Iā€™m Stephanie, a wedding + lifestyle photographer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Warrenton, Virginia. Whether Iā€™m by the mountains of Colorado or Virginia, my soul feels at home, surrounded by rural living and the raw beauty of nature. I genuinely love what I do, and feel so passionate to share the enthusiasm and joy of these celebrations with you!

DOCUMENTING LOVE'S UNSCRIPTED CHAPTERS FROM COUPLES & FAMILIES IN COLORADO + VIRGINIA

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June 14, 2013

I am Moving!!!!

Ohhhhhhh believe me when I say that I am ALL over Pinterest right now! …

YES! It is true!!! Found, approved and signed for a place just last night and I am SO excited! Just a rental space for now as I will want to plan my dream house to build for the future. šŸ™‚ I am moving from my house that I have lived my entire life (besides college) to 40 minutes north in Orlean/Marshall, VA! There is a cute house up there with abundance of space around and inside the house … which only means I FINALLY will have an office space of my own! Sooooo excited! My office space right now is not so much designed to be an office. That is definitely changing! Cannot WAIT to start brewing up design ideas for my office … well actually, the ENTIRE HOUSE! I love decorating and designing so this is going to be a fun part … when I can make the time for it. I love that everything happens for a reason, but gosh … this is totally happening during my busy season! So somehow between weddings, sessions, business stuff and work, I will need to be able to pack up my entire life, move and unpack/decorate. Seems a little overwhelming to me at the moment. Haha!

Here is my current room I will be packing up! Going to miss this!

The Big Move: NEXT THURSDAY! AH! I won’t pull my hair out… šŸ˜‰

The one concern that pops to my mind at the moment is my wittle Pixie! This will be her first move and I hope she adjusts well. I’m concerned because she has morphed into somewhat of an outdoor kitty (well, outdoor during the day and indoor at night) and I don’t think I can allow her to go outside around my new house because the road is a little closer than my family’s house. AND not to mention that my family had to go save her last night out of a TREE … I don’t know what is going on with her but she got herself into a tree 25-30 feet up and she could not get down. Something must have scared her to get up there … but this is not the first time as she has gotten herself stuck in a tree two other times in the past month! Anyone else had similar issues like this? Typically, I would think that cats can get down themselves but she definitely has a problem. One time a few weeks ago, we were on the search for her for hours and almost being gone for 24 hours, my sister found her in a tree with barely a voice to cry because it sounded like she had been crying for a while. šŸ™ My poor baby! So I have come to the conclusion that I will not let her out of the house when I make the move … maybe do baby steps to welcoming her outside, but I would not leave her unattended.

So I need advice ā€” Any experienced movers who have found effective ways to packing?! I am a little overwhelmed imagining where to even start packing a room since I have only done college moves which is minor in comparison to moving my entire life! ALSO: I am still in need of a coffee table, end table, shelving and nightstands … anyone know of where I can get an awesome deal? šŸ™‚ I have been looking around but I do not want to spent a lot of money for plastic furniture. I love authentic wooden pieces … so I have been considering yard sales and whatnot, but if you have any suggestions or know of someone who wants to get rid of their pieces let me know. šŸ™‚

Anyways, I am SOOOOO excited to make this big leap in my life and will be sure to share photos of the new space once the house is settled in! šŸ™‚ Thought I would share the brand new news of the week! EEeeeee!

+ COMMENTS

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  1. Caroline says:
    June 14, 2013 at 12:41 pm

    Goodwill or Salvation Army sometimes you find some good stuff there for furniture and what not. Also, if you can ride it out, wait for like big holiday weekends. Lots of places have major sales, you may find some good stuff that way.

    Also, I had a friend who bought a new couch.. and wanted to get rid of the old one (a sectional). It had 2 minor tears from her dogs, but they’re pretty tiny. I could text you the pic if you wanted? I’ll ask to see if she still has it available. Let me know šŸ™‚

  2. Kaye Hensler says:
    June 14, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    I second Caroline… Goodwill or Salvation Army… and thrift store has a LOT of furniture!

    I also am finding it helpful (I am moving like 4 times this year) to pack it all in big plastic boxes and label it. They are good to have later and stack and store nicely when empty. They also keep the stuff safe in storage and/or while moving and don’t fall apart.

    At my church, people are ALWAYS giving away stuff, and on my facebook. I literally have gotten, a TV stand, 3 TVs, a section couch, a coffee table, 2 bookshelves, full set of dishes and silverware, end tables, chairs, and more for FREE from people just getting rid of stuff. I don’t know if you roll like this, but you may post a status, you may be surprised!

    Happy moving!!!

  3. Scarlet says:
    June 14, 2013 at 1:22 pm

    Congrats! That’s so exciting:)

  4. Julie Wickham says:
    June 14, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    Hi Stephanie,

    Congratulations on the next step in your journey!

    Moving! Oh my! I have done it more times than I can count.

    Regarding your need for furniture, I strongly suggest buying used:
    ~cost will be SO MUCH lower
    ~you can look for better quality and still keep the cost down ~buying something in not so great shape (but with a great price tag) then sanding and painting to make it your own
    ~easier on your pocket to change out when your tastes and needs change
    ~so much better for our environment to buy something already manufactured than feeding the retail and factory industry
    ~so much better for our local economy
    ~a LOT more character and personality
    ~unique style and decor for your home

    I can actually name what furniture Ray and I have bought new in 25 years. The ‘Hunt’ has provided us with everything we have wanted and needed ( and a LOT more šŸ™‚ at so little money it is just crazy.

    Sources:
    ~Noah’s Ark where all the money stays in our county, the southern part of our county, to help our friends and neighbors
    ~Thrift Store that runs the Food Band in Warrenton, again, your money stays in the county
    ~Yard and garage sales where you can usually negotiate a better price. I saw 3 neighborhood (multiple homes) sales listed for tomorrow on the FauquierNow website
    ~Brooks Auction next to the skating rink. Some weeks they have lots of furniture, other weeks not so much, it is all part of the hunt. šŸ˜€

    (Noah’s Ark, Brooks and the Thrift store are all local, county businesses, just like the Messick’s Farm, Messicks’ Farmers Market and Stephanie Messick’s Photography šŸ˜‰

    If you go to the auction, there is a good time to look and bid for furniture. I actually really enjoy this auction. I have scored some AMAZING deals. The auction is every Friday. If you have an interest in going, please call or text or email me. It would be an honor and lots of fun to show you the ropes, so to speak.

    There are a lot of other auctions to attend as well but the ‘Five and Go’ point (that would be $5!) at Brooks each Friday night is a time when you might furnish a room for $20 or $25! I have seen it done. I have done it.

    One piece of advice when you go to any auction, always know your budget! It is so easy to get caught up in bidding wars and spend more than you wanted to. Having a budget helps one stay focused and out of the poor house!

    Reach me at home 439-1562 or my cell 540-287-7386

    I may be going to Brooks tonight. Again, I would love to go with you anytime our schedules match up.

    Okay, need to get into my day.

    I will close with:
    …say hi to Mom, Eric, Amanda and your Dad (is your Dad Jimmy? I just met him last week at the Farm stand)
    …I love your photography
    …the ‘Newborn’ session with brother peeing on sister is my personal favorite šŸ™‚
    …The strawberries were wonderful. I have several buckets this spring and will miss them. Onto the blackberries!

    Have a blessed day, Love! I look forward to the prospect of hearing from you soon.

    ~julie wickham

@stephaniemessickphoto

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