It's our first spring in the garden at Wingate house, and among all the wonders unfolding around us, the poppies -- with their odd, hairy pods, their tightly packed tissue paper petals unfurling hour by hour -- are one of the greatest pleasures. Before they opened, Hugh reverently enfolded the pods in his little hands … Continue reading Poppies
Who in the world is Peggy Porschen, you ask? She's an award winning cake designer in London, whose cake shop in Belgravia features stunning seasonal floral installations like this one: To make a long story short, a good friend of ours was planning a surprise 40th birthday party for his wife, Jennifer, who had been … Continue reading Peggy Porschen Floral Installation
Vivienne is seven! Her birthday lined up with our February vacation week trip to Phoenix, so this year, we decided to throw her a party early and take advantage of Valentines Day with a cookie decorating theme party. Hearts, sprinkles, and unlimited frosting... what more could a seven year old want? This was our first … Continue reading Valentine’s Cookie Decorating Party
The other day, I overheard Vivienne say, "Hey Hugh, did you know there's a time for everything in life?" It was somehow both whimsical and instructional, and Hugh, with an appropriately serious nod, played along like he totally got it. Little ears are clearly picking up on the underlying vibe around here... There is, indeed, a … Continue reading A Time for Everything
Last year, my only resolution was to reclaim a sliver of my pre-motherhood literary life and read more... or, at all. And I actually did! I gave myself permission to stick to page-turners -- books begging to be picked up even for just 20 minutes during nap time and compelling enough to keep me up … Continue reading Top 2017 Reads
Since we've finished all the big projects in this house, I've been able to reclaim some more time for small ones. Carving out a couple hours here and there to be creative has brought me more joy this season than I anticipated! Here are two of my favorites, touches of blue for our Christmas tree … Continue reading Two Blue Christmas Projects
All of a sudden, here we are rushing into the golden days of August -- a season brimming with delights here in New England. After 16 years here, I'm still exhilarated by the beauty that unfolds before us each summer. It commands a pause. And thank goodness for that, because these last couple months have … Continue reading Blue Shutters
After a busy June, we suddenly realized the Matisse exhibit at the MFA Boston was closing in a matter of days! Now, we are not terribly spontaneous people, so it should give you a good indication of our true and undying love for Matisse that we dropped everything, packed up the kids and some sandwiches, … Continue reading An Impromptu Evening with Matisse
The Key to the House 