These are my must haves to make MY life easier and my baby’s life better… cheers!

For Mama

• Resources! The Danish Way of Parenting, Becoming Mama, Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood, Moms on Call (all ages), Moms on Call Scheduler App (download NOW!)

  • I follow most protocols from the authors of Moms on Call. Both of our babies have slept through the night since a very young age (luck, swaddling or the fact that they both inherited my sloth gene??). Their app gives you a schedule from 0-4 weeks, to toddlerhood. For Heidi, I’ve printed out each schedule and placed on the fridge. For me, a schedule is beyond helpful. And it just makes sense with a baby’s body… when to feed, nap, play, snack, etc. Genius.

• Thorne prenatal vitamins (and to take postpartum), Osea body scrub, Hatch nipple and lip balm and belly oil, Sisley dark spot corrector (I had malasma with both babies), Depends (for postpartum bleeding), Frida peri bottle

• Beyond Yoga maternity tank, Pact maternity clothing (tanks, dresses… super comfy!), Mother Tucker tank tops, Mother Tucker compression leggings, Skin’s Ilena and Nili lounge pants

• Erika Bloom and Core Club Pilates prenatal and postpartum online classes

• Food… lots of grounding foods, such as hearty chicken soup with wild rice and bone broth and lentils with lots of ginger. And I eat a lot of oats… in smoothies, power balls, cereal… for milk stability

FOR BABy

• Aquaphor healing ointment, pampers swaddlers diapers and sensitive wipes, Mustela soap, Bibs binkies

• Hatch and LectroFan sound machines

• Stokke highchair and newborn attachment

• Nanit baby monitor

• Halo sleep sack swaddle… then eventually Kyte sleep bags (their pajamas are the best too)

• Baby Bjorn Baby carrier (I love the mini) and bouncer

• Snuggle Me Organic lounger

It’s been a year since I’ve written a blog post... It’s also been a year of becoming a full time mom in a brand new house. Nick and I are completely overwhelmed with the love Jane gives us every single day. She has become our why.

I am also happy to report that we have settled in to our home. I wouldn’t suggest moving as a first time parent with a newborn… it took us a while to adjust 🤯🤯. But slowly, we’ve replaced the dark teal walls with creamy white paint, bronze light fixtures with glass, and we’ve just completed the exterior… I can confidently say that this house feels like our home now. What started as a really difficult change has turned into a wonderful opportunity.

My inspiration for the exterior of our home… a lively storybook. I’ve had the paint color picked out for a few years, and this house was the perfect candidate.

Before and After

Painting the dark brick a milky white lifted the spirits of the house. In years to come, we might add on, close in the Michigan room, and finish an attic space with storybook dormers.

With new baby coming, we’ve decided to shuffle rooms. Nick and I will be moving to the first floor, Jane will take our room upstairs, and the new baby will take Jane’s room. For our room (and slowly, the energy of our entire home) I’ve decided on Romantic Traditional… think ultra-fluffy ivory-colored bedding, soft yellow curtains, antique prints. My point of reference for this dreamy bedroom is the mother’s bedroom from The Parent Trap. I’ve had a table skirt made for my mom’s vanity table (out of a beautiful silk wedding dress I bought, but didn’t end up wearing 🙈). I purchased this white faux-shagreen mirror, a classic duvet, and this fabric for curtains.

The San Ysidro Ranch in California is a constant inspiration for a new master bathroom (above). A romantic and comfortable mixture of creamy textiles, Calcutta marble, glass fixtures, and a great mixture of brass and polished nickel.

Here’s to more blog posts… and more dreaming and scheming!

One of the most beautiful days during our pregnancy was our baby shower at my parent’s home. An idyllic get together, with the back door to their patio in a constant state of flux as ladies caught up with one another after a long hibernation. Relaxing in the lawn under heaters, gathered together on either bench on the patio…. May 1st was a perfect spring day.

My mother, my friends Laurel, Ellen and Tina, all helped make this afternoon so easy and pretty for me.

I hope little girl has the same affinity for candles as my entire family does. My dad found the perfectly scented candle from Le Labo… the label said “welcome bébé”. My mom and I thought Dipytque’s fig scented candles reminded us of our travels together and were a sweet gift to give to guests… we wrapped a silk ribbon around each candle with a piece of rose quartz nestled on top. The stone should help ground mothers as they enter motherhood…. I would think I’ll need that!

