Thank you so much to everyone who joined me live today as I created a big, bold, and beautiful flower arrangement in honor of Mrs. Dolly Parton.

There have been so many emotions surrounding Dolly’s passing this week. On Friday, I shared The East Edit: Volume Five—For Dolly, and Somehow for My Grandma and Papa Too. It tells the story of my childhood, my family’s connection to country music, and how my grandmother knew Dolly and later introduced my Papa Jim to her. If you haven’t read it yet, I’ll link it here for you.

For today’s arrangement, I stopped by Trader Joe’s and chose yellow garden roses as the focal flower (Dolly’s favorite flower) along with gerbera daisies, blush stock, purple waxflower, and Oriental lilies. Then I wandered into my own garden to gather tomato branches, lemongrass, and purple fountain grass. These natural, unruly pieces gave the arrangement its height, movement, and—most importantly—its wonderfully big Dolly hair!

In the video, you’ll watch the entire arrangement come together, hear me sing just a little at the end, and witness all the dorky silliness that naturally finds its way into my lives.

I’m planning to meet you here every Sunday around noon—hopefully noon sharp! Until then, I hope you enjoy creating this joyful floral tribute alongside me.

Rest in peace, Dolly. Thank you for all the beauty, music, laughter, and love you gave us.

Have a beautiful Sunday and a wonderful week ahead.

XO,
Jamie

P.S. Here’s some photos for you of the finished arrangement! Enjoy :)

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What started out as a beautiful, ordinary August Tuesday quickly shifted into a flood of emotions when I scrolled across the news that Dolly Parton had passed. My heart, like I’m sure so many others, just dropped. And honestly, it has stopped me in my tracks ever since.

That afternoon, I shared the news with my husband and almost immediately felt myself starting to well up with tears. So, I did what I often do when I need a moment to process—I went outside and took a walk. I honestly didn’t expect to be overcome with so many emotions all at once, and if I’m being truthful, it has taken me this entire week to really sit with them and understand why her passing has affected me so deeply.

I mean, I’m crying as I sit here writing this post to you today. But somewhere in all of those emotions, I think I’ve finally started to understand just how I feel and, more importantly, why.

And it is my hope that by sharing some of these feelings with you today, maybe they will help you work through some of your own. Maybe they’ll remind you to find the beauty in the time we’re given, to hold a little tighter to the people and things we love, and to find your own way of moving through whatever season of life you may be in.

But more than anything, I want to remember, celebrate, and cherish all that Dolly gave us during her beautiful, wonderful time here on this Earth—and all that her legacy will continue to give long after her life, and even our own, has passed.

Because I have a feeling people will still be listening to Dolly, telling her stories, singing her songs, and learning from the way she lived hundreds of years from now.

And maybe there’s something in that for all of us. Maybe we could all live a little more like Dolly. Maybe not with all the rhinestones, big hair, extravagant dazzle, and beauty—although I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to a little more of that—but in our own small, ordinary ways. Loving what we do. Loving people well. Giving what we can. Staying true to who we are. And hopefully leaving this world just a little more beautiful than we found it.

At least, that’s always been my deep-down, Care Bear-shimmering-from-the-chest kind of hope—to share beauty with the world and somehow leave people with a little more light and love because I was here.

I just want people to be happy. I want us to recognize what a beautiful life we get to live on this planet, even amongst all of the heartache, loss, and pain that inevitably comes with being human. Because I also believe that without suffering, we may never fully understand compassion. Without the dark, maybe we wouldn’t recognize the light quite as clearly when it finally finds us again.

And perhaps that’s why Dolly’s Light of a Clear Blue Morning feels especially meaningful to me right now. There is something so Dolly about believing that even after the longest, darkest night, the light will eventually return. That there is still another morning coming. Another chance to love people, create something beautiful, make someone laugh, plant a flower, sing a song, or simply leave a little more goodness behind than we found.

Maybe that’s part of what I’ve been trying to do all along, in my own little ordinary way—keep looking for that clear blue morning, and when I find even the smallest bit of its light, share it with someone else. I think that’s what I’ve always hoped my photography and this little ole blog could do for you. To give you a little beauty, a little inspiration, and maybe even a little light when you need it most.

I grew up right here in rural North Carolina, in the heart of the South, and for me, Dolly was simply part of growing up. Her music, her voice, her big hair, her larger-than-life personality—she was just always there, woven into the fabric of my childhood in a way I don’t think I fully understood or appreciate until I got older.

Well, actually, let me say it this way: Dolly was woven throughout both my childhood and my adult life because of my grandparents on my mom’s side, my Grandma Stellese and my Papa Jim. Both of them shared an incredible love for country music, but they also had their own stories and connections to it. And because of them, country music—and Dolly—became part of my story, too.

Country music really started for me with my grandma. Long before I was even born, at the height of her career, she worked as a booking agent for country music stars. She was living and working in Florida at the time, trying to bring a little bit of that Nashville country music scene down to Florida.

My Aunt Star, my mom’s oldest sibling, still remembers all of the famous country stars who would come and stay at my grandma’s big house in Florida—Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dottie West, and even Johnny Cash. Can you even imagine? Just country music legends coming and going from your childhood home like it was the most normal thing in the world.

But my grandma wasn’t only working behind the scenes. She was a songwriter herself. She wrote songs that she sold to Johnny Cash, including A Little at a Time, and others that she simply gave away—including a few to the late Dottie West, who became one of my grandmother’s dearest friends and Merle Haggard.

And honestly, that was just my grandma.

She believed deeply in sharing what she had. What was hers was also yours, and she never seemed all that concerned with making sure she received the praise or recognition for everything she created. If she wrote something beautiful and thought someone else could do something wonderful with it, she shared it. She gave it away. And because of that, there were songs she wrote that she never really received credit or recognition for.

There’s even a bit of family lore—or, I should say, something my grandma herself always told us—that Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” may have been inspired in some way by a song my grandma had written and played for Willie Nelson one evening that she called “Crazy Crazy” long before it became the song we all know and love through Patsy. I have no way of knowing exactly what happened in that room all those years ago, but my grandma certainly had a story to tell about it. And if you knew her, you knew she had lived enough life, met enough people, and spent enough time around country music that you couldn’t help but listen when she told one.

But for whatever reason, that song wasn’t meant to be hers. That simply wasn’t in the cards for my grandma’s life. And sadly, so much of that chapter of her story was eventually lost, too. Two separate house fires destroyed her songs, photographs from that time in her life, and even a priceless violin that had been given to her by her second husband, the fiddle player Cecil Brower. So much of her history disappeared with those fires, leaving us with the stories and memories she passed down instead.

And yet, I think there’s something kind of beautiful about looking at it all this way. Sure, had things gone differently, maybe we’d all be a very wealthy family right now! But then again, who knows what else would have changed along the way? Maybe my grandma would have lived an entirely different life. Maybe she would have never met my Papa Jim. And if she hadn’t met my papa, well, I wouldn’t even be here writing this story to you today.

Life is funny like that. Sometimes the things that weren’t meant for us—the opportunities we missed, the roads we didn’t take, even the things we lost—become part of the winding path that eventually leads us to the people and the life we were meant to find.

When my grandma first met my Papa Jim, he was actually still a senior in high school, just a few years ahead of my Aunt Star, my grandma’s eldest child. And funny enough, it was my Aunt Star who introduced the two of them in the first place. My papa played guitar and sang, and knowing my grandma’s history and connections in country music, my aunt thought maybe she could help him find his way into Nashville if that was the path he wanted to take.

Little did she know, introducing them would end up changing the course of all of their lives in a completely different way.

Instead of my grandma helping launch his country music career, my papa fell in love with her. She was eighteen years his senior and, believe it or not, even older than his own mother—my Grannanny, who at 93 is my last living grandparent. She still lives in Garfield, Georgia, the very place where my grandma and Papa Jim first met all those years ago.

So yes, as I said in the photo caption, their love story is an entirely different post for another day! Because trust me, there is a whole lot more to that story.

Now, with my Papa Jim in her life and my grandma pregnant with my mom, my papa realized pretty quickly that he didn’t want a life in show business or in the limelight. He really just wanted to be a daddy. And goodness, that he was—and so much more.

My Papa Jim was the most wonderful father to my mom and her sister, and he stepped in and became a great stepdad to my grandma’s four older children, who, funny enough, were actually much closer to his age than my grandma was. But that was the life he chose. He chose family. He chose being there. And from everything I ever heard—and everything I knew of my papa myself—I don’t think he ever felt like he had missed out on a single thing.

And then when I came along, along with all of my cousins, goodness, my papa was the best grandfather any child could have ever asked for. So much of my childhood was spent with my grandma and Papa Jim, and boy, did that man spoil us! He absolutely LIVED for being a daddy and a grandpa. His family was his whole world.

He would go without something himself over and over again just to make sure his family had everything they needed—and usually plenty of what we wanted, too. And Christmas? Oh goodness, Christmas was his time to shine. He loved making it magical for all of us. Looking back now, I realize that so much of what made my childhood feel special wasn’t about the things he gave us at all. It was knowing how deeply we were loved by him.

But one very special thing about my Papa Jim was his love of country music—and really, just music in general. That man could play almost any song you could think of. Honestly, I don’t know if there was a song he couldn’t play or sing!

