If you’re shopping for tableware that you want to transition well from season to season and holiday to holiday here are some suggestions.

• Start neutral. The more neutral, the more versatile. 
• Think storage. If you don’t have room to store extras, I would skip the large platter that has a giant Christmas tree on it.
• Think about it like makeup. When we put makeup on, we start with a neutral foundation, then we add in color with our eyeshadow and lipstick. Linen napkins, centerpieces, and candlesticks are a fun way to add color. This is great way to bring in your personality.

Solids are a great way to add color that transitions well. Forrest green is great for fall, Christmas and spring. Yellow carries well for fall, spring and summer. Blues can pair well for winter. 

I’ve found the more neutral and solid I go, the more I can mix and match year round. It makes for less storage and gives me time to focus on other parts of hosting.

Don’t get me wrong I love a fun and colorful tablescape! I’ve done mermaid, dessert, gold, lumberjack, and more themes over the years. But they are the exceptions for me, not my go to. 

• preheat oven to 375 degrees
• 2 sleeves soda crackers
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package milk chocolate chips

• Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
• Place a layer of soda crackers on foil.
• Bring to a boil 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar.
• Boild for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Pour over crackers.
• Bake at 375 degress for 5 minutes.
• Remove from oven. While hot, our 1 package milk chocolate chips on top.
• Let stand until melted, then spread with a knife.
• Refrigerate or freeze to harden.
• Break into pieces and enjoy!

Ten years ago I found myself hiding in my laundry room. A new friend had unexpectedly stopped by and I didn’t want to be seen. I didn’t want my house to be seen. I was embarrassed by my appearance and ashamed that my house wasn’t in better order.
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So I hid.
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I knew that day something needed to change. I was lonely. I wanted friends, but I didn’t know how to juggle the authenticity of life with the desire to live an open door lifestyle.
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So I jumped into learning all I could about hospitality. About authentic living. About making friends. And my heart began to swell for others who may also be hiding in the laundry rooms of life.
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That’s why I write. That’s why I send out emails and offer free downloads and post stories and ask questions. I want to show women there is a beautiful way to live authentically while also offering hospitality. Imperfect hospitality at that.

Galentine’s Day is a great excuse to get your friends together. Not that you need one, but it’s always fun to have a reason to mix things up with your girlfriends.

Brunch Boards are a great way to keep it as simple as you want or a chance to add a lot of variety, without cooking!

No cook food ideas: Waffles. Croissants. Bakery goods. Fruit. Nuts. Chocolate. Cheese. Crackers.

Remember: The larger the board, the more food you need to fill it. So start small. You’d be surprised by how much food you can fit onto a small board.

Fresh Herbs are a beautiful accesory to the boards.

I love finding fun non-alcoholic drinks. World Market is a great place to search for these.

We schedule and chase and fill time and distract ourselves so we don’t feel the ache. The ache of loneliness. Busy tricks us into thinking we’re not alone. But busyness without purpose only drives us further into loneliness.

What if we shifted the intention? What if instead of filling our days to avoid the ache, we faced it? We stopped long enough to acknowledge the desire for connection? We redirected our plans to include time around the table, walks with friends, turning off the noise, becoming friends with the silence and even with ourselves? 

I caught more than I was taught.

Now, as an adult, I realize what I learned about hospitality from my mother was because she lived it.

She brought me into the process. I remember writing names on place cards in my best handwriting. My little finger was used to hold down ribbon as she wrapped gifts. I would help straighten the tablecloth, fold the napkins and sprinkle m&m’s on the table.

If you’ve met Janet you’ve received a card from her. She knows your birthday and knows how to celebrate you. She’s welcomed in hundreds to her home and strangers have become family.

Thank you, mom, for living by example. Thank you for bringing me in and not shooing me away. Thank you for teaching me what true hospitality looks like. Love you and Happy (early) Mother’s Day!

Voice: A voice I’ve never heard but a picture speaks a thousand words.
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A simple moment of my great-grandfather eating breakfast in that gorgeous morning light caught on film.
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It leaves me with so many questions, yet tells me so much.
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I want to sit at that table. I want to ask my great-grandfather so many questions.
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A photo that symbolizes the heart of how I want to live. Slow. At the table. Savoring. Light.
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It leaves me wondering what voice I will leave? What do my kids hear that I never say? What will photos of this life voice to the next generations?

REFRESH: Who needs a refresh?

When I was in college I switched dorm rooms and apartments every semester.

I’ve lived in six different places here in the harbor.

I love change. I love moving.

But here we are, 10 years in the same house with lockdowns thrown in the mix.To say I need a refresh is an understatement. It’s not that I am unhappy. I just thrive off of the freshness of change.

So here is what I do when I need a refresh.

• Move the furniture.
• Bring in fresh flowers or branches.
• Set the table, even if no one is coming over.
• Rearrange my closet.
• Take a different route when driving.
• Bake something.

What do you do when you need a refresh?