“A website makes it real,” we say in the marketing world and I love the fresh new website we have put together for The Point Woman Crew - the women’s business retreat I am bringing to my favorite town of Salado, Texas, with some of my best friends this November.

What began as a dream on long walks by the creek on our own trips to Salado for small town solace and room for big ideas is now a reality - this fall we will open the doors of the historic Texas town’s Stagecoach Inn for a weekend for women who are leading new trails and need direction and company for the journey.

You can expect all the charm of a Texas town getaway matched with some of the brightest minds in business in the room and homespun hospitality around every corner.

How am I preparing for The Point Woman Crew? Let’s start with what’s on my packing list.

1. Cute clothes and favorite accessories

Hello, absolutely. I love getting dressed at the Stagecoach Inn. The big tile rooms are great for sprawling out and I unpack the minute I get there. Salado is like a storybook, so bring the boots and hats. Attendees of The Point Woman Crew will receive an itinerary packed with parties, workshops and things to do, along with dress prompts and mood boards to make it easy to know how to shop your closet before the big weekend.

2. Business cards

Get ready for the best networking of the year! An invite-only group of women will be able to go deep together, find mutual connections, scheme collaborations and ask yourself, “Did we just become best friends?”

As excited as I am for the weekend, I know the week after I will curl up with a coffee, my laptop and what I hope is a big stack of business cards that will forge a new future for myself and other Point Woman Crew attendees thanks to these new connections.

3. An open mind

I have a list of things I want to hear about at our weekend this year - topics like finance and AI come to mind. But I’m leaving room for magic too. What will life look like a year after The Point Woman Crew? Will I be in new projects thanks to a chance meeting at the conference? Will my current projects see new heights thanks to the resolve and resources I was able to gain by getting away for a few days? I believe yes, which is why I am creating this weekend for all of us.

Ready to join us in The Point Women Crew? Send me a message here to get started!

Ride with us if you have the chance -

- Lilly

July 1 we threw a pre-party at the house for my July 3 birthday. We only needed a small cake, so I did the strawberry cake from my Grandma Lillie (the kind that uses a box of Jello) and the Pioneer Woman’s buttercream icing that I use for all my birthdays and Christmas cookies. It was homespun for sure but a big hit!

We also had a special appearance by the Mister Softee truck! The soft serve truck still boasts its original 1957 design and our Dallas market is women owned. The cones were delicious and we all love standing around the yard enjoying our treats like little kids.

For a photo backdrop, I tried the corners of bandanas together to make a flag. I love how these DIY portraits turned out of all of the guests!

Cindi at Shindig Addict made a lot of amazing decorations for the party including these ribbon fair awards that I customized with letter beads to label certain areas of all of our food.

Cindi also had the genius idea to upgrade our regular soda sink to a dirty soda bar with mini creamers, vanilla syrup and fresh limes!

Shortly before the party my Dad heard about Amazon Prime Day for the first time and ordered a Blackstone grill. We love it and the hot dogs cooked on it beautifully. She looked good on the food line with this hand painted sign by From V to You in the background!

Our cake table looked amazing as it was time to welcome guests, and it filled beautiful with handmade treats from my loved ones’ homes.

The pie banner was such a fun DIY. You can see the tutorial I did on FOX The Ten here.

It was such a pleasure so have friends come from all walks of life! I love the balloons from Shindig Addict - the mix of colors as well as the small hot dog balloons and custom ice cream balloons brought all of our ideas together so perfectly for guests to enjoy.

A few weeks later, while the decorations were still up, I threw a pie competition at my house for my group of antiquing friends. Another From V to You sign set the tone and everyone arrived with their pies. I had a blank note card for each pie to be labeled and had voting cans for novelty, best taste and best presentation for the big awards of $10 to Braum’s, per category!

My friend Jessica took these great photos.

For my entry I made a junk berry pie from Royer’s - where most of us had our first date. It’s always a hit - I love the mixed berries blended with the peaches and the creamy topper.

Not totally sure of how many pies we would get, I also made an avocado pie. I found this recipe in a blue ribbon pie book in college and have been starting conversations with it ever since - everyone takes a first slice for novelty and then comes back for the second slice for taste.

For the add ons, I set up a pie bar with whipped cream, the seasonal Blue Bell that’s been soo good and Moon Pies for all the guests as a takeaway. The pie plates were so cute!

Shindig Addict again with the amazing balloons!

Love these friends!

What kind of entertaining do you like to do in the summer? I love reminiscing and stashing ideas away for next year!

- Lilly

I have never really celebrated much around the anniversaries at Camp Crafty. I have never smiled with my face open holding a number balloon - although I always “like” those posts with the utmost respect. Probably, I’ve been a little superstitious. I love connecting online but mostly keep my head down, eyes on the next week. Looking up now, I realize we’ve been doing it that way for seven years.

I don’t think I started a craft business to become a talking head or even a leader. Long before I had an idea of what seven years of business ownership would look like, I was just a girl making a to do list off an idea - make a website, take some photos, get a first booking, then another.

Over time, amazing women have joined me on my team and more of my day to day responsibilities have off loaded to some degree. A few jobs remain unwavering - obtain the trust of my community and team, pull the resources we need to do our work, know our duties and communicate them well. From finances to inventory and ideas in client proposals - I am here to get us to the next week. While my team mates blow my expectations with how they shine in their roles, there’s a yoke that remains squarely on my shoulders.

I was lucky to be fairly early into my business when one of my mentors who was succeeding in her own enterprise spoke it plainly into her Instagram stories one day, “Entrepreneurship is lonely.” In the Girl Boss, “Do what you love and never work a day in your life” era, her admission was bold and delivered without an ounce of self pity. Many of us still see that as a privilege. For everyone else on your team if you’re doing it right, it’s the best job ever. For you, it’s your life.

Years before that, my perspectives had changed while reading Lonesome Dove. (I know! I talk about this allll the time. The title of my Substack is even from the book!) Clocking over 40 hours on Audible, just getting through the book could feel like days on the trail, and often like business ownership now - doing everything possible to push forward as much as we can given the obstacles of each day. The team I have been lucky to put together at my work resembles a strong outfit - each one of us in our roles, everyone else under the assurance that I am riding point.

Each cattle outfit has its roles - the scout, the wranglers, the drag riders. Each outfit has one trail boss - the Point Woman, if you will. According to almighty Google, on a trail ride, “the Point Woman is the leader at the very front of her group. She sets the pace, chooses the safest path, navigates and acts as the eyes and ears of everyone around her.”

Riding Point for me is as much of an honor as it is a lot to bear. I get to feel the rush of blasting new trails, the thrill of seeing my ideas in motion and leading women to new opportunities thanks to the fresh paths we are forging.

I’ve learned women like me aren’t alone in the world, but we are in our individual outfits and it’s work to find each other. When I meet another Point Woman, I know. We get to talk differently. We get it and we honor it in each other. I’m always looking for other Point Women - the females blazing ahead in their field, setting new paces. Knowing, following and engaging with these women inspire me to be my best or send that audacious email when I can’t do it myself - for the dream and the team.

Riding Point, the view is the best - but you’re often alone, ahead of the others. The Point Woman Crew is my new community for those of us who ride in front and risk it all. A space where we can connect, create, learn and play with each other. The Point Woman Crew recognizes and honors this role in the outfit as a role of pride but sovereign work. The Point Woman Crew brings the country's top women riding point together for grounding, charting courses and assembling community of like minded leadership.

While we grow our online community, I am excited to share our plans to meet in person! I cannot wait to share my favorite downtime spot, Salado, Texas, with the first class of our Point Woman Crew at our first weekend, November 20-22, 2026. It’s going to be the best kind of long weekend. Expect to join a few group texts, we hope for life, make some crafts and leave with a stronger compass pointed towards what you really want and the confidence and community to get there.