Growing up, the sound of my papa playing his guitar was just part of the background of my childhood. If we had friends or family over, you could pretty much count on him pulling out his guitar and singing for everyone at some point. Music was just always there when Papa Jim was around.

He was also part of several local country music cover bands, and I grew up going to those shows all the time! As a kid, I would dance around and play with my cousins and friends at all the different venues while my papa was up there playing his guitar and singing. At the time, it was just normal life to me. I didn’t realize how special it was to grow up with live music always around us, or how much those nights would become such a sweet part of my childhood memories.

I even remember one time getting up there with one of my girlfriends and singing Strawberry Wine by Deana Carter and Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus. I mean, could there be a more ’90s country music moment than that? LOL.

Most of you probably don’t know this about me because I don’t really share this side of myself very often, but I grew up singing in the church choir and in chorus at school, and I really do love to sing—I just don’t particularly love doing it in front of people. I get SO nervous! My papa Jim also gave me my first guitar and helped me learn to play. Now I’m not good enough to play in front of anyone, but I know a little.

And believe it or not, I’ve even performed and sung at THE Carnegie Hall in New York City. Circa April 2001, just a few months before September 11th changed everything. My high school chorus was chosen to be part of the National Youth Choir that year under the direction of Moses Hogan, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

Looking back now, I only wish I had understood just how special it was and taken it all a little more seriously at the time! But I was a teenager in 2001, and if I’m remembering that version of myself correctly, I was far more concerned with the Backstreet Boys and MTV’s TRL. LOL. Of course, while we were in New York, I HAD to go see the TRL studios in Times Square. Priorities, right?

It’s funny to look back at the moments we didn’t realize were going to become some of the big ones.

I’ve even written a few songs of my own over the years, and in 2018 I published a little poetry book on Amazon called Mad Love, if you ever want to check it out. So I guess that creative, music-loving side of my family found its way into me somehow, too.

But I digress. This story isn’t about me and my very questionable musical abilities. LOL. Let’s get back to Papa Jim—and, eventually, to Dolly I promise!

My papa LOVED to tell jokes. Almost all of them completely inappropriate, of course. LOL. Somehow my mom remembers just about every single one of them, and now she’s the one telling them to all of us. I guess, in her own way, she’s carrying that little piece of Papa Jim forward—and carrying the joke-telling torch for him now.

Now, here’s where I finally bring this all back around to Dolly. When it came to my grandma, my Papa Jim, and Dolly Parton, there was one thing they both always said about her: Dolly was one of the most genuine and kind people you’d ever meet. And from everything I’ve ever heard from others who had the chance to meet her, that seems to be the overwhelming consensus.

And being Papa Jim, he could never tell a story without throwing a joke in there somewhere. He always loved to say that the first time he hugged Dolly, he didn’t quite know what to do or how he was supposed to navigate around her gigantic tatas. LOL. That was my papa. Always finding some way to make everybody laugh.

And goodness, I can only imagine the conversations the three of them must have had together. What I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall in one of those rooms—or even just to have the photographs of my grandma, Papa Jim, and Dolly together to look back on now.

Sadly, all of those photographs were lost in my grandparents’ first house fire. And yes, I said first because, unbelievably, there would be a second house fire later in their lives. So many physical pieces of their story were lost along the way, which I think makes the stories they passed down to us feel even more precious now.

My mom and her siblings who are still with us are really the keepers of so many of these memories now. They’re the ones who remember those summers when Dottie West would come and stay with them, and they’re the ones who remember all of those old photographs of my grandma and Papa Jim with Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and so many others—photographs that sadly no longer exist.

Gosh, I share all of this—and drop all of this family backstory on you—to really say this: Dolly’s death this week has somehow reconnected me to the memory of my grandparents and the incredible life they lived together. It has brought back so many pieces of them that I hadn’t thought about in a long time, and reminded me just how much their love of country music, the stories they told, the songs they sang, and the life they created together shaped so much of my own life.

And maybe that’s where so much of the emotion has been coming from this week. I thought I was grieving Dolly, and of course I am. But somewhere along the way, I realized I was grieving my grandma and Papa Jim a little bit, too. Dolly was somehow a thread connecting me back to them—to my childhood, to the music that was always playing in the background, and to a kind of nostalgia for a time and people I can’t physically go back to anymore.

And as much as it hurts knowing I can’t go back there anymore—that I can’t sit down with my grandma or Papa Jim and ask them all the questions I wish I had thought to ask when they were still here—I also know that the ache and sting I feel in my heart when I think about them is really just a reminder of how much they meant to me. How deeply I loved them. And how lucky I was to have people in my life worth missing this much.

And although I never got the chance to meet Dolly myself, I can certainly feel her working through me this week. Somehow, her passing has brought back so many beautiful memories—and so many of her songs that I haven’t really sat down and listened to in years.

Especially Coat of Many Colors. That was one of my Papa Jim’s favorites to sing because it reminded him so much of his own mother, my Grannanny, who is still with us today at 93 years old. They grew up very poor, and she would sew his clothes and make sure her children had something to wear, even when there wasn’t much to go around.

This week, although it has brought up a whole lot of emotions and honestly been pretty cathartic for me, has also brought with it a complete Dolly takeover of my social media feeds—and I think it is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! If my feed could just be Dolly all the time, I think I might actually start loving social media a little more. LOL.

It has brought me so much joy to see all of the love pouring out for her and all the different ways people are remembering and celebrating the life she lived. I really just can’t get over the amount of love people all over the world have for Dolly. There’s something so beautiful about it. It makes me want to cry and then immediately turn around and sing every Dolly song I know at the top of my lungs.

I’ve been walking around the house all week playing her music and singing it to my son, passing those songs along to him now in my own little way. And there’s just something about that that feels like pure magic.

But it’s a strange kind of magic, isn’t it? Because it’s all tangled up with this profound sense of loss at the same time. Joy and grief. Singing and crying. Remembering someone while realizing they’re gone. And really, isn’t that part of what makes this whole human experience so beautiful and so worth living? To love something—or someone—enough that their absence can hurt, while what they gave us can still bring us so much joy.

And now I want to hear from you. How has Dolly’s passing affected you? Has it brought back memories you hadn’t thought about in years? What Dolly songs have you found yourself playing again and singing at the top of your lungs this week?

For me, Coat of Many Colors will always hold such a special place in my heart because of my Papa Jim. And then, of course, there’s Here You Come Again and 9 to 5—which you simply cannot play without singing along!

So tell me yours. What Dolly song takes you somewhere? What does it remind you of? Who does it remind you of? I would absolutely love to hear your Dolly stories, too. 🦋

Until next week…

xo,

Jamie

P.S. Join me this Sunday 11:00 am (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) for another live where I’m going to make the biggest and boldest flower arrangement to celebrate Dolly. We can talk about what we loved about her and our favorite songs! I’d love to see you there!

A Little Wreath to Welcome Fall

This morning on Substack Live, I made the sweetest little dried flower wreath to welcome fall into our homes.

I started with a seven-inch mini grapevine wreath and used twine to attach little bundles of strawflowers, ammobium, baby’s breath, and goldenrod. I chose these flowers because their warm colors and delicate, slightly wild textures felt like such a beautiful representation of fall.

There is something so special about gathering flowers from the garden, drying them, and finding a new way to enjoy them long after their season has passed. Instead of letting all of that summer beauty simply fade away, we get to carry a little of it with us into the next season.

This tiny wreath feels like that lovely moment between summer and fall—when the garden begins to soften, the light starts to change, and everything around us quietly invites us to slow down.

It can be hung on a cabinet door, placed over a favorite piece of artwork, tied to the back of a chair, or simply leaned on a shelf among your collected treasures. It does not need to be perfect. I think the slightly loose, wild, and imperfect shape is what makes it feel so beautiful.

Thank you to everyone who joined me live this morning. I loved spending this little pocket of time creating with you and welcoming fall in the way I know best—with flowers gathered from the garden. I hope you enjoy watching this demonstration and feel inspired to create a little wreath of your own.

Until next week,

xo,

Jamie

P.S.

Here’s how she turned out!

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No real agenda. No need to be anywhere. Just my camera in hand and a little time to wander.

Here’s a photo diary of my time spent through this historic garden. Enjoy <3

Which flower is your favorite?

Until the next garden…

Happy weekend,

Xo,

Jamie

This morning, I woke to a lovely August thunderstorm that, with it, broke the incessant heat that so often lingers through the end of summer. But even with the rain and the welcome relief it brought, I still woke up feeling uninspired. There are simply some days—especially those leading up to my cycle—when I have to deliberately step away from the internet and allow myself to just be.

Lately, I have found myself feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the constant stream of information, everyone’s perfectly curated social media feeds, and the endless product recommendations. Is it just me, or does the world we live in today often feel like complete chaos? I genuinely believe we are consuming far too much on a daily basis. It is information and inspiration overload, and some days, I simply want to disappear into the woods, go completely off-grid, and reconnect with nature—and perhaps with the way we were always meant to live.

And yet, in that same vein, I genuinely love finding inspiration in what others are doing—or at least from the people I follow who seem to speak my language. It is such a delicate balance, and I certainly do not have all the answers for navigating this modern world and all of its complexities. But one thing I do know for sure, one answer lies in nature and another in children. For they are both living in the present moment, blooming at their own speed with no influence from what others are doing of thinking.

