July 2020

Love this idea of carving a hole in a watermelon, inserting a vase and creating a fun centerpiece!

Happy July everyone! Time for all things summer and I couldn’t be happier. While typical summer activities such as summer camps, vacations and travel may still be different this year, I think it is also opening windows on how to be more creative in enjoying our own kind of summer fun. The resurgence of drive-in movie theaters for example is proof that people are embracing what used to seem old-fashioned and seeing it in a new light.  An adirondack chair by the water, a hammock in the woods, a canoe out on a quiet lake, a rainstorm viewed from a covered porch, capturing lightning bugs in a jar. Aren’t these just some of the things that define summer? The simple things have always been the best things anyway. Lets remember to just slow down and savor all the moments. Here’s to having a terrific month. Welcome July!

June 2020

As I write this I find myself asking is it really June already? I have a love/hate relationship with this month, love because it’s really here, the promise of so many special days ahead, warm weather, summertime. Hate, because for whatever reason as soon as June hits, time seems to go into overdrive just as I want it to slow down so I can savor every moment from sunrise to sunset. There is amazing change that takes place in the gardens on a daily basis and I find myself lingering to admire it all as I stroll the grounds. Then, for weekend warriors as we are, we live those days filled with activities on the water, cookouts with friends and s’mores around the campfire until exhausted, we collapse, slightly sun burnt, into bed, happy and ready to do it all over again. There is a happy delirium in this season. That child like abandon of living for the moment and the pure joy of chasing fireflies. As we enter June, my wish for you all is to look through the eyes of a child, soak it all in and enjoy. Summer is here, we all deserve this rewarding season. Go out and make your memories! Happy June everyone.

Salad Days!

Summer Salad Days are here! Find all my favorite recipes under “From the Kitchen

May 2020

I found these beautiful Ranunculus flowers at the local grocery!

Well we’ve made it through probably one of the most unusual April’s any of us have ever known. Corona virus has changed all of our lives in one way or another, some perhaps permanently and hopefully, most of it, temporarily. Through it all, however, I’ve tried to stay positive and look at the upside of the situation. Staying home has never been a problem for me, hence the birth of this blog. I see this time as the ultimate gift with my young adult children who are all home at a time when they would not be, and even more special is how happy my youngest one is (still in 7th grade and was so missing her college-aged siblings). Just a few months ago, after I tucked her in, I remembered thinking of how quiet my house was. I remind myself that I may never have this much time again with everyone together, under the same roof. What I have missed is being able to just venture out casually, to see friends, entertain, shop, etc. As we enter May, my hope is that some sort of normalcy returns for all of us. It is a changed world for certain, but at least we can get outside and start to enjoy the warmer days ahead. Happy May my friends.

April 2020

Sitting down to write my monthly intro, I am a little uncertain of where to start.  March began innocently enough, but within weeks were all in a ‘new normal’ so foreign to us, it took us by surprise and shock.  Shock that something like a pandemic would, could, ever actually happen in today’s modern world. So here we welcome April and the uncertainty continues to loom as we are all sequestered in our homes whiling away the days in ways we are not accustomed to. So friends, I offer you this. My blog originated because of my strong convictions about the importance of home life. Finding the joy in the everyday. Things that seem mundane are all the wonderful things that create that special place we call home.  I think, if there is a silver lining to this crisis, it is the fact that people are rediscovering these simple things and actually embracing them and finding fulfillment. I am certain that as soon as the green light flashes the all clear, we will go back to our busy lives, but there will be that weird wistful feeling of gratitude for this time we were given to be close with the ones we love and see our homes through new eyes. I think we will have a new appreciation for enjoying the simple things and accepting some forced down-time. Hang in there, take a deep breath of that wonderful spring air, exhale. We will get through this better and stronger.   

Sarah Flint New Product Release!