We’ll be in Salado with a national roster of speakers, technical workshops to boost your business, interactive sessions, intimate dinners and plenty of time for piddling - all set in the charming backdrop of one of Texas’ oldest and most hospitable towns. My personal happy place, shared with you exactly how I want you to experience it.

I consider you all Point Women in your own way and want you to join our community - here! Our Early Access email list is below open - send a message below to join our list! Out Instagram space is ready for new connections.

Have a question about the Point Women? Ask it in the comments below!

- Lilly

One of my favorite parts of our Camp Crafty summer camp is trying new things that I have been wanting to try with a group. My Dallas grandmother loved shells and always had a shell print shower curtain or little trinket box made with shells in this Regency style. In the 17th and 18th centuries, shells were treated like jewels in Europe - brought back from far away trade routes.

Shells are still not something I come by day to day in Dallas’ nature - so they are still exotic for me! I loved looking for shells on my recent trip to South Carolina. It made me realize this fun camp craft we did would be perfect during or after a beach trip. And it’s so easy!

Seashell Frame Supplies:

Picture Frames - you can do kids’ craft quality here and they still turn out nice

Construction spackle

Shells galore - I love to mix the big, colorful ones with the small ones and of course it’s great to add your own!

The secret trick the construction spackle goes on wet and then dries as white - looking like grout on your shell mosaic. All you have to do is give each frame a generous swipe of spackle and then let the little ones (or you!) start putting in the shells. The frames will dry in the sun with the shells secure inside the spackle!

You can see it as a reel here to give a closer look!

You can find all of the supplies in one click on my Amazon shop page.

Tag me if you try it! Any summer crafts on your list?

Thanks for reading!

- Lilly

250 American flag / red, white and blue stars outdoor fabric

It feels like I wait all year until this time of year, but I am happy to say that it is now full summer. We are enjoying slower time, extra sunlight and preparing for the Fourth.

This year the holiday holds two truths. It is extra special as we celebrate the 250 anniversary of our country this year. It is also extra tender. It is hard for me to anticipate how I will feel on the Fourth knowing the loved ones of 119 souls who lost their lives in Kerrville, Texas, flooding last year will be revisiting their agony. It is my friends who lost the most last year that have inspired me to soldier on with joy. I put up my decorations a bit early and will have them up for a while celebrating a patriotic summer all season long. Patriotism to me isn’t about a single day or our country being perfect, but holding a gratitude for all the ideals we strive for as a country and to be lucky to be where we are standing each year, if we look for it, as the holiday comes around.

These red lawn chairs we got after Spring Break have been so fun for Steve and I to enjoy, sitting and drinking tea and watching the girls ride up on their bikes. The rag flag I have had for multiple years now and it pops up so easily. I added the bunting this year and love it on our front windows.

We hosted an American flag workshop at the beginning of the summer and I love what Cindi at Shindig Addict - who helps me with almost anything fun around here - did with the balloons, using Americana fabric strips instead of ribbon. So dramatic in the best way! I absolutely love how the flags turned out as well! A popular Camp Crafty party right now.

In the kitchen I have a mix of these Amazon commemorative pennants along with my homemade pie pennants - the cutest craft we did using brown felt and fabric scraps. The tablecloth is my all time favorite for quality and easy washing and ironing. I think I have it in every size available as they are less than $11! I added a flag crust to the top of my favorite Junk Berry Pie and of course, it’s never tasted better.

It can get very hot in Texas this time of year, but I have hoped that we will still find ways to be outside a bit every day. Working on my garden has been a big hobby for me lately, and I gave the back porch a glow up with this peace flag. The outdoor tablecloth is a fun play on the stars and stripes that is tough for outdoors but washes easily. If you’re entertaining little ones of all ages this summer, nothing is cuter than just some paint pens on terracotta pots (think American victory garden). You’ll keep them forever. We also can’t get enough of the life size Guess Who I found at Costco.

oversized button down shirt / blue linen shorts / Camp Crafty hat!

Want to make adding a patriotic punch to your home before the holiday even easier? You can shop all of my picks for Americana summer fun in my Amazon shop!

What’s your must have for the holiday? I can’t wait to start celebrating!

- Lilly

Being from Texas, I know my way around makeup. It was once a printed statistic that our neighborhood Neiman Marcus sold more tubes of lipstick a year than anywhere else in the world. (Tales are also oversized in Texas, but by my family’s and friends’ known contributions alone, I can see it.)

I think that’s why I’m a little bit over make up. Texas cheerleading and Dallas performing arts camps really welcomed the fun of a faux face (some days I think my skin is still recovering). But even in high school trips over to Europe, I marveled at the super natural and stunning Euro girls in fresh skin, plumped with Evian on the inside and just the right blends of natural ingredients from European pharmacies on the outside.

The European pharmacy, in Germany they are called the Apotheke, was always my Mom’s first raid upon arrival. By the time we were on the plane back to the States after an end of summer Euro trip, my Mom, sister and I were loaded on summer clearance Zara, fresh air and food and the best European pharmacy products on our face at night. The girl I was last school year was dead to me. I was revitalized.

When I lived in Germany, I packed a tote loaded with all the things I find at the Germany Apotheke. I loved to match German self-care finds with my friends’ personalities and gift them away. Little lotions or bath salts that feel so great, are sustainably made and bring out our natural vitality using the smells and salves of nature are just so luxurious in their simplicity. Natural beauty is really what Germany is all about, from the forest to the food and civility, and my pharmacy finds were a way to bottle that feeling up for the people I love at home.

Thankfully, with these finds becoming more and more available in the States, I have been able to keep the best of German self care in my life here. I noticed in the day to day shopping there that the best products shared the same ingredients. Here’s a little more of my take aways on what makes everyone over there so naturally glowy and how to find it at home!

Shop all my German Self Care Favorites on Amazon

Rosemary Oil

Anytime I’ve had this Weleda Cellulite Body Oil around friends, they read the label and want to use it. Which is exactly how I felt when I read the label myself. They seem to have us listening at cellulite. And it flies on the shelves, and it seems to do the job from what I’ve seen.

Maybe it’s just the nice feeling of loving your bits with an oily run down after the shower that keeps women looking so young here. Supposedly though, it is birch and rosemary that perks it up a little, which I also came across in my favorite face spray here and even my favorite shampoo that I swear almost gives me more hair growth than I can handle.

Broccoli Oil

My skin guru friend of mine kept pointing out Broccoli Oil as an ingredient she was finding in German skincare products. Then I couldn’t stop noticing it myself! I recently ordered this Living Libations Ensorcell Serum and chuckled when I saw it also had Broccoli Oil! I learned it is high in fatty acid without clogging pores while being able to be sustainably made - always something I saw Germany consider greatly in their marketplace.

Around two years ago, I switched to only washing my face with Living Libations Sea Buckthron Oil, and there’s life before and after that change for me. It feels so much better for me to be balancing rather than stripping oil off my face. Love an oil on my face and now I look for broccoli oil!

Grape Water

I don’t think I’m the only person reading this that thinks there is something just so different and amazing about Caudalie skincare. It’s simple but fancy and so consistently good with no hangover. I’m fascinated by their grape water ingredient, which is supposed to have the same anti-oxidant/prebiotic benefits of snacking on a fresh bowl of grapes.

Chamomile

I first grabbed this bottle of hand cream in Germany because it’s so prevalent in shops. My grandmother loved daisies so I love the vintage look. Just like a warm cup of chamomile tea, this hand cream is so soothing I love it for winter hands, burns and to give manicures to little girls working on not picking their nails.

Rose

One of the most recommended products for winter skin upon landing was Dr Haushka Rose Day Cream. It reminded me of the Living Libations RoseGlow Creme I had used in the States, but even richer. I also spotted rose in this Weleda eye cream (I love eye cream in a tube!! It’s my thing.). I mean it makes perfect sense when you are in Germany at spring time, inundated with rose blooms and feeling their petals up close.