Food… besides the flowers, food is always number one. Ochre Bakery in Detroit made stunning cakes. Vegan pistachio lemon loaves (recipe found here in Bon Appétit) and whipped ricotta olive oil cakes were a decadent treasure (recipe found here in Vogue). Jeremy from Café Zinc made stunning macarons in pastel shades of peach, green and white. He also created the bébé sign that we placed at the head of the food table. When we met with him, he mentioned how he’s made something for every one of my major life events… almost every birthday since I was 16, my wedding and our baby shower. The Bread Guy truly outdid himself with the most gorgeous savory crostini. One of the party favorites were his pecan shortbread bites. Goodstead Farm offered her bounty of spring greens. Laurel and Ellen created the most gorgeous charcuterie boards. Yum!

Laura Lines Calligraphy created the daintiest invites and menu place cards. Peachy pink has to be the cheeriest color. The invites had pretty little ladybugs on them… a special good luck charm that has always been dear to my Oma, mom and I. Since the hostesses all love stationery, I found a summery set of personalized notecards from Madison & Company.

I have the faintest tan line from the watch on my wrist… and it’s only mid-April. I can’t believe we’ve been so fortunate with this sunny weather. It still gets chilly, and it will still get cold, but it won’t last long. I think it’s officially time to go from garden daydreaming to planning mode… this post is full of pretty mood boards, vegetable garden plans and a few of my favorite tools that contribute to a very lovely time spent in your garden… letting your hands and feet and body get sun kissed and covered in soil.

One of our raised beds is already filled with growing edible flowers. I’m absolutely in love with beautiful cakes, loaves and salads topped flowers... Cucina Melissa creates the most beautiful, organic and whimsical things. I imagine serving these cakes on bright colored plates outside, on top of a gingham tablecloth from Heather Taylor Home, just as we begin to enjoy another glass of wine.

I placed my plant and seed order with Good Stead Farm the moment Sarah released the form. We’re waiting for the first sprouts of Mesclun Greens and Arugula to come up. Soon we’ll plant the rest: Mexican Sunflowers, yellow Carrots, Curly Green Kale, Romain, Spinach, Green and Red Lettuces, so many tomatoes and peppers, Cauliflower, and Calendula. I’ll also be planting Dahlias for the first time. Three different assortments will arrive within the next month or so - Old Rose, Fuschia and Dinnerplate. 😍😍😍

I’m looking forward to this summer and fall… I’ll be able to harvest from our own private little garden when baby girl is here. It’ll be easy, effortless, healthy… warm tomatoes and carrots and crunchy peppers. What a relief it will be to have these nourishing things right here.

Beyond our raised garden beds, I’m most excited to plant and pot little Santa Barbara Daisies on the back patio… my mom told me they were her mother’s favorite flower and I found seeds online. The Vanessa Bell yellow roses I ordered from David Austin should be here soon, and I transplanted some of my white roses into pots already. I can’t wait to pick up Gaura and I still think every garden/front porch/yard needs Agapanthus.

I’ve found beautiful shears that have stayed sharp so far, and a garden trug (or this trug) to collect flowers and my daily harvest. Any pot from Thompson + Hanson will make your front porch. A collection of these little scalloped pots from Home Depot would be so perfect indoors or out. Slate plant labels, plant tunnels and bean pole crooks from Detroit Garden Works remind me of an idyllically aged English garden.

I never get tired of looking at different landscapes and gardens and scenes of the outdoors. Miranda Brooks’ landscapes ooze with organic, yet sophisticated restraint. I imagine myself walking down one of the freshly manicured grass paths flanked by unrelenting grasses. A few of her landscapes below…

Scott Shrader is my favorite exterior/landscape designer from the west coast. I’m not sure there’s anything more perfect than these scenes…

Nick will sometimes say that I’m going to run away to California, and I think if this post tells you anything about me, it’s that. With an easy dress and sandals on every day, where you can grow your own luscious citrus. Insurmountable shades of grassy greens tinted by the orange shades of the warm sun. Twisted old vineyard trees…. I guess I’m daydreaming again. But like I’ve always thought, your most vivid dreams are your best inspiration and motivation… Why shouldn’t your life be exactly that? 😉

One of the greatest joys has been decorating little tadpole’s nursery. I anxiously waited until we found out the gender to go full steam ahead… but the moment we did find out, I couldn’t contain myself. Designing a room for a baby? My baby? I could not have felt luckier. It was hard for me to decide exactly how sweet or organic or French or coastal or batik this room would go… I am always pulled in so many different directions. But I think I’ve accomplished a healthy dose of them all - a very sunny, happy and calm room for a special little girl. Yes, we’re having a baby girl!!!

