Living With Kids: Barbara Rucci
Barbara Rucci’s house is full of lovely clutter. I look over the scenes she’s shared with us, and I can’t help but think that all her keepsakes on display are nowhere near a haphazard situation, and way more of an ever-changing collection of memories made…as well as those still in the making. Yes, Barbara does clutter right!
Also, if any of you are in the throes of comparing your parenting styles or values or incomes to those families around you, please read on. It seems that living in an affluent community brings with it a wonderful yet problematic set of challenges — maybe you’ve experienced the same dilemmas that Barbara worries over while printing out gratitude quotes from Pinterest! (Barbara, I giggled at the realization of how Pinterest can save us at our most frantic parenting moments!)
All this to tell you that you’re going to love more than the gorgeous photos this week; there’s a lot of wisdom and knowledge well-earned over time in this one. Please enjoy it.
…How To Keep Cut Flowers Fresh
Whether it’s a bouquet of gorgeous roses from your significant other, a friendly bunch of birthday daisies from your bestie, magenta peonies fresh from the garden, or that impulsive bunch of tulips you grabbed on your way through the grocery store check out line, there are some helpful concrete things you can do for keeping cut flowers fresh, lasting longer and looking their best.
We’ll even cover some of those old wives’ tales you may have heard — like putting a penny in a vase of tulips. Does it work? Come see.
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? Did you have a good week? We have been tackling lots of renovation tasks and learning new skills, like brick laying and making limewash paint. It feels good to learn new things.
We don’t have big plans this week — possibly a day trip to Le Mans, or maybe a visit to the reclaimed building materials yard. How about you?
Ready for your weekend link list? Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share:
…Tall House Updates
Some updates from the last couple of weeks. You’ll find a discussion about the water softener, some terrifying footage of tradesman going up and down ladders leading up to our roof (while sometimes carrying another ladder), and you’ll learn about something called distemper paint, and how to remove it.
Come see what we’ve been up to.
…Mass Killings Are So Commonplace They Barely Make the News
Because of the pandemic and stay-at-home guidelines, we haven’t had to think about mass shootings in awhile. Now that the vaccination program is going strong in the U.S., and the country is opening up, like clockwork, we’re seeing mass shooting after mass shooting. Yesterday, a man with an AR-15 killed 10 people in a grocery store in Colorado. During the weekend of March 14th, four people were killed and at least 34 others hurt in shootings across Chicago. Last week, a man with an AR-15 killed 8 people in Atlanta — he bought the gun earlier that day. The supermarket shooting was the seventh mass killing so far this year.
I saw zero headlines about the Chicago killings. Just another week in America. I fear we’ve all watched gun violence become normalized, right before our eyes.
Where are you at on this issue? Are you still passionately fighting for gun control? Are you still passionately fighting against gun control? Are you exhausted by the gun debate? Have you given up hope of ever getting things resolved?
As you already know if you’ve been reading here for awhile, I grew up in a gun-loving community and have always tried to be respectful of gun rights. Yes I wanted to see real and practical gun reforms, but I also wanted the people I love to be able to keep their guns. In 2018 my viewpoint changed.
I think it was reading the statistics about gun suicides that finally made me realize I can no longer favor the gun rights of my childhood friends over the 100 lives that are lost every day in this country (100 EVERY SINGLE DAY!) due to gun violence.
These days, I would welcome a gun ban. I realize not everyone agrees with me.
…Mass Killings Are So Commonplace They Barely Make the NewsRead More »
Easy Craft Project: Painted Egg Cartons
Your egg usage during this time of the year may be a bit higher than usual. Which means you might have a few empty egg cartons laying around. I’ve always had trouble throwing them out because, gosh, I can probably make something with them, right?! Yes! The answer is yes. The cartons make seasonally-perfect gift boxes.
Each tiny cup is an ideal spot to nestle little gifts, treats, ornaments or cascarones. And with a simple paint job, they’re super cute to boot!
The carton is a blank canvas of possibilities, calling out for cheerful stripes or dots. Let’s paint!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How are you holding up? I’ve found it pretty impossible to think about anything but the murders in Atlanta. To all my Asian friends and those who are in my community, I’m sorry this is happening. And I’m sorry so many people are doing mental gymnastics to sympathize with the killer. #StopAsianHate
On Instagram (in posts and stories), I’ve been sharing thoughts and collecting commentary (I’ll share some below).