My son and my garden are often my greatest saviors when I begin to feel this kind of overwhelm. They both have a way of bringing me back to the present moment and reminding me of what is real and right in front of me.

Yesterday, for example, was a beautiful day spent by the pool with friends, while my cell phone remained tucked away in my bag. I played in the water with my son and his friend, laughed, and enjoyed those wonderfully simple moments that children are so naturally good at creating. I also had the chance to enjoy a little girl talk with my friend—the kind of easy, honest conversation that leaves you feeling lighter afterward. It was nothing elaborate or perfectly planned, but it was exactly what my soul needed.

And when we arrived home that evening, I went straight to the garden. I clipped bundles of strawflowers and goldenrod that I will dry and eventually turn into fall wreaths and seasonal displays for both our home and the spa. There was something so grounding about ending the day with my hands in the garden, gathering little pieces of summer that will carry their beauty with us into fall.

I know we are all moving through life at full speed, carrying so much anxiety and overwhelm on our shoulders. But for me, even a little time spent in nature can offer a much-needed reprieve. It can be as simple as stepping outside, taking a walk, or noticing what is growing around you—even if you do not have a garden of your own.

Spending time with children has a similar way of bringing us back to the present moment. Whether you are playing with your own children, spending time with someone else’s, or simply watching a funny video of a child being completely and wonderfully themselves, their joy can be contagious. Children have a beautiful way of finding magic in the most ordinary moments, and sometimes their laughter is exactly what we need to loosen our grip, quiet the noise, and find a little relief from the chaos of modern life.

And it is often in those quiet moments to yourself, without your phone in hand, that your own ideas and inspiration finally have the space to come to life. At least, that is how it seems to work for me.

What’s Inspiring Me for Fall

Well, first, that bundle of goldenrod is giving me all the fall feelings, and I cannot wait to create with it! As I look around the garden and at nature all around me, little hints of fall are slowly beginning to creep in. Even today’s break in temperature has me dreaming of the season ahead and everything that is still to come. It is already helping to pull me out of the little funk I have found myself in over the past few days.

I have also had a few things arrive in the mail this week to brighten my mood and make me even more excited to pull out the fall cardigans and jeans I have been dying to wear again. There is one thing I look forward to buying for myself every fall, mostly because I manage to wear them completely out each year: a new pair of sneakers. It makes me feel as though I am starting school all over again.

Growing up, the beginning of every school year meant shopping for a few new clothes and, of course, a fresh pair of sneakers. There was always something so exciting about choosing that new pair for the year ahead, and apparently, I never quite grew out of that feeling. Sneakers are probably my favorite shoes to wear, and let me tell you, when I find a pair I love, I wear them until the soles practically come off! They are the one staple I reach for again and again, pairing them with nearly every outfit.

And these babies from Rothy’s arrived just yesterday! I love nearly every pair of shoes I have from Rothy’s, but these sneakers are quite literally perfection. I am so in love with them that I may have to order another color—or two! They fit true to size—I wear an 8.5—are incredibly comfortable, and will go with almost anything in my closet. They also provide you with two options for laces! And, of course, I had to give them their own little mini photoshoot!

Another favorite product I have been using for months—and now keep in both of our bathrooms and in my purse—is My Neighbor’s Tallow Hand Balm. The brand was started by a mother in New York’s Hudson Valley who was searching for something simple and natural to help care for her daughter’s delicate, eczema-prone skin. Inspired by the farming community around her, she turned to tallow, a traditional skincare ingredient that has been used for generations.

The balms are handmade in small batches using grass-fed and finished tallow sourced from local regenerative farms in the Hudson Valley, which I absolutely love. And let me tell you, my hands need all the moisture they can get between being an esthetician, constantly washing them, and always having them in the garden! This balm is rich and deeply nourishing, and a little truly goes a long way. It has become one of those products I reach for throughout the day, which is why I now keep it everywhere—beside the sinks, in my purse, and always within reach.

And I am so excited to share that I have partnered directly with My Neighbor’s to offer you an exclusive 15% off your first order! Simply use code JAMIEEAST15 at checkout. I have the Manuka Honey & Blue Tansy Tallow

What I’m Watching, Reading & Listening To This Week

Okay, so this week I found a new show on Netflix, My Brilliant Career, and I am already completely hooked! It is almost like the Australian version of Bridgerton, with beautiful scenery, fabulous period costumes, a little romance, and plenty of complicated family and societal expectations. And, of course, I immediately loved the main character even more when I noticed she rocks my signature hairstyle—a fabulous, perfectly imperfect poofy bun!

The six-part series is based on the classic 1901 Australian novel by Miles Franklin and follows Sybylla Melvyn, a wonderfully spirited and strong-willed young woman living in the Australian countryside. While her family would love to see her find a wealthy husband, Sybylla dreams of becoming a writer and creating a life entirely of her own. Of course, there are handsome suitors and plenty of romantic tension along the way, but I especially love that the heart of the story is really about a woman finding her voice and deciding what she wants her life to look like.

It is witty, romantic, beautifully filmed (in a film style edit that I LOVE) and exactly the kind of show I love to curl up with when I need a little escape from the world. If you love a good period drama with a strong female lead, definitely add this one to your list!

The fall edition of Magnolia Journal arrived in the mail today, so I already know what I’ll be curling up with this weekend! It is such an absolute joy to receive these beautiful magazines in the mail four times a year. There is something so special about slowing down, turning the pages, and taking it all in without a screen in front of me. I always gather so much beauty and inspiration from everything Joanna creates and curates—from the homes and gardens to the recipes, stories, and simple ideas for living more intentionally.

Because I am already longing for fall, I have been listening to my favorite folk musician—and quite possibly my musical soul mate—Gregory Alan Isakov. I have seen him perform live at least 25 times now, and his music never gets old to me. There is something about his voice and the quiet, haunting beauty of his songs that creates the perfect mood for slowing down, escaping for a little while, and dreaming of crisp fall days ahead. His music truly feels like fall to me.

I hope you have gathered a little inspiration from this week’s East Edit—and that you are able to find a few moments of peace and quiet amid the chaos and overwhelm of modern life. Maybe that looks like stepping outside, putting your phone away, listening to music you love, or simply allowing yourself to slow down and just be for a little while. Sometimes, it is within those small, quiet moments that we finally find our way back to ourselves—and perhaps even rediscover the inspiration we thought we had lost.

Until next week…

xo,

Jamie

P.S. Join me this Sunday 11:00 am (U.S. Eastern Standard Time) for another live where I’m going to be making a small dried flower wreath! Hopefully with the strawflowers and goldenrod from my garden. See you there!

Thank you so much to everyone who joined me live today! This was my very first live here on Substack, and I had such a lovely time sharing one of my favorite things with you—bringing the garden inside.

If you missed it, we talked flowers, herbs, a few of my favorite garden scents, and some of the little tips and tricks I use when arranging flowers at home.

And when I say the garden, I don’t just mean flowers.

Some of my absolute favorite things to tuck into arrangements are peppermint, holy basil (tulsi), and tomato branches. I adore the scent of tomato leaves—there is just something so green and earthy about them that instantly smells like summer to me.

What We Arranged Today

During the live, I made a sweet little arrangement using:

• Alstroemeria

• Mums

• Stock

• A dahlia

• Fresh peppermint

• Holy basil

• Tomato branches and leaves

I also showed you how you can turn something you already have at home—like a little coffee creamer pitcher—into a vase using a small piece of chicken wire.

That’s one of the things I love most about arranging flowers at home: you really don’t need anything fancy.

Look around your kitchen cabinets. Pull out the little pitcher you never use, an old jar, a favorite cup, or something you picked up at an antique store. Add a little chicken wire for structure, gather whatever is blooming or growing around you, and suddenly you have something beautiful.

No Garden? You Can Still Bring One Inside.

And if you don’t have a garden yet—or you simply don’t have fresh herbs and flowers available to snip—I shared another one of my favorite ways to bring that feeling indoors: scent.

I currently have the Flamingo Estate Jasmine Damask Rose candle burning in my home, and my Heirloom Tomato candle is arriving next week.

The Heirloom Tomato especially captures that green, earthy tomato-leaf scent I love so much. It’s such a simple way to create that feeling of walking through a garden, even when you can’t actually be in one.

A Few Things From Today’s Live

I’m also linking my favorite garden shears below—the same pair I used during the live. I love them so much that I own three pairs and keep them in different places so I can always find one when I need it. 😂

I’ve used them for years, and they are wonderfully sharp, so definitely mind your fingers!

I’ll link everything I used and mentioned today below so you can easily find it.

And thank you again for spending part of your Sunday with me. I loved getting to share a little piece of my garden with you.

I think we may have to make these flower-arranging lives a regular thing around here. 🌿

Until next time, go outside, snip something beautiful—or wonderfully wild—and bring a little bit of the garden inside.

xo,
Jamie

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It’s strange how we remember moments from our childhood—the four-wheeler accident, falling from the treehouse, or how Grandma’s house smelled after she made her famous Southern biscuits. But our childhood is also kind of, at least for me, a blur. I think, and I suspect, that when we are children, we subconsciously absorb our environment and really have no idea just how important that environment is until we become adults.

