The Finds (all linked HERE)

LOOK 1: I ordered these pants from Reformation (awaiting their arrival)- I picture them being perfect styled like this for our trip to England and Ireland.

LOOK 2: I cannot get over this rose suede dress (under $200)- of course it’s sold out already and on “pre-order” for a restock so I’ve signed up. I worry about sweat stains but at this price- might be worth the risk. These pink jacquard heels are the perfect compliment.

LOOK 3: Can you believe this skirt is Walmart? I can’t. Also available in a jacket too. It’s so close to the VB version and a great option if you aren’t sure about this trend. Paired with an oversize cashmere sweater and high suede boots its a great holiday dinner option.

LOOK 4: This vest has matching pants, but I love it paired with denim and ivory accents.

LOOK 5: This VB jacket has a removable collar so you can wear it collarless. SO good with jeans, a deep brown tee and boots. A hint of faux fur for the colder months too.

Of course, I am SO, SO excited for the wardrobe for this trip and I’ve already started gathering ideas (and some items). From boots and sweaters to plaid everything, Barbour coats, tweed and so many jackets! And you better believe the kids will be rocking some adorable things too- even Henry promised he’d dress “handsome” for this trip! Here is the start to my thinking… some of this is totally not practical (I’m looking at you, countryside painted skirt) but fun to think about.

ALL LINKS HERE.

Happy weekend everyone!

XO

Warm velvet and wood, skirted/ ruffled things, some antique accents and a lot of cozy textures. Oh and I would have to finally get myself a sheep like the one I have been obsessed with since sourcing for this project a few years ago:

I feel like a lot of homes I’m seeing these days I love have this cozy, casual vibe (that or are full blown English inspired formal- complete opposite). Fall always has me leaning into my rustic side though.

Loving the mix of navy and burgundy here- and these jeans are a fave of mine and this wash is on sale for $26. LINKS HERE.

I love this denim shirt layered with cords, a bandana scarf and a killer necklace. LINKS HERE.

This denim jacket has a removable faux fur collar so it’s great for early fall. these boots are SO killer, and I am loving this cream eyeshadow (color Matchstick) and blush. LINKS HERE.

Pick your favorite navy sweater (I want all three) and pair with some great denim (love this cut), these AMAZING navy suede. ballet flats (20% off with code ERIN20) and these hoops I wear ALL the time. LINKS HERE.

I am dying for this fringe wool coat, and this cashmere cardigan is so perfect I’m saving up to buy another color! Also, I got this scarf in another neutral pattern for Christmas and it was my most worn scarf last winter- I need the red version this season! The watch is under $100 but looks like Cartier too! LINKS HERE.

This cashmere sweatsuit looks so chic and comfy- topped with a plaid raincoat, my favorite new monogram tote and the new corduroy Chord cap I just got! LINKS HERE.

Emma is pretty easy- although getting much more opinionated. She is UBER girly and the more pink and sequins the better. That said, I buy that sparingly and mix in some things I like too (and try to find a middle ground). Oh for her to let me dress her like a boho/preppy Zara Kids model- alas, she is a bit more of the KPop Demon Hunters meets Cinderella type. As you can tell though, I am drawn to browns, plums, blush and purple right now for Her Royal Highness. She already got her Backpack and lunchbox (sold out leopard print from Crate and Kids) but we need some LOOKS for the first week back. I am dying for ALLLLLLL of this.

*Also, she refuses to eat school lunch and only likes hot things and these containers from Target she told me keep her food the hottest! And they are on clearance so I stocked up, got Henry a soccer one, and got matching water bottles too that have a great little handle.

ALL LINKED HERE

Henry is turning 11 and in fifth grade (?) and most of the time looks like he got dressed out of a lost and found bin. I only draw the line at wearing pajama pants to school, but otherwise try my best to bite my tongue and let him just be who he is. It can be EXCRUCIATING some days, and I wonder if he even turned thee lights on in his closet when getting dressed. That said he does have strong opinions- all sweats, all the time. No “hard pants”. Nothign with buttons. He is particular to Nike, Adidas, Abercrombie, Goat USA and Baseball 101 (although he does not even play baseball). I was also instructed to only get him a plain black Jansport backpack this year (what???) and Birkenstocks (another 1990’s throwback, what is even happening). And while he likes all the fancy high top basketball shoes, I notice he gravitates most to the pull on kind he doesn’t have to spend any time putting on. I also restock him with socks from Quince and underwear from Abercrombie (his faves).