Water

Water is a real healer in German culture. Get a bottle of strong mineral water and it will taste like drinking the earth – but it also feels like that in a good way? It’s so replenishing. I was immediately recommended this Avene skincare line at the Apotheke. With fresh French water as the first ingredient, makes me like I drank 12 bottles of mineral water the day before getting a great night’s sleep. It’s so good in their moisturizers or just their spray bottles of water that are famous for being in a good Euro’s bag on a flight or long train ride.

Arnica Oil

Living in the Black Forest, I could blame my sore muscles on the hiking, but really it was the long days of shopping on cobblestone streets that put me in need of some muscle relief. Arnica Oil is a big anti-inflammatory ingredient in Germany that is heaven in a foot rub oil after a long day.

Of course, there is no greater hero product to Germany skin care than Weleda Skin Food - a bit of almost everything above thrown into one seriously thick cream that almost instantly melts into a balm feel. I still love to put it on every day.

My little hero in a tube is this Labello Cherry Shine chapstick. Just as the name suggests, it has the perfect flavor and tint. I dab it on my lips and cheeks all day long for hydration and color. I love it even more than some of the upscale tinted balms I’ve bought before. I also comes in watermelon and blackberry for the pink and mauve girls.

Shop all my German Self Care Favorites on Amazon

I hope I only keep finding more European pharmacy favorites, with more trips over to come as life get even better.

What do you have to grab from the pharmacy when you land in the EU? Thanks for reading!

For the fourth year in a row, I am moving about the busy weeks this time of year brings while there’s a steady, excited hum in the back of my mind. Our annual Camp Crafty summer camp is approaching! For some children, it’s a totally new experience and, for many of them, even the first day camp they’ve ever experienced. For another group now, the house is an annual place to come home to. I love revisiting photos and looking everywhere I can for inspiration this time of year as I prep for the Best Week of Summer.

One craft that I loved the final result of last year is our air dry clay mirror craft, now a popular Camp Crafty party! It just takes a few basic supplies and a lot of open ended thinking for everyone to be able to have an inspiring, functioning mirror they can say they made themselves.

Using blank mirrors, we took my favorite air dry clay (I’ve ordered it over 40 times!), an assortment of charms and letter beads and simply developed out fine motor skills and finger muscles, stretching, pinching and pulling the clay to become a frame around the mirror. No adhesive is needed for the charms if you press your design into the clay before it simply air dries!

Want to put your mirror on your locker or refrigerator? These self adhesive magnets are so easy to add.

It seems like everyone asks me about “boy crafts” and I both feel a need to take a real deep breath at the thought but also completely understand. I loved how our boy campers took to these and it’s never to early to push hygiene - you know the boys love their hair!

We ended up doing it for an adult party as well and they were amazing! Lots of pearls and shells!

You can find everything you need to make your own mirrors in my Amazon shop:

Mirrors

Air Dry Clay

Charms

Letter Beads

Self Adhesive Magnets

I love this for an all classroom birthday, spa/sleep under party or classroom party! Let me know if you try it and, of course, if you’re like me and need someone to call for help with certain projects this time of year, Camp Crafty always has your back to come out and make it happen with just one email.

What do you think? Happy crafting!

- Lilly

Hi friends -

First, a sincere thank you to everyone who reached out and listened to this week’s podcast episode. It was not easy to go back, but I do feel better having it both behind me and in the open, not something to be ashamed of. What both saddens and empowers me is how many women I heard from in just the last few days who said they sent it to a friend who is secretly going through the same thing. While it might not be something I want to speak to death, please know I’m always here as well as many resources we can point you to. The end breaks and your new life is worth it! <3

Also, if you’ve been liking the podcast, it does reach more people when you can rate and review or follow us! Thanks for listening and we always want to know what’s going on with you as co-parents!

Thinking of that time in my life also makes me grateful for my Mom. If yours is on the brain too, I have a 2026 Mother’s Day Edit up that has everything from local classes to the best of Amazon. If you’re not able to shop for your Mom for any reason this year or the whole idea sounds painful, I hope you treat yourself to a fabulous day.

You know what’s better than the tea? Just a simple glass of refreshing iced tea. Here’s the easy way I make mine, just as good as Grandma Lillie’s sun tea but fast. In an effort to curb the 2-4 pm drive-thru runs, I am getting in the routine now of stocking freshly made iced tea in the quaint and practical glass jars. It feels so nice and all the guests love having a glass of their pick as well! I love the Sportea for after lunch and the spearmint “girl tea” for while I’m making dinner. Just imagine how my skin is going to look - ah!

As the sun stays out and our competitive sports practices wind down, it’s feeling like summer is almost here. I like to have the house decorated for my summer campers and play dates, and just love the American vibes all season. If you’re looking around too, you can be the first to peek at my America 250 shop on Amazon. We got these high quality, low investment yard chairs (they come in so many cute colors) here and assembled, so the rest of my decorating to-do list feels downhill.

Want a list of every clothing item I have ever purchased and endorsed from Amazon? I made it right here.

What were the peaks and pits of your week? Thanks for being part of the group!

- Lilly

It’s almost time for Mother’s Day and oh, the irony - the deep, deep irony - that we wedge right in to the middle of May, our craziest month of the year. If you are looking at your calendar and noticing your special day of appreciation and respite falls on the weekend of a competition or tournament, and then there’s your own mother and his Mom to tend to - you’re not alone. Like all holidays it seems, the more simple it stays the more it can be about the right things and felt deeply. I am especially grateful to my Mom for all of the quality childcare that has allowed me to work in my specialty more this year. I need something that says “thank you” big time! If you need that same effect but are short on time like me, I’ve put a list together of go-to favorites that are a little more unique, local and woman owned (when I can).

I speak from a high place this year as I am very spoiled and was gifted a vejo garden box by my man friend and daughter. I love a Mother’s Day that shows appreciation for the home and kicks off some sort of project! I know my summer campers are going to love tending to a garden.

The best memory I have with my daughter this year that I would love to gift or be gifted is a stained glass class with Jordan Taub. I loved our hearts class we did on Valentine’s Day and it’s become a really special part of the home. As fun as it was to go with Heidi, it would be fun to go with my Mom who had a pretty Tiffany at the Met reproduction stained glass in our Kentucky home window as a reference to the wisteria that grew all over our porch.

Big Mama, our podcast producer and expert gift giver says she wants Oh My Nosh from her children. I think it’s an incredible gift for the day of - high level snacking completely taken care of for the next few days. You could also gift Mom a gift card for a future board so she has a book club meeting or girls’ night covered down the line. Don’t forget Mary of Oh My Nosh is catering our next Girl Dinner and a Movie on May 13 if you want to bring Mom to that to celebrate! Email me at lilly@campcraftyparties.com and we will set you up. No experience necessary!

Big Mama also alerted me to this infinity travel pillow that looks more apt to handle me with its size and approach, plus is more chic in a way (I am not my most stylish at airports but I also don’t walk around in a standard travel pillow, you know?). This is giving sleep crown on the go in a way that, on the 20th anniversary, also properly honors Lauren Conrad’s contributions to the infinity scarf. I wonder if she has one. Mostly I want to go places this year so far where you have to nap on the plane!

A thing about me in my family is my known love for Jonathan Adler. I love his style and his approach and with Dallas being blessed with both a Jonathan Adler store and/or a Barney’s in our best years, I have been able to meet him a nice handful of times. Each time he is so joyful. I love it. I love collecting his pretty matte white ornaments at Christmas. Go team for partnering with Dallas’ own Michael’s to make mine and many other Mothers so happy this year with a collab for the ages. It’s a huge collection! I love the craft kits like this little paint yourself sun, a fiber kit in the prettiest colors that reminds me of this Austin based fiber artist I saw at Dallas Art Fair or this little bird. Check out the frames as well which come with adorable inserts you can keep or swap for a family photo.

