A brick-floored hall through rustic doors

the Pantry

Homemaking, more or less

Real life from a real house. Gathering, cozy corners and the little things that make people want to stay. Results may vary. Fun strongly encouraged.

The rope swing hanging in our great room, stone column and leather chairs behind

Just a thought

We put a swing in our house.

Adults are just children waiting for permission.

Yes, there is a swing in our great room. Actually, there are swings. They get used by the little kids, the teenagers and, yes, me, dress and all. Adults are just children waiting for permission, and around here, permission is granted.

Watch the reel

From the pantry shelf

Little things, big difference.

Design

Every corner gets a story

Every corner in our house is telling a story, and most of them are about people we love. There’s a table Beau built, a bench made from a friend’s barn wood, pottery Beau and the kids made, and paintings from my grandmothers. If it looks a little collected and a little imperfect, that’s on purpose. Mostly.

Grandma’s antique pine table with a willow basket underneath

Heirlooms

Grandma’s roadside table

This little table used to sit at the end of my grandma’s kitchen island, back at the citrus grove, with her microwave parked right on top. I always told her how beautiful I thought it was, and she’d say, “That piece of junk? I picked it up off the side of the road.” When she passed away, I asked if I could bring it home. It’s still one of my very favorite pieces. Some of the best things in life are roadside finds, especially when someone you love found them first.

A long table with a black tablecloth, mason jar candles and baby’s breath

Hospitality

The long table

Good company beats a clean house every time. Around here, having people over looks like a lamp already glowing, music in the kitchen, candles on the table and the door wide open. I miss the days of stopping by. Come as you are, and I’ll make us some cider.

Two oil landscapes in ornate gilded frames

Design

Gilded frames, thrifted art

My decorating test is simple: would the March family have it in their house in Little Women? Old paintings, gilded frames, hand-forged iron and aged brass candlesticks all pass. Bonus points if it has a story, a little character, or a tiny creature that snuffs out candles.

A candlelit table from above, with an olive wood bowl, a charcuterie board and votives

Letters from the porch

Pull up a chair.

Every so often I’ll write you a letter. A recipe, a tradition we’re trying, whatever magic (or glorious mess) happened at our table that week. No lectures, nothing salesy, just a friend waving from the porch.