Lifestyle Archives • Page 14 of 99 • Every Day Dress by Rebecca Collins

trust the process

*great black turtleneck is always a good look*

Last week I put up five trees, moved in all my geraniums at the country house while moving out all the furniture to Boston MA, and hosted a small working lunch for nine women. Sure, I had anxiety, we’re coming up on holiday season where expectations run high.

*overwintering the geraniums, moved all the furniture to Boston in two big pods*
*papasan is from youngest daughter’s* *bedroom, kinda need somewhere to sit*

Oldest daughter, the one living in Boston and on the receiving end of all of the furniture, says the goal this year is for me not to end up sick and in the fetal position on Christmas eve or any other day leading up to January 1^st, as has been my move. I’ve been pacing myself, doing things early.

One of my dear friends tells me the Christmas season is a man’s holiday, women invariably do a lot of the hustle. I’m telling myself to trust the process, it will go, it always does.

*two in the dining room, one in the living room, forgot to take that photo and it*‘*s the best one 🙂*

*one in the upstairs sitting room, it looks great from the street at night*

The thing is I love doing this kind of stuff, decorating, cooking, making things nice for those around me, all the while creating good memories and bringing people together.

So, one thing at a time: trees are up, no skirts and no ornaments. These five trees here are brilliant, we used to do the fresh thing where husband and the kids would go out and get the biggest fresh thing they could find and then I would spend DAYS and NIGHTS wrestling with the lights, solo, of course. No more, last year on advice from my sister, she who designs events for hundreds of thousands in San Francisco, ordered in from Balsam Hill: I bought three of their revolutionary flip trees, and the two slender ones in the dining room go up in minutes, all lit! It’s genius.

*it was delicious, maybe a little heavy on the dressing, I panicked at the last minute, and* *I probably could have kept the plate rim a little cleaner*

*it was a working lunch meeting, I set the table and herbal iced tea waiting for everyone*

*I used three small juice glasses filled with parsley and rosemary from the country house down the middle of the table for the centerpieces*

*the English chocolate crisps* *with dried cranberries were delicious*
*I sent small packages of two home with each guest, no one really likes to eat desert at a lunch*

*the thing that I was most proud of was that my kitchen counter* *was clean and not like a hurricane happening*

And the lunch? Everything from one of my favorites, Ina. I simply sat down with her Make It Ahead book and planned out the whole thing, beginning to end. We had Herbal Iced Tea, Salted Caramel Nuts, French Green Bean Salad with Warm Goat Cheese, and Chocolate English Crisps. I truly felt like a Barefoot Contessa.

*here’s the pile of cut greens waiting to be put in nine urns for outside decorations, gotta trust the process*

The carrot bread recipe comes from one of my other inspirations, Martha of course. She’s an entirely different story, last night I was reading her blog, The Official Martha Blog, about her most recent dinner party in her brown room, she brought in chef’s, (plural!), and they had individual tangines. Her gardening escapades involve an entire staff, and they dig up and propagate and store Dahlia tubers and things, wow, #gardendreams. We can all aspire to entertain with ease; I think the key is to slow down and trust the process. Bite off what we can chew, do things slow and with intention, and for me, do things early. At fifty-four I’m finally learning that flying by the seat of my pants is not a good look, wink wink.

*trying desperately to do the work early and not always fly by the seat of my pants*

Basic Sheet Pans

Nothing fancy here, and nothing makes me happier than dinner with my family. With good ingredients and a few sheet pans I can put out a weeknight meal that soothes the soul. This was one of those impromptu weeknights when both sons stopped over post-squash for a sit-down with us, the newly empty nesters. It was simple, and divine. Showing you the real life, messy kitchen counters and all.

No recipes, hot oven. Chicken thighs with butter, thyme, lemon juice. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with sea salt and olive oil. Baked sweet potatoes slathered with more good butter. Arugula tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, and shaved parmesan. I have these sheet pans in multiple sizes and use them all the time. Here you see the quarter-size version, perfect for a party of four.

keep it simple

*now here is a look I can get behin*d: *single stem, single color. This photo was taken by son Maxwell in a fancy restaurant. The vibe felt approachable, doable*

Yesterday afternoon I sat on the couch and read the November issue of a high-end interior design magazine and got promptly overwhelmed. I should have been doing any number of other things besides sitting on the couch yet I was feeling overwhelmed in general and it was Monday so I thought I would take a little rest. Not a good idea.

I think some of the ‘overwhelmed’ feeling was coming from the impending end of October and then the impending beginning of November. Yes, that most wonderful time of the year.

So, I took a very long walk with my two unmanageable dogs and had a good talk with myself. We’ve done this before, (now like 33 times at least), and we will do it again. Keep it simple I tell myself.

I know that this simple here might be different simple for others, and that’s okay. For me it’s about doing things myself and being hands on. Hands on the food, hands on the flowers, hands in the garden. It’s never quite like the magazine yet I give it a good go.

*my weekend activities* *with husband and dog*

This past weekend while out in the country I wrestled with the annuals, I’m actually overwintering all of our geraniums, and I think I’m getting better at it, and it’s actually very satisfying. Those overwintered geraniums come back even better the next season out.

