Blue Skies & A Rustic Calling

While getting caught up on my WSJ Real Estate section, I couldn't help but be drawn to this unique 360 acre ranch in Stanley, Idaho up for sale. The sprawling property features breathtaking panoramic views of mountains perfect for hiking and skiing, converted sheep wagons for a rustic sleep retreat and best of all, a geo-thermal hot spring that flows into an outdoor tub. Pack your boots and whiskey, time for an adventure! Yeeeee-ha! Images via.

Garden Party Ready

Admittedly, this particular catalog is usually put in the stack of discarded mail, however this month, it gave me pause. The cover is perfectly enticing and all things Spring, showcasing a garden oasis with two chic seating areas. It is a scene I would teleport to in an instant - truly my definition of heaven. If you're in the market for outdoor furniture, I encourage you to look at Frontgate. Currently, they are offering 20% Savings on all furniture sets. My pick? The Grayson Collection in white with jade cushion fabric. Images via.

The New Prince of Pinot

Gavin Chanin has been profiled as "30 under 30" in 2011, a "winemaker to watch" by our own SF Chronicle in 2012, and even one of Food & Wine's "winemakers of the year" two years ago. The Wine-World Wonder Boy's most recent accomplishment is his shared vision and partnership with Bill Price (wine enthusiast and serial entrepreneur), in the formation of LUTUM. LUTUM wine is focused on small-production, single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with grapes harvested from several of California's destination vineyards (pictured above). Their next release of Pinot will debut this May. Learn more here.

The Good Life

    We all know "lifestyle" and "the home" are words often used together when thinking about where and how we will live. We dream up idyllic visions of a humble ski lodge nestled under a bed of tall pines where we can sip our morning coffee from canteens and snowshoe under blue skies for the afternoon. We think about the fresh fruit we'd eat for lunch, the afternoon sea breeze taunting us to challenge our windsurfing abilities off the dock of our island retreat down south. We smile, placing ourselves in a quiet green oasis miles away from the city where we can drink iced tea for days and marvel over our own garden while enjoying the local paper with a loved one nearby. I find myself thinking more and more about the things that make me happy, the surroundings that speak to me, and the realization that, I can actually actively choose these things in my life.

When thinking about creating my own home, and ultimately, lifestyle, I always think about India Hicks and her beautiful home in Harbour Island. For those that know it too, I'm sure the above photographs are not foreign to you as her home has been photographed time and time again. However, I go back to these photos thinking about the good life. What does that mean to me? What do I want? What can I live without? What does my soul tell me? What is beauty mean in my life ? Life is short and we have the power to fulfill it accordingly.

Images via