sam’s excellent...
Coffee and Catching Up
At this quiet moment on Sunday evening before the hustle of another week begins, I’m thinking back to two weeks ago. David and I were on our Thanksgiving trip home to Tennessee, visiting family and catching up with good friends. We ate delicious food, took it easy, and gave thanks for our blessings. Life was...
Less Than 24 Hours in… Hot Springs
I fell asleep last night to sweet dreams of family, friends, and less than 24 hours in Hot Springs, AK. I believe I was smiling as I drifted off. All I could think about was how wonderful the past week has been! David and I returned to Fort Worth on Saturday after a heart-warming trip...
Off We Go…
So, what’s been putting me in such a rush recently? Among other things… Tonight, David and I are embarking on a much needed out-of-town trip. We’ll be flying home to Tennessee to gather with friends and family in the celebration of Thanksgiving. This couldn’t come soon enough!! All I can think about is hitting that...
Fall Staple… In a Rush
Ok, friends, I’m on the move and in a rush. Oh, you too? Perfect!! Then we’ll keep this brief. Here’s a look that is saving my “fashion life” these days. Black maxi dress + bag + scarf + boots = an easy combo of staples that you probably all have in your closets as we...
Life Balance
“Life Balance”… what do you think about this post title?! Are you peeked with curiosity? Dreading the tiresome topic? Eager to hear my possibly profound insight? Well, I hate to disappoint but my insight is neither profound nor complicated… just perhaps different from what you might expect. Here’s how I happened upon it… I’ve...
Just for You
Let me take you back to a moment in my life from this past week. Opportunity knocks I get super excited about a once-in-a-lifetime experience Adrenaline soars I gather my nerves Then find myself energized and utterly inspired Ideas bursting at the seams of my brain Tempted to tweet, post, ‘gram… anything!! Don’t… Instead, the...
Closet Spruce-up & Copious Giveaway
Congratulations Devin!!! You are the winner of this Copious giveaway! I’ll be emailing you shortly with details. This giveaway is now closed. If the saying goes that we all have skeletons in our closet, then mine are the ugliest kind because what’s inside isn’t pretty! Picture this (or, better yet, look at the photo...
Lately…
Lately I’ve been thinking and reflecting… blogging, blogging, blogging… planning… visiting lovely people… and working. It’s been great despite the challenge of the juggle that inevitably comes with a busy life. My posts have been a little less regular recently but for good reason. I have some really cool things coming down the pipeline! More...
A Day in the Life…
I’ve been working on a little side project for the blog that I am now prepared, whether wisely or not, to share with you all. Fear of perfection is the downfall of many a possible success, right? With that in mind, here goes. This is a short video of the many possible happenings from a...
Weekend Ritual
Guess where I’ll be again this weekend? You got it!! With David’s high school band at tonight’s football game. This is such a funny thing for me. You see, I was home schooled in high school and my brothers were more into wrestling and show choir than football and band. Sure, I’ve been around David long...
New Casual
Want in on a little secret? As much as I love dressing up, I’m usually dressed down. When you work from home as much as I do, it just makes sense! In fact, I’ll take this reveal even further and show you precisely what has become my everyday “uniform”. And this is the honest truth....
Meeting in the Middle
This overcast weather that I blogged about yesterday seems to be sticking around, which is quite alright with me. The temperatures have been held at bay at least for the time being and spending time outdoors has never been pleasanter! Despite the temptation for sluggish behavior, I’ve packed my week’s schedule so full of blog...
In Quiet Moments
My mind is rarely quiet. It’s constantly buzzing with the activity of upcoming tasks, growing to-do lists, beeping texts, junk emails, flooded calendars, nagging invoices, big projects, and so on and so forth until what seems like the end of time. As it turns out, my work is a huge distraction in my life! (ha!!)...
Weekend Cheers
Thankfully I can say that this week ended on a much better note than the last. A few highlights included the celebration of my sixth wedding anniversary on Sunday, the launch of an online resale store for my discarded clothes and accessories on Monday, and my participation in this month’s PULP Design Duel post with my...
