Fridays mornings are my favorite. The weekend is right around the corner, work is wrapping up for the week, and the best part?! A standing Coffee Date on the blog with some of my most encouraging friends.
You just might know today's Coffee Date guest already. She's the interior designer behind Michaela Noelle Designs and her blog is one of my favorites to follow. Not only does she have a gorgeous, feminine style; she also has a lovely, genuine heart. I'm grateful that she was willing to participate for a Q&A on the blog in the midst of a recent move, Bloom Workshop preparation, and the busyness running her business. Friends, meet Michaela!
What's in your coffee mug this morning?
Honey chamomile tea with honey... always!
What's the first thing you did today?
My morning routine is always the same. I guess you could say I'm a creature of habit! I wake up, walk over to the windows and open all of the curtains to allow the morning light to pour inside my little apartment. Then I head to the toaster and pop in my toast, turn on the tea water and wait. I spread some peanut butter on the toast and let my tea steep, then enjoy my morning breakfast and tea while I dive into the Word. I've been following along with She Reads Truth Bible study plans and I love them! After that, I hope online, answering work emails and pushing out my blog posts on social media. I get ready for the day, then I'll normally head out to lunch with a friend or client, or go shopping for a client (or for me lately, as I just moved into a new place!) My days are always a little different, which I absolutely love.
Tell us about something you've been loving lately.
I just moved to Michigan from California, and while I really miss my city and state, the people here in Michigan are really nice, so that's been a major blessing. I always love that I get to see my boyfriend every.single.day now! What a treat!
What is something you struggle with and what are you learning as a result?
I'm impatient by nature. Maybe this comes with the territory of being a designer, but I'm the girl who needs everything in it's place and living through a move where boxes and "stuff" is everywhere (even two weeks after the move!) is just not my thing. My patience is wearing thin. I want my apartment decorated now. I want to come home and feel like it's really "home", which would mean not a box in sight. I want to learn where all the stores are around here, and how to maneuver through my new city. I want to have a booming business in my new city right.now. Nut guess what? None of that is reality and all of that is selfish.
Because of my inclination to want things in order right this second, I'm learning... I have a lot to learn. God is teaching me to rest in the power of His timing, His will and His plans. I'm learning to trust God and cling to His grace in times when I'm not giving myself a lot of grace, and instead striving for perfection. He's teaching me things will not happen in my time, they will happen in His. You know what's funny? God is big on "hands-on" teaching. If you're impatient, you can bet He'll throw you in a situation bringing that very quality out, refining your tendencies and revealing to you what your sin is. He walks through our struggles with us, never leaving us. Oh, what a blessing!
Life can get busy and stressful. How do you simplify?
It definitely gets busy and stressful! I'm a planner through and through, so I use my Daybook (thanks Lauren!) to write everything down. All my appointments, lunch dates, due dates, projects, client tasks, and more are all written down in there so not to forget one. Each day I make an agenda for the day and really try to stick to it. If it's not on my list, I'm not doing it and that is a-okay with me! Crossing things off my list is the best kind of satisfaction :)
What made you smile this week?
A few things! Remember my answer to number 4 and how my apartment is still a mess? Well, I got a bookcase delivered a few days ago, which means a lot of my "stuff" that was on the floor now has a home. Happy heart (and home)! Second, I cooked my first dinner in my apartment for my boyfriend and he loved it. And it had veggies in it. Success! Third, I planted a peony bush for my patio. Dream come true!
