Show & Tell | The Ing’s of Late-Spring

 

Loving | my new granny chic chair in the kitchen! It’s the perfect place to start the day with a warm cup of coffee as the sun starts to rise. I found this frilly, floral rocker for a mere $50 on Facebook Marketplace, the only good thing about that app, and knew it would be the perfect addition to our kitchen. I drove a long time through hilly country roads with a pal to examine this old gal and make sure she was not drowning in cat pee, and to my surprise, she was as good as new! No bodily fluids detected. Her name is Francine. We name furniture here. (Pictured Above)

Tidying | up the garage, finally. Finnnnalllllyyyyy. It’s the last stage in this long and exhausting moving process, and of course, we saved it for last to do in the blasted summer heat. JOY! It’s currently full of lots of boxes waiting for me to sort through this summer. I was going to type “week” but that is nowhere near realistic. I am not looking forward to it, but bird by bird. Speaking of birds, I found one in the house today. Cheers to open doors and window season!

Enjoying | our new outdoor furniture, this outdoor sofa + set of comfy outdoor chairs along with this long teak table, items we saved and saved to buy. One of things we first fell in love with regarding our new home was the garden and outdoor space. We envisioned spending time out here throughout the day, hosting suppers, reading in the dapple light, listening to music under the stars with friends. I love how it accommodates so many people! We are out here everyday, and are really glad we went with quality pieces for this space that can withstand not only the wear and tear, but the Midwest weather that can be quite unpredictable! (Pictured Above)

Cooking | all things green! After many seasons of little cooking, most of which was uninspired, it has become my evening meditation again. Around 4 or 5 pm I’ll head into the kitchen, put on some music, and slip into a state of creativity which feels like home again. I missed it. I have begun to get back into old habits, whereupon the garden begins to dictate what’s on the table for supper. And that, my friends, is my favorite way to cook!

Singing | this song every morning at the top of my lungs with Stella.

Swapping | my wool gerlups out for my yellow Saltwaters and white summery Birkenstocks. When I am not barefoot, those are my shoes for the season.

Watching | old reruns of Julia Child’s The French Chef, which was inspired by the new show on HBO called Julia, which is fabulous! Admittedly, I was unsure at first due to the interesting, and rather new (to me) portrayal of Paul, her devoted husband, but after watching several episodes I have decided this emotional and deeply personal angle they are offering us viewers is refreshing, in many ways. We have just started watching Severance too, which is mind-bending and incredible. Don’t you dare give anything away!

Waiting | on the other side of our buttery yellow Aga range oven to arrive from across the pond. Still waiting to find the right name for this gal, too. Suggestions welcomed. Aggy feels too predictable, and Bess, well just maybe. (Pictured Above)

Starting | (*ed) therapy this month to help unravel and understand my feelings surrounding my adoption. It’s been wonderful and heavy and all things you’d expect.

Lighting | dried rosemary and lavender when my mood needs a lift. I love the smell, even though Covid changed it from what is used to be. I am now in the acceptance stage of that grieving process, aware that my senses may never be the same again, and that’s ok. I am not letting it stop me from enjoying life whatsoever.

Delegating | a lot more at my shop, Homesong Market, so I can focus more on things that bring me joy. I think as a business owner, one of the best things you can do for yourself and for your company is to hire out your weaknesses and to create a team of individuals with a range of unique gifts to lift the brand as a whole. It’s impossible to run a business like mine alone, and now that I am at more comfortable place in my life with the shop, I am being more strategic in what I am choosing to do, and what I am willing to give up, like scheduling, for example. It’s incredibly challenging and rewarding at the same time.

