10 Happy Things for February and Best of 2025
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HAPPY FEBRUARY
There's a trend on the internet lately to revisit 2016. According to Parker this is about the fashion/aesthetics of the time, but I think we're all in need right now for memories of a happier/easier/kinder/less divided world order. Either way, I plugged in an old hard drive and found myself immersed in nostalgia. Hence the photos. The days are long, but the years. . . . Oh the years.
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"You are a museum of everything you have ever loved" - Unknown
. . . .
"Anything worthwhile is, in a way, something you'll never see again." - Emmet Gowin
10 HAPPY THINGS
As always, this list is pretty random, but hopefully something on it will bring you joy!
1. Does anyone have a goal or motto for the new year? Mine is "stop overthinking". For example, I always wear evil eye necklaces and the other day Trout said, sarcastically, "why don't you just get a tattoo?" So I did. And I love it. Yay to a year of being more spontaneous!
Also, more of this.
2. Bridal Birkenstocks? YES, a million times, YES!
3. Four new(ish) exhibits to see now in DC. Also, DC's 100 Best Restaurants.
4. Parker's college has the longest winter break ever. The upside being that she was here all January and had nothing to do since all her friends had returned to school. So I got to hang out with her constantly. We went to NYC and saw Liberation and Hadestown (Broadway tickets are buy 1 get 1 free during Broadway Week, which goes until February 12). And we got a sound bath at Sage & Sound (highly recommend).
Back in DC, we saw Gregory Alan Isakov's acoustic show at the Anthem (so beautiful!) Did you know he owns an organic farm in CO? So cool.
5. Love all these reading nooks. Also, how cute are these kids' rooms?
6. Tessa Hadley's new short story is so beautiful. Esp. this fictional debate:
“When you’re having those experiences,” Jane said, “you think it’ll all matter so much later on, when you’re older. You imagine yourself reading old letters, looking at photographs, reminiscing with wistful tears, that sort of thing. But the truth is that you leave most of it behind you. The present is paramount. It’s always everything.”
“Isn’t there some tragic kind of brain damage where you can only live in the present moment?”
“Obviously I don’t mean that. But those old stories diminish and don’t matter anymore. It’s shocking, really. We believe we can keep everything and make it all add up.”
Geraldine considered this carefully. “Some of the stories matter to me.”
“You have too much time to think. You need distraction.”
“Things from the past, which I thought were tidied away, swell into new significance in old age.”
“You talk as if we’re ancient. We’re not that far gone yet.”
“I see things in their right proportions, now that they’re so far in the past. They’ve become grand and moving. Mythic.”
7. How to help Minneapolis right now. (Also, a reminder that I offer a pay it forward discount (see #22), so you can make your donation into a coupon).
8. For my birthday I asked Dan for a bunch of cookbooks (I wish I liked cooking as much as I like reading cookbooks, it's a great example of the real me vs. the inspirational me). Anyways, during last month's snow/ice storm I made dill bean soup from Somthing from Nothing and it was so good. I can't wait to try more of Roman's recipes.
9. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I actually enjoyed Geese's SNL performances (though I also feel they're a little oversaturated lately).
Also, this is pretty funny.
10. Okay, so the bulk of this month's newsletter is about me because I'm having a hard time finding random happy links lately (the situation in Minneapolis is heart breaking).
But I must end this list by shouting out my neighborhood friends who threw me an amazing birthday party last month. I love you all and I can't thank you enough. I'm honored and humbled that a rum and coke is now called a "Darcy". [Note - you can see some of these wonderful friends down below in the group pic circa 2016].
Further, another huge shout out to Shannon and Corrina for my birthday trip to Mexico City (we just got back), which was so much fun (photos coming soon!).
BUSINESS UPDATE
FAMILIES - $100 OFF ALL SESSIONS IN FEBRUARY
February weekends are full, but I still have weekday slots open at the middle and end of the month.
Also, mid-late March is almost full, so if you're waiting to schedule, please do so soon.
More info on my rates here.
