Today I’m Celebrating

Today I’m celebrating. Birds chirping. Pink sunrise. A fresh spring breeze. The hint of blossoms and new leaves unfurling verdant green.

Mister T is 5 months old today! Hooray!

Maximilian celebrating his bro’s 5 month birthday this morning.

Today I’m celebrating my little Truman is five months old. What a whirlwind this has been. Did I mention we moved to Minnesota last month? We unexpectedly relocated for Michael’s new job. Did I mention I moved to an enormous house sight-unseen? I moved here trusting Michael’s photos that the house would be okay. Can you imagine? April 1^st we arrived to a yard covered in mounds of snow at the end of a cul-de-sac. The playground in the backyard, buried in snow. It’s been a month of snow, snow, snow. Oh and record-breaking cold. Welcome. Welcome to my new life in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

Today I’m celebrating another day of warm, sunny Spring. I am hanging onto the hope of this day because it’s all I’ve got. And I know that this is all we are ever given, the promise of a day. Just this day. That’s it. So I’m going to live it as fully as possible. Today I’m celebrating the joy of my little Truman who is calm, happy, and peaceful (unless, of course, he’s hungry or needs a diaper change). He started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks. Bless him.

Today I’m celebrating a day of new adventures. Uprooting my career and life in New York City is something that I still can’t quite fathom. I think I’m still in shock. But it happened a month ago. Today I look for beauty in this incredibly uncomfortable journey. Step by step, day by day. I’m not sure how often I’ll be blogging or when I’ll be taking on new projects. This is my creative sabbatical. This is my time to incubate and explore. Today I’m celebrating that I have the opportunity to do this.

Here are some things I’ve been celebrating and I wanted to share with you:

Truman turned 4 months and he really didn’t mind the snow!

A very frozen Lake Minnetonka in April.

Spring in Minnesota looked like this.

Found this snow Buddha on a walk through the hood.

Well, then this happened. A new Ford pickup. First time for everything. Maximilian named our truck, McQueen.

Love the Walker. Love the sculpture garden. Love that the snow melted.

Discovered the sculpture garden at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. 1100 acres of BEAUTY. So inspiring.

Jellyfish have no heart, no blood, no blood, no brain and so beautiful. Saw this at the aquarium.

We love Gale Woods Farm. We saw three lambs being born. We’ve been going back to visit. They’re getting so big now! Beautiful!

We celebrated Spring at The Heart of the Beast’s May Day Parade in Minneapolis — loved this wild explosion of creativity! Hallelujah all the snow is gone and it’s sunny!

Confession: My Terrace Tragedy

So, I have a confession… remember the NBC terrace makeover I did last spring? The results were fantastic, if I do say so myself. One part of the makeover involved planting arborvitae trees because they are so hearty and drought-proof. Well, here’s where happened. Apparently, they couldn’t withstand weeks of scorching summer heat, and I saw in mid-August that 4 of the 6 trees were already dead. The Bleeding Heart? Dead. Oh these poor, poor things.

My recommendation when you have things die on the terrace or in the backyard — get rid of them immediately. It’s much worse to have to look at the skeleton of a tree to remind you what a shoddy job you did of taking care of it. So, at this time of year, what on earth can you do to fill the hole where the dead trees or plants used to be? I spoke with a master gardener and got some tips. I used to be against mums because they look so “funeral.” I’ve changed my tune as long as they are arranged appropriately.

I’m excited to share some ways to arrange flowers with fall style. The best part? These arrangements should look pretty good until January — at least that’s what the master gardener told me. She said to wait until early spring to plant new trees, and for now it’s kale and mums and cabbages (try mixing in parsley, too). Don’t be afraid to get creative!

Here’s to the art of arranging fall containers…

Outdoor Summer Rooms and a *Little* Surprise

Despite the heat this summer, I’ve been spending quite a lot of time outdoors. Our winter in New York is SO long, I feel it’s a requirement that I take advantage of warmer weather while it’s here! I also love to entertain, and can’t think of anything I enjoy more than a yummy outdoor dinner with friends on summer evenings. And as it turns out, we have had a lot to celebrate. I’m nearly 6 months pregnant with our second child! We are beyond blessed and are so happy and excited for this new little boy to join our family. Woohoo!

