Embracing chaos.

Hey Friends!

This past week was one of those weeks of trying to embrace the unpredictability of family life - my 6 month old son, Julian, has been battling a cold and my 5-year old daughter, Frankie, was out of school one day for a severe weather threat. Frankie also started asking me to wake her up early with the baby so she can spend more time with us before she is off to school in the mornings.

I crave a slow start to my day and have enjoyed the alone time with the baby while we watch the sun come up, make coffee, and feed the dog - the rituals that are done in the stillness of the morning.

Slow mornings with Julian, watching the sunrise.

Maybe I should be firm about instilling Frankie’s 7am wake up time that we have worked so hard at all these years - but I have been trying to embrace her thoughtfulness and energy and so I’ve decided to give it a go and see what happens.

This morning Frankie requested eggs for breakfast. She usually insists on helping me cook, and as she was cracking the egg whites in the pan, the egg fell apart in her hand and dripped down the front of the stove and onto the floor. I closed my eyes with a sigh, then let it go and started to clean up the mess. Embrace the messiness, I thought to myself.

So, it’s been a week of early wakeups, a clingy baby, adjusting to shifting schedules, cleaning messes, and trying to do my best work while being utterly exhausted and getting less alone time - which is hard for this introverted mom.

So, I am very ready and excited to be heading to New York City on Thursday for a long weekend recharge with my twin sister, Ashley, for our birthday. We will be in the city for just an evening before heading to Greenwich, CT to spend time with her family but I am looking forward to popping into a few of my favorite shops for some fresh inspiration:

Nickey Kehoe: this shop is curated by one of my favorite interior design duos. Their flagship store is in Los Angeles but the NYC location just opened up. Their custom designed furniture and lighting are staples in a lot of high end design and they have the best collection of homegoods.

I bought a set of these ceramic John Julian mixing bowls from Nickey Keyhoe as a housewarming present to myself. They are no longer on their e-shop but you can find them here.

John Derian - This eclectic shop got its start with John’s decoupaged goodies and evolved into artistic collaboration in all mediums including one of my favorite wallpapers of all time, as well as a collection of vintage and imported goods.

John Derian for Pierre Frey.

An assortment of John Derian’s quirky decoupage trays and plates.

RW Guild - founded by another favorite design duo, Roman and Williams, which initially started as a multidisciplinary architecture and design studio but has evolved to also include a restaurant and shop. Their lighting designs are impeccable and the attention to detail and artistry is unparalleled.

My sister gifted me a few of these small rinka dishes that I love using for serving olives and nuts as well as for holding jewelry on my vanity table. They are good for everything!

A few other things I’ve been inspired by:

This is not your traditional interior design book by Interior designer and television host Jeremiah Brent which explores the emotional meaning of home. I cried a few times and loved reading the stories of how people connect to their spaces.

Loving this unexpected combination of a medium blue and deep red via Coco Lapine Design.

I’ve been loving the landscape team Garden Club London and am so inspired by their use of space and how they create outdoor rooms.

If you have been enjoying my recommendations and are feeling inspired, I’d love for you to share this newsletter with your friends/family.

I hope this finds you well!

XX
Carly