*this is what my kitchen really looks like…*

*grocery store roses, all kind of one color*

I’ve yet to branch out with multiple color schemes, it’s always red geraniums or a whole little vessel of lavender or big bunch of white roses, or a whole lot of one thing all in one color or texture, I can’t seem to manage a mix.

*cut the lavender from the garden and stuck it in water glasses*

*we had fun at that table and then I packed up that lavender and we moved houses*

*you can’t really see it yet it’s the same weeks old lavender down the center of the table in the second rental house*

While in France during the month of June I cut fresh lavender from the garden, placed it in five water glasses here and there down the table, and then took all of that lavender with me when we moved to a new spot. Husband thought I was crazy, all of that lavender wrapped in paper towels while moving from one rental house to another. It wasn’t fancy yet it really looked quite amazing, and it was honestly very simple.

*here I cut white garden roses and stuck them in wine empty wine bottles, of which we had plenty 🙂*

*I could only find these tiny lights, no glass holder, simply wax on the linen*

*husband checking me out, oops, didn’t iron the linen, don’t really care*

If you too might be feeling a sense of unease, of all that’s expected, I say take a big armful of whatever is in season and fresh around you and lay it all down. Lay it on the table, fill an odd number of water glasses, simply make it simple. High-end interior design magazines, oh you’re good, yet you make me feel like I might not ever get there, (The 101 best gifts list with items starting in the upper thousands really didn’t feel right). It’s just me here, and the humans I hold close. November and December, we’re looking at you, and yes, time to move off that couch. Let’s try and keep it simple.

*gotta love a wall of red hanging geraniums*

Moving On

every day dress — *moving on while wearing all black*

Last Saturday I spoke at a sold-out wellness workshop alongside friend and style colleague Emily Doren of Lace & Day. We were part of a panel of women experts each offering tips and techniques in how to incorporate beautiful balance into our daily lives, a lifestyle concept you know I’m all about.

Okay, so I spoke, and I touched on many different topics, not really addressing anything I was talking about in detail, and I laugh out loud as I write this, because I know I need some work. My topic was ‘Reignite Your Confidence and Style’, wow. I didn’t practice enough. I even dressed in all black as if ‘don’t look at me I’m not really sure about all this’. It was challenging and uncomfortable and fun and good all at the same time.

I think it’s good for us all to try things were not really good at and to let the results rest and then to come back and to try again.

We were seven women all with different stories all communicating different ideas each of us with varying degrees of proficiency speaking in front of a group. I had the least amount of experience and practice and wandered about in topic the most, and I’m letting myself know that that’s okay.

It’s kind of like my weekly 5:30am ½ mile lap swim. I knew I needed to stretch my fitness routine and to do something different. At first it was horrible, sliding into that pool and swimming laps alongside former collegiate swimmers and needing to switch between freestyle and breaststroke just to keep up and stay afloat. Each week that I put myself in that pool I got a little bit better, and the swim got easier. I simply kept moving on.

Here’s my message: try things outside of your comfort zone, and just keep trying. Practice. Don’t pay too much attention to what you think others might be thinking. Time moves fast, and we’re all moving on. I’m coming for you public speaking.

casual looking

*cashmere and suede in two different shades of green, tone on tone is fun*

Yesterday we opened our Fall Winter Trunk Show, please know we’re all about casual looking or full out mission shopping. The clothes we wear are a very personal expression of who we are, and I believe the things in our closet should be chosen with thought and care, worn often, even on continual repeat.

*Trunk Show space at 651 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo*

My team and I work one on one with our clients, offering personalized service, wardrobe suggestions, positive affirmation. From sustainable denim to full out glamour, we can assist with what to wear where. Here are details: Fall Winter Trunk Show now through Monday, October 21^st. 651 Delaware Avenue, suite 101, Buffalo. By appointment. Call, text, email. 716-445-3033, rebecca@everydaydress.com.

*tweed jacket, white blouse, suede* *pant, sneaker: casual looking*

In addition, on Saturday, October 21^st, I’ll be speaking about how to Reignite Your Confidence and Style along with Emily Doren of Lace & Day at a wellness workshop with five other lifestyle experts hosted by Patti Green. It’s all about creating a beautifully balanced you. For more information or to register please visit: bit.ly/bblifewellness.

*sure you can pair leopard with plaid, it’s all about feeling confident*

From casual to creative to professional to stay-at-home, looking good, feeling good, and doing good is what we’re all about. Come hang with us for a while. Trunk Show, now through October 21st, by appointment. Wellness Workshop, Saturday, October 19th, 8am to 1 pm, register here at: bit.ly/bblifewellness.

Out of Office

Summer 2019 in our Northern Hemisphere ends astronomically on Monday September 23^rd and I’m holding on tight.