Surprise! There’s a new bundle of joy coming our way in early December.

Now, on to creating a magical outdoor room for YOUR celebrations! First, think of the space as an extension of your home where you can create different “rooms.” Be creative and have fun setting them up. The most basic outdoor rooms are the patio or deck, but these days, more and more people are really living outside. When I visit my clients’ homes, I see outdoor kitchens and dining areas, outdoor living rooms, even outdoor bedrooms! Forget about adding square footage to your house; if you want more living space, at least in the warmer months, expanding outdoors is the thing to do.

Outdoor fireplace, anyone?

Outdoor furniture: The kind of pieces you’ll need will depend on the kind of room you want. A few chairs and table for essentials. For a charming conversation space, you might add a bench or a coffee table. For cooking and dining, include a sideboard and food-prep area as well as a dining table. Look for weatherproof pieces. I like teak for outdoors because it requires little maintenance and develops a silvery gray color as it weathers. If a nap calls your name, (I feel this urge EVERY afternoon), add a chaise lounge or a hammock.

Teak is the way to go when it comes to outdoor furniture.

The yard and beyond: Take advantage of the view, wherever it happens to be. Set up chairs in the yard so you can watch the sunset. There’s no rule saying you have to stay on the porch. If you have a pool, make the most of it. Use accessories to give the pool area style. Stick with a nautical theme like white and blue or a punchy white and orange. Remember to keep a big basket of brightly colored towels for impromptu pool parties.

This looks SO inviting, doesn’t it?

Light up the night: Torches are an obvious way to keep the bugs away and create an instant festive atmosphere. However, I always have a hard time getting them to stay in the ground, so my favorite way to build an instant outdoor room is to light a gazillion candles. Place pillars in tall glass hurricanes or jars to protect them from the wind, and use them to line a dining table or porch rail. I found a boatload of Mason jars stashed in the cellar of our farmhouse, and I absolutely love using them with sand and votives for a romantic evening at home under the stars. And my absolute FAVORITE form of natural light: FIREFLIES. I love watching the yard come alive with magical firefly sparks. What a joy. 

Let’s celebrate what’s left of summer before the cool days of fall approach.

Enjoy these last warm days and throw a late summer bash!

The Shelter Island Guide

Happy Friday! Today’s post is coming live from my favorite place— Shelter Island, New York. If you’re passing through the Hamptons this summer, this is the place to simply BE. I rarely venture off the island because, well, I just love it here. This summer I’ve been here for weeks indulging in the peace and quiet. I just finished The Magic, a book about gratitude, and highly recommend it. Each morning I wake up here, I feel so blessed to hear the birds singing.

Here are some of the top things I’m thankful for about Shelter Island:

1. Burger on a pretzel roll at Reddings. Divine. Or, depending on how healthy I’m feeling, the Greek chicken salad with poppy dressing is delicious. Their homemade potato chips are a must.  

If deliciousness was a word, this would be it.

2. We love eating at Vine Street, but in the summer the crowds can be a bit hectic. Their market is a great alternative and you can order off the main dining menu which is awesome and easy. The homemade sourdough bread comes out heated perfectly so the butter just melts in that delicious sort of way. My favorite thing on the menu is the miso salmon (then I top it off with my husband’s french fries because he is devoted to the steak frites). They too offer homemade potato chips, and the BBQ ribs and sauce are SO yummy. I could go on. And on. Am hungry just thinking about it! 

I challenge you to leave the Vine Street Market empty-handed.

3. Ice cream cone at The Tuck Shop. A summer staple.

So many sweet & scrumptiouus delights here…

4. Watching the sunset on Crescent Beach is the perfect end to a long day on the beach.

What a gorgeous way to end the day…

5. Yoga in the Barn on Saturday morning with Heidi. A former dancer, Heidi Fokine has studied with some of the best yogis in the world. This mother of two will start your weekend feeling empowered and relaxed at the same time. 

