Getting Away From It All

It’s been a little while since my last post, in part because this summer has been fast and furious. My husband and I keep reminding each other we need to slow down, but with our respective businesses, life is busy, to say the least. We both love our work and feel so lucky to ride this wave of the home industry right now, but of course, it comes at an expense.

We had some dear friends visit us in the Green Mountains last weekend in their airstream. They have been adventuring to the east coast from San Francisco for the last two months. It was truly a bright spot in the year for me, I hadn’t felt that happy in a while — the kind of happy that touches your soul and reminds you how beautiful life is. Our babies, both born within the last year two months apart, were able to meet for the first time. It was truly a celebratory weekend and so fun to hear about all of their experiences throughout the country.

Throughout Covid, my husband and I have toyed with the idea of embarking on an airstream adventure next summer. Their visit was the added spark we needed to put our dream to fruition and so now this concept is becoming a reality. There is so much to see, feel, understand and experience in our country, from back roads to National Parks and more.

Below, a photo from my one of my favorite accounts, @womenfolk_jh — I love the spirit of the west and the sense of antiquity this account captures. Oh, and of course, please note the airstream…

Sanity

When I am stressed and recognize that my mind needs a break, I turn to being creative.

Our little A-frame in the Green Mountains has a back porch that is in need of some attention. We have always dreamt of enlarging it slightly and creating a screened-in porch dining area. The bugs in Vermont can be a nuisance often when dining outdoors, and with a view of the lush back woods, this feels like a great solution along with an opportunity to liven up an otherwise forgotten space.

I’ve made a little mood board for each room in our home and over the weekend began scheming up how I would furnish the porch for the A-frame in Vermont. With a strong affection for The Adirondacks, naturally, I love rustic beauty. Mountain life where patina and texture run rampant. I see a rush rug, Décors Barbares textiles, stick rattan and wicker, and a few pieces that are perhaps Bavarian or Austrian in style. The space would be a place to truly relax (speaking of sanity!), enjoy candlelit dinners, play a mean game of backgammon, and take in the cool evening air.

Here’s to dreaming and scheming!

Finally

At last, it feels like we can almost taste summer. Warm morning walks last week confirmed this notion, and now, as I write from our little cabin in Vermont where the green mountains are in abundance, I am particularly joyful to usher in the new season. Things around here already feel different in the most marvelous way. Here’s to the best summer yet.

ABOVE: A snippet from my morning walk near our home in Rhode Island. I love the sight of beach roses with the backdrop of the ocean.

Ga-Ga for Gingham

I’ve always been a sucker for gingham, and having a baby boy sure doesn’t help that fixation. For me, the preppy pattern exudes a carefree, casual but timeless sentiment. Dare I say, it’s a little “campy” — something you might find on a table at a beach shack in Maine adorned with butter stains from a candlelit lobster bake or in the Adirondacks, for a porch dinner accompanied with sponge-ware and a vase of wildflowers. I have always adored the large-scale gingham Maison de Vacances napkins but find them difficult to source as of late. In part, that’s why I was so delighted to stumble upon these two-tone napkins from Courtney Barton’s shop.

Here’s to all things gingham and hoping that lobster dinner manifests itself this summer…