I say this now as a forty-year-old mother, wife, and entrepreneur: I know how much my childhood has influenced my love of the garden and the outdoors. I spent my entire childhood outside. I remember the smell of the rain after a summer afternoon storm, my grandmother always leaving the windows open even if she was running the air conditioner, and just how magical and peaceful those times were. Time literally moved so slowly, and I know that being a kid is part of it. Time moves slowly when you’re young. And oh, how I wish it still did!

I remember my grandma and my Papa planting and keeping a garden. And although they didn’t involve me in it much, it was still happening all around me—the planting, the seed sowing, the watering—and I think somehow I absorbed all of it, only for it to surface later in my life once I had my son.

I get asked a lot about how I know what I’m doing in the garden, how I remember all the plant names, or how I remember where I’ve planted everything. I honestly cannot tell you how I do it. It literally comes so naturally to me, as if someone else is taking the reins and guiding me. Maybe I’m channeling my grandma and her love of plants and flowers. Whatever it may be, I’m in my zone when it comes to gardens, arranging flowers, and photographing them. One might even say it’s quite magical.

And that, my friends, I believe is where one of the most important ways to relieve stress, release oxytocin, and actually slow down time lies. Plant a garden. Bring the flowers and herbs inside, and soak up the sun while you’re doing it.

I truly believe that we were meant to be outside, and that time spent outdoors with the birds, the trees, and the streams is something deeply missing from our modern world. So many of us spend nearly our entire lives indoors. I heard on a podcast the other day that the average American spends around 22 hours a day inside. That’s so crazy to me!

We’re also constantly being told to stay out of the sun and to protect ourselves whenever we’re outdoors. And while sun protection is, of course, important, I think sometimes we can become so afraid of the sun that we forget how good it feels to simply step outside, feel its warmth on our skin, breathe in the fresh air, and experience all the beautiful benefits that come from spending time in nature.

It does not surprise me in the least that our society is so unhealthy, unhappy, and really just lost in general. I think we need to bring back some of the days of old—well, not entirely—but at least some of the wisdom and connection to nature those days carried.

So, this leads me to today’s East Edit: sharing the ways in which I bring the garden inside my home, and how you can do the same. I realize most of you might not have a garden of your own, so I want to help you find little ways to bring that feeling inside until you have the chance to create one for yourself. And honestly, it doesn’t have to be much. Even if it’s just one small pot of rosemary or lavender sitting in a sunny window, it’s a start.

I LOVE flowers. “Must have flowers, always” is pretty much my motto. A house without flowers or plants, in my opinion, just doesn’t feel quite complete. They bring life, beauty, and a little bit of magic into a space, turning a house into a home—and, even better, a sanctuary.

Right now, as I write this East Edit to you, it is August here in the Southern United States, in North Carolina. What started out as an unbelievably dry summer has now opened up to a regular cadence of afternoon summer storms—and thank goodness, because my husband was really starting to worry about our increasing water bill!

There’s nothing quite like an afternoon or evening rainstorm to hydrate the garden. I can water it all day long with city water and my sprinkler, but the plants just do better with rain from the sky. And now, my garden is absolutely overflowing with flowers, vegetables, and herbs.

Literally, my bed of strawberry plants—which aren’t even in season at the moment—has completely taken over, with greenery spilling out over the sides of the bed. And I’m just looking at them like, okay, where exactly are you planning to go, and am I really going to let this happen? And the answer is probably yes.

Part of my own garden experience is letting nature take its course and simply seeing what happens. I like to think of myself as a gentle guide and caretaker of the plants, but really, they’re in charge. The whole garden feels like one big experiment, and I absolutely love watching to see what transpires.

For example, I currently have three cherry tomato plants growing completely randomly in the garden that I did not plant. Thank you, birdies! Or perhaps they’re little gifts from seeds that dropped into the soil last season and decided this was their year to make an appearance. Either way, I love that the garden has a mind of its own.

Okay, I digress—I could talk about my garden 24/7. What I really want to share with you today are the flowers, herbs, and little garden clippings I’m bringing inside to disperse and dot throughout our home. Some of them might not be things you would immediately think to bring indoors or arrange with, but that’s part of what makes it so fun and beautiful.

One of my favorite things to do while I’m out in the garden is rub the leaves of my plants between my fingers, especially the herbs and vegetables, just to release their scent. There are three in particular that I’m completely obsessed with: tomato leaves, holy basil, and peppermint. If someone were to secretly video me walking through my garden, you would see me sniffing my fingers A LOT. One might wonder what in the world I’m doing—or think I’m on drugs, lol. But truly, it’s one of my most cherished little rituals while wandering through the garden.

And because I have such an abundance of herbs and vegetables growing right now, I love finding ways to bring them inside and arrange with them, too. Something as simple as clipping a few branches from a tomato plant and putting them in a beautiful vessel can make your entire house smell amazing. And let me tell you, I LOVE the smell of tomato leaves. Like, truly love it. I’m addicted to that fresh, green, earthy smell!

I also LOVE arranging with peppermint, especially once it starts to flower because it gets these beautiful, simple little purple flowers. And the best part is that peppermint lasts forever in a vase—I’m talking weeks, sometimes even months! The leaves stay green, and eventually it starts growing roots right there in the water, which you can then easily propagate and turn into even more peppermint plants.

I love having little sprigs of peppermint sprinkled throughout the house, too. And whenever I walk by, I can pinch off a leaf or two, bruise them between my fingers, and get this incredible little hit of peppermint. I know, I know...I sound like a crazy plant lady! But I swear, it’s the little things.

And finally, Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi, is incredible to arrange with indoors. It will also last for weeks in a vase, although I’ve found that the leaves don’t stay quite as long as peppermint. And just like peppermint, you can propagate it right from your arrangement! The aroma of Holy Basil is sweet with a little bit of spice and smells somewhat similar to regular basil, but what I really love are the delicate little purple flowers. They’ll continue blooming even after the stems have been sitting in a vase for weeks, which feels like a little bit of garden magic happening right inside the house.

Sometimes I won’t even add the herbs or tomato branches to my flower arrangements. I’ll just create little arrangements of them on their own and dot them throughout the house—in the bathrooms, by the kitchen window, on my bedside table, the dining room table, or in the entryway. It truly is such a simple way to bring the garden indoors, add some beautiful greenery, and create this lovely aromatic experience throughout your home.

Now, let’s say you don’t have a garden you can wander out to and clip all of these lovely plants from. I have something that’s almost equally as good, and it’s called Flamingo Estate. This brand has somehow managed to capture the scent, feeling, and wildness of being in a garden and bring it indoors. Their candles, home fragrances, and cleaning products are AMAZING and truly make your home smell like you’ve just stepped outside into the garden.

My absolute favorite candle is the Heirloom Tomato, and I’m telling you, it smells JUST like a tomato leaf! It’s insane. Ever since I started gardening, I’ve thought to myself, Why can’t someone make a candle that smells like fresh tomato leaves? And then last fall, I discovered this one. I swear, it’s like someone bottled up one of my favorite smells from the garden and turned it into a candle.

I also recently ordered the Heirloom Tomato Surface Spray to add to my cleaning ritual in the bathrooms and kitchen. Normally, we keep things pretty simple and clean our surfaces with rubbing alcohol and water, but when I know we have guests coming over, I love pulling this one out. It’s just another little way to bring the garden inside and add an unexpected sensory element for our guests to experience when they visit. And, of course, it doesn’t hurt that I already have little arrangements dotted throughout the house with actual tomato leaves. Apparently, I’m really committed to this whole tomato-leaf thing!

Some of my other favorites from Flamingo Estate include the Jasmine Damask Rose candle. I’m also completely obsessed with jasmine and rose, so naturally, this one is incredible! Another thing I love about Flamingo Estate candles is that they don’t make me sneeze or give me a headache, which is fabulous because I can actually enjoy having them burning throughout the house.

And then there’s the Jasmine Damask Rose Rich Cream, which I use as a hand cream and always keep in my purse. I absolutely HAVE to have hand cream with me at all times. No questions asked. I cannot stand having dry hands! This cream smells like an absolute dream—like walking through a garden at night when everything is blooming and the scent of the flowers is just hanging in the air.

These are just a few of their amazing products and scents, and I encourage you to take a little gander for yourself and wander through the Flamingo Estate garden. You might just find a scent that brings a little bit of the garden into your own home.

What I’m Watching, Reading & Listening To This Week

Apparently, I’m in my I just want to laugh and feel good era right now—and I am completely okay with that.

Last weekend, I wanted to put on a movie that was fun, lighthearted, and didn’t require me to feel too many strong emotions. 😂 Sometimes you just want to be entertained, laugh a little, and feel good when the credits roll.

So I watched The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, and it was exactly what I needed. Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman—and, I mean, it’s Ryan Gosling. He’s incredibly handsome to look at, as we all know. We’ve loved him since The Notebook, which I cannot believe is now more than 20 years old. How is that even possible?!

But beyond being very easy on the eyes, he is just so charming and endearing in this movie. And funny. He and Emily Blunt have such great chemistry together. Her character starts out as a camera operator and eventually gets her chance to direct a film, and there’s this sweet, funny romance woven throughout all of the action and ridiculousness.

