hosting ourselves

When the alarm clock went off at 6:45 this morning, I rolled out of bed into yoga clothes, fed charlotte and hit the road before I could think any further through the plan. It was cold and blustery, after a rainy day yesterday, and I didn’t think I was going to make it through. But after an hour and fifteen of vinyasa yoga zen and a coffee with new and old friends, the sun appeared and hope springs eternal.

If you’d asked me yesterday as I begrudgingly took a walk in the rain, for my silly mental health, I would have said the sun was never going to come out again. ever. It’s crazy how one day I’m donning sunscreen and birkenstocks and the next I’m back to a wool coat and socks and tennies. Anyways, the collective chauffage(heating) has been turned off in our building. So with that, I bid cold weather goodbye.

This past weekend we ambitiously planned to go to the beach with low 70s temps, but it was so windy and we ended up having our picnic around the dinner table, playing skyjo inside and watching a bike race. Then Sunday, we ventured up la madone to catch the end of a friend’s race and had a very scenic picnic outside. I eagerly told Neilson we should drive out of the city up mountains more often. But my carsick stomach said otherwise, as it took me longer than the drive itself to recover from the winding roads.

That night, tired of cooking up exciting meals, we ordered pizza in from a new neapolitan spot and I bought a bottle of orange wine at the bio store to try out and lit some new beeswax candles. Even through exhaustion, finding beauty in the little moments can do wonders.

we were dogsitting**

I read something on instagram the other day about “free” luxuries and living with intention. It’s something I’ve really been marinating on these past few days as I’ve felt a bit of an itch. An itch because we’ve been living in the same city for three years now and the same apartment and we’re in a good rhythm with Charlotte, but one that also feels a bit like an endless cycle.

I love watching Ashley Kane share about her kitchen renos and Friday pizza night, or my friend Heather nest in her NYC apartment, or Alicia Lund dressing up to pick up her kids from soccer practice in home sweet Sactown. My friend Nelli can find a beautiful spot just about anywhere she goes. Now, of course these are the edited versions of life. They don’t show the baby poop and stained laundry and hands with rashes on them from washing dishes. or the dust mites or dying house plants. I used to listen to a podcast called the glorious in the mundane and that phrase plays through my head sometimes on the most mundane of days.

I love gearing up to host other people in our home and make pretty tablescapes. But maybe instead of thinking that way, I can think about how we can host ourselves in our home.

At the end of the day when Charlotte goes down to sleep, I’m wiped and sometimes lay my head on the table after we finish dinner. Setting the table and lighting a candle or two before we eat can make such a difference.

Beauty doesn’t have to be expensive.

On Monday, I ventured to the antique market with my friend and her pup-who many of you seem to think we’ve adopted but really just dogsit occasionally. She(the human) helped me pick out a french linen nightgown that I’ve been eyeing for the summer to style with strappy sandals and a woven bag. I helped her decide on some pink champagne flutes and we took pictures of great finds. If you don’t follow Lily’s Vintage Finds on instagram, her french market finds are very entertaining. Different scale as she has access to big fairs for antique dealers, but nonetheless entertaining watching Americans traipse through French fairs with good taste and a good sense of humor.

favorites:

• the deep end- country club mysteries, the perfect amount of not too stressful entertainment

• have about 20 photos of flowy skirts saved on pinterest this week

• pompe a l’huile-perfectly sweet bread that’s pre-cut into little slices making it the perfect picnic companion for slices of chevre and salami

• orange wine and beeswax candles

• 10 min long voice messages with long distance friends

Anyways, signing off to enjoy some carbonara and charlotte snuggles before her bedtime but wanted to thank you all for being here and being the highlight of my week sometimes :)

until next week-xxf