Weekend Cheers
I don’t know about you but I’m ready to put this week to bed!! It’s been a tough one and I’d just as well leave it behind for the next. Here’s hoping it can only get better! Today is Friday, the temperatures in Fort Worth have dropped, and I plan on visiting the water gardens with...
Worn Out
The saying “when it rains, it pours” has never felt truer than it did this morning. After a frustrating lock-out incident at the beginning of the week followed by a necessary tune-up on Tuesday, a malfunctioning car battery early this morning, and now a blown-out tire shortly after that, I’m feeling a little worn down...
One In, One Out
I mentioned the mysterious reproductive nature of my flower vases in yesterday’s post. Yes, they (plus other mischievous household items) have a curious way of multiplying without my notice. My amateur florist-self believes everyone of these beauties (and there are many more) to be completely necessary – each one serving a unique and irreplaceable role....
Monday, Already?
Is it really… Monday, already? It seems like the weekend just flew by. Now, I’m sitting at my computer composing this post and already this morning I’ve been up and out of the house, to the other side of town, locked out of my car (ugh!), rescued by my prince in shining armor (thanks, sweety),...
Off Stage
As you may have noticed, things have been very quiet around here this past week! My time has been heavily committed to other happenings outside of this blog including my recent participation in a modern dance festival with Contemporary Dance / Fort Worth at The Modern over the weekend (artistically inspiring & a great evening out in Fort Worth). Other ”off...
Weekend Cheers
Sometimes simple things such as the time of year are enough to make a person happy. This week has been an unusual one, both in good and bad ways. A business trip, family loss, and out-of-town guests have been just a few of the things to occupy our time. It’s been what you might call...
Weekend Cheers
Surprise! Did you think I had disappeared? Left you for good? Some weeks are busier than others and the reality is, I can’t do it all in those situations. Sadly, that meant that you were left to yourselves this week, dear readers. But I wanted to pop in at the end to assure you that...
Lightening in a Vase
“Making lemonade out of lemons” is a cliche statement but undeniably appropriate in so many situations. I don’t have to dwell on the electrical difficulties David and I have been having this past week. (You may have seen me mention it HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.) Needless to say, our situational issues have thrown a...
Weekend Cheers
This week has been a little strange. I mentioned our tree catastrophe in yesterday’s post. It’s kept David, Ives, and me in the dark for the past 24 hours and improvements aren’t promising for at least another couple days. I won’t lie… it’s been irritating but the one upside has been my forced separation from...
Staying Flexible
Yesterday afternoon a tree fell over in our backyard during an especially ferocious thunderstorm and took out all of our electricity. I’m now writing this post from the bustling headquarters of my local Starbucks. Earlier in the week when David was taking these photographs, we had our darling but squirmy pup Ives with us. He...
Weekend Cheers
This week I’ve watched my potted plants take off in the high heat and intense sunshine of our Texas Summer. Everyday there seems to be another neon green shoot popping up from the soil. In a similar fashion, I’m doing some “branching” out of my own with an exciting new endeavor. Poppy Magazine is an online publication focusing on...
{long} Weekend Cheers
The best holidays seem to always come after the longest stretches of work. This past week was full both in my “day job” and here on Hilary Inspired. Here’s a quick look at the week’s highlights: Front porch facelift for The Home Depot Special feature on The Everygirl ShoeMint giveaway for Hilary Inspired readers Since...
Weekend Cheers
This weekend, so far, has been tremendous! After two very long and difficult years, David graduated with his Master of Music in Percussion Performance from Texas Christian University. We spent all yesterday relaxing, celebrating, and giving thanks for the many incredible blessings we’ve been given. Today promises to be no less wonderful. Here’s a photo I snapped of...
Joyful Weekend
This past weekend was absolutely glorious! I relaxed, cleaned, cooked, gathered with friends, and celebrated. For those that don’t know, I am an Orthodox Christian and we celebrated our Easter (Pascha) on Sunday, a week behind everyone else. After a long, long week, I was so happy to spend Sunday in the company of dear friends...