It’s just a genuinely fun, feel-good movie, and if you’re looking for something that doesn’t take itself too seriously, I think you’ll enjoy it.

As far as what I’m reading, I’ve actually been spending a lot more time reading right here on Substack lately. I’ve found some really wonderful writers and accounts that I look forward to opening, so I’m going to share a few of the ones I’ve been loving with you here:

For my gardening and flower fix.

For my photography and travel inspiration.

For learning how to grow my Substack.

At home, I haven’t really been deep into a novel or anything at the moment. Instead, I’ve been flipping through my magazines—Architectural Digest, Magnolia Journal—and pulling some of my old cookbooks off the shelves. I love going back through books I already own and rediscovering recipes I’ve forgotten about. There’s something very cozy about that to me.

And then there’s Amy Poehler.

I’ve been listening to her podcast, Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and I absolutely love it. Amy Poehler is just wonderful. She has people on from SNL, her Parks and Recreation days, and other projects and friendships throughout her career, and it’s funny, easy, and genuinely enjoyable to listen to.

Which has also led me back to Parks and Recreation.

I watched Parks and Rec when it originally aired, and it has remained one of my ultimate comfort shows. I probably go through the entire series at least once a year, and lately I’ve been putting episodes on here and there again. Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope will forever make me happy.

And I think there’s a theme here.

I’ve been gravitating toward things that make me laugh.

Things that make me want to have fun, loosen up, be a little silly, and not take everything quite so seriously.

Life gets heavy. The world gets heavy. And I think sometimes we forget how important it is to laugh—to actually laugh until your stomach hurts, to play, to be ridiculous, to watch something simply because it makes you happy.

We need more of that.

More laughter. More play. More fun for the sake of fun.

So that’s what I’ve been choosing lately. And it feels really, really good.

Until next Friday,

xo,

Jamie

P.S. Here’s one of my favorite SNL clips I think you might enjoy with Ryan Gosling. Makes me pee my pants every time! Enjoy :)

Oh, and if you’d like to see me in action arranging flowers, I’ll be doing my first-ever live right here on Substack this Sunday, August 16th at 11:00 a.m.! I would love to see you there. And since it’s my first one, let’s just hope I can get all the technology working. 😂💐

I can’t be the only one, right? The one who finds herself comparing what she’s doing to everyone else on social media and thinking, Oh, I could do that too! And then, before I know it, I’m deep down another rabbit hole, trying to figure out the exact formula someone else followed to get where they are.

I have to admit, our modern world—and this constant 24/7 connection to our devices and social media—has left me feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, tired, and sometimes just ready to throw in the towel altogether. There is so much noise coming at us all the time that it can become really difficult to hear your own voice, let alone figure out which direction you actually want to go.

However, if you can sit still for just a moment—sit with yourself, quiet all the noise, and really pay attention to what you find yourself naturally drawn to, the things you do without question that bring you joy and happiness—then I think you’ll start to hear that voice. The one that’s probably been there all along, quietly trying to guide you.

It’s hard enough not to compare yourself to everyone else, but I think it becomes even harder when you’re someone like me who genuinely loves so many different things. I’ve never been a person with just one passion. I love photography and flowers, gardens and travel, beautiful homes and spaces. I love writing, hospitality, making things with my hands, and creating meaningful experiences for people. Sometimes having so many things that light me up feels like such a gift, and other times, if I’m being completely truthful, it feels like total chaos.

For a while, I thought I needed to figure out which one of those things was the thing. What was I going to focus on? Which direction was I going? What exactly was The East Experience supposed to be, and what in the world was I actually trying to build? I kept feeling like I needed to narrow it down, choose a lane, and somehow fit all of these different pieces of myself into one perfectly defined little box.

But the more I sit with it, the more I’m realizing that maybe I don’t have to choose just one. Maybe I never did. Maybe instead of trying so hard to figure out which passion deserves my attention, I need to pay attention to the common thread that has been weaving its way through all of them all along.

Following What Keeps Calling Me Back

When I look back at everything I’ve created and been drawn to over the years, I can see it so clearly now. I always come back to flowers and gardens, photography, beautiful spaces, travel, hospitality, and those tiny, thoughtful details that can turn something completely ordinary into an experience you remember. Whether I’m arranging flowers from my garden, photographing a beautiful place, creating an experience for a guest, traveling somewhere new, or simply noticing the way the afternoon light is falling across a room, it all comes from the same place.

And I think that is The East Experience.

It doesn’t need to fit neatly into one perfectly defined niche. Instead, I want it to become a world centered around all of these things I love—a place where we notice beauty, learn about flowers and gardens, discover beautiful places to stay and explore, talk about the things I’m loving and using, and travel to places near and far through photographs and stories.

More than anything, I hope it becomes a place that inspires you to pay a little more attention to your own everyday life—to notice what’s blooming outside your window, bring the flowers inside, visit somewhere you’ve never been, make your home feel special, or simply stop long enough to recognize the beauty that was already there.

So, with all of that said, I thought it was time to share a little more about where The East Experience is headed and what you can expect from me here moving forward.

The East Edit — Every Friday

So, what does all of this actually look like moving forward? Well, for starters, Fridays are becoming The East Edit. Every Friday, I’ll be sharing a collection of what I’m loving, noticing, wearing, reading, growing, bringing home, and really, whatever else has captured my attention that week.

Some weeks, The East Edit might revolve around one particular idea, like bringing the garden inside and all the ways I use flowers, herbs, and even tomato branches throughout our home. Other weeks, it might simply be a collection of things I’ve discovered along the way—a pair of shoes I’ve been wearing over and over again, a book I can’t put down, something new blooming in the garden, a beautiful product I’ve fallen in love with, somewhere we’ve traveled, or one of those little things that somehow makes everyday life feel a bit more special.

I want The East Edit to feel a little like sitting down with a friend at the end of the week and saying, Okay, here are all the things I have to tell you about. Nothing too serious, nothing too perfectly curated, just a weekly edit of the things that have caught my eye, captured my heart, or made life a little more beautiful lately.

The Sunday Bloom

And then there are Sundays, which I’ve decided are going to be for flowers—because, really, is there any better way to spend a Sunday?

As part of The Sunday Bloom, I’m going to start doing live flower-arranging videos where you can come hang out with me while I wander through the garden, gather whatever happens to be growing that week, bring it all inside, and figure out what in the world I’m going to create with it.

I really want these to feel relaxed and real. I’m not interested in producing some perfectly styled flower-arranging show where every stem magically falls into place on the first try, because that is absolutely not how I arrange flowers. There will be flowers bending in directions I don’t want them to go, stems that refuse to cooperate, and arrangements that I take apart and redo five times before finally deciding to leave them alone. That’s the fun of it.

While we arrange, I want to talk about what I’m growing, what I’m cutting from the garden, what has completely failed, what has surprised me, what I’m learning, and how I decide what goes together. More than anything, I want to show you that you don’t have to be a professional florist or have some enormous cutting garden to bring flowers into your home. Sometimes it’s a handful of herbs, a branch from the yard, or a few flowers tucked into an old pitcher. It doesn’t have to be complicated to bring an incredible amount of beauty and joy into your home.

Gardens Near and Far

Of all the ideas I have for The East Experience, this is probably the one that feels the most deeply rooted in me. I want to photograph gardens, and I want to keep photographing them for as long as I possibly can.

I want to visit gardens here in North Carolina, throughout the country, and eventually all over the world, wandering through them slowly with my camera and telling their stories through photographs and words. Of course, I want to experience the grand, famous gardens that people travel across the world to see, but I’m just as interested—maybe even more interested—in the little backyard garden that someone has lovingly tended for thirty years.

There is something so personal about a garden. You can learn so much about someone simply by walking through the space they’ve cared for—the flowers they chose, the plants they’ve allowed to wander, the little corners they’ve created, and even the things they’ve decided not to control. No two gardens are ever exactly alike because the person caring for them becomes part of the garden itself.

I want The East Experience to become a place where we get to discover those gardens together. Maybe you’ll find somewhere you want to visit, learn about a flower you’ve never grown, or simply find a little inspiration to walk outside and start creating a garden of your own.

And Then There’s Hospitality

This part of The East Experience has taken a little longer to reveal itself to me, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it makes perfect sense.

For more than a decade, so much of my professional life has revolved around creating an experience for another person. Owning The Tiny Spa has taught me that the smallest details are often the ones people remember most. It’s how a space smells when you first walk through the door, what you see when you enter, the way you’re greeted, how the lighting feels, whether someone has anticipated what you might need before you ever have to ask for it. It’s the difference between leaving somewhere thinking, Well, that was nice, and leaving already thinking about when you can come back.

I have spent years obsessing over those details, and now I want to take everything I’ve learned about guest experience and bring it into another world I love: travel and hospitality.

I’m developing an offering through The East Experience where I’ll stay at Airbnbs, VRBOs, inns, cottages, and other special properties and experience the stay from beginning to end—not only as a traveler, but through the eyes of someone who has spent years thinking about what makes another person feel welcomed, cared for, and remembered.

The idea is to create an in-depth evaluation of the entire guest experience, eventually looking at around 100 different touchpoints—from booking and communication to arrival, comfort, cleanliness, amenities, atmosphere, thoughtful details, and even the surrounding area. I want to tell owners what they’re already doing beautifully, because I think that matters just as much, while also showing them the places where a few thoughtful changes could completely transform the experience for their guests.