Fifth child is off to the UK for her junior year semester abroad and we dropped sixth child at Providence College in RI for her sophomore year. Husband looks forward to and expects regular phone calls and texts from the sophomore, and she is not obliging. Older siblings report she’s on a bit of the party circuit, probably doing exactly as the same as the majority of the college population first week or so of back to school. When pressed she simply typed back on her iPhone to dear dad: THRIVING. Good for her.

Four older kids are easing into adulting, all doing it in their own unique way, the world is good.

This is the first-time husband and I have experienced what some call an ‘empty nest’, and I must say I enjoy the benefits.

Last fall our second daughter had debilitating health issues and she remained at home with us while we assembled an exquisite care team to help see her through. She has come out of the abyss and is rebuilding her life. When your child suffers, she doesn’t suffer alone, we all felt the pain.

So now, with a little newfound autonomy, we’re kind of landing where we want to land- and I’ve been a little more than ‘out of office’.

We’ve been in Boston MA and took a short road trip to Maine to revisit the coast we used to vacation on thirty-four years ago as singles. It was beautiful. Our stay at Black Point inn offered the best of both worlds, sandy beach and gentle bay on one side, and rugged gorgeous cliffs, rocks and surf on the other. Our room was old school, (like the food), and we spent hours simply looking out the windows and enjoying the view.

I chose lobster on the regular, lobster benedict for breakfast, lobster roll for lunch, and lobster ravioli for dinner. The wine pours were generous, it all made me happy.

Ten hours of driving and back on the home front and of course I had to clean out the fridge, details, and then prepped for Labor Day weekend company.

I find solace in the kitchen and have learned to love an organized mise en place. Husband still can’t get his arms around my preoccupation with good food and what’s next for dinner- not sure if that thing about me will ever stray.

On the style front I have things from summer I haven’t even worn yet, shame, and have started to slowly move towards fall, incorporating more fall ‘looks and feels’ into the rotation.

We have a trip to London, Amsterdam, and the Scottish highlands on the very near horizon, and for this I bought a natty plaid pant suit, two cashmere sweaters, a pair of Italian stretch suede pants, two merino wool sweaters, a wide brown leather belt , and a gorgeous pair of black boots. They are all lined up and waiting to be put on the ‘packing rolling rack’, a system I designed that works exceptionally well when culling the closet for travel.

*smashed red potato salad with red onion and dill*

Today we’re at the country house, and yesterday I made delicious dill potato salad and classic French ratatouille. Yesterday I made scratch blueberry pancakes and the day before that a blueberry pie, triple batch of Bolognese, scratch Caesar dressing, garlic croutons and chocolate chip cookies. You could say I like to feed those around me.

We will be vacillating between city and country, sleeping where we want to sleep.

Professionally I’m debating whether to jam in a short quick fall trunk show this month of September, or simply go full out for the one on deck October 12^thto the 22^nd. I’ve also got a talk on the line for an upcoming wellness workshop, ‘Creating a Beautifully Balanced Lifestyle’ where I will be speaking about how to ‘Reignite Your Style and Confidence’, very good stuff.

This post has been kind of a brain dump, if you’re reading this far, wow, and thank you. I love that with age now I know I can take time off and that I will do what needs to be done when the time calls for it. For now, we’re still soaking up the warmth…every day dress.

morning routine

*two cups of coffee before anything else*

In the online world there’s a ton of talk about morning routines. You can google ‘morning routine’ and a whole slew of articles, opinions, books, tips and tricks will flood your desktop. Here at the every day we keep it kind of simple:

Upon waking the very first thing is to brew some coffee. Feed the dogs while the coffee drips. Drink two cups with half & half, maybe check email, maybe check bank balance, maybe check Instagram, maybe check the blog and maybe check the business. If there are humans up and about, I’ll forgo all of the above and drink coffee with them which is so much better. Click this link here to read Why Social Media is Ruining Your Life.

My very favorite thing is to hit the gym first thing several times a week and, on most days, I’ll walk (or run) with the dogs. 10,000 steps plus a day here we come.

An absolute non-negotiable for me is to make the bed. I’ve been making the bed every single day for as long as I can remember. If I do some simple math that means I’ve made the bed approximately 30,000 times as I’ve made countless kids beds too. The best thing about making the bed is that even if your day goes to hell you can feel good about getting one thing exactly 100% right.

I like to spend some time settling the house because I really can’t be my best when stuff is all over and dishes are undone. This could literally take me all day and absolutely all of my time as running a household (or two) is never ending. Sometimes I put a timer on and race the clock just to see how much I can get done in an hour or two.

Next up is breakfast, and that’s usually some kind of eggs, with greens if I’m working it, and definitely some buttered toast of some sort. I’ve been playing with intermittent fasting and postponing breakfast for as long as reasonable.

Three of four daughters and I do morning pages: three free hand written pages of semi-conscious streaming. Once the words are on the page most everything else feels a bit better. Click here to see Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way.

After all that it’s time to get dressed, put some makeup on, brush the hair, and get out the door or work from home. It’s really a pretty routine thing, coffee, dogs, exercise, bed, house, food, clothes. When all that is done it’s the start of a really good day.

Would love to hear about how you all get your day started, is coffee in the mix, making the bed, or intermittent fasting?