I mixed patterns and textures to create a wonderfully inviting oasis. I came up with a warm palette of pinks (…surprise) with a backdrop of creamy neutrals. My mom insisted on wallpapering the room... which I did not protest! The wall covering is Summer Harvest by Sanderson - perfect for a summer baby. The bookshelves and trim are painted Lily of the Valley by Benjamin Moore. The ceiling received a fresh coat of paint too. The paisley fabric I picked out for the curtains is from Etsy. Thank god for Etsy!!

Some of the prettiest things I’ve found: This CSAO pillow from Smallable (my most favorite website for myself, for baby girl, for our home……), this stable set with two little horses from Petite Cabane in Birmingham (another new favorite store!), a Moroccan basket that has her name embroidered on it in bright pink fuchsia, Flappy (a singalong elephant) from Plaid Giraffe in Midland, and a nursing pillow in a beautiful pattern.

Little moments from my childhood, from Nick’s, my mother’s, and her mother’s fill the built in bookshelves. Wooden girls holding springtime flowers are protected by a Tyrolean man. Ladybugs show up throughout the room - my Oma always saw them as a sign of good luck. Nick’s baby blanket and our childhood stuffed animals fill baskets. A gold moon will hang above the crib that was once in my bedroom.

My mom and I went to Home Goods and scored big on about 25 baby books… all featuring the characters of Peter Rabbit and Winnie the Pooh. We are slowly filling the bookshelves with as many books as possible. Nick likes to practice, and so we have story time with the dogs. My favorite books came in a set of three, titled My Little Adventures. I found these at Petite Cabane in Birmingham.

Studio McGee’s new items at Target came out at the perfect time. This rattan side table is the perfect size for books, bottles and lots of coffee next to the glider. I placed these woven baskets on the bookshelves for blankets and the large collection of stuffed animals we already have.

The softest blanket covered in baby lambs came from our friends Laura and Jon when we first told them we were expecting. A pleasantly more plush and bigger than expected changing basket arrived from Design Dua. I’ve already filled the dresser drawers with water wipes, newbie diapers, binkies…. and loads of white Gerber onesies.

I dream of a little girl that gets as muddy as possible. Putting on her galoshes and walking straight through the puddles. I want her to be so curious about everything. I want her to find joy and happiness in the simplest things - I picture her someday helping me harvest from the garden, being kind to her neighbors, understanding and acknowledging the goodness in others. An optimist, but also someone who knows just how capable and strong she is.

If this creamy white room can survive Grover and Milo, it will be able to survive baby 😉. Baby’s Room Part Two blog post coming soon…

Lately it’s been sunny everyday… and yesterday’s weather made me feel like spring has nearly arrived (and it flurried this morning 😂). In our sunny kitchen nook, I decided to pull out our springy tablecloth and make a little bud vase display. I used whimsical flowers like blue Larkspur, White Finch Orlaya and Chocolate Queen Anne’s Lace. My mom was over, so I set out a piece of completely perfect olive oil yogurt cake and peppermint tea.

The vases from left to right - a gift from my friend Ellen from the Simon Pearce store in Vermont, a raffia candle or vase sleeve from Aerin, a perfect bud vase from Regent Floral & Mercantile in Bay City, and on the far left and right are little glasses I bought on Amazon that Lucy Cuneo had originally posted.

My mom and I recently made Ochre Bakery’s olive oil yogurt cake. It is beyond delicious and stays fresh for an entire week. We added currants and roasted pine nuts to make it a bit like the cake we once had while visiting my brother in Florence. We often dream of Casa Valiversi, the most idyllic bed and breakfast we stayed at, and this cake immediately takes us there. I set the table with the dishes from our wedding, raffia orchid napkin rings (the ones I received seem to be sold out right now, but here is another option) and the perfect bistro style silverware.