Want the perfect little thing for Mom? Buy her a custom Camp Crafty lighter on Etsy to sit next to her favorite candle! :)

Need it from Amazon? Here’s a list of nearly everything I’ve ever bought myself or Mom from there and liked.

What’s been on your mind this Mother’s Day season? Share your favorite find in the comments if you can!

Hi y’all -

These days fly by so quickly, I can love nothing more than a weekend wrap up on everything fun from the week before. What were your top three this week?

First of all, I was surprised in a good way by the discussion that came out of my first AMA on the podcast! Yall’s questions lead me into places I don’t usually explore on my own and it got personal - but fun! If you’ve been curious about my adoption, divorce or just what I like to do in Dallas it is on there!

Have a question for me yourself or just need some group advice? Message me here or DM me on Instagram! I will answer here or on the pod. We love all of the places you are taking the show with participation. Don’t forget to follow co-parenting the podcast on Instagram as well. Thanks for being a co-parent!

On Instagram, everyone loved my secret Ritz Carlton hotel scent I get for under $10. Add it to your “scent layers” - there’s more on that right here!

Thanks to my new rolling TV, I am getting more done while learning a bit too. I have always loved watching documentaries while I work with my hands and the new friend has upped my game. I was totally blown away by Trust Me on Netflix - a documentary that not only exposes how intense the cult mentality can be but the intricate and delicate nature in how it has to be unraveled. Thank you Dr Christine Marie for making this one! We are sitting down with our favorite podcast therapist to unpack it more this week in how it can apply so directly to our daily lives.

Enjoy the photo of my friend Stan and I at Dallas Art Fair! A favorite annual tradition I have been able to be a part of in many ways. Going with him this year topped it all! I came straight from work and tried this summer white tube top I always reach for (2026 season opener) with the neutral pant and belt combo I’ve been wearing for anything “work” lately. Maybe that’s four things really, but love the Art Fair! :)

Tell us your top three in a comment below! Thanks for coming by this week and God speed for the next!

Life was moving so so fast in March. It was one seemingly random Saturday night when my daughter dropped the bomb that would change life forever. You can listen to it on the podcast where none of us try to be right or wrong as we make up new rules for life. We got a project with this one! I would love to hear your thoughts.

In terms of spring refresh, I am starting to share some of my weekly favorites on my Instagram page and our debut week is all about small things that give the home a big refresh. You can watch the first video here and don’t forget to follow along so you can keep up with the new series!

My spring faves from the video:

this elegant and easeful incense holder/burner for Tibetan incense

a mushroom Palo Santo holder to mark the kitchen closed that I use with these German cones I use all year

a French to me kitchen vase for simple flowers and my nail brush.

Everything is under $25!

Need some spring reading? Check out the story my friend wrote on her amazing Lost Ladies art project that I was so honored to contribute a small bit to.

For feeling in between, I love this fringe jacket I got this year. It is perfect weight and high quality, and I wear it to all light jacket activities, fringe and all, without considering costume. It’s an extra discount on the sale price this week, making it even more remarkable. I love getting stopped over it!

Last but not least on what is up with me lately is I am loving meeting up IRL. So many fun women are coming to my new Girl Dinner and a Movie series with Oh My Nosh catering. This last week was Ina and it was such a blast! Do we look like Ina Garten? You can see what you missed and RSVP for your spot for May 13 now for Steel Magnolias and flower embroidery lessons.

What been up with you this spring? I already feel better having caught up and am so excited for what’s to come!

- Lilly

“I will show him,” I thought in my German language class. I had moved to the southern tip of the language’s native country with my spouse, daughter and two dogs in the 2021 stretch of COVID. The new dependencies I had on my husband were instigating fights, not new levels of intimacy. The temporary flat was very small - my daughter’s Murphy bed extended into the kitchenette - making his yelling feel like it was reverberating off the walls and putting me into a dissociative trance when I was there.

I could not change the vibe there, no matter what incense or fresh flowers I brought home from the market, but I could make myself scarce. I was making friends in language school during the day and kept my phone beneath my desk in lecture, secretly scrolling for something to do at night. I rarely could convince my partner to change his behavior in the moment, so I had a habit of leaving instead. I weaponized new calendar invites during a fight as if to say, “act this way all you want but I won’t be home.” This mystified and also thrilled him, somehow putting even less accountability for connection on his plate.

The trick to moving, abroad or elsewhere I believe, is to find the new group. My friends I grew up with who still practice Catholicism speak to the ease of settling into a new place by looking for their new parish. Friends who play rugby have tried teams around the world. My search term was “Freiburg Germany adult dance class.” I started going through the returns - phrases a bit broken up by putting a Google translate on my browser - but there were stand outs.

Germany loves dance, especially anything a boy band member would do. Fast pop classes are angular, precise and quick. I wasn’t ready for that kind of heart rate elevation yet. Before the pandemic, I had been teaching up to six classes of cardio dance a week, sometimes sold out to groups of over one hundred while wearing a mic. I found a listing further down Next Steps Freiburg, a German ballet school with an English name. Ballet will be easier, I thought.

I had taken ballet and tap at the Paducah, Kentucky Parks and Recreation Center from ages four to eight before moving to South America, where I got to move and play but it was harder to find formal classes. The gap in training put me behind the curve for formal ballet when we moved back to Texas, but I found my step as an adolescent in musical theater. The first time I walk into Next Steps, it is the dead of night at 6:30 pm in February 2022. I have never danced the Royal Academy of Dance’s barre routine before this. I look like a drunk baby deer as the girls around me lift up elegantly. The instructor is welcoming but her brows come together. “It’s the middle,” she says, poking her finger into my soft waist, “that we are concerned about,” she explains to me. I need a different class to create a better foundation and prevent injury. How about Thursdays mid morning for the ninety minutes with Next Step’s master instructor? My schedule certainly allows it.

The Thursday class is like a painting, like a movie. Women of all ages - younger than me and up into their seventies - are dressed for themselves and each other in intentional, beautiful performance garb. Elegant, streamlined leotards, neat tights, skirts that match their barrettes that match their lipstick. No one would ever be so crass as to get out their “handy,” the common phrase for an iPhone. We “machen die fensters” which means “to make up the windows” for our fresh air as the studio has no AC. A live pianist walks over to an ivory baby grand and gets her sheet music out. The instructor takes me in.

“Are you a widow?” she asked me. It seems less and less common that anyone taking me in would guess I was in a happy marriage. I explained no, not a widow. Just a wanderer wanting to learn a new thing while she was learning everything else for the first time anyways. She promises to try her best to keep her German basic as a courtesy - for the first week or two at least.

Soon the music begins and I can count to eight in German so that helps. Everything else is foreign - the French terminology that instructor cues goes in and out of my ears unregistered. I crane my neck to try to mimic the moves of the woman in front of me. It is a blur of tiny motions, but my body feels open, stretched. I am into a better part of my mind. I have accomplished something today. I have something to work on for next week. I feel hooked, like this is my new group.

As the weeks progress, so do I. However, it’s slow enough progress to plant myself as the comic relief for the class. As the instructor teaches me how to port de bras with a clean, “dead” thumb in front of the class, she makes it for everyone’s entertainment.

“Lilly!!!” she scolds across the room, walking into the middle of the space to have all attention for her impromptu demonstration.

“Dist ist keine Broadway!!!” the room erupts into naughty laughs. “Keine JAZZ HANDS, bitte!”

