I’m a bit of a pillow hoarder. There, I’ve admitted it. Does it mean I’m going to change my hoarding ways? Not anytime soon! I’ve had this problem for quite sometime and it became even worse once I discovered Etsy. I have pillows and their assorted covers in every closet in our smallish home. They make it so easy to change your decor in a snap! One day about a year ago I was scrolling through Instagram and I came…
If you’ve been following me on Instagram , you know that I recently was in Vermont helping my parents who have been working nonstop on building their dream farmhouse. While there is still much to be done, the kitchen is nearly complete and I am blown away! I think it just may be my favorite kitchen ever. Here are 5 things I absolutely love about it…I lied…how about 7? There are more than that but I don’t want this post to turn into…
As many of you might know, I’ve spent this week helping my parents with their new farmhouse in Vermont. How lucky am I to have parents who still hike, ski, and build houses? They decided that it was time for a change and sold their little place in Vermont and got right to work on building a new abode in East Rupert. After selling group insurance for 16 years from 1966-1981 (and working in the World Trade Center when it opened in 1973)…
What a crazy, fun filled few days I had with my daughter in Big Sur. We were celebrating her birthday but needed no excuse to explore this amazing part of our country. Most often we stay two nights at my brother-in-laws ranch, and with such limited time we tend to stay close by. With 385 acres to wander, we are never bored. But with the gift of four nights, we expanded our horizons to some new places, and of course a few of…
When your daughter is turning 25 (how the heck did that happen?!) and asks if you want to celebrate her birthday in the most breathtaking place on the planet for a few days, you start packing! Goodbye Santa Barbara and hello Big Sur! We are on the road and with limited wi-fi, so I will leave you with this photo. And no judgements if some or all of these are consumed during our visit…compliments of our last Big Sur Bakery…
In the tiny beachside town of Summerland, in a quaint 1920’s Victorian cottage, sits a home and garden boutique called botanik. This is another go-to destination for me and for all who know about this incredible place. What my favorite local shops have in common, are the wonderful, helpful, cheerful people who own and work at them. Botanik is no exception.…
When my hubby and I moved to Santa Barbara and bought a house six years ago, we knew we wanted to embrace the California outdoor lifestyle. This meant adding things like a hot tub, an outdoor shower, and a place to gather…a fire pit. While my husband has incredible faith in my ability to design gardens (as I did in Connecticut), I knew that with irrigation, electric, gas lines, and poured concrete hardscaping, I was in way over my head!…
For those of you who follow me, you know I moved to California from a traditional home in New England… a 1917 stone and stucco Connecticut cottage to be exact. I grew up in older homes with lots of character and even lived in a historic brownstone building in NYC when I was first married. “Modern” just wasn’t part of my vocabulary. When we decided to buy a house in Santa Barbara, I was at first drawn to the older Spanish homes that…
I feel incredibly blessed to be the mother of a daughter who is an, intelligent, thoughtful, and caring young woman. I’m equally blessed to still have my own mom in my life…a vivacious , energetic, beautiful and strong woman. They are both an inspiration to me each and every day! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms. May we celebrate them today and always! …