Folks We Love with Coury Combs from fancytreehouse
Tell us a little bit about your journey and how you’ve come to arrive here.
Well, my husband and I have had an interesting journey getting where we are. When we met, he was touring with a boy band and I was auditioning for commercials and working at the Fossil store at Citywalk. We pretty much fell in love immediately and I went out on tour with him. Soon after that, his band broke up and we started a new journey with an indie band that we played in together for a few years. We had such a great time but we really wanted to have kids and get serious about having the resources that you need to have kids so we decided to quit the band. We moved to Nashville so we could buy the house we thought we needed to have kids and I ended up getting pregnant with Goldie about a year and a half later. We missed Southern California so much most of the three years we were there and moved back for good a couple of years ago. I grew up all over California as my dad worked as an officer for the CHP so California will always be my home.
I cut hair for a few years at Rudy’s in Silverlake and never really enjoyed it so I started selling vintage clothes on eBay to make extra money and it kinda took off! I was able to quit cutting hair and do a vintage store full time and have kept it going since 2008. I have been on a little break since my son was born and I’m focusing on blog partnerships while he’s so new and it’s been easier to balance since the work is more writing based and not so hands on because my hands are usually full of him! Ha!
Who’s in your family? Ages? Names?
Goldie is almost 4 and Darcy is 4 months.
How did you choose your kids names?
I wanted a daughter named Goldie as long as I can remember. It really came from Goldie Hawn who I think is great and I really respect the work she’s done for children. I like the name because I hoped she would shine bright and be a golden ray of sunshine to everyone she met. It has totally come true. She’s the sweetest.
It was more difficult to decide Darcy’s name but ultimately Pride and Prejudice won! I pictured him a bit more serious but sweet once you get to know him…and a total gentleman. I know he’s only 4 months but I think it’s spot on so far. 🙂
Tell us some of your most loved ways to spend the day with your clan?
Our favorite thing to do as a family is Disneyland. It’s always been special to me and after I met Gabe it became special to him too. Now being able to take our kids so often has really been a dream come true. We just like to enjoy the surroundings and make our days there relaxing and not chaotic, which actually IS possible at Disneyland.
When you were a teenager what did you dream of? Do things look different?
I definitely have always had dreams outside of having children but Goldie and Darcy have always been my biggest dreams.
What are some things you really believe in?
I believe in kindness and that is something I take great pains to stress in my kids. Kindness is everything to me. Without it, we have nothing. I believe in respecting people and I believe that we really can make our kids an amazing generation of people if we teach them kindness, respect and honesty if we live out the example for them.
Where do your passions lie?
One passion I have is clothing and styling which seems like a superficial passion but I’m passionate about empowering people through what they wear. It can really change your mood and change how you treat people if you feel confident about the way you’re dressed. It can also release so much of your creativity that might be stifled otherwise. This isn’t true for everyone but I know for some people it can really help.
Has your relationship with your other half changed since having kids?
My relationship with Gabe has only gotten deeper and more powerful since having children. It’s just such an intense thing to go through together and you get to see right down to the core of someone when faced with the something so huge. I have seen him completely change in his drive and commitment to his career and I know that it’s all for the kids and me and that deepens my love and respect for him infinitely. Seeing him play with them and care for them is indescribable. Obviously we don’t get as much time alone together but we both know we’ll get that back in what seems like the blink of an eye.
What are some of your favorite life lessons you’ve grown to love? (even if learning them at the time was hard)
The best lesson I’ve learned is that everything is temporary so you HAVE to savor each moment, even if it’s a hard one. Because there is no chance that you aren’t going to miss it…bad or good…you’re going to want it back and if you truly appreciated those little moments at the time you have nothing to regret.
What do you wish you could’ve told yourself when you were a teenager?
I wish I could have told myself to become friends with more people as a teenager. I now realize a lot of kids are hurting and lonely and could have used a friend. I hope I can teach my kids to befriend everyone they can.
What do you find most challenging about being somebody’s parent?
I guess the most challenging thing is being the only example your kids have. They force me to be better everyday. If I’m not kind and respectful, they surely won’t be. I’m so glad to have this hanging over me everyday, but that doesn’t mean it’s not challenging!
What do you want your kids to learn about the world?
I want them to learn that if we are kind and believe the best about people, good things will happen. I want them to see good in everyone and to never lose that.