There were things I started to understand, like where to close your feet if it’s a three or four count. The girls right under my age were good. They were fast, high and strong. With all the walking in a pedestrian town and emotional stress I was underweight, not an asset in class. I bought a mat, hand and ankle weights and got back to training every day. I personally love the German tone. It’s sharp, honest and makes me better. I get used to showing up and expecting notes.

“DIE SHOULDERS LILLY.”

“HERTZ FORWARD LILLY.”

“DANCE WITH YOUR EYES LILLY.”

“YOUR ENERGY THROUGH DIE NASE LILLY!”

( I think of that one all the time, “your energy through your nose.”)

Socially, I made small strides too. The women who giggled at me began to see the tenacity in my return each week and to cheer me on - with the maximum amount of German enthusiasm. I remember feeling a chill up my spine and realizing it was one of the sweet ladies tucking in my tag. It occurred to me that I hadn’t been touched by another adult in months.

As more and more of the Royal Academy of Dance words and movements became understood to me, I failed each week at the relevé - the lift in ballet onto the tops of the toes that ascends the body into one, beautiful, levitating line. It requires tight precision and alignment, not just physically but I learned mentally and emotionally as well. Each week I lifted with confidence, thinking this time would be it. My inhale into the position only brought forward flashes of what I was avoiding by dressing up in my set and stretching my toes - words of hurt from my husband, fear for my daughter, worry about our future. The moment I gave into any one of them I would collapse, sometimes tears breaking out in the struggle for physical composure.

The worst part of leaving Germany was that after the Holidays, we were gone. I never got to have a formal last class at Next Steps,or acquire a coveted hooded fill zip sweatshirt I intended to wear for life. There was no time for goodbyes, but I don’t know how I would have danced knowing it was my last class there. I packed my leotard, tights and shoes up instead with a vow to keep dancing.

In Dallas it is harder to get to ballet amongst the pace and offerings here. During my divorce, I could barely sleep which made evening classes a reality. At least I was doing something productive with my time. I was barely moving at that point, complaining about having to shower or wash my hair. But the ballet barre felt familiar and the sequences were entrancing, then soon I was home and ready to close my eyes. The lift was still the hardest for me, and as I’d wobble, I’d make a note when I heard an instructor say, “You cannot balance thinking backwards, only in trusting forward.”

In January of this year, I received a call that changed the course of our lives. There had been an accident. My daughter’s father, which is how I know him now, was in the hospital. This was his girlfriend calling. Did I know his insurance? (Yes.) His social security number? (Of course.) Could I help and take over care for our daughter while this all got sorted out? (It would be my honor and a pleasure.)

From that moment on I have been on, 100% of the time. It’s a privilege and it is easeful. We sat in the scary, early liminal space of the situation together and, when it was a good time, I took her south to see her family - on a school day no less. My new boyfriend watched my dog. Everyone cheered us on, relieved with the outcome for now.

My former husband’s family has never been close according to my perception. They do not celebrate holidays together and my ex did not attend either of his parents’ funerals. But many are here now, which is nice, and I understand a recent rekindling is due to the divorce and the tidy new common enemy intimacy they have around the narrative that I was the problem. Let them or whatever, right? I try to think of what I need to keep my good senses on this trip, what is best for me. I’m going to need a group, even if it’s for an hour or two. I sign up for a Friday morning intermediate ballet class in town.

As I press the elevator button at the rehab hospital, I can feel my tights and leotard under my jeans. I tell myself whatever happens as I hand off my special visitor can be handled with dignity and then, I have my own thing to do as I am off to ballet. As the doors open, a woman widens her eyes and runs up to Heidi. This must be the girlfriend. I recognized her immediately as a woman I saw lock eyes on my husband and approach him at a school function we were at together a few years ago. At the time, he was demanding a full trial to sue me for sole custody of our child in court. I offer a hospitable smile and say hello. “And I am so sorry,” I tell her. “He has never told me anything about you, or your name.”

I get the new first and last name. I am open enough to admit I text it to a friend. Seconds later, she sends me a photo of a close up breast feeding an infant and an update that the new “co-mama” in the family, as she described it to me, goes by the professional title of “sacred sexuality guide” online. It is exactly what I was expecting, which is both comforting and mind boggling. In the next few weeks she would move his home into hers without the formality of a proposal or conversation but to better suit his patient needs. She dedicates herself to his recovery, rarely leaving his side, which is good for a man like him. She is now my point person for child communication which is honesty fine because the customer service is better. I remind myself that while I needed to go back to people who had known me forever, he needs people who have known him less than three years. This is uncomfortable today, but what I thought would happen. The more objective I become I see everyone’s needs being met. I can’t wait to get home and kiss my own new boyfriend straight on the mouth. Life goes on, I guess.

There’s only time for pleasant intros and acceptance. I drive straight to the studio, check in and begin people watching as the room fills with beautiful women dressed to feel their best in movement - intentional still, though not as formal as the Freiburg gals. It’s been a minute since I’ve faced the barre, but I consider everything else I do training for when I get to go. Everything feels good, capable and aligned. A live pianist runs her fingers down the scales and then it is time to start off - the same gentle cues I know from my classes in Germany and Dallas. The same rhythms, stretches and breaths in new company.

The prompt for relevé comes and I breathe and lift. The scenes play before me. My daughter is with me and happy. Her father is well taken care of. Her mother is genuinely youthful and blissful, in a partnership based on equality, pursuit and dignity. A new dog to come home to. I pop into position effortlessly and float, my toes feeling strong and nothing out of sorts on me in body, mind or spirit. The descent is slow, light and controlled. I change in the locker room, and I pick up a daughter who is happy to have seen her father. I am refreshed and happy. The girlfriend asks about my class and I can tell her it’s something I found for myself when I was married. I give her a big smile, the energy coming out of my nose.

Here’s my accountability post to keep me in my ballet group here in Dallas, and continuing to throw my shoes in my bag as we go see more and more of the world. The international language of the dance is one of my favorites to practice.

What’s your group? Thanks for reading. <3

With that in mind, the blue tones of pretty Sunprint cyanotype paper became the perfect, unique way to memorialize some child faces with silhouettes. This craft is so easy and cute and really “wows” the kids, so I love it as a Mother’s Day gift!

What is Sunprint paper?

Sunprint paper lets you make pictures by seeing what happens when we block the and expose the light to this sensitive paper. The chemical change that the paper goes through when exposed to sunlight does it all!

You will need:

Sunprint paper

dried flowers

paper for your silhouette

shallow pan with water

To begin our silhouettes, I simply took the kids’ profile photos then printed them and cut around their outlines. The white side you see here is the reverse!

After that, the children decorated around their silhouette with found and purchased leaves and pressed flowers. We played with symmetry and thought about crowning our silhouettes and showcasing our unique personality, like the reptile lover who added some alligator feet.

After designing, we took the prints outside under the acrylic cover and exposed them to light for five full minutes since it was a cloudy day. It’s so fun to watch it turn!

We brought a roasting pan with an inch of water in the bottom to rinse the papers after the sun exposure.

So much fun! These make the sweetest gifts and look so sophisticated on the wall.

Are there any spring crafts on your list right now? Let me know if you make these!

I prepped this for a party I delivered for a classroom celebration and am so happy with how it turned out.

At the store, look for anything in cube-like packaging, like tic-tacs, Sweethearts or juice boxes. We used these easy glue dots to keep it mess free. Add eyes to everything! And you literally have it. The supplies I am linking can be delivered from Walmart in most towns in less than an hour!

Besides your candy/snack haul, you will want:

glue dots

wiggly eyes

heart stickers

That’s literally it! Per usual, the student creations majorly outshone mine.

What are you doing to celebrate Valentine’s? If you make a robot, don’t forget to send it to me on Instagram!

Love to you and thanks for reading!