But, of course, I also want to bring the creative side of The East Experience into it because I couldn’t possibly go somewhere beautiful and not take photographs.

I picture myself arriving with my camera, gathering or bringing in flowers, creating little vignettes throughout the property, and photographing the space in a way that captures more than simply what the room looks like. I want the photographs to capture what it feels like to stay there—the morning light coming through the bedroom window, flowers sitting beside the bed, coffee on the porch, the old chair tucked into the corner that becomes your favorite place to read. Those photographs would then become something I can leave with the owner to help them tell the story of their property, while I also get to share some of these beautiful places and experiences here with you.

I don’t know exactly where this piece of The East Experience will lead yet, but I have a feeling it could become something really special.

And What About the Pottery?

Some of you who have been here for a while might remember that I was also working toward creating pottery. I had plans for a kiln, pieces I wanted to make, and this whole little world beginning to form in my head. But my kiln kept getting pushed further and further back on backorder, and after months of waiting, I started to wonder if maybe the delay was trying to tell me something.

There was just this feeling in my gut that perhaps this isn’t the season for pottery, and instead of fighting that feeling, I’ve decided to listen to it.

There is so much happening with The Tiny Spa right now, I’m raising a young child, I’m building The East Experience, and pottery requires a kind of uninterrupted time and focus that I simply don’t have much of in this season of my life. And surprisingly, I’m okay with putting it down for a little while.

I think we have this idea that if we stop doing something, we’ve failed at it or given it up, but I don’t believe that anymore. Maybe pottery belongs to another season of my life. Maybe I’ll come back to it when my son is older and life has slowed down a little. Maybe one day I’ll have a tiny pottery studio somewhere overlooking my garden and wonder why I ever felt like I needed to rush to get there.

Or maybe it will turn into something completely different. I really don’t know, and for once, I’m learning to be okay with that.

Maybe We Don’t Need to Figure It All Out

I think that might be the biggest thing I’m learning through all of this. We live in a world that is constantly telling us we need to define ourselves. Pick your niche, build your brand, create your aesthetic, be consistent, post more, grow faster, figure out what works and then do more of it. Meanwhile, we’re watching hundreds of other people doing the exact same thing, comparing ourselves to all of them, and wondering whether we’re doing any of it right.

It’s exhausting.

And maybe the answer isn’t another strategy or another rabbit hole or figuring out the exact formula someone else used to build their life. Maybe we need to stop looking sideways for a minute, get quiet, and pay attention to the things that keep calling us back no matter how many times we wander away from them.

For me, it’s flowers. It always seems to come back to flowers, doesn’t it?

It’s flowers and gardens and beautiful light. It’s walking around with my camera and noticing something everyone else walked right past. It’s stepping into a beautiful space and immediately noticing all the tiny details that make it feel special. It’s traveling somewhere new and wanting to know the story behind it. It’s bringing flowers inside, setting a table, creating an experience for someone, or finding a way to make something completely ordinary feel just a little more beautiful.

Maybe The East Experience doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.

So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to keep following those little threads, keep listening to what calls me back, and see where all of this takes me. I have a feeling I might still change my mind a hundred times along the way, and I’m finally starting to realize that maybe that’s okay, too.

I’m just really happy you’re here to come along with me.

xo,

Jamie

P.S.

In addition to The East Experience, I also founded and own The Tiny Spa, which I can’t believe has been part of my life for twelve years now! What started as a one-woman show has grown into a business that now supports a team of 12, which is still pretty wild for me to think about.

I’m still in the treatment room every Wednesday seeing many of the clients I’ve worked with for almost 20 years, and I also write our blog and lead the marketing and creative side of The Tiny Spa. It’s such a huge part of my life and, in so many ways, has shaped how I think about beauty, hospitality, and creating meaningful experiences for people.

If you feel inclined to take a peek into that part of my world, you can visit The Tiny Spa and read some of what I’ve shared over there. And if you ever find yourself in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, my team and I would absolutely love to welcome you in and treat you to a facial or massage experience.

Beaufort was one of those places.

For three days we traded our usual routines for slow mornings on the porch, watching the birds drift across the marsh and feeling the salty breeze coming off the water. Afternoons were spent wandering quiet streets beneath centuries old live oaks, and evenings were spent admiring the rolling summer thunderstorms that, for some reason, we’ve hardly seen back home this year. Watching the dark clouds gather over the marsh, listening to the rain, and breathing in the cool air afterward reminded me why summer storms have always been one of my favorite parts of the season.

Our days unfolded at an easy pace. We enjoyed early dinners before the summer crowds at some of Beaufort’s wonderful restaurants, including Black Sheep, Rhumbar and Jack’s Waterfront Bar in nearby Morehead City. We spent an afternoon at the beach where Grayson splashed in the ocean for what felt like hours, dug in the sand, and proudly collected handfuls of seashells to bring home. We wandered through the aquarium, marveling at sharks, colorful fish, and even a rescued bald eagle.

One of the most memorable moments was Grayson’s very first boat ride to Shackleford Island. Storms were beginning to roll in, and the water was much choppier than we expected. The ride was a little scary at times, and we had to turn around before we could see the wild horses, but somehow that made the adventure even more unforgettable. Sometimes the stories we remember most are the ones that don’t quite go as planned.

As I looked back through these photographs, I realized they weren’t really about a destination at all.

They’re about the way a place can make you feel.

The softness of marsh grass moving with the wind.
Salt air through open windows.
Weathered porches that have welcomed generations before us.
Hydrangeas spilling over old garden fences.
Bare feet. Sandy toes. Little hands collecting seashells. Golden evening light.

These are the moments I want to remember.

Not because they were extraordinary, but because they reminded me that an ordinary life, lived slowly enough to notice it, is already full of beauty.

I hope these photographs invite you to linger for a moment, too.

Enjoy a few quiet days in Beaufort with us.

I hope you enjoyed looking through these photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them. Every image is a little reminder of the beauty we found in slowing down, embracing the unexpected, and simply being together as a family.

If you’re looking for a place where time seems to move a little slower, where summer afternoons are filled with salty breezes and passing thunderstorms, and where every corner feels rich with history and charm, I can’t recommend Beaufort enough. It is one of those places that quietly finds its way into your heart long after you’ve returned home.

Until our next adventure,

Jamie

Book Julia’s Cottage

I thought I’d start this month by letting you into a little more of my world.

One of the things I want to do here is share more of me—not just finished photographs or polished ideas, but the everyday moments that make up this season of life.

Today, I’m taking you out into my garden.

If you’ve spent much time on social media, it’s easy to believe every beautiful garden has perfectly clipped hedges, expensive containers, immaculate flower beds, and not a weed in sight. Mine is nothing like that.

My garden is real.

It’s a little wild. A little overgrown. There are plants that have wandered where they pleased, flowers leaning into one another, herbs spilling over their beds, and weeds I haven’t gotten around to pulling yet. Some days it feels wonderfully unruly.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

There’s something comforting about a garden that doesn’t strive for perfection. It reminds me that beauty isn’t found in flawless landscapes or carefully curated corners. It’s found in life that’s being lived.

This little patch of earth brings me so much joy. It’s where I begin many of my morning checking to see what’s bloomed overnight, what needs tending, and what surprises nature has left behind.

Over the coming weeks, I’d love to bring you along for more of it. I’ll share what’s growing, how I gather flowers and herbs from the garden, and the simple ways I scatter little arrangements throughout our home. They’re never elaborate—just small reminders to notice beauty in ordinary days.

Thank you for being here. I hope this little garden tour reminds you that the most meaningful spaces are often the ones that are imperfect, lived in, and loved.

Come on in.

With love,

Jamie

Not with urgency or noise, but slowly, over time… shaped by hands, by intention, by a deep love for beauty in its simplest form.

Today, I’m so happy to share one of those moments with you.

The Earth & Petal Ceramic Collection is here.

This collection was created from a desire to bring more beauty into the everyday.

To create pieces that live with you… not just on a shelf, but in your daily rituals.

A small plate that holds something sweet at the end of the day.
A vessel for flowers gathered from the garden or roadside.
A resting place for your jewelry at night.

Each piece is made by hand, from earth, shaped slowly and intentionally. No two are exactly alike, and that is part of their story.

The inspiration for Earth & Petal comes from the quiet relationship between nature and home.

The grounding feeling of clay in your hands.
The softness of wildflowers, fleeting and delicate.
The way beauty exists all around us, when we take the time to notice.

These pieces are meant to hold that feeling.

To bring a sense of calm, warmth, and quiet joy into your space.

You’ll find:

• Handbuilt ceramic plates with delicate floral details
• Small nesting pots and vessels for everyday use
• Vases for fresh or dried stems
• Floral frogs for simple, natural arrangements
• Incense holders and small objects for slow rituals

All in soft, neutral tones that allow flowers—and life—to take center stage.

This is just the beginning.

I’ll be releasing pieces in small, intentional drops, allowing each collection to be made with care and without rush.

My next collection drop is June 1st.

If you feel drawn to this collection, I invite you to explore it here and pre-order your pieces to collect by May 17th for the June 1st drop.