I filled a container with flowers for the coffee table in our den. There are so many blue and white porcelain jars on Amazon that you can find - something like this, this or this. I put a couple of my new favorite coffee table books on top of the stacks - India Hicks’ Entertaining Story and Bryan Rafanelli’s A Great Party: Designing the Perfect Celebration. These are both the most perfect inspiration right now… I cannot wait for parties, warmer weather and long dinners outside… it’ll be here before we know it!

The moment January arrives, I’m ready for a deep clean and refresh of our home. I feel such gratification when every single fallen pine needle is gone. I am a true German - I like to open our windows - even if just for a moment - for fresh air. Shake out our duvet… clean every blanket and pillow. I sweep and hose down our entryway steps. I follow Martha Stewart’s weekly, monthly and seasonal cleaning checklists.

January is my time to create a wintertime sanctuary… Nick and I call our home our “homeostasis”. In January, I’m looking forward to spring, but I’m also settling in for winter. I switch out my living room pillows, I bring out all of my beach glass and shells, I update our fireplace mantle, I repot a couple of topiaries… little things that make a big difference for me!

With all of the usual feelings that come with this month - new ideas and beginnings - I like to be inspired by my surroundings. I tend to gravitate towards soft textures in hues of pink, blue and green. Most of my inspiration comes from people living in warmer climates… all of this can be summed up in the mood board above. 🐚✨🐚

Once I’ve cleared all of the evergreen arrangements from my house, I set up my desk. One of the first things I do is find a perfectly fresh scented candle. A few of my favorites f0r the new year - Fresh’s Citron de Vigne (lemony citrus), Capri Blue’s Lola Blosson (gardenia), Tocca’s Stella (blood orange), and Illume’s Coconut Milk Mango (very sweet coconut). For projects, to do lists and drawings, I use this notebook (best paper to write on in the world). Every Christmas, Santa brings me the Karen Adams calendar. The monogrammed notepad is from Dogwood Hill. I tend to collect tumblers and containers for my pens and pencils. The little blue one is by Craft Advisory. My latest obsession is the company Asp & Hand… the pink and green tumbler that holds the fresh tulips is by them.

I’ve found a few pretty things for Valentine’s Day… this mug and guava scented candle from Williams Sonoma (I found both at the dangerously close outlet) and little sweetheart candy napkins.

I’m the type of person that needs everything to be in its place before I can be productive. So apparently, I’m ready!

I recently tried this salad at my friend Tina’s, and I fell in love. It’s the easiest, healthiest thing to make. This week I made a batch for Nick and I to share for lunch for a couple of days. If you’re not usually an egg salad person (like me), go ahead and try this. The avocado gives it yummy flavor and the celery gives crunchiness. Super good!

Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped

• 3-6 organic celery stalks, chopped

• 1 organic avocado, diced

• A handful of organic cherry tomatoes, diced

• 2 organic green onions, chopped

• 1 healthy teaspoon Dijon mustard

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss. I had mine on toasted Ezekiel bread - Nick liked it with seedy crunchy crackers. Whatever you prefer!

So many of you know it’s been my dream to open a storefront that at it’s core serves deliciously inspiring juices and smoothies… a space that our community can come to for a moment of respite and sanctuary.

It’s Friday - and also the first perhaps healthy week after the holidays - and I’m hoping you might have time this weekend to make one of my smoothies for yourself and your family. Below are three of my favorite recipes. I hope you’ll make them, and also visit me at my store in the near future! Happy Weekend!

Mystic

• 1/2 cup - 1 cup organic pineapple

• 1/2 of a very green organic banana

• 1 heaping teaspoon turmeric

• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 heaping teaspoon ginger

• 1 heaping teaspoon maca

• 1 heaping teaspoon chia seeds

• 1/2 cup - 1 cup unsweetened organic coconut milk

• Ice

Morning Glory

• A handful of organic strawberries

• 1 whole very green organic banana

• 1 heaping tablespoon goji berries

• Coconut butter or sunflower butter

• 1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened organic coconut milk

• Ice

Yogi

• 1 whole very green organic banana

• 2 or 3 medjool dates

• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 heaping teaspoon maca

• 1 heaping teaspoon raw organic cacao nibs

• 1 heaping teaspoon chia seeds

• 1 heaping teaspoon flax seed

• 1/2 - 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

• Ice

Last Friday we really wanted to be somewhere warm, somewhere with sand, sitting outside with the perfectly humid nighttime air. It’s the holidays, yes, but that didn’t stop us from making one of our most favorite meals - one that takes us to that far away place just for an evening. We love to cook together, and Mexican short rib tacos are the perfect thing to make while staying in on a Friday night. I kept it super festive and used a tablecloth I recently found for Christmas. It went along sublimely with bright, cheery orange roses and colorful serveware.