- Lilly

I have heard my love for cleaning is Irish. When I visited there, we walked out into the street in the early morning to see the shop owners scrubbing their sidewalks. Knowing the Irish immigrant stories on both sides of my family, I believed growing up that casting off something that could be good as new with a mending or cleaning was a moral failing, a neglect of stewardship over the blessings we have been so fortunate to have been provided while we work to humbly earn more for our children’s benefit. That is at least that's how I was raised by both my father and mother’s parents.

Maybe I am also superstitious from being so Irish as well, but I’ve personally come to relate cleanliness to good luck. If everything that is mine is well maintained, I can assume that’s a sign to the Universe that I can handle more. And when my luck is feeling a bit sh*t, as it hit a few times this January, my hyper logical mind starts looking for where the good flow might be blocked. Soon enough, I am romanced by cleaners and tinctures swearing to eliminate the bad stuff so only the positive vibes come in. Some aren’t worth mentioning here, but others are honestly great!

I love to attack most things with a mix of vinegar and baking soda, and am a big believer that simple is best, which these all of these extra helpers are. Here’s a few flow state favorites of mine.

Clean House

Two weeks ago, I had some of the worst luck you could imagine, while still incredibly lucky to have my life of course. Amidst everything, I knew I wanted to be spending very little money, but I be dadgum if this drain cleaner didn’t come up on my feed. I associated my state of affairs with the state of my drains pretty quickly and broke my no buy policy to order the two pack. I was immensely satisfied when they came and recommend it for both fun and flow!

I go to the Lowe’s by my house so much that my friends theorized I would one day come across a husband there. Stevie is superior to anything I could ever find at my neighborhood hardware store, but I am always finding something great there like this super vinegar . As someone who does not use bleach unless there is a medical necessity, this delivers that clean and I use it on everything from the floors to baseboards and windowsills to laundry.

If you want to up your game a little, add this cheap as heck, natural wood soap to your mop bucket (vinegar still in there from doing the tile floors first). The glow is unreal!

I am lucky to keep inheriting Stainless Steel sinks in my rentals. Cleaning them is a satisfaction that borders the spiritual for me. While the last juice of your lemon, some baking soda and that crazy vinegar will deliver a punch on their own, don’t sleep on spoiling yourself with a can of bar keeper’s friend if you have the means. You will see your face and future in that sink. I do that in sinks and use pink spray on the counters, both helped with the bristle brush found in my kitchen necessities.

Nothing clears out the kitchen after a good clean like my German incense in this cute holder that keeps the burn going safely until everything is nice and cleansed.

With two girls in and out every day, our main bath tub and shower combo sees a lot of use, and I love it super clean so it’s always inviting a soak. This shower spray smells nice and keeps everything clean with a simple spray over wet surfaces, then rinsing the next day. I put it in an empty spray bottle from the Dollar Tree so I can just get into it when I’m getting out of the shower. When the bath needs a little more, I use the jar of pink stuff and a bristle brush and spots disappear.

Best Foot and Face Forward

When people hear about my work, they seem to typically conjure images of me as some boss babe, dreaming and scheming in a studio. The reality of my job, which I love, is I am forty years old and still waiting tables on the weekends. It keeps me in check in every way, and I look forward to the weekends when I am often booked both days. I chase luck every time I suit up with some rituals to feel my best and activate flow.

I used to religiously go to Johnny Rocket’s and I loved the consistency there and this poster in the bathroom that explained it all!

My Dad taught me that everything looks better after a good shoe polish. I am super picky about what shoes I like to work in, and this shoe shine keeps them brilliant white like new.

Nothing like a fresh face forward, and I can’t get over this black rice exfoliator that really takes the weight off for $25. I’m using it all the time.

Ok, so gross! But again, on one day that felt particularly low I fell in love with the idea of ordering this ear wax remover. I did not tell Steve when it got here, just that I was busy for the night as I took turns laying on both my sides feeling my ear canals fill with bubbles. No mega situation (thank God), but as someone who feels congested in my ears, I could hear better and felt lighter after a few days on the program.

Heidi feels the way I feel about the ear flow with this nasal spray .

One trip to Paris, I was alone for the day and enjoyed the YSL Museum and a look into his daily rituals, including his love for the Moroccan hammam - a process of daily body scrubbing and replenishment. I tried a Moroccan hammam in Paris, loved it and still try to replicate it daily in my own shower with this dry brush and Dr teal’s pink salt . It feels like starting fresh every morning!

Last one but biggest way to unlock good luck is probably a fresh smile, which I why I am pretty good about getting down with this extra strength toothbrush, just a basic nightly flossing and this mouthwash our dentist loves . You can find more of my favorite rituals in my 2025 Favorite Things post!

How about you? Do you level up or prepare for incoming abundance with a fresh cleaning? What are your favorite hacks for getting it squeaky clean?

Thanks for reading!

- Lilly

When I thought about my favorite part of Valentine’s Day, it’s laughing at and passing around the silly cards with friends, and there’s the classic Simpson’s episode with “I Choo-choo-choose You.” Laughter is so unifying and community oriented. I love how easy it is to love myself by laughing at my own jokes! 🙂

For our purposes, we talked about three types of puns: homophone puns, homograph puns and figurative language puns.

I kept it to some of my favorite craft supplies and paper heart doilies galore you can find at the dollar store or online to see what our imaginations would do with a little restriction - amazing! It was so fun to see us each think of a pun and then our gears would turn on how to use the hearts to bring it to life. I love restrictions like this on creativity because I think it makes things funnier and funnier.

And boy, did we laugh. My favorite part of this class was just laughing and laughing at little girls’ jokes. We talked about how hilarious we were the whole party!

Homophone Puns

For our homophone puns, we used words pronounced the same with different meanings.

blank note cards - heart doilies - stick on gems - stick on wiggly eyes - foam stickers

Homograph Puns

Homograph puns are spelled the same but have different meanings.

Figurative Language Puns

Figurative language that’s just out of the conventional order of the word’s usage is so fun too.

Which one is your favorite? If you get inspired to make some, tag me on Instagram!

Thanks for reading!

Lilly

Valentine’s always feels silly - I mean, they put it out before the New Year. This year, economically or spiritually there might feel like there’s a bigger “eh, why?” this year. The why though is what makes Valentine’s meaningful to me. The get what you give spirit of it, asking myself how many people I can bring love, joy or delight to. Maybe I give a little more than I get back one year, even that helps me remember that long arc of the Universe that we pray and work to keep bending towards justice - a reminder that hope alleviates us of a desire for immediacy. and faith cures us of needing certainty to feel love. If you stay on the right track, I think ol’ February 14 is a wonderful holiday where the smallest, more thoughtful gestures can get some big appreciation.

What I know for sure is I feel compelled to make all of the Holidays extra special in the most simple but impactful ways I can right now. The news, while overbearing and heart stopping, does not in any way inspire me to do less for my family or fellow man. Thankfully, it has not swallowed me like it can but has rather invigorated me to remember right now that every day with peace in my bubble is a blessing, and I am in charge of that as much as possible. I am intentional about our days counting, and having them be about loving and connecting with other people as often as I can.

Maybe that’s an ugly, handwritten letter, or a meal or a hug. Maybe it’s a silly but cute Valentine. Some of my favorite things for this season are below!

The number one thing I am looking forward to on Valentine’s weekend is some quality time with my babe. I have registered her and I for this stained glass workshop Friday night, and I already know where I want to hang my masterpiece. Our home is filling nicely with our homemade treasures from being workshop girls. If you don’t join us I also like classes at Trade.

For decor, I keep it cute but simple. I think since I love homes and the concept of home, I love collecting little homes and villages for the holidays. I got these ceramic Valentine’s houses from you wouldn’t guess where, and added this vintage Valentine’s garland , a cutesy doormat and made something for the front door using this wreath form, fabric I had on hand and pinking shears.