Shop Sarah Flint directly through this link http://sarahflint.com

Hello friends, I’m excited to be sharing with you this brand new product addition to the SarahFlint brand. This gorgeous Hidden Garden Scarf has just been debuted. 100% silk, it is made in the same Italian factories as the top luxury houses and comes in two color stories, this beautiful blue and a rich chestnut. It is also available in two sizes. Head over to http://sarahflint.com and don’t forget to use my discount code SARAHFLINT-BABERNADETTE to get your $50 discount off your first purchase!

March 2020

March may be coming in like a lion here in the northeast, but thoughts are turning to springtime here in blogger land.  I think everyone is starting to feel the need for warmer temperatures and longer days. I’m finishing off my indoor house projects and organizing my list for work that needs to be done outdoors, as soon as the weather allows. Check out some fun spring decorating ideas in the Decor section.  I’ve added a few new recipes as well and of course my Irish Soda Bread will keep you making more!! The Hive Shop has been updated and offers some beautiful products for your home.  In the meantime, don’t be discouraged if the weather turns unfavorably, March means the countdown is officially on!

February 2020

February has crept in so quickly, it’s hard to believe we are already a month into the new year! I hope everyone has done their closet and household clean-outs and ready to start fresh. This month I typically start thinking about any projects I’d like to have done by spring, or line up work to start as soon as the ground thaws! I’m thinking of some new window treatments in my hallway – we shall see. I’ve curated some cute items on The Hive Shop for your Valentines decor or gifting, be sure to check them out. As we enter into February try to get outside and enjoy the snowy outdoors, for like it or not, this too will soon be a distant memory! Happy February dear readers!

January 2020

My top Instagram posts for 2019

Friends, as we turn our backs on 2019, close out a decade and enter into a new one, what are your thoughts, musings? I think of how 10 years ago my oldest was just 12 years old, the exact age my youngest is now. At once I have a 22 year old young adult as well as a physical reminder of the child she once was. I am astonished at how much my life has changed in 10 very short years. I went from a family of 4 young children, to 3 off to college and a 7th grader, thankfully, still at home. Life certainly does go fast, and yes, it absolutely picks up speed as children get older. I’ve become more reflective the older I get. In those early ‘hungry years’ when life was full of promise, everyday seemed an eternity. Each day an adventure, a new experience to be had. And now here I am asking myself, “how did it slip by so quickly?”. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have regrets, rather the opposite. I am grateful that I filled our days, events, holidays, fully. We’ve lived all our experiences to the max and I’ve let my family know they are loved and each one unique with what they add to our unit. And so it is with a bittersweet longing to relive the past 10 years that I look forward to the next 10 to come. I will remind myself that right now is the best time ever and to savor all the little moments as well as the milestones. Friends, whatever your aspirations may be for the next decade, live them with conviction and know that whatever path you are on, is unique to you and your purpose.

I am so grateful for all of you and all that you have helped me to achieve. My very best wishes to you all for a very Happy New Year! May all your wishes and goals be achieved!!

December 2019

This truly is an amazingly beautiful and special season.  Gatherings, great food, baking, fashion and family time. Something for everyone. I like to stick to my motto of getting everything done early, by that I mean I’ll be working like a fool the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Then when it’s all up and done, I sit back and marvel, once again, at the loveliness of it all!  That’s when my plans for entertaining kick in.  Sharing the joy is what it’s all about for me.  I’ll be posting some more decorating ideas as well as some more table setting ideas. I’ve already posted some cute free Christmas printables and some ways to use them. I will do my best to offer gift ideas, of course, my candles make super lovely gifts and come wrapped and ready! As always look for my tips for easy and stress-less entertaining.  Also look for recipe updates, I recently posted a Roast Duck recipe that is delectable! 

The Hive Shop has a new category, Christmas!  I’ve curated lots of entertaining essentials plus so much more! Check it out.

So enter into this fabulous Holiday Season with joy in your heart. 

My best wishes for a joyous season to you all!