To make the short ribs, purchase four to six nice pieces of short rib. When you’re ready to cook, let them sit out and get to room-ish temperature. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. Generously rub salt and pepper on all four sides. In a dutch oven, heat olive oil over high heat. Deeply sear the short ribs on each side. Once browned / seared, set the beef aside.

In the same pot, sauté onion, garlic, spices, and adobo sauce. Add the beer, chicken stock and short ribs (bone side up). Bring to a boil, cover and place in the oven. Set a timer for two and a half hours.

When the meat is done, remove it from the pot and let it sit for a moment. Transfer to a cutting board and with two forks, get to shredding! Place in a bowl and add some of the liquid from the dutch oven. The meat is ready to be served!

Ingredients

• Four to six short ribs

• Salt

• Pepper

• Olive oil

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1 16 ounce can of light beer

• 8 garlic cloves - smashed, but still whole

• 1 large yellow onion

• 1 generous tablespoon adobo sauce

• 1 tablespoon cumin seed

• 1 tablespoon coriander

• 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

• 2 bay leaves

While the meat is cooking, enjoy the evening with a drink. We love a simply delicious margarita. On this particular night, we made piña coladas too… because why not / I wanted something decadent. Take your time and make the accoutrements.

Pickled red onions - Combine the following ingredients, cover and place in the fridge until you’re ready to sere.

• One red onion, finely chopped

• 1 cup lime juice, maybe more

• 2 tablespoons vinegar

• Lot of salt

Guacamole - Combine the following ingredients. Periodically add lime juice and salt to your desired taste.

• Six avocados

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup lime juice (I like a lot of lime in my guacamole!)

• Cilantro

• A half of a white onion, finely diced

• 2 jalapeños, finely diced

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Salt and pepper

Sautéed bell peppers and onion - Delicious to addd to your tacos or on the side!

Queso fresco - Simply crumble into your serving dish!

Corn tortillas - Heat and let these get toasty over an open gas stove flame… this adds such wonderful flavor!

Enjoy with your favorite people!

On Sunday mornings, we usually spend a few hours lazy in bed with multiple cups of coffee. We watch Sunday Today with Willie Geist and last night’s SNL. The dogs don’t move from under the covers - yes, Milo (a large GSP) is now a burrower like Grover. It’s a weekly ritual none of us take for granted.

During this time, I also find myself in the depths of the internet… finding beautiful new brands and companies and sites. I could spend hours finding the absolutely perfect item for someone - one of my greatest joys is gifting. My most favorite person to shop for? My brother. He has the best style of any guy I’ve ever met… thanks to me?! So - I’m going to start a Sunday Shopping series of posts where I share a few lust-worthy things I’d purchase for myself, my mother, my brother, whoever. I hope you enjoy indulging too!

The Avenue

I love the selection of items for your dinner table from this site the most (they also have stunning blouses and other items for your wardrobe). Beautiful glassware, placemats and cocktail napkins... These orchid rattan napkin rings offer a perfect feminine island vibe.

Fritz Porter

Find beautiful original works of art, authentic curiosities and anything else you might be looking for. Nick got this acrylic bookstand for me last Christmas, and it’s my most favorite. I love to display the beautiful pages from inside a book.

Smallable

Cécile Roederer’s concept store has expanded to offer almost everything you’d ever need. The site has the most beautiful things for children, your home and your wardrobe. You’ve been warned though - you may lose track of time when visiting this site.

Saturdays NYC

A go to for any guy, Saturdays offers instant minimalist cool to any wardrobe. This site is perfect for gifting - clothing, surfboards, coffee, socks, leather goods - they have it all and it is all incredibly done.

abc carpet & home

I remember when I first walked into this store. The amazement I felt and still feel - a place that translates your dreams into reality. Like this perfect translucent buddha snow globe. In love.

Jenni Kayne

I am in love with boulcé. A bouclé chair, pillow… this perfect bouclé throw. This throw from Jenni Kayne is the epitome of her aesthetic - simplistic modern natural California chic.