As for cute little things for this year, I bought myself this Varsity number bracelet in the fall because I think it’s cute that Steve wore the same number for his long recreational athletic career. Very cute gift for a sports Mom! My other jewelry rec would be this bubblegum necklace I received as a gift and love to wear dressed up or with a t-shirt - it’s like power bead bracelets all grown up!

I bought myself these HOKA sneakers last week to encourage lots of dancing. I am the worst at letting my sneaks run down and then wondering why I feel like I am dragging, but HOKA is the beloved brand among the dance girls right now and I love the pop of cherry red.

This Camp Snap camera has been the best investment for the cost - it helps me keep my phone down on special days I want to photograph while getting the best shots of the moments I don’t want to miss. Any holiday is a good excuse to add one to the family. I’ve taken mine all over and love the photos I got back when I put it in Heidi’s camp trunk.

This cute and inexpensive Valentine's scarf can be styled different ways over the years while staying timeless.

My genius friend turned me on to these Bjorn Wiinblad official reproductions, available at Nicholson Hardie or, I just noticed, online. I would love to fill this with flowers for my Mom for Valentine’s. Wiinblad has amazing connections to Dallas! (If you’re on more of a budget, this is my favorite vase that only costs $15.)

For your home chef, my Dutch oven comes in every color you can think of, including pretty pink. There’s also my favorite everything pan or anything off of my kitchen essentials list . Turning off the noise to get even a simple meal on the table right now is a radical act of self and community care.

Why do I love things like this? This toothpaste squeeze is such a classy gift! It makes me want to try this! Ooh la la!

What a blast from the past! This mancala game could not be cuter or more nostalgic for me. Such a great game I know we’ll play all summer by the pool.

This Love You print hangs over my sink and encapsulates life as two busy girls on the go.

I have a Valentine this year that I know is not too old for Stitch playing cards .

The least expensive, most impactful suggestion would be these watercolors that give beautiful paint for note cards, shells - anything you can find! I hope it gives you hours of creative flow.

I love anything by her and this Pioneer Woman serving bowl is such a beautiful addition to Valentine’s dinner under $25. The red is great for V-Day, yes, but also Christmas and the Fourth. So beautiful and functional.

I out of the mandatory classroom card phase, which is why I recommend these whoopee cushion Valentines or just a pack of whistle pops if you want to be annoying in a different way. Previously, we have hit it big with these non-junky gemstone Valentines for the class. I like these monster Valentines if I can convince Heidi to bring them to school.

I can always pop by World Market for something like this girl’s best friend frame and such a good candy selection to put on the table Valentine’s morning.

As far as the seasonal craft I’ve been wanting to try, it’s these House of Lars embossed hearts. Easy! Fun! I think they are just what my mantle is missing.

But my number one pick for your Valentine? Personal lighters! Our Etsy shop is back open. What should we made next?

What’s keeping you warm in the right ways this winter? Warmth in your soul, warm in your home and warm love for others seem to be in dire need right now. I appreciate you all taking a break with me!

My Dad was a farm cook - if he was off rotation from the oil fields of Kazakhstan or Iran, it would be pork chops and pot roasts for dinner- something he had tinkered with over the day alone to his work in the kitchen. He lives off a meat, two sides and a starch for his dinners. His Mom, my Grandma Lillie, had grown up cooking for her 12 siblings and family on a wood burning stove. In our town of Paducah, she could cook for over 20 of us after church on Sundays, which was the tradition. Church, sitting down to pray one more time and eat, then college hoops on TV. She did not want your help or want you know what was inside. “A little of this, a little of that,” she told me about her biscuits as she cut the circles out with an empty can of baking powder. My uncle worked in entertainment and soon Country crooners like Bobby Bare, Vince Gill and John Anderson were in our family kitchen with their crew sitting at picnic tables in the back, telling us years later if we saw them again that their meal at Lillie’s house was one of the best they’d ever had. Crazy but true!

My Mom, on the other hand, was fabulous. Her parents traveled the world for work and leisure most of her life. The babysitters and my Nannie, my Mom’s Mom, were in the throws of Mid-century cooking convenience in a modern city: dinners out, frozen foods, factory made white bread, Campbell’s recipes. My grandfather took on the world every day, and we think it affected his stomach as he preferred the blandest meals you could ever imagine sitting through in your life. My Mom liked LaMadeline low fat Caesar salad for dinner (I did too), popping into the neighborhood spots she’d gone to since girlhood for meals and community patronage or, if we ate at home, making us spaghetti and a jar of marinara sauce for dinner. We had read an interview with Cindy Crawford that mentioned it as her go-to meal.

I honestly don’t think it was until the sophomore year of college, when we all got little apartments outfitted with kitchens, that I realized I was cooking illiterate. I had baked with my Mom for holidays, gussied up mixes and followed instructions - but quickly realized how little I knew about cooking. Even making macaroni and cheese, I dropped a stick of butter in my pot only to see my friend tidily slice hers into even pats that would melt faster and more evenly into her noodles. My mind was blown. My new boyfriend did not hold back that my toast was burnt, my scrambled eggs were overdone. When we broke up, I took that to heart and poured my sadness into Food Network marathons and planning family dinner for all my friends in Lubbock to work on my chops.

Cooking is something I can definitely be on or off the wagon about, and the young professional and baby years weren’t easy (nothing like steaming your baby fresh organic blends while you eat frozen pizza every night). In the beginning of the pandemic, the scarcity brought out the best in me. I’d get a produce box and farm meats and begin to plan a week of meals using what we had, building on leftovers from the day’s planning before. It invigorated me with a purpose that the over-convenience of my neighborhood had never previously inspired. I felt close to my family, Irish self-sustaining farmers who came to Tennessee in 1850 and kept themselves fed and cared for thanks to their own ingenuity until the TVA installed power in the late 1960’s, my grandfather now proudly working as one of their electricians.

Sitting at the table to eat, for me, is a sacred act I try to pull off at least a few times a week - something getting harder each year as we get into activities. With the news as it is right now, sitting down with family that I know all want good in the world but often vote differently than me is imperative. Dedicated time to focusing on our commonalities for a bit is a healthy and good thing.

As far as what I’m doing to help the world, the numbers to me don't lie. In studies, regular family meals are associated with lower rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse in teenagers. Approximately 43% of Americans believe family meals are relaxing, while 30% say they help them feel calmer. As for the older citizens, if you are near your parents, 85 percent of seniors report that sharing meals makes them feel more satisfied, helping to combat the loneliness that increases the risk of depression, Studied seniors also increased their food intake by an average of 60% when eating in a group.

I used to count recipes for ingredients and steps before convincing myself I could try it, but these days little intimidates me. I think it;s the experience, hours in, but really building a kitchen that’s ready for anything that has helped me quite a bit. After moving internationally and back in the last five years, I feel like I have a tight but powerful list of kitchen essentials that arm me as a home cook to do my best work. These are the things I am glad to have re-invested in time and again. If you’re starting over or just adding more to your kitchen, this list is great to take to the estate sales or thrift stores! If you want to shop from home, I stand by the links too. Here’s my faves!

Task Masters

As far as doing the cooking for myself, my daughter, my parents often and a man friend now and then, I am really fortunate to have an A team of kitchen helpers that I love.

First is a Pyrex bowl I was lucky to inherit from my Dallas grandmother. It’s the best of its kind to me, with lips for pouring and that finish that scrapes and cleans so easily.

My Dad loves roast chicken. He likes the roast chicken at our local Street’s Fine Chicken so much that I asked them a few questions on how they get their skin to meat consistencies so consistent and good. That sent my Dad and I on a hunt for something we could own that fit their suggestion and one day we became proud owners of this Emeril oven . Trust me, it is bigger and better than the cuter, colored counter oven. I make a full roast chicken in this thing all the time, baked potatoes, our breads for dinner and anything from the freezer. Wonderful for summers here where you don’t want to turn on the full oven in July. Great investment!