In not-awful news, it’s still coats-needed weather here, but our tulip bulbs are coming up, and the trees are thinking about blossoming. Feels like Spring is right around the corner.
In the mood for a link list? Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
…Sponsors vs. Subscriptions — How to Fund Content Creation in 2021
Hey there. I need your thoughts and advice. For a decade, I funded my blog, my writing, and my social media work through sponsored posts. But there has always been tension about the sponsored content from readers, and from me as a creator too. The general feedback I’ve received is basically: We know sponsored posts are necessary so you can make a living, but we don’t like them, and we are going to scroll past, no matter who the sponsor is, or what the content is; we’ll try to be good sports about it, but we really don’t like sponsored posts.
Honestly, I get it. I understand. The mix of personal posts and paid-posts (which are also sometimes very personal!) can feel super weird. Plus, working with sponsors means I don’t always get to choose the topics I’m writing about — so some sponsored posts can feel forced. Working with sponsors is also a huge time-consumer above and beyond the content creation — the proposals, the back-and-forth on contracts, the project management, the approvals, the reporting. I’d rather use that time to create more content and connect with readers.
So 18 months ago, when we moved back to France, I stopped saying yes to sponsored posts. And since then I’ve been looking into other options for monetizing my work, but wasn’t having any luck finding an option that makes sense for me. Then, a few months ago, the people at Substack reached out and I think their platform might be the answer.
Substack is basically newsletter software where writers/creators can offer a combination of free subscriptions, and paid subscriptions that come with perks. Sort of like when you download a free app, but then you can pay if you want to unlock all the app-upgrades. Different writers/creators use Substack in different ways, but the general format is to offer a free newsletter that’s available to everyone, and then, if people want to pay $5/month (or $50/year), they will have access to additional subscriber-only content. The paid content can take various forms — as I’ve explored Substack, I’ve seen subscriber-only discussion posts, recipes, ebooks, live Q&As, podcasts, videocasts, essays, etc. It really depends on the writer/creator and how their subscribers want to connect.
…Sponsors vs. Subscriptions — How to Fund Content Creation in 2021Read More »
Tall House Updates
Let’s talk about shutters! In France, shutters are very functional. Households will open them each morning, and shut them in the evening. They use shutters for privacy, black-out light control, and to manage heat in the summer. And it’s not just France. Many European countries use shutters daily — Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, Switzerland and more. Interestingly, shutters are not common in the UK or Scandinavia.
In Instagram Stories, I shared updates about our shutters and did a demonstration of how the shutters work and the differences between our wood shutters and metal shutters. I ended up getting tons of questions from Americans who have not used shutters and were curious about all sorts of things (screens? curtains?). So I answered some of the questions in Stories as well.
And then, I started getting questions from Europeans who were confused why Americans didn’t know about shutters, (hah!) and also wondering what “screens” were (because they’re not common in every part of Europe). So I answered those questions too.
…Living With Kids: Hillary Pember
When Hillary reached out about sharing her family’s story I loved that it wasn’t one we hear all the time. She and her husband had just started figuring out being empty nesters, with their 3 kids all in college and out of the home. Then, the pandemic hit and two of the kids had to move back home. Which meant schedules, expectations and routines had to be adjusted. But their comfy, New England style home was just what the needed to weather the storm. Welcome, Hillary!
…How To Make Perfectly Hard-Boiled Eggs
In March and April, eggs go on sale at the market, so this is an ideal time to learn, or improve, our egg boiling skills. You may have big plans to dye some Easter eggs, or maybe you’re just craving an egg salad sandwich. Either way, knowing how to perfectly hard-boil an egg is a skill everyone should have.
Do you ever peel and cut open an hard-boiled egg only to find a pesky grey-green ring around the yolk, or that the yolk is still a little raw? This post is here to help! Soon you’ll be an egg-spert and be able to show all your friends how easy it is to hard-boil eggs.
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How was your week? Ours was good — lots of slow and steady progress at the Tall House. Sometimes I think I can see an actual move-in date! But mostly, I know I just need to be patient.