Terrain

Terrain is such a good go to for seasonal inspiration. They have the most wonderful selection of fire pits, planters and outdoor furniture... among so many other things, like cast iron signs for your mudroom or garden gate.

John Derian

John Derian’s collaboration with Astier de Villatte. Whimsy I think is at the basis of both of these company’s aesthetic, and putting them together makes it even more profound. I love the scent of this candle - a French company has mastered the bright, luxurious smell of tropical gardenias from Hawaii. Yes please.

Nickey Kehoe

Nickey Kehoe’s design work is amazing. And so are the offerings in their shop. I found this Henry VIII wine stopper for a Christmas gift this year (he won’t see this so don’t worry). They’re handmade by a ceramist exclusively for Nickey Kehoe.

We had our first snowfall a few days ago, and the snowflakes were the most sublime poofy things that piled atop one another. Plenty of the homes on our street have their lights up and it really is the most magical time. For me, this marks the beginning of the happiest part of the year!

On the day after Thanksgiving, we’ll have A Charlie Brown Christmas playing while we finish decorating our home. What I’m excited to use this year: vintage silver containers, beautiful green velvet ribbon and handsome pears. Here’s a mood board to inspire - a beautiful Christmas tree filled with ornaments from childhood, warm candlelight, fresh garland all over, and lush floral arrangements decked with ruby red pomegranates.

A few of my favorite things - I love all of our little trinkets and touches that make our home warm and cozy. Monterey cypress is on display in our kitchen and large silver bowls are filled with pears, artichokes and clementines. Tiny little snow angels from Nick’s grandmother gather on a side table. I attempted to make the teeniest boxwood wreath for a concrete lamb my mother gave me. He reclines next to a couple of cheerful snow globes I’ve begun to collect. A fir scented candle burns and our living room is the most perfect subdued forest of Christmas trees.

For arrangements, I opt for fresh greens that will last through the season. I used a vintage container from the Bay City Antiques Center and filled it to the brim with fresh greens. I went for nude and silver toned glittery picks from Detroit Garden Works. It’s my favorite place to shop for the holidays in the winter and for the most inspiring landscape ideas in the springtime. The gold bells give the arrangement a very happy festive spirit!

I placed the arrangement in our entryway - this is where we’ll be able to enjoy it the most. I filled an old silver trophy with leftover cedar and boxwood. A bunch of striped candy canes fill a creamer - This is the easiest and most inexpensive way to add instant holiday cheer!

I think my most favorite appetizer to offer guests is a charcuterie board. Regardless of the occasion, it offers something to gather around while family and friends enjoy each other’s company. Instead of a few separate appetizers before Thanksgiving dinner, you can offer one large (or small) display of yummy treats. Any sort of cheese or charcuterie board is easy to assemble - you don’t have to cook anything!

Depending on the crowd, I choose different types of items to include on a board. Most often, I will choose three cheeses that are quite different from one another. I’ll add two to four or five different meats… there are no rules! What I love are the accoutrements. Since it’s the holiday season, I would add large leftover sprigs of rosemary from the garden and magnolia leaves underneath a few of the cheeses. I’d use dark lush purple fruits, such as grapes, figs and blueberries. I would accessorize with little artichokes and halved pomegranates for some gorgeous crimson color. Options are limitless!

A few basic steps I follow when putting together a board:

• I add my pillars first: the cheese

• I add a selection of meats - fanned out soppressata and layers of loosely rolled prosciutto

• I add crackers - close enough to grab together with a piece of cheddar or salami

• The rest - nuts, fresh and dried fruits, olives, edible flowers, honeycomb, decorative leaves... I add these all throughout the board to make it look like a true bounty of deliciousness!

• I usually like to cut into any cheese that requires cutting so guests are encouraged to take the first bite.

To make sure the board is completely enjoyed, always serve a wonderful beverage with great music. If it’s summertime, I might play Cocktail Hour or Shed. If it’s a cozy winter dinner party, I’ll play Paris Living Room. If it’s during the day, before Thanksgiving dinner, I might just play Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas on repeat for some classic holiday music.

If you’re looking for a board to keep at home, ready to be pulled for entertaining, here are a few boards I’d buy right now. One of the Christmas tree boards by etú, I’d love to use a long narrow board, and I’d buy a few different sized silver trays from a search on Etsy. Happy feasting!

