Birthday Flowers

As a parent, there are often unexpected, random moments with your child that quite literally melt your heart. Last fall, my four year old son and I were planting Allium bulbs in our front garden. I watched with delight as he took charge digging each hole, positioning the bulbs correctly and smothering the surface with its dirt.

Toward the end of this task, he paused and looked up at me with his big brown eyes and asked, “But Mommy, when will they bloom?” I responded, explaining that while we are planting now, they won’t bloom until late spring, closer to his birthday in June. (The concept of time is still very much a learning endeavor with young children). He then joyfully squealed and said “let’s call them Birthday Flowers!” My heart exploded.

What I particularly love about flowers is the sentimentality that is often attached to them. For example, Black-eyed Susans and Bleeding Hearts will forever remind me of my Grandmother, and her Adirondack Garden. Foxgloves and Queen Anne’s Lace will conjure visions of our mountain wedding, and peonies always illicit thoughts of my sister.

Below, may I present said Birthday Flowers, a little joy we can all look forward to year after year.

A Small Victory

I went to bed last evening with a grin on my face. For what seems like years, I’ve had stacks of books on my bedside that I’ve never been able to finish. Perhaps it’s the English Major in moi that is simply uninspired or burnt out at this point. Or the fact that my brain is constantly swirling and can’t seem to really get in the groove with a book, unless I am on the beach or by the sea. I’d read a few chapters here and there, get bored, and move on. The other week, I decided to pick up Ina Garten’s Memoir and instantly, it became the perfect book to fall asleep with. A friend described it as “cute” and I think that is an accurate representation of its essence. It very much chronicles her hard work, persistence and intuition that resulted in her success. She touches on the difficult childhood that shaped her, in addition to sharing fun stories, adventures in Paris and a deeper peek into her relationship with Jeffery, her husband and biggest champion. The memoir is wholesome, honest and comforting, akin to her cooking.

Speaking of cooking, I’ve been spending more time mapping out lovely family meals, Sunday Suppers, and home cooked dinners with friends. I recently made Ina’s Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme — wow! It has so much flavor and made for yummy left overs. I highly recommend.

It’s a small victory, but one I’m celebrating — finishing her book! As we head into the warmer months here in New England, it also gave me an added motivation to stay committed to growing my library. Next up, Graydon Carter.

In the meantime, read Ina’s memoir, see here.

Spring Pre-Order

I could not be more thrilled to look forward to this lovely monograph as Tom Scheerer is King in my world. His last book lives prominently on my coffee table and its spine is so soft, its pages stained in wine — the amount of late night studying by the fire has been both educational and therapeutic.

Add to your own cart, here.

SANTA,BABY

My last post referenced our new beginning in a cabin we recently moved into in the Green Mountains. Naturally, my mood boards are flooded with images of Ralph Lauren’s Double RL Ranch, Miles Redd’s Adirondack project and Emma Burns’ Wisconsin compound. This new home is an authentic log cabin with “good bones” we look forward to taking our time with, making it a true legacy home for our family. I’m not one that leans contemporary, especially in this woodland setting — I spent so much time in the Adirondacks in my younger years and have developed a deep appreciation for all things “camp” that we want to strike the balance of something that feels rustic and rugged, with a slight cheerful yet moody spin.

I hardly have the brain capacity to wrap my head around what properly furnishing this home looks like, but I did stumble upon the below desk that continues to flirt with my mind. I adore its red tooled leather top and am such a sucker for casters — she would make for a chic desk to work remotely from the mountains, or even a fabulous bar.

Santa, BABY!