6. Hitting the farmers market to load up on green beans, romaine, corn on the cob, flounder, and sunflower bread from Blue Duck Bakery (which makes perfect almond butter & jelly sammies) — I bought a loaf of brioche last week which didn’t even make it ’til Sunday — everyone chowed down on it!

Local, fresh & fabulous at the Shelter Island Farmers Market.

 
7. The 6 mile walk in the Mashamock Nature Reserve — nature at its finest.

Pristine and perfect – one of the best ways to enjoy Shelter Island’s natural landscape

8. My hammock — I know it’s a good day when I get some precious “hammock time” in.  

Nothing says summer like a hammock in the back yard.

9. The Shelter Island Run — You can run with world record-setting Olympians — I ran the 10K with Olympic medalist Bill Rodgers last year and actually beat him! If you’re really fast you can run with Joan Benoit Samuelson. 

Here I am with Joan a few years ago.

10. Sitting in my back yard and watching the fireflies come out a dusk — it’s so quiet and full of magic and mystery. I like to feel all the good energy and give thanks for a beautiful day.

11. Checking out the amazing treasures at Marikas — you can find furniture, vases, artwork. I love it. It’s always an adventure and a surprise. 

Love finding treasures here…

Please note: next week I’ll be on vacation and back the following week.

Happy Summer!

A Terrace Makeover in a Day

Tune into my terrace makeover on NBC’s Openhouse on Sunday, June 17th at 8:30am.

Hooray! Memorial Day weekend is finally here. I’m super excited to share some quick and easy tips to create an easy-breezy summer outdoor room or backyard or whatev. These tips are fun and they work.

Step #1 – Define your outdoor room. The terrace in my NBC makeover is a big old plain rectangle which is awesome for planning an outdoor room. In fact, there’s ample space for 2 rooms. When thinking about defining your outdoor rooms, first think about function. In this terrace, we wanted to have a space for eating and lounging. So function defined the space: an outdoor dining area and living/lounge area.

 

Tune in Sunday to see the ‘after’…

 

Step #2 – Pick a planter. Planters are the easiest way to define an outdoor room so it has a distinct feel. I like to mix and match to create an authentic outdoor entertaining vibe. I love the planters from my friend Chris at Just Terraces. They’re called “swingers” because they go with anything. You can mix colors and shapes to create the space.

 

Step #3 – Go green. Planting is so much fun! In this Sunday’s segment on NBC, I’ve selected an assortment of plants which will serve different purposes. I stuck with a theme of pink and purple flowers and an assortment of greens to bring in texture:

 

-Uber-tough Arborvitae. This tree is your terrace’s best friend. It provides shade and privacy and it’s uber-tough. Meaning it can handle scorching heat and put up with brutal blizzards.

 

-Shiny happy Boxwoods. Maintenance is easy and they provide shiny green color and texture.

Check out the swinger planters from Just Terraces — they go with anything. Here they’re planted with boxwoods for good green vibes.

 

-Pick your own garden and eat it. Find a spot for herbs and lettuces and you’ll have an instant yummy snack.

 

-Cover up the ugly wall with sprawling Clematis. I love these vibrant purple flowers and their vines which trail up any wall for easy vertical coverage.

 

-Knock out Roses. Keep it simple with knock out roses. They bloom in spring, summer, and fall. I love a rose that gives and gives and gives. Bonus: they are completely low maintenance so you can head to the beach and fuggedaboutit.

Knockout Roses for an instant no-fuss color punch.

-Your very own butterfly garden. I’m all about no-fuss flowers and so of course Salvia’s beautiful purple flowers rock because they look good AND attract butterflies.

 

Step #4 – Dine al fresco. Your terrace is the ultimate place to dine under the stars. In this makeover I brought in a table, chairs, an umbrella, and 2 planters for my edible garden. I asked my friends at Woodknot Design to make planters from upcycled woodscraps. And, of course, every terrace requires a grill for delicious summer meals.

