The men in my life are out west fishing and doing man things, happy for them. Happy for me too as I’m basically home alone and not doing much.
Love them to infinity and beyond.
Even so every day stuff is always a crumble, kind of going and doing and making good things happen, kind of on the fly.
You know we’re all about what’s fresh and peaches are peak: sliced them up, added a little extra sweetness and butter is love and it was all beautiful and delicious, even if home alone.
Sure, there’s some yard and lawn help, yet no gardener; who really has a gardener these days? Having always wanted a garden, simply have had to dig in.
Three plus decades ago while in our very first home I sat driveway side for hours and hours and pulled bushels and bushels of established Pachysandra thinking it was a damn invasive weed. Felt pretty darn satisfied at day’s end with my efforts, yikes.
Now I plant tender roots of all kinds and patiently watch them grow.
not perfect yet perfect pears from husbands fruit orchard
It’s a good place when your head is down with hands in dirt. A garden of any kind feels safe and reassuring.
even on her wedding day we had watering to do
If you’ve been a follower here you know I’ve gone somewhat silent: oldest daughter married and youngest off to college: life changes. Trying to figure out a space in this spinning world, and what’s next.
We’ve been moving 5th child into university the past few days, and we’re all lingering about, hanging on, fading summer. She opted out of her dorm room last night, and we we’re three in a bed, priceless.
It’s been a summer for the record books, husband and I basically checked out of professional life for two straight months, (him, not so much, me, 100%), and late this afternoon we fly home.
dress | Worth New York
Tomorrow first thing I’m back into styling, and I’m going in cold. Simply gonna jump, no time for slow immersion, stunning new fall clothes arriving overnight air to studio, and late afternoon client appointments.
Thank you, Michele, for reaching out and inviting us to visit and reminding me how lucky we are to dress amazing women in beautiful clothing.
Two weeks ago Saturday oldest daughter was married and it was a very best day and the very best blur. Of course we have crystal clear memories, yet honestly it was all so magical and all so fast, kind of like all best days, leaving an indelible and permanent feeling of euphoria on the mind and in the soul.
Yes, it was a very best day: two families and the gods and the stars aligned. A singular new little family of two was formed, and our two respective families and friends grew exponentially. Love all around.
To get to that day and place required each and everyone of us put forth our very best efforts. The team was immense, intimately intertwined, and planning started the very next breath after the giddy engagement, November 5th. If my math is right, it was exactly 40 weeks of planning and preparation, equal to what goes into a birth, which are my other best days, each one internally tattooed.
Proper ceremony was in the city, and beautiful reception in the country. Husband and I moved ourselves into our summer house the last week of June and gardened our hearts out until the very morning of August 11th, it was heaven on earth.
Today is Monday and there are new beginnings happening all around us. Fifth child starting her collegiate sophomore year and sixth and youngest beginning her first. Oldest son soon to celebrate his third decade, and newlyweds moving from NYC to Boston next weekend.
Thankful for life, and all of its idiosyncrasies. Wishing everyone their very best blurs.
xoxo
professional photos | Sarah Bridgeman @ sarahbridgemanphoto.com
Four of us are on the road, one Providence College move in and drop off, circle home quick then out and a Furman University drop.
Road food has been great, been thinking about that lobster roll all summer long. Girls and I love and enjoy food, and any shared meal is often our favorite part of the day.
We’ve been cooking at home for as long as we can remember, and honestly feel it’s a kind of super glue. Cooking at home brings us together and creates unbreakable bonds, the kind that make college drop offs unbelievably bittersweet.
Mom, chic soon to be seventy-nine year old, thought this dress looked flirty, and now, after looking at photos, kind of agree.
Bought it in San Francisco at Saks in Union Square in July, and the husband picked it out. He has a good eye. Wore it recently for oldest daughter’s rehearsal dinner. Felt great. Never underestimate the confidence giving feeling of good clothes.
We love the kind of quiet sophisticated hue and the kind of crazy eyelash print, and the ease of fit. Paired it with a pair of lace block heels, a small top handle bag, and done. Flirty it is, and at fifty-three we’re good with the crew neckline, the below-the-knee length, and the A-line skirt shape. Ease over fitted for the win, at least this time around here at every day dress.
xoxo
really looking forward to getting back in the groove….
No better way to break the ice than to simply get back to it and sink in. We’ve been out, and loving every minute. Not every day that a child gets married, and we put our all into it to make it happen. Happen it did, it was amazing, in so many out of the world ways. Wedding post coming, need to gather resources, stay tuned.
What we really do most days is aim to wear good clothes, cook and eat good food, and try our best to think good thoughts. With that, we did a kind of Sunday dinner on a Tuesday, and broke bread with those we love. Every day things.
Every day dress, after an epic wedding push, trying to get back to it. xoxo
6:59 am text to oldest daughter, bride to be, ‘is it really 44 days away or did I count wrong’. Her immediate reply, ‘you counted correct’. Holy moly.
Tuesday we planted 5 more hydrangea, weeded a ton, organized furniture, and did basic life. Wednesday we went and got more hydrangea, weeded forever, (even the driveway because no one I know is going to weed the driveway), and loaded in 15 cases of wine that arrived from last out-of-town excursion until after this wedding day. Now Thursday, and we’re staying put, and head is down.
We love doing parties, and this will be our biggest yet. Nothing like throwing a party to get you in gear to do stuff you’ve thought of doing. We’re renovating, for sure. Completely redoing a barn, recovering cushions, digging a second well, redoing decks, establishing new garden beds. It’s not every day we get to receive 200+ most favorite humans, some from as far away as Brazil, for a celebratory dinner out in the country-side. Kind of feel like I’m living my best life, because really I like my hands in the dirt.
While in the weed patch today I was thinking of this site, and thinking I should simply chronicle what’s going on for the next 44 days as weddings are big life events. Thank you for hanging in, we’ve kind of got mountains to move, and when I blink I know it will have come and gone, and that’s the circle of this wonderful life.
all photos by Alexis, dear friend of the bride to be, coming to celebrate with us from San Diego
ps. turning 53 in a week or so and have decided here, in this space, it can be what it needs to be, different at different times, kind of like when you roll through the decades. Also, no filter. 🙂
Travel seems to make us edit our wardrobe. Just returned from several days in Aspen CO and then several days in Napa CA, (all in a carry-on), and the clothes we packed were basics, simply turned up a notch.
dress, here and below | Worth New York
Easy patterned dress hit both towns, switched out the belt for the scarf in CA, and denim got a tank, albeit silver.
always always, black tank, dark denim
Company I work for in my downtime, haha, provides some really good stuff, and I like to be a bit of a rebel and mix it up.