For fun I added in the things I WISH he would wear. He did promise me that for our Thanksgiving trip to Ireland and England he will wear some more proper clothes (please let him not be lying). I little cashmere hoodie with a quilted barn coat over it and suede boots???? Awww.

ALL LINKED HERE.

I’ve been saving a LOT of fall stuff for myself too! Stay tuned for some great transition pieces and early fall finds!

I’ve been bookmarking TONS of cute kids stuff for clients and maybe my own kids and started pulling stuff together and ended up with four random room designs I liked but didn’t have a client for. Everything is retail, so I thought I’d share them with you guys, in case anyone is looking for some room designs. And yes, both girls rooms are PINK, I’ve learned my lesson.

A pretty, English country inspired room (reupholster the bed in something fabulous on your own- maybe a blush stripe?)

LINKS TO ROOM ABOVE HERE

Inspired by our summer camp tours last weekend, a hunter green outdoorsy/fishing inspired room

LINKS FOR ROOM ABOVE HERE

I saw this quilt and fell in love and designed a whole “country” inspired girls room around it. A little dash of cross stitching and ditsy flowers and VOILA.

LINKS FOR ROOM ABOVE HERE

These sheets are adorable and also come as wallpaper – they almost look delft tile-esque. The cutest little ball foot bed, my plaid rug and bedding mixed with some brass and leather (the grasscloth makes it truly ageless too- easy to swap as they grow without changing wallpaper, which is expensive).

LINKS FOR ROOM ABOVE HERE

A little look back at my own kids rooms over the years…. I have gotten SUCH good repeat use of so many things, so updates to some things don’t feel so bad!

Henry’s first nursery:

(That Susan Harter mural was such a big purchase for me….)

Which turned into Emma’s nursery 4.5 years later….

(That Kristin Blakeney painting is now in my primary- it was commissioned to mark Emma’s birth and has her name and birth weight hidden in it. I made pillows out of the fabric panels on her crib and still have them to this day, too)

(That art above is now in our powder room)

(This lucite bookshelf was in Henry’s nursery too and then made it’s way to his big boy room…)

When Henry was 4 he got a big boy room I LOOOOOOVED:

(I reworked his shades and sconces to fit his new room, he still has those nightstands- we finally are replacing the art as he feels it’s too babyish)

(BRB sobbing)

(The rug is from Brimfield and still in his room as is the red lamp, the art I commissioned for him is in his hallway and that leather chair – RIP Mitchell Gold- I reupholstered in faux leather and is also up in the kids hall!)

Their rooms now:

This girl is CRAZY to not like this room.

Stay tuned as I tweak their spaces to feel more like “them”.

As I walked down the cobblestone streets of downtown Nantucket a few weeks ago, attempting to navigate my wheeled suitcase to the wharf to catch my ferry home, I had to dodge and weave around lines and crowds at every turn. The island was PACKED, and not just because there was a design event that week. Seemingly in the last 5 years whenever I visit, it’s been overwhelmingly busy- tourists blending with summer residents, renters and day trippers from the Cape. It has been so much so that I have been avoiding going during high season, preferring the calmer months of September and October when reservations open up, you can manage to find a spot to park and enjoy the undisputed beauty and charm of the island with less frustration and, to be honest, in your face extreme wealth. In the summer it’s been trending more mega yachts than fishing boats it seems, and for me personally, that vibe has become more stressful than relaxing. I know summer residents who now avoid going into town altogether during the summer because they too feel the same way, while some really enjoy the now bustling nightlife and “scene”. To each their own.