Shop the Earth & Petal Collection

I am so grateful for your support and cannot wait for you to collect your piece!

In love and beauty,

Jamie

The winter months were not especially kind to me. Between feeling unwell for most of January and navigating my own mental health, I found myself moving inward, quietly, slowly. But with the arrival of spring and these warmer, light-filled days, I feel like I’ve come back to life.

And with that return… there is so much beauty ahead.

There are so many meaningful and beautiful things unfolding for The East Experience, and I’m so excited to share a gentle preview of what’s to come this year. This season has been one of reflection and soul searching, really asking myself what I want this space to be.

If you’ve been here for a while, you’ve seen me explore many paths… photography, flowers, now ceramics. It may have felt a little like whiplash at times, and truthfully, I’ve felt that too. But through every season, one thing has remained constant.

My love for beauty.
And my desire to create it.

When I first met my husband in 2020 and we dreamed up the name The East Experience, I remember saying so simply… I just want to create and share beautiful things. I want people to bring more beauty into their everyday lives. Because I believe, so deeply, that beauty has the power to offer us peace… to reconnect us with nature, and gently guide us back to ourselves.

It’s taken me years of exploring, experimenting, and creating… through photography, through flowers, and now through ceramics… to finally arrive at something that feels grounded and true.

I want to make things with my hands.
And I want to share them with you.

I also feel deeply called to create space for connection. To gather, to slow down, and to experience beauty together in real life. As our world becomes increasingly shaped by technology and AI, I believe human made objects and human centered experiences will only grow more meaningful and valuable.

Because of that, I’ll be offering workshops throughout the year… centered around flowers, ceramics, and photography. Spaces where we can create with our hands, connect with one another, and return to something more present, more grounded, and more human.

And with that, I wanted to share a little glimpse of what’s just ahead.

I’ll be attending my first of many in person markets this year on Saturday, April 25th at the Glenmerle Goods Cottage Sale. This beautiful and thoughtfully curated spring gathering, hosted by Katy, brings together a collection of local vendors, and I feel so honored to be returning for my second year.

I’ll be bringing a collection of dried flower wreaths, my very first ceramic pieces, and a small offering of stationery featuring my floral photography. It feels like such a full circle moment… to share these pieces in person, made slowly and by hand.

I am so excited to be there, to meet you, and to connect in real life.

If you’re local to Winston-Salem, I would absolutely love for you to come by and say hello. You can follow @glenmerle_goods on Instagram for all the details and updates leading up to the event.

And just a few days after the market, I’ll be releasing my very first ceramic collection on May 1st.

This collection will include dinner plates, floral frogs, and a few small, thoughtful trinkets for the home. Each piece is entirely made by hand… hand built, hand drawn with my wildflower designs, and individually glazed by me. No two pieces are exactly alike, and that’s part of what makes them so special.

I’ll be releasing collections at the beginning of each month moving forward. Because ceramics require so much time, care, and attention, each release will be limited in quantity. Creating in this way allows me to stay present with the process, honor the craftsmanship, and thoughtfully manage each order as it comes in.

My email subscribers will always have first access to shop each collection before it opens more widely.

Here’s a small preview of what’s to come…

I truly cannot wait to share these pieces with you.

Behind the scenes, I’m also in the process of planning my first workshops of the year, working through dates and locations for what these gatherings will look like. I recently hosted a workshop with Jessica Ferris Realty, where we spent time creating dried flower wreaths for the home, and it was such a beautiful experience. We laughed, created, and shared such a meaningful time together.

Here’s a few photos from the event…

In the meantime, I’m also opening up a small number of pre-orders for Mother’s Day. I’ll be offering my dried flower wreaths, along with ceramic floral frogs and small trinket dishes. With Mother’s Day just a few weeks away, these pieces feel like such a thoughtful and lasting way to celebrate the women we love.

Each one is made slowly and by hand, intended to be something meaningful, something that holds beauty, and something that can be kept and cherished for years to come. 🌿

Click here to view and pre-order in time for Mother’s Day

Pre-Order Here

And for now, I think I’ll leave it here.

I’m so happy to be back… creating, dreaming, and sharing so many beautiful things with you again. Thank you, truly, for being here and for being a part of this space.

I cannot wait to see what we create together this year.

In love and beauty,
Jamie

I hope you had the happiest Thanksgiving—filled with slow moments, good food, and the people you love most.

My husband, our toddler, and I took a little road trip about an hour north to spend the day with my family. It was one of those beautiful, chaotic, cozy gatherings—about 25 of us packed together, with Grayson chasing his cousins around and everyone sharing stories about my Papa who we lost almost two years ago, and my grandmother who passed in 2017.

I’ll be sharing more about our day soon—plus a little video on the Camp Snap camera that I took with us. (It’s on sale today too—and I’ll share the link below!)

But for now—let’s talk Black Friday.

Black Friday is officially here, and I’ve spent the past week rounding up my absolute favorite deals in home, style, beauty + wellness, and toddler must-haves. These are the pieces I already own, have on my wish list, or keep coming back to again and again—and so many of them are finally marked down.

No endless scrolling. No 50-page roundup. I only chose intentional deals worth shopping today.

Home

A curated edit of cozy pieces that elevate your home—bedding, candles, decor, and elevated essentials that rarely go on sale.

The most-loved throw from Anthropologie is 30% off today—only $68.60 (normally $98!). Plus, Anthropologie is 30% off site-wide with an extra 50% off sale items. This is on my wish list and plan to gift one myself!

The Sophie Faux Fur Throw

Amazon has my favorite linen throw pillows on sale today—two for just $21.80!

Pair of Linen Pillows

This bath mat is my new obsession—it’s just $23.79 on Amazon, non-slip, super soft, and absorbent. I grabbed one this week and it instantly elevated our bathroom.

Waffle Bath Mat

Flamingo Estate’s Heirloom Tomato candle is finally on sale—20% off site-wide (25% off if you’re a member!). It’s one of the best gifts for candle lovers.

Heirloom Tomato Candle

My favorite sheets (the ones I use on our bed!) are 25% off at Brooklinen right now. Total steal. They also have up to 50% off bundles. Now is the time to invest in the perfect sheets and upgrade your sleep.

The Best Sheets Ever!

Style

Wardrobe staples, everyday comfort pieces, and a few special finds perfect for holiday season and gifting.

This mock-neck chunky sweater at Anthro is already in my cart! It’s 30% off, comes in tons of colors, and is the perfect cozy gift for sweater lovers.

Mock Neck Chunky Sweater

My favorite denim brand, Pistola, is 30% off across the entire site—including the new jeans I ordered this week!

Shop my Jeans

This crew neck sweater for him is only $14 at Old Navy, and their Black Friday sale is 50–60% off site-wide!

For Him Sweater

I was gifted these TOMS boots recently and wore them yesterday to our family Thanksgiving—I didn’t take them off all day! They’re comfortable, stylish, and elevate any outfit. I’m obsessed. They’re just $66.50 with code BESTDEAL (normally $95).

TOMS Black Boots

My favorite socks from Bombas are now 25% off site-wide! Grab some for yourself—or they make the perfect stocking stuffer.

Bombas Socks

Beauty + Wellness

My tried-and-true favorites. The brands and products I rely on for feeling good from the inside out.

I swear by this prebiotic toothpaste from Boka—it’s the best I’ve ever used. Now’s the perfect time to stock up: 16% off, with up to 30% off other products for Black Friday.

The Best Toothpaste Ever!

My go-to red light therapy mask from HigherDOSE is 20% off right now (or 30% off if you bundle it!) If you’ve been thinking about trying red light therapy, now is the time. It’s such a great addition to any skincare routine and supports overall cellular and mitochondrial health.

Red Light Therapy Mask

Since turning 40, I’ve joined the rucking club—and this is the weighted vest I bought and absolutely love. I started with the 16 lb option, which is recommended for my weight. And it’s on sale on Amazon right now with 40% off!

Amazon Weighted Vest

If you’re wanting to start a skincare routine that’s effective and budget-friendly, this mini discovery kit from The Ordinary is the perfect place to start. Their site is 23% off today.

The Mni Discovery Kit

The shampoo and conditioner by DIVI that have transformed my hair are 50% off right now! I absolutely love this brand.

DIVI Shampoo & Conditioner

Toddler Favorites

Intentional toys, practical essentials, and the sweetest finds for our littles—many of our most-used and loved items for my son are on sale today!

My husband and I absolutely love this galaxy projector we bought for our son back in October—and it’s currently on sale on Amazon!

Galaxy Projector

These Tiny Land stepping stones are on the top of my list for Grayson this year! And they are 20% off on Amazon!

Tiny Land Stepping Stones

One of my favorite kids’ books—The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be by Joanna Gaines—is currently on sale on Amazon. Grayson loves this book because he identifies with the main character and sees all of his friends in it.

The World Needs The Wonder You See

The Camp Snap screen-free camera is perfect for toddlers and older kids—and I just ordered the camcorder and I’m obsessed! Save an extra 7% on top of their Black Friday deals with code JAMIEEAST7.

Camp Snap Camera

Grayson LOVED his mud kitchen we gifted him last year and still plays with it today! This is one of my favorites from Amazon and it’s on sale!