 

Step #5 – Outdoor living room. All that’s needed for a quick outdoor living room is… IKEA! You all know speed is my thing, so I was thrilled that with one quick trip to Ikea I was able to pick out amazing outdoor furniture and accessories. Done. Of course, you don’t want to buy everything from one store— remember to always bring in a quirky items for personality and style. I brought in a fab Kartell gnome side table and vintage kidney-bean shaped coffee table with a terrazzo top.

In mid-makeover… check out the planter on the right handmade with love from upcycled wood.

 

Baby and the bok choy

Today I went for a run with my baby (he was in the baby jogger) and for some reason he hated it & started screaming about a mile into the run. I took him out of the stroller & held him for a while but he’s getting really big. 20 pounds of baby is a whole lotta love to lug around on a path. So I put him back in the stroller & he was magically ok for the rest of the run. You know, it’s so true that everything happens for a reason: along the path I saw my car key. Yep just lying there in the dirt. Thank you God that I came back this way and saw it.

Since my run was cut short I decided to stop by my friend’s house to say hi & see her new chickens & veggie garden. I was blown away by the gorgeous meadow of wildflowers & her veggie garden had me on my hands & knees sampling various greens: arugula, escarole, lettuce. Yum!

She generously gave me a huge basket of fresh greens to make a salad & 4 gorgeous bok choy. Tonight ate the most delicious salad! Excited to saute the bok choy in olive oil & garlic tomorrow night.

This evening didn’t go as planned but it all came together perfectly. I’m grateful for my friends, family & happy to be indulging in fresh local food!

Nancy and Max enjoying the bok choy. Thanks Nancy for the basket of leafy goodness!!!

L’herb

Today I stopped at the farmstand to pick up fresh strawberries & saw 6 herbs for $3. That’s quite a deal, especially considering it costs more than that for a bunch of basil & parsley.

I bought 12: 6 parsley, 6 basil. I decided to plant them while my son napped this morning in the front of the house. I thought I’d mix them in just behind the creeping thyme and with the astilbe & bachelor buttons.

Soil is critical to having happy plants so I mixed a fresh batch of compost, peat moss, and potting soil and swapped this new mixture with the hard old soil.

Watered it with Miracle Grow and blessed each little plant, hoping they grow!

J'adore this parsley: 6 for $3

I dug up the old soil and replaced it with peat moss, compost, and potting soil

Freshly planted parsley, dowsed with Miracle Grow, grow grow grow!

Speed Decorating is here!

Fall is here, and so is my NEW BOOK!  Speed Decorating: A Pro Stager’s Tips and Trade Secrets for a Fabulous Home in a Week or Less.

It has been quite a whirlwind adventure — it took 3 years to write, photograph, and edit the book. Last summer over 200 photos were shot on Shelter Island, the Hamptons, and in NYC.

Last week’s book launch at Design within Reach was a blast! So excited to report that all the books sold out that night! (If you weren’t able to get a book that night, click here to order on amazon.com)

Loved seeing you. I’m so grateful for all of you that have helped me to get this far! Thank you!  Check out pics from the event. (Click here for the Photos)

The goal of this blog is to share my enthusiasm for creating a beautiful home— this is the perfect place to find inspiration and get motivated to have a home that you love. It doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul, it simply requires a daily commitment to having a beautiful home. It doesn’t have to be perfect. For example, here’s where I’m at today — I have a two month old baby boy, Max, and as a new mom I’m learning how to juggle work, book, baby, family. I didn’t make the bed. But I did receive a bouquet of sunflowers from my hubby which I put on the dresser. It’s the first thing I see in the morning and it makes me happy. So even though the bed’s a mess and I didn’t pick up my clothes, I still have the flowers that make me smile. Flowers are a very quick and easy Speed Decorating tip!

Check back again to find more ideas and inspiration!

xo
Jill