Another hero item is cliche but true, the KitchenAid mixer, a gift from my grandmother when I got married. I could be way more creative with how I use it but I love having it on hand for making dough and icings.

I jumped on the Instant Pot wagon when it came out. I love a set it and forget it and still use it to make meats and soups like I would a crock pot, but better I think. It makes rice and I use it to make things like elderberry syrup. If you’re a soups and stews person I would look into it! An immersion blender really helps for creamy soups or making your own dressings (I love recipes for that on Defined Dish.)

Again, it’s not that I’m trying to knock the new designer cookware collections, but I’m just saying I got this skillet for a portion of the price and have used it almost daily for three years now - hard to believe! It looks just as cute if it’s on the drying rack and neither one of us seem to be giving up on each other anytime soon.

One of my favorite local farmers turned Instagram friends, Melissa Tate, spoke once about the gift that are vintage amber glass sauce pots . So easy to use and clean. I was thrilled to find a set of two at our local thrift store once. I love them for noodles, Mac and cheese and warming up milk. Clean so easily or you can pop in the dishwasher.

It would be nice to have a super expensive, name brand version for this, I’m sure, but I love this Dutch oven like it cost hundreds of dollars more than I paid.

I love to start the day in the kitchen, but my light green eyes are not big on overhead light. A table lamp is my companion, putting a soft halo around my morning work.

Tiny Tools

As my hero Bourdain said, "All you will ever need in the knife department: ONE good chef's knife, as large as is comfortable for your hand" I ordered this simple knife kit for my restart and have it near all the time. I will attest to being the happy graduate of a knife skills class at The Cookery that changed everything for me in this department.

I do love a zester, as I think it’s one of the best ways to add flavor to a soup or batch of muffins. I love a peeler since I love any recipe with carrots, and a grater since there is nothing like upgrading to hand grated cheese in your recipes - I promise.

Since I love to dabble in broths and syrups for our immune systems, I love a funnel and a good set of jars. The lip of the Pyrex bowl is great here.

The marketplatz in my little German town wrapped around the gorgeous Gothic cathedral, with umbrella covered stands that sold things like these wooden utensils I got hooked on, especially these slender wooden spatulas that scrape and handle so nicely.

For cookies, muffins and I’m sure more, I love the precision of a scoop.

I’m not sure exactly where this one goes, but make sure to have French sea salt in your kitchen as it brings everything to life, especially the tops of cookies and brownies.

Baking

First things first, the intimidation of “from scratch” baking, to me, is really all about storing a few basic supplies so you can reach for them anytime. These canisters are key for me. I’ll also say - from living in Texas, hosting summer camps and what seems like a continuous drip of play dates in my house all the time, the kitchen has seen plenty of neglected crumbs and dirty dishes - bugs have come and gone without ever breaking into our pantry stash thanks to these containers, which is a relief!

Personally, there is something about a set of jadeite measuring cups for me that are beautiful and handle so well. I love running my finger over the top to make everything even.

While I’ve had all kinds of sets with different measurements and fractions, this wood measuring spoon is what I reach for the most, eyeballing half if the recipe calls for it and seeing it turn out fine time and again. So convenient and easy to clean.

I do think a flour sifter takes a baking recipe from good to great, and any cupcake or muffin cooks better, looks better and travels better in these chic muffin liners .

On that note, a decorating tip set is a little baking luxury that is hours of fun for me and makes children feel so grown up. When I lived abroad, I was famous for my sugar rush, icing cookies with American buttercream in our German flat that had our neighbors and the families at Heidi’s international school reaching for more. These tips make homemade baking fun and fancy, even if you’re using grocery store icing. Don’t forget the eyeball sprinkles. Trust me, everything is better with them! We like to mix up sizes to keep it ultra kooky.

Beverages

I will be honest with you, when I struck out on my own I felt like I was learning 1,000 things a day and trying to tread water. When I bought a standard coffee pot, I had no idea about intermittent cleaning - until the day I took a closer look and wanted to gag over the build up inside! I quickly found a Chemex at the thrift shop that’s so easy to clean every day - much better for me in how I like to stay on top of things. All I need are filters that are compostable if you’re the type!

For all my drinks, I invested in an electric tea kettle. That’s all I need to make coffee, my Mom’s favorite Black tea or a single serving of Heidi’s secret hot chocolate. Each one has a home in these airtight eyeball canisters I keep on the counter with a coffee spoon and drink frother.

At the Table

After all that it’s just about getting everyone to sit down. Anything I don’t plate into dishes right off the stove, I just put with a serving spoon on the lazy Susan and everyone digs in.

While I am not big on paper plates, I do love dinner napkins as a way to add something seasonal or fun on the table. To be honest, I love the dishwasher safe china I registered for still to this day. It was really when I stopped giving a shit about everything and started pulling for these almost daily that life started getting so much more beautiful and fun. I find this debated a bit as I like to buy tablewares when I travel, but I love a set for eight. It encourages me to have company.

Once we are done eating, I try all I can to push the leftovers on my guests via thrift store baskets and glass food containers.

Important items on our table are my flea market power mug that I found in Zurich, Switzerland that is stamped, “Made in Marshall, Texas” and, of course, the special plate - making homemade meals memorable for about forever.

Tidying Up

I feel lucky to have a stainless steel sink again in this house, one that I like to be able to see my face in after we’re done cleaning up a meal. A lot of that credit goes to my beloved bristle brush - the German gold standard they sell for $2 at the drug store there. They last forever, clean so well and are easy to replace sustainably for one purchase.

I am big on dish towels , and when I order from that brand they stay vibrant and strong for years and years. I use them to wipe the highly luxurious volcano counter spray or this if I’m getting into deep corners. Other than that, it’s mostly Dawn blue soap in this mason jar dispenser .

I’m a big believer that something fresh in this mushroom incense holder after a kitchen close out helps to clean the air, and I love this German incense for all the winter months - the exact I would buy at the winter markets there.

Don't forget some sweet art and lots of joyful pictures to help the time working pass with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart. I keep my favorite family photos with food displayed in our built-ins.

What’s your favorite kitchen must have? Leave it in the comments!

When I met at friend for lunch in the center this October, I told her to pick anywhere. A vegetarian, she found the most luck at the taco place. I hadn’t been in ages, but that was great for me. Coming straight from dance, it was the perfect spot for something quick and casual.

When I arrived, there was my friend in the first booth on the right when you walk in. She looked little and happy in the big wooden benches. I admit it’s been so many simulations ago, I wasn’t expecting to release my gaze from her and land next on a photo of myself stapled to the wall right there - my back watching Willie Nelson in concert a few feet away from me. My friend hadn’t even noticed it or thought it was me, but when I saw it, I was instantly back in another life as another girl.

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We got there just at dusk and it was the sweetest greeting. Almond was able to come along and even had two special bowls and a treat when we arrived! There are over 20 cabins on the site but they are spaced well where she could walk off-leash (although she doesn’t walk very far!).

The cabin has a great kitchenette, a nice bathroom where I took a hot shower in the morning, a pillowy bed and wonderful heat/air. I was more than happy reading my book inside while Steve poked the fire.

The next morning was even prettier than the night before - I love the big window by the bed!

Looking good out there, Steve. :)

In November, I was supposed to go to a NYE filming and bought this amazing gem top. Then I came down with food poisoning! My cabin, my dress code. They go amazing with these cashmere-dupe pants I can’t take off and a crown I bought in Switzerland for Heidi’s birthday one year that we keep using.

We brought games, books, smores supplies. We truly felt away from everything with everything we needed for a fun night - no hassle!

How did you spend your New Year? I hope we’re back here soon and you can keep this place in mind the next time you need a mini adventure! Marriott has Postcard cabins around the country. We plan to keep looking for them!