I love a beautiful Thanksgiving or Christmas morning when the family has breakfast together. Freshly squeezed orange juice, thick cut German bacon, eggs, and toast… I could go on. I was trying to decide on my favorite breakfast recipe to share with you, and I couldn’t love anything more than a Dutch Baby.

I recently made Kristin Cavallari’s version and it was wonderful. I added lemon zest, because that’s classic, but kept the recipe the same otherwise. Oh - and I added powdered sugar too, because breakfast goodies on a holiday morning definitely require a little extra sugar.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a quiche dish or cast iron skillet, pour one tablespoon of coconut oil to cover the bottom. Using a hand or stand mixer, combine the ingredients until smooth. Pour into the quiche dish or cast iron skillet and place in the oven for about 25 minutes. My oven tends to get things done quickly, so I checked mine when there were five minutes left and it was perfectly crisp on the top. Once it’s cooled just a bit, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve! I love mine with fresh berries and maple syrup or just Nutella. Yum!!!

• 3/4 cup oat flour

• 3/4 almond or coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 eggs

• Zest from one lemon

• A pinch of salt

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

I have very limited self control when it comes to a few things - coffee table books being one of them. They offer so much inspiration! The covers are beautiful, the pages are full of color and a few books stacked together can complete a room.

Perhaps as you begin your holiday shopping, or if you’ve been looking for a few books for your own home, here are some recommendations! The best advice I can offer you is always (almost always) buy these types of books on Amazon. They’ll be far less expensive than if you were to buy them from another retailer. Click on any of the books below, and it will take you to its buying option on Amazon.

Landscapes, Gardening and Flowers

Fashion and Design

Travel

So many of the leaves have fallen, and I am reminded of their smell and sound while walking through them in neighbors’ yards as a young child. I can still feel the excitement of leaving to go trick or treating. I remember some years it was so cold and snowy my father and father’s friends would drive us from house to house. At the end of the night, my brother and I would trade candy - he’d somehow always get all of the Reese’s peanut butter cups. I was almost always dressed up as a witch - either in a pink felt costume my mother made or dressed as one of the Sanderson sisters.

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. I love when the weather gets cold, I love dressing up, decorating with pumpkins. It’s the beginning of the cozy holiday season!

One of the greatest joys of coming to Saginaw was being able to move in to the same neighborhood I grew up in - and hand out candy here. Just as they did twenty years ago, every home becomes incredibly festive. Six o’clock arrives on Halloween night and the first trick or treaters come up the drive. I usually use my largest stock pot for candy with a second one on deck.

Even though our Halloween looks different this year, my home will still smell of roasted pumpkin seeds. I’ll still have had Nick help me carve pumpkins and there will be plenty of spiced cider candles lit. I’ll make some sort of witch’s brew while we watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, followed by something new this year - In Search of The Sanderson Sisters, A Hocus Pocus Hulaween Takeover. It’s a reunion of the cast of Hocus Pocus and I’m so looking forward to it. You can buy a virtual ticket online here.

However you spend your Halloween weekend, I hope it’s just as spectacular and festive as any other year!

I first came up with this recipe after visiting one of my most favorite restaurants I’ve ever been to - Tiny Boxwoods in Austin, Texas. The restaurant is better than a modern farmhouse. It is timeless, warm and you feel like you’ve just walked on to a Nancy Meyer’s set (and I’m not just saying this).

Back to the recipe - I wanted to make something that was completely healthy… a better alternative to the store-bought. All of the ingredients can come from your local grocery store. I buy organic flax seed, organic hemp seed and whatever else from Costco when I can. I use American Spoon’s Raw Honey, because it’s my mom and I’s favorite. Also, I keep the seeds and nuts in my refrigerator or freezer so they last.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and combine. Add the oil and honey and mix with your hands or a spoon. Place two parchment paper sheets on a baking sheet. Distribute the mixture evenly and place in the oven for six minutes. Check to see if the granola has turned golden, and if it has, take it out and flip / shake / mix again so all of the granola can get baked. Place it back in the oven for five minutes. It will go quickly, so make sure you stand by! Once it’s done, take it out and let it cool completely before you put it in a container.