Not sure what a winter session would look like? How about street hockey? Or some family time in the park? Or nerf guns in the backyarad? Or an indoor session with dinosaurs, books, and a dance party?
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COUPLES - 40% OFF FEBRUARY & 25% OFF MARCH
More info on my rates here.
Not sure what a winter session would look like? How about surrounded by beautiful leafless trees? Or an afternoon in Georgetown? Or Old Town Alexandria? Or DC in the snow?
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FOR WEDDINGS, I'M BOOKING 2026 & 2027
If you're thinking of eloping or planning a mirco-wedding, please get in touch - I have lots of advice/suggestions!
If you're interested in seeing photos from recent weddings, please click here.
I thought I'd try something different this month -
BEST OF 2025
(MY LIST)
I feel like everyone usually makes their yearly best of lists in December, but I always need a little more time to reflect. (Plus, do all best of lists just assume that nothing good happens in December?)
More than ever, it's been hard to focus on the positive in the world. So here's my (albeit small) attempt.
BOOKS (FICTION)
- The Anthropologists (I've never read anything like this before, I just loved it).
- The 10 Year Affair (one of the best novels I've ever read about parenting)
- Heart the Lover (such a great love story, I finished it in one day)
- Theft
- Forbidden Notebook
- Show Don't Tell (Stories)
AUDIOBOOKS (NONFICTION)
- Mother Mary Comes to Me
- In Order to Live - A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom
- Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV (worth reading for the Apprentice section alone, though that didn't really make me feel better about the world)
- Down the Drain
- From Here to the Great Unknown (I've never been an Elvis or Lisa Marie fan, but I'm a huge Riley Keough fan)
- When the World Didn't End (Cults are bad, but not always0
TV
- Such Brave Girls, Season 2 (am I on the only person watching this? It's so funny).
- Hunting Wives, Season 1
- Industry, Seasons 1-3
- Somebody, Somewhere, Season 3
- The Pitt, Season 1
- The Secret Lives of Mormon Lives, Season 3 (I could talk about this show for hours and hours, so much social commentary on everything from fashion to youth to feminism to parenthood to abuse, etc.)
MOVIES
- All We Imagine as Light (this is an older movie, but I didn't get a chance to watch it until 2025 and I was blown away)
- If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
- Marty Supreme
- The Perfect Neighbor
- One Battle After Another
ALBUMS
- Mt. Joy, Hope We Had Fun (God Loves Weirdos might be the best love song ever written)
- Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past is Still Alive (I listened to this more than anything else this year, every song is beautiful)
- Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Bones (catchy songs that keep me awake on long car rides and during late night editing sessions)
- Lily Allen, West End Girl (I wish this was a movie or play, I love how it tells a story)
- Craig Finn, Always Been (another great album that tells a story)
- Taylor Swift, The Life of a Showgirl (Okay, so I know everyone else hated this album, but I thought it was catchy and fun, esp. Ruin the Friendship)
CONCERTS
- Mt. Joy at Merriweather
- Caamp at the Anthem
- ASAP Rocky and Olivia Rodrigo at Lollapalooza in Chicago
- Josh Ritter at the Lincoln
- Beyonce on the 4th of July in DC (this was a wow).
- Hurray for the Riff Raff in Elkton, MD
PLACES
- January - Hiking in the Canary Islands with Freya (through On Foot Holidays)
- February - Moms' weekend in Shenandoah
- March in Popopyo, Nicaragua for a yoga retreat and the a few days in Sedona with my college roommate
- Spring Break in Paris with Parker, Trout, and friends
- Sandbridge, VA for the week of Memorial Day with our neighborhood friends
- July family vacation in Livingston, MT
- August with family and friends in Chicago (and Lollapalooza)
- September hiking in Mallorca with Dan (another trip organized through On Foot Holidays)
- Christmas in Nicaragua
HAVE A GREAT MONTH!
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Darcy Troutman Photography is a Northern VA/Washington DC/Maryland documentary-style family photographer, who believes in capturing real moments. Interested in learning more? Please click here to sign up for my newsletter or schedule a session.