Speaking of patience, it’s been so encouraging to see the vaccine rollout doing so well in the U.S.. Being able to have gatherings in July sounds dreamy! We’re getting notes from friends who are making plans to travel to France this summer, and we’re feeling hopeful. In Europe, the vaccine rollout has been much slower, so it will be interesting to see what European countries decide to do with opening their borders and travel permissions this summer. We are waiting for announcements, trying to figure out if it will be better to bring our older kids to France, or if it will be better to travel to the U.S. for a summer trip. Or maybe the fall is more realistic? Who knows. How are you feeling about the vaccine progress where you live? Have you been able to get a shot yet?
I’ve got a really good link list for you today. Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
…Little Bunny Pillows with a Pocket
Pull out your needle and thread! You’re going to want to make a dozen of these little Bunny Pillows with Pockets. They are sweet and versatile. Tuck a small gift or treat in the pocket and use them as a mini Easter basket. Or add some spring cheer to the house and hang them on a door handle. They make a welcome guest for teddy bear play, or why not make a Bunny Pillow Tree?
…Living With Kids: Caryn Schafer
Choosing to downsize from a large home in the suburbs to a much tinier space is probably not as difficult to handle when the much tinier space is in huge by anyone’s standards New York City! I think it would be the best kind of challenge, right? Keeping only what you love, organizing vertically by use, and ruthlessly overthinking every purchase. And the minute you feel a bit claustrophobic, Central Park is one block away. Marvelous.
I love this peek into Caryn’s small space and big thoughts. I’ve read it three times, and I find something new with each read. I hope you do, too. I originally shared this NYC home tour in 2015, but with rent prices dropping in Manhattan, and people considering a move to the big city, I thought it was time to share it again. Caryn’s love for New York is wonderful. Welcome, Caryn!
…A Few Things
Hello, Friend. How are you? I’m here with a Monday edition of my usual Friday post. How was your weekend? Ours was good. We were busy doing some exploring, squeezing the last few moments out of Winter Break, and we celebrated Ben Blair’s birthday. And now, the kids are back in school today, and we’re back to a regular working schedule.
We’ve been having freezing temperatures at night, but this week, the weather may rise to the 50s(!), and we’re definitely seeing signs of Spring. How about you?
I’ve got an especially good link list for you today. Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
…Tall House Updates
Updates at the Tall House continue steadily. Roofing repairs, more tile work, uncovering the floors in the atelier/studio/craft room, and clearing out the yard. Come see what we’ve been up to.
…How Many Selfies Are Too Many Selfies?
I’d love your thoughts on selfies (or self portraits if that sounds more agreeable). The other day, I wondered if I was taking enough of them. Then immediately was embarrassed for thinking such a thought. I’ve been instagramming since 2013 — the year the selfie was recorded as a global phenomenon. As I write this, I’ve shared 2424 posts, and if I scroll my feed, my face doesn’t show up very often. Interestingly, I end up showing my face on Instagram Stories quite a bit more — not as selfies, but in footage of me talking about the Tall House.
It’s got me thinking: am I not showing up enough in the record my own life? Will my kids have pictures of me with them? Pictures of me participating? Or am I spending too much time behind the camera? Does it matter?
…Living With Kids: Melissa Clark
Melissa and her wife reached out to share their beautiful home in the Living With Kids series and we’re so lucky she did. Their home is charming — bright open windows, beautiful pieces throughout, and gorgeous outdoor space. Like so many of us they have spent more time in that outdoor space in the last year than probably any other time of their lives. They’ve adapted, changed up bits of the routine, and have learned to appreciate the “slowing down” that was caused by a year at home. Welcome, Melissa!
…Dessert For Two: Mini Carrot Cake
Could this Mini Carrot Cake be any cuter? No. No it could not. And it’s arriving at just the right moment — waiting for Spring Holidays seems like the ideal time for a carrot-based treat. Yes, the cake looks like it could serve four people, but try it and you will surely find it will easily be polished off by two. It’s an excellent addition to the Dessert for Two series.
…A Few Things
Hello, Friends. How are you? How has your week been? Since the kids are out of school this week, we have been using our mornings to explore off-the-beaten-path Normandy — and doing a lot of baking. This weekend, maybe we’ll visit a couple of brocantes we haven’t been to before, maybe do some bike riding, and Olive will head back to Paris (sad face). How about you? Any plans?
I’ve got a great link list for you this week. Here are a few things I’ve wanted to share:
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