• 2 tablespoons chia seed

• 2 tablespoons hemp seed

• 2 tablespoons flax seed

• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds 

• 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

• 1 cup shredded coconut 

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 1 cup chopped cashews 

• 3 tablespoons sunflower and coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons honey

I usually make a batch of the granola towards the beginning of the week and split it in two - some for me and some for my mom and dad. They love eating it on its own. I like to eat it as cereal with regular, almond or coconut milk. I add a little bit of it to warm oatmeal for a nice crunch. I’m not sure why, but I keep mine in the fridge so it stays super fresh. Regardless of where you store it, it will last a good long week! I hope you enjoy!

I think my greatest accomplishment during the pandemic was the revival of our side garden. Before clearing the area, it was full of overgrown vines, hosta and a lot of clover.

A lot of my inspiration came from Charlotte Moss’ gardens filled with boxwood and hydrangea. I also wanted it to be a little bit northern California, so I incorporated an organic vegetable garden and Oakleaf hydrangea. I remember a super sunny day in April when the raised cedar garden beds first arrived. My dad and I assembled the five raised beds so quickly. I was eager to see everything in their place! I planted brussels sprouts, spinach, arugula, bell peppers, snap peas, and way too many tomatoes. I created a path through the garden with this aluminum edging. I used pea gravel and Georgia pine needle as mulch. I love using pine needle, because it’s inexpensive, easy and in a south-facing garden the pine needle heats up and smells like California and Colorado.

By the end of May, my little seedlings of arugula and bell peppers were growing strong. The garden was full of potential! Most of the plants are from Sarah Longstreth’s organic farm - Good Stead Farm. The difference between taste in the tomatoes I have from Sarah and from a local non-organic garden store is REMARKABLE. The colors, the skin, the pop in your mouth of warm ripe tomatoes. This is when I also began to realize that I planted too many tomatoes.

In mid-June, we had our bountiful harvest - almost on a daily basis - of lettuce. So many salads, green juices and smoothies. It felt so good to be able to take from our own garden.

My garden roses were blossoming by June as well. Last year, I planted two varieties of David Austin roses - Iceberg Floribunda and Crown Princess Margareta. The roses are so strong, plentiful and beautifully fragrant. As I’m writing this (at the end of October), there are roses still blooming. My Radwhite Knock Out roses are just as hardy and plentiful. In late fall, I cut back the roses and they are kept bare during winter. I feel this makes them so much stronger come spring and summer.

Knowing how much the veggies loved the warm sun I might try some more adventurous things next year (fruit?). Brussels sprouts were so yummy, but also incredibly heavy and hard to control. It’s been such a joy seeing everything grow… time to put everything to bed until spring!

Planning ahead to spring, I went to where I could find the best selection of bulbs - Downtown Home and Garden in Ann Arbor. I planted the following bulbs in my front yard, in four different garden beds. I love periwinkle and white in the spring. I saw a squirrel eating one bulb, but I hope I planted enough to see each of these bloom in the spring! I cannot wait.

• Muscari (Grape Hyacinth) Armeniacum

• Fringed North Pole Tulip

• Delft Blue Hyacinth

• Tulip Mondial

• Cowanii White Amaryllis

One of the things I love most about being married is having something delicious in the oven for Nick when he comes home. There is something idyllic, all American, old fashioned, and womanly about cooking and setting the table for your significant other.

To make it even more traditional, I decided to master the pot roast. Martha’s is the best of course, though I add extra carrots, no potatoes and instead serve mashed potatoes on the side.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a dutch oven to heat oil over medium/high heat. Brown the salt and peppered chuck roast on all sides. Per Martha’s recipe, I turn the meat fat side up, add stock and wine, onions, garlic, and herbs. Let this cook in the oven for about two and a half hours. Add the carrots and cook for another thirty minutes to an hour.

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• One 5-pound beef chuck roast

• Salt and pepper

• 2 cups beef stock or reduced sodium canned beef broth

• 1/2 cup red wine

• 3 yellow onions, cut into large wedges

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2-3 pounds carrots, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

When it’s dinnertime I will always light candles, and I will almost always open a bottle of red wine. Since it’s fall, I’ll have this playlist on.

I hope you enjoy reading as I navigate everything I dream to be and do! I think that’s why I really decided to start this blog. I am an almost thirty-year-old woman whose greatest passion is creating beautiful experiences for the people around me.