The Patron Saint of Gardening

Will you indulge me as I take you through one more swoon-worthy shop? This one is located near the harbor in Portland, ME and it carries everything you would need to create a dreamy garden space. Fiachre, named after the patron saint of gardening, is indeed a heavenly place.There is nothing like a wall of old terracotta pots...perfectly weathered, perfectly beautiful.
When you enter the store, the smell of lavender immediately fills your senses. I couldn't stop scooping up the dried lavender, imagining all the sachets I could make to fill my house with the same subtle scent.
And the candles...gorgeous hand-dipped beeswax candles, made locally (of course!).
These idyllic gardening images are a perfect segue for tomorrow's unveiling of our new backyard (almost complete...but close enough to show you)! It has been quite the summer project, but the results are just what we hoped for...well worth the blood, sweat and tears!

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A Drive up the Coast

This weekend was heavenly...road-tripping through Maine, taking in an incredible farmers market (easily my favorite in the entire book) and a fantastic craft fair. The weather was cool and I drove with the windows down, basking in the coastal breeze. I wasn't under a time crunch, which is normally the case when I am on the road, hitting event after event, so I was able to stop whenever something caught my eye.
One such unplanned stop was in the adorable seaside town of Wiscasset, where I stumbled upon the most fabulous antique shop, The Marston House. To enter the shop, you had to weave your way down a small garden path, which added to the overall charm and allure of the shop.
Once inside, I struck up a long conversation with the owner, Sharon, and was delighted to learn that many of the fabulous finds in her shop came from France, where she and her husband spend half of the year. Do you want to take a peek at what I found?
I could have snapped up every item in the shop, especially the richly colored antique linens and various feed sacks. The vintage notions were very tempting as well...but I was good, and just shopped through the lens of my camera! I did leave filled with inspiration, and a feeling that I will make Wiscasset a planned stop on my next Maine trip!

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Sneak Peek

The afternoon light was fading by the time I snapped this little peek at the nursery, but I thought you might enjoy seeing the project that has caused me to be so absent from this space! There is so much more to come...I can't wait to show you every little nook and cranny.

But in the meantime, I'm off on another market adventure tomorrow...so I will leave you with many wishes for a glorious weekend...the last one of summer break!

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Baby Shower

I cannot believe a week has passed since I last posted. Time seems to be flying during my third trimester...I have had this fear that I will wake up one morning to discover I am in labor and nothing is ready. Lucky for me, a visit from my mom this past week eased my mind tremendously. I will tell you what....that mama of mine is a workhorse. We accomplished SO much in the short time she was here. The nursery is pretty much done (a few more touches before the big unveiling!), all the little clothes are washed and organized, the cloth diapers are sorted, the exasperating baby equipment is all set up (really...must everything come in 100 parts with 200 pages of instructions?!). I feel amazed (exhausted, but amazed) by what we accomplished. How do you ever go about thanking a mom as wonderful as mine? And how do you go about thanking your best girlfriend for throwing you an incredible baby shower? I mean...can you just take a look at how beautiful this shower was? The creative decorations were only the beginning...the food that she prepared was simply out-of-this-world. Some of us enjoyed the treats a bit more than others!
I am just so thankful to be surrounded by such incredible friends and family, who have supported me and spoiled me during my pregnancy. Although Beth is going to kill me for this next picture, I just have to show off my beautiful friend, who threw me the most beautiful shower. Sorry Beth...it just had to be done!

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Swinging through Burlington

So...Burlington...what a town. I only wish I had more than a day to enjoy. Being there brought back so many memories of my college town, Boulder, CO. Since the same guy designed both cities, they have a very similar feel. It made me miss those beautiful, sunny Colorado college days when my only worry was how to improve my beer pong game!! Anyway, where was I...?
Oh yes, Burlington. I stumbled upon the best shop ever, Nido, which was filled to the brim with luscious fabrics and yarns. A crafters true delight... and the owner, Phiona, was the sweetest thing. In fact, we ended up having dinner together that night. Can you imagine...she invited me, the lonely traveler, over for dinner. Are all Vermonters this friendly? Anyway, her store is just amazing...exposed brick walls provide the perfect backdrop for artfully displayed bushels of gorgeous yarns in every color imaginable.
Of course I couldn't leave empty handed...I simply had to stock up on some adorable fabrics in blues and reds for some more nursery projects that I have in the works. Her selection of fabric was top notch: Heather Ross' new line, plenty of hard-to-find Japanese brands, and a well curated selection of linen solids.
Nido sits right atop Stone Soup, a bakery/restaurant that has a fabulous selection of vegan and vegetarian fare. I stopped here on my last morning in Burlington for a blueberry muffin, and it was divine. They also have a scrumptious looking salad bar, as well as several tempting sandwiches.
You know me and my love of good bakeries...so here was my other find...August First. Not only was their bread to-die-for, but I loved the open, artsy feel of the place. It had a very good vibe going on!
My other find, which (gasp) I didn't take any pictures of, was The Green Life, which had a fantastic array of organic, eco-friendly, hard-to-find products for the home. Their baby products were so tempting, but with a shower this weekend, and one in two weeks, I held off on any purchases!

If you visit Burlington, I strongly suggest stopping by the Saturday morning Farmers and Artists Market. I have a ton of pictures from the market, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but those I am saving for the book!

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That Magical Place We Call Vermont

Should I let you in on a secret...the most amazing little tucked away town in New England? It's the town of Waitsfield in the Mad River Valley of Vermont, and I was lucky enough to spend the weekend there, covering an incredible art event. Of course, I wish I could show you all of the amazing images I have from artist studios, galleries and events...but alas, those will have to wait. What I can show you is the amazing scenery... ...the lovingly maintained old barns and carefully cultivated gardens......tucked away secret tree forts (my little brother would have loved this one!)
...the amazing sense of community that I experienced when I attended the town barbecue, held in an open air barn strung with twinkling lights.
So besides lapping up the gorgeous scenery and enjoying the local scene, what else did I spend my time doing? Eating...I pretty much ate my way through the entire state, one grilled pizza, one homemade donut, at a time. Let me tell you ladies, they grow them pretty darn cute in Vermont....and by that I meant the farm animals, of course! I hope your weekend was filled with beauty and plenty of good cooking! I'll be back tomorrow to show you around my favorite spots in Burlington...stay tuned for an incredible fabric and yarn shop, and, of course, a great bakery!

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