Noticing | the light as it dances across our home throughout the day. It is one of my favorite things to do, no matter the season. I feel like it’s God telling me “hello” throughout the day. I hope I’ll always make time to pause to say “hello” back. (Pictured Above)

Soaking | in the tub at least once a week. It is a ritual I enjoy doing on the weekends when Matilda is down for a long nap. I’ll pour a rosé, grab a book, toss in some Epsom salts, and exhale. (Pictured Above)

Planning | a trip back to Paris for the summer! Andrew’s brother lives there and we’ve booked a trip for a month again. We have so many places we want to visit again, along with many new markets, parks, and restaurants we didn’t get to last time. This will be Matilda’s first time traveling abroad and I am so excited for her to experience a new country with all of us. I am going to be sourcing for Homesong Market’s fleas this time, which is going to be so much fun.

Read | Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Can Make Us Whole by Susan Cain. It changed my life.

Reading | Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever. It’s a fascinating book and unlike any I’ve ever read before. It’s complied of various accounts from those who knew Tony, many of whom, in very intimate ways. These mini interviews are broken up to tell a story about his life, some excerpts small, others long. It’s very personal and quite fascinating. I miss Anthony Bourdain dearly, which I know seems odd as we never met, but he always felt like a friend to my soul, and that’s a feeling one cannot shake.

Starting | up our book club again! More to come on this very, very soon. Let me know if you are interested BELOW.

Growing | a big ol’ garden. We currently have French radishes, English peas, heirloom beets, Tuscan kale, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, giant spinach, strawberries, wild flowers, nasturtiums, fennel, dill, sage, marjoram, parsley, lemon balm, rosemary, lavender, English thyme, basil, chamomile, and roses! I feel like I say this all the time, but gardening teaches me so much, and the lessons learned while sowing seeds, watering them, nurturing the soil, weeding, and watching, offers my soul deep gratitude.

Watching | the trees surrounding our home pop into bloom. We have several crab apple trees that were a gorgeous shade of pink and white a few weeks back, and now we are surrounded by honeysuckle! The world around us is incredibly verdant right now.

Listening to | this playlist on repeat and this podcast when I fold laundry.

Making | new batches of citrus vinegar spray, laundry soap, and lavender bath salt. Spring is for these fun domestic tasks! I just got a big batch of rhubarb at the market and plan on making strawberry rhubarb shrub and jam soon.

Getting | to know our new, lovely neighbors. We are so blessed to have so many kids living nearby. That was one thing we didn’t know about before moving, was if there would be any kids nearby, and we are blessed with so many!

 

  • Melissa - Such a beautiful read! I for one would be very excited about book club again!ReplyCancel

  • Mariel - My suggestion is Perdita and of course, Perdie for short 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Tricia - I so hope you’ll bring back book club this summer. I am making my summer reading list this week, but I’ll save some room.ReplyCancel

  • ELIZABETH - Hi Amanda, oh that flowery chair is incredible. Reminds me a little of a fabric Ikea were once doing on sofas and armchairs. can I ask where you found the rattan table and foot rest in front of this chair? Very cute. Thanks for the share and what a beautiful home! Elizabeth xReplyCancel

  • e l i z a b e t h - Hi Amanda! I would LOVE to join along with your book club…I’ve followed you for awhile now and am just now commenting. I am a book girl myself, so a book club sounds absolutely delightful! Can’t wait to hear more 🙂 Happy weekend to you!ReplyCancel

    • admin - Yay!! I have our first 6 books picked out and will be sharing those very soon with hopes to start in June! And thank you for commenting, it helps me know that what I share is being read, which helps me continue to write here. Happy weekend to you as well, lovely! XxReplyCancel

  • Alice - Book Club sounds lovely! I bought Highly Sensitive Parent and Parent’s Tao de Ching after seeing you post about them. After received the latter yet but the former has been so helpful.ReplyCancel

  • Joan Tamburini - I would love to join your mailing list. Book club if you have one. Happy New Year!ReplyCancel

  • Katy Rose - Grateful for the beauty you bring to the world.ReplyCancel

  • Natasha - Hi, would you mind sharing the source for the wallpaper pictured (the photo with the gorgeous light and grey trim)? Thank you!ReplyCancel

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