Nantucket is having a viral moment- between the wildly popular and star studded TV adaptations of Elin’s novels (she and her books are lovely and I am a huge fan and friend) to yes, an increase in the visibility from creators and companies in search of the most idyllic and click-inducing backdrops and storylines. It seems that every brand, big and small, is having a pop up on island (including recently one of my own collaborations), inviting this type of content to be created, and inviting (literally) influencers from near and far to visit, causing a bit of a rift with people who have lived there for not only years, but generations. Most notably, the recent addition of a “No Influencers” quarter board sign displayed at the Four Winds Craft Gallery (which I love) has caused quite the eye opening conversation about the creator economy, “influencer” culture, social media addiction and good old fashioned manners. It’s not about Nantucket specifically, it’s a much bigger and broader discussion- it’s happening a LOT of places, which means it’s cultural and global, not specific to one geographic location.

I can see this from both sides, albeit a bit more intimately from one side. I myself, obviously, have built an entire career with the help of social media. My business started as a blog. That visibility helped me start a design firm, write three books, employ a bunch of people and now create my own product lines that yes, I market online. I also make a healthy revenue from affiliate linking and recommending products to my followers. Personally, I hate the term “influencer” and don’t really enjoy sharing pictures of myself, which harks back to self esteem issues that took root as a child and linger to this day. I am so uncomfortable doing photoshoots because it feels like I’m saying “I’m so cool and perfect, look at me”- and I do NOT feel that way, quite the opposite, in fact. But what I DO love about content creation is sharing amazing things I’ve found, places I’ve visited, items and work I’ve created. I love a good buy, a new artist or a wonderful eyeshadow- and I love telling people about it, helping businesses grow and I think I have a good eye for beautiful and well made things. Simple as that. And lo and behold- now I can also support my family by doing it, and the families of my employees! It’s truly quite amazing what this new media has afforded so many people. And luckily I have a business and vocation other than influencing that allows me to remain very picky and diligent about only sharing links to things I truly use, love and think people would enjoy. I turn down more offers than I accept for free stuff and paid content because I want to remain a trusted voice in the space. I’d rather have 100,000 followers that trust my recommendations than 1 million who don’t.

But of course, it’s not all that way with every account on IG or Tik Tok (although I’m not on Tik Tok so I have no idea how that works). Some people will push anything for a commission, even products they don’t like or use. Some people galavant through a public street stopping traffic to find the right shot. Or take picture after picture in a store blocking others from perusing the goods or take over a great tourist spot to get video content not caring that others may want to also enjoy the same spot. But that is not exclusive just to content creators and influencers- that is a problem that is universal, which is the loss of manners, politeness, face to face communication and awareness of others around you. And those problems span across lots of lifestyles, ages, careers and societies. People taking calls on speakerphone in public places, running into you on the sidewalk from not looking up, kids not knowing how to speak properly to adults in real time, general rudeness becoming more and more a daily experience. Our lives are SO heavily online- everyone, not just influencers, seem to live by the notion that “if I didn’t capture it and share it, did it even happen?”. I’ve felt that way and I bet you have too at one time or another. It’s become more and more obvious the powerful change this has had on how we interact and experience life, especially as I watch my own kids and the draw to their iPads- for games, chatting with friends or “just time to chilllllll, Mom!”- or the need I feel to document my days on my phone.

And yet, this content creator/ social media culture has created a LOT of income and employment for so many people. It has allowed more women to make an empowering income while also staying home with their children, others to be self-employed, launch a business or have a side hustle to make ends meet- so many things. It has also helped so many smaller brands get off the ground with limited marketing funds, given exposure to new artists and truly shaped the way we get information, in good and bad ways. So I was FLOORED when I saw such an incredible bevy of truly hateful and vicious comments from people on the post Four Winds made about their sign. I couldn’t believe what I was reading- so much so I felt compelled to engage, which was probably stupid, but I really did not like how so many people were absolutely vilifying this industry. I haven’t had such nasty interactions with people since posting about not liking Trump (speaking of selfish grifters…)