Color Study… Ep. 9 – Remembering Albert Hadley
This past Friday, the design community lost one of their great masters and my “great-aunt” Betty, known by my family as Ms. Hadley, lost her dearest brother. For those who aren’t familiar with him, Albert Hadley was a Tennessee native, talented design partner of Sister Parish, preeminent American decorator and icon in his own right,...
Valentine’s Left Overs
I don’t know about you, but I enjoyed a lovely Valentine’s Day! David and I stayed in and cooked delicious dinner together. Well, he cooked… I cleaned. (he’s much better at that than I am). Of course, along with any Valentine’s dinner comes flowers, but instead of requesting a perfectly composed bouquet from the grocer,...
A Cup of Tea
I’ve be less than my usual self this week on account of a bothersome head cold that keeps bringing me down. When you feel like this, sometimes the smallest things make a difference. I steeped a hot cup of herbal tea yesterday and felt tremendously better… at least for a little while! If you’re not...
These Days
Hello again dear friends!! My sincerest apologizes for abandoning you so far this week. Things are constantly in a state of unsure balance around here and occasionally that balance gets shifted towards the direction of work, leaving this space in the dust. To give you an idea of what’s been happening in my life lately,...
Big vs. Little
Here are a few brief thoughts for the weekend. I created my first inspiration board for 2012 this week. So far, it’s been wonderful!! I look up at it and am refreshed with a wall of new ideas and thoughts. Each new thought leads to a new plan, which in turn leads to a new...
New Year, New Board
I know, I know… the beginning of the New Year was almost a full month ago! What am I doing just now changing my inspiration board? Unfortunately, I didn’t get to my yearly inspiration board makeover until just now. Story of my life I’m afraid. So, in order to maintain my sense of accomplishment, I’m...
Here’s to Another!
My, my how time flies! I had all the best intentions of publishing this post at the beginning of the day but much like life itself, time got away from me. Today is officially this blog’s 2nd birthday. I can hardly believe it! This time last year, I was just beginning to re-imagine things for...
Chain Reaction
I am one of those people who is greatly affected by my environment… I mean, really affected! When my house is a mess, I don’t function well and find myself less able to work creatively and efficiently. Organization fuels my ability to work outside the box, and that’s a trait that I realize isn’t the...
Style Story… Ada Smith
Simply put, today’s post is very special to me. My grandmother, Ada Smith, mother of my mother Jessee and known by her grandchildren as “Day-Day”, has been a precious and profound role model for me all my life! She is gracious, kind, elegant, and humble. When I asked her if I could photograph her apartment, a place in...
Christmas Cheer!
Merry belated Christmas, everyone! I am writing this post from a cozy place on my in-law’s sofa with a belly full of Southern-style Cracker Barrel breakfast and sitting beside my husband. It’s wonderful! Between my plate full of work projects and David’s busy school schedule, we’ve been hustling quite a lot for the past several months....
A Moment for Thanks
Photo by David Walker Just wanted to take this moment to thank you ALL for your support, readership, and comments. It means more to me than you probably realize. I love writing this blog and having readers that enjoy it also is so special. THANK YOU! For those in the United States, I hope you...
Hallow e’en Cheers
The weekend is well upon us and before long sugar-high children in all assortments of costumery will be prancing the streets for candy. Although I’ve never been the biggest participant of Halloween spookiness, I do have many fond memories of homemade childhood costumes – Sacagawea, Ana Pavlova, Amelia Earhart… we had a thing for historic...
The Hall Before the Show
I recently had the pleasure of photographing the TCU Percussion Orchestra for a performance in which my husband, David, participated. It was a special presentation for local middle school students at Fort Worth’s Bass Hall, a beautiful piece of relatively new architecture in an art deco/ nouveau style. I got there early to set-up and...
Just Greens
Grocery shopping can be difficult and not for the obvious reasons… tempting ice cream selections, long rush-hour lines, the unreasonable desire to eat everything you see while shopping hungry! For me, the most tempting items in the grocery are often the fresh buckets of flowers and greens conveniently placed at both the entrance and exit...