Being a part of the content creator business, I felt the need to share my perspective, and hopefully it is one that is balanced, in which two things can be true- you can be annoyed by things going viral online and making your favorite places too busy for you to enjoy and also really delighted that people are succeeding on their own terms because of that notoriety and acknowledgment. In fact, that’s happened with the bakery next to my office! It drives me nuts that I can’t just pop in for a latte or a croissant because there is a line around the block for a viral iced coffee they have- I GET IT. But also, that bakery is experiencing wilder success than it ever imagined, I’m certain! So while I am annoyed for myself, I am also thrilled for them as a small, female founded business. The same goes for feeling badly about yourself from consuming too many “highlight reels” from content creators who exude wealth, perfect skin and six pack abs while also being super pumped about the $40 Target jeans you discovered because a stay at home mom with good style shared that find with you. Both exist! You can be angry that Nantucket feels like it’s been taken over by influencers and finance bros and lost its quaintness, while at the same time cheering on their tourist economy that is BUSTLING from that influx of people and the employment of the island’s workers for an increase in events.

It’s not black or white. And you get to set your own boundaries- whether thats a sign in your shop saying “no photography” (I still don’t love the call out of specifically influencers) and asking people who are disrupting your business to leave or limiting your exposure to Instagram when it makes you feel bad, unfollowing people you no longer connect with or feel aren’t being genuine, whatever it is- everyone can make their own call and live and work in a manner that suits them as an inalienable right. But blaming the shift in an entire culture and a host of social issues on influencers alone, most of which are decent humans making a living doing something they enjoy? That’s something I certainly say a hard “NO” to and I’ll happily hang that sign on my wall.

**Of course this is a discussion and all opinions welcome, but please keep it civil and polite. :)

LINKS TO EVERYTHING ABOVE HERE.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING ABOVE HERE.

If security and not being outside was the concern, may I present VERSAILLES? LOL. I checked and you CAN rent it for a private event but you have to be very special and very rich (is anyone more those two things than T Swift?) Big enough for a bajillion people (although, I would prefer less…) I mean, if we’re gonna go all Marie Antoinette with it maybe we just do it LITERALLY?

I was picturing something more Princess meets Folklore, although that really doesn’t jive aesthetically- bear with me. Over the top florals, but in a wild english garden way- shades of red, pink, plum and chartreuse. Red is her signature color anyways- why ignore it (I sound like Elle Woods). Amazing layering patterned china, sumptuous linens and TONS of candlelight. This Elie Saab Couture gown would have been SO perfect on her- with a signature red lip of course, and then this cute Oscar de la Renta short lace number for dancing with some Louboutins.

A vision board quickly rendered….

Using some hints from her actual wedding, the invites could have used a hand painted landscape- but as envelope liners closed with wax seals. Favor boxes could have been embroidered linen, guest could be given fans for the heat (maybe embroidered lace instead of these paper ones I show here, referencing her handkerchief favors….)

Kinda this vibe by Blossom Events– elegant and fancy but then transforms into a dance club in an unexpected way? Just a thought… :)

As I plan (and shop) I pulled together eight looks I’d love to wear this summer. I can’t afford to buy them all, but there are some sure faves here!

CLICK EACH IMAGE FOR THE LINKS!!

Have a wonderful Fourth of july weekend everyone!!!

XOXO

I’ve been REALLY itching to edit, donate, clean, scrub and just GET MY SHIT TOGETHER. The summer always makes me really antsy to clean house and get organized- maybe it has something to do with the heat and humidity and the desire to have less things? As I prepare to spend some time doing this, I wanted to share the things I love for the purpose of keeping house- both things that bring me joy (this counter cleaner, this candle) to the nitty gritty like food storage containers and stain cleaner. I hope this feels helpful and inspirational to kick start your own “get my shit together” mission! All links (and some more goodies like a great steamer and iron) all HERE.

Of Note:

• The Heirloom Tomato is my favorite summer scent, in the fall I swap to the Cece candle and handwash from Homecourt for a cozier vibe.
• I use regular scent free laundry pods for the kids (kept in these glass containers), but for my sheets I use the Beauty Sleep detergent (and linen spray) and my clothes this Santal version.
• I have very high cabinets and this is the nicest looking step ladder I can find, since I have to leave it out.
• Little joys- decanting things like pasta, chocolate chips and such into these WS glass containers and all our plastic baggies into this wooden organizer.
• In my pantry cabinets we’re using these clear bins to keep things grouped and tidy- in closets I like to use these baskets on shelves.
• I like these woven lidded baskets for extra toilet paper and feminine products next to the toilet.
• A pretty toilet brush totally elevates the powder room.
• I got these dish towels and love them- great feel, absorbency and cheap enough to toss when they get gross.
• I added all of these into my makeup drawers and junk drawers in the kitchen.

All links (plus more items not shown) located HERE!

• I personally use this golf bag and have this skirt, ADORE this sweatshirt (I have all the colors) and bought Andrew these tees (the box is both funny and great for keeping tees organized an from stabbing you when you reach into your bag!)

*ANDREW GATES APPROVED:

• It would not be a Father’s Day gift guide without a Criquet shirt. He owns, no joke, 45 of them (between polos and button downs) and honestly, has gotten SO many people into them. A SOLID choice for any guy who likes polos.
• These OnCloud sneakers he seems to be wearing a lot. He ordered new sneakers and shoes literally weekly, so the ones that make the rotation are honest to goodness good.
• I got him the Federer racquet for his birthday and he loves it- I love the style. :)
• This gigantic speaker he’s borrowed from his bestie and now wants one of his own.
• Jack Black products – always in his medicine cabinet.

My other faves:

• These lined swim trunks– lots of color options and a great length.
• A Whoop (love the new designs) if he wants to improve his health.
• I seriously want this bug zapper.
• This garment bag that also has room for a change of clothes and a shoe compartment- perfect for quick business trips!

Custom light fixtures combined with re-upholsterd dining chairs from another home live in harmony in the open kitchen, dining and sitting area.

The owners previously has a stainless steel island countertop and loved the durability so it was replicated here, along with commercial grade appliances as they love to cook. The perimeter countertops are Danby marble.

This buffet was built in to look like a piece of furniture

A fun bar area with wallpaper reminiscent of tile, and an antique pendant of the owner’s hangs above.

The living room is a serene spot in warmer tones of coral, pale sage and linen. I simply ADORE these chairs!!!

A sweet antique game table and chairs and a wood burning fireplace make this a perfect spot to settle in and relax.

The living room connects to a wonderful screen porch with ocean views.

Sitting here the first evening of the shoot confirmed that I need a screen porch in my life! So delightful!

The bright and sunny foyer.

Kinlin Rutherford added some great little details to this house, like this curved ceiling detail.

Just obsessed with this wallpaper and trim combo in the powder room

The cozy primary with its own sitting porch.

Primary bathroom- a mix of marble, wood and v-groove.

OMG I was so excited to use this wallpaper for this guest room!

There’s something seaweed-y about it, even though it’s ferns. Such a fun mix of pattern in here too.

Another guest room, this time in shades of yellow and green.

This guest room was a great mix of antiques/ existing pieces and some new additions.

There are several guest baths, but we just photographed one, as we approached the design of each in a rather similar manner, just mixing up floor and shower tile. Special hardware and a gorgeous water blue tile make this one a treat.

There are two bunk rooms in which we had some fun! This one with a fabulous striped rug and bold tone on tone wall color.

A re-upholtered chair in this fun fern print adds a spot for reading.

I showed Henry this room and he immediately dubbed it the “Percy Jackson” room as the paper is both nautical and has Greek ruins! The amazing ceiling light plays off the theme and the cutest little antique chair was reupholstered in this bold outdoor grade stripe.

Each bunk room has four twin beds- providing abundant sleeping space for littles and bigs alike!

There are a few more exterior shots on the portfolio page, this sweet one shows the lovely mix of materials used in creating a home that fits perfectly into the local aesthetic.

Last but not least, the hard working mudroom, which while compact houses a washer/dryer (not shown), TONS of wooden peg hooks, cubbies AND a built in dog crate!

Please also check out or new Maine project as well! And reach out to us with YOUR project, we’d love to work with you!