Amazon Mud Kitchen

✦

Many of these items sell out quickly on Black Friday—so if you’ve had your eye on something, today really is the best day of the year to grab it.

Here are the links to my both my ShopMy store and my Amazon Storefront where you will find all my curated gift guides and I update it daily.

Thank you for being here and being part of this community. I hope you find something that sparks joy for your home, your little one, or something just for you.

Here’s to cozy deals, slow mornings, and easing into the holiday season. 🥂

Happy Gifting,
Jamie

P.S.

If you’re local to Winston-Salem, my spa—The Tiny Spa—has the sweetest selection of gifts: bath bombs, candles, and the gift of a massage or facial your loved one will cherish. This weekend, when you purchase a gift card, you’ll receive a free bath bomb from Among the Flowers, beautifully wrapped and ready to give. You can also purchase an e-gift card to send virtually this holiday season.

Buy Egift Card to The Tiny Spa

Here’s the link to my gift wrapping essentials and the exact bags and tissue paper I used here in the gift bags for the spa.

Gift Wrapping Essentials

Memberships to children’s museums, play parks, trampoline parks, and zoos are some of our absolute favorite alternatives — memories that last far longer than anything that can be wrapped in paper.

With that said, the toys we do choose with intention are ones we’ve bought for Grayson or have thoughtfully added to his wish list — creative, curiosity-building treasures perfect for toddlers ages 3–5. Inside this guide, you’ll find 10 of my favorite finds for little ones who love to explore, imagine, and learn. From a solar system display that brings outer space right into their hands, to magnetic fort-building sets that turn a living room into a world of endless possibilities, to a creative travel activity book that keeps tiny minds inspired on the go — each pick is designed to grow with them and spark meaningful play.

My hope is that this guide brings a little ease and joy to your holiday shopping while helping you discover gifts that feel intentional and thoughtful — pieces that encourage imagination, independence, and wonder. These are toys meant to be loved, used, and enjoyed long after the excitement of unwrapping has passed.

Whether you’re shopping for your own little one or a special kiddo in your life, this guide is filled with magic, learning, and play-filled treasures — all chosen with heart, purpose, and the belief that childhood is most beautiful when it’s simple and full of wonder.

1. Camera for Kids with Projector $48.14 (Black Friday Deal)

This toy feels truly magical — little ones can record their own videos and then project them to relive the moment, turning everyday play into a tiny cinematic adventure. And the best part? The current price reflects Amazon’s early Black Friday deals.

2. Cub & Fox Complete Creativity Book $80

The Cub & Fox Complete Creativity Book is one of those magical activity books that truly keeps little hands and imaginations busy. It’s filled with beautifully illustrated pages that encourage kids to draw, color, imagine, solve, and create—all in one thoughtfully designed book. I just ordered one for Grayson, and I love that it’s something he can use at home and on the go.

It’s especially perfect for travel—road trips, flights, restaurants, or any moment when you need a quiet, engaging activity that doesn’t involve a screen. Everything is bound together neatly, so there are no loose pieces to juggle, and the prompts are open-ended enough to keep them entertained for a long time.

Right now it’s on sale for $80 (normally $90!), and they’re running a Black Friday sale with 30% off bundles if you want to grab a little set. It’s such a great gift idea for ages 3–5 and a wonderful way to nurture creativity wherever you go.

3. Galaxy Pro Projector for Bedroom $26.59 (Black Friday Deal)

The Galaxy Pro Bedroom Projector is one of the coolest learning tools we’ve added to Grayson’s room. We bought it back in October, and it has completely transformed bedtime into this magical, star-filled experience. It projects the planets, constellations, and swirling galaxies across the ceiling—like having a tiny planetarium right at home.

What I love most is how much Grayson has learned from it. He can now name all the planets in order, and his curiosity about the solar system has completely taken off. Every night feels like a little science lesson wrapped in wonder. It’s calming, educational, and honestly mesmerizing for adults too.

And just a little bonus—the current price reflects Amazon’s Black Friday deals, so it’s the perfect time to grab one if you’ve been thinking about it. Such a meaningful gift for any little space lover!

4. Picasso Tiles Magnetic Marble Run Track $41.99 (Black Friday Deal)

The Picasso Tiles Magnetic Run Track with Cars is one of the gifts we are most excited to give Grayson this year. He’s at the perfect age for magnetic building toys, and this set takes things to a whole new level with ramps, tracks, and cars that zoom through the creations kids build themselves.

What I love about this toy is how many skills it encourages naturally through play. It supports problem-solving, spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and STEM-based creativity as little ones design track layouts, connect magnetic pieces, and experiment with what makes the cars go faster or farther. And because it’s fully open-ended, the possibilities are endless—towers, tunnels, bridges, loops… whatever their imagination decides.

I can already picture Grayson building little cities and racing his cars through them. It’s the kind of toy that keeps kids engaged for years, not just a season.

And the cherry on top—the current price reflects Amazon’s Black Friday deals, making it the perfect time to snag one.

If you want a gift that’s fun, educational, and filled with imaginative play, this magnetic run track is such a wonderful choice for ages 3–5.

5. Cub & Fox Magic Canvas & Paint Brush Set $59.50

The Cub & Fox Magic Canvas and Brush Set is truly one of the most genius, mess-free art toys we’ve added to Grayson’s collection. I already bought one for him, and he’s completely obsessed. All he has to do is dip the brush in water and paint across the special canvas—and the lines appear like magic. No paint, no spills, no cleanup… just pure creativity.

It’s such a perfect way for little ones to explore art without the mess, and the canvas dries so quickly that they can start fresh again within minutes. Grayson will paint scene after scene, proudly show me his creation, and then wait for it to dry so he can make a new one.

If you have a little artist in your life, this set is such a sweet, screen-free gift—encouraging creativity, fine motor skills, and imagination without any of the overwhelm. A total win for both kids and parents.

6. Glo Pals Light Up Library $50.99 (Black Friday Deal)

Step into a world of glowing wonder with the Glo Pals Light-Up Library: a three-book set bundled with a Magic Magnifier™ that brings each story to light in an extraordinary way. As children scan each page with the magnifier, hidden images and characters illuminate, transforming ordinary reading time into a luminous adventure.

Designed especially for early readers aged 3–5, this interactive set blends storytelling with sensory play: each turn of the page invites your little one to discover glowing surprises, match lights to characters, and explore visual details while building early literacy skills. The vibrant designs and tactile engagement make it perfect for read-alouds, independent exploration, or as a shared family moment.

7. YOTO Mini $63.99 (Black Friday Deal)

If you’re looking for a screen-free gadget that truly lives up to the “for little ones” vibe, the Yoto Mini (2024 Edition) + Make Your Own Card is a standout. This compact Bluetooth audio player is built just for kids — little hands, big imagination — and it does so much beyond just stories.

Here’s what makes it special:

• Screen-free entertainment: Insert a physical audio card (or record your own with the “Make Your Own” card), pop it into the Mini, and you’ve got music, stories, podcasts, radio, and more — all without a single screen flash in sight.

• Travel and everyday use: With Bluetooth speaker capability, headphone jack, USB-C charging, and up to 14 hours of play, it’s perfect for road trips, flights, playdates, or quiet afternoons at home.

• Grows with them: Between the starter audio cards and the “Make Your Own” card, this device adapts — whether they’re listening to a bedtime story or creating their own content. Great for ages 3–12+.

• Multi-purpose features: It can function as a storyteller at bedtime, an OK-to-wake clock, a portable speaker, and more — meaning it’s as functional as it is fun.

Bonus deal alert: The current price reflects Amazon’s Black Friday deals, making this the perfect time to grab it.

If you want a gift that blends learning, open-ended play, and technology in a wholesome, screen-free way, the Yoto Mini (2024 Edition) is a beautiful choice.

8. ROBOTIME Mud Kitchen for Kids $111.99

We bought Grayson a mud kitchen last year for Christmas, and it has truly become one of his most-loved toys. He still plays with it. In fact, tonight at bedtime he proudly “cooked” me a batch of rubber ducks in his little oven — and took it very seriously. Moments like that remind me why I love toys that encourage imagination so much.

A mud kitchen is such a wonderful gift for toddlers. It invites open-ended play, creativity, outdoor exploration, and hours of pretend cooking, mixing, pouring, and storytelling. It grows with them, adapts to every season, and turns the simplest materials — water, leaves, sticks, dirt — into magic.

If you’re looking for a gift that keeps little hands busy, sparks creativity, and brings out the sweetest pretend-play moments, a mud kitchen is one of my top recommendations for ages 3–5.

9. Tiny Land Stepping Stones $34.19 (Black Friday Deal)

The Tiny Land Stepping Stones have been on my wish list for Grayson for a while now. I’ve been wanting to add a set to our playtime because they’re such a fun way to help toddlers build balance, coordination, and confidence — all while just feeling like a simple, playful game.

This 5-piece non-slip set is perfect for ages 3–5, and I love that they can be used both indoors and outdoors. Kids can create obstacle courses, hop from stone to stone, practice balance, and invent their own imaginative games. It’s one of those toys that looks simple but offers so many developmental benefits.

I might have to let the grandparents gift this one this year, because I know Grayson would absolutely love it — and it’s a great big-gift idea that feels meaningful, durable, and endlessly fun. If you’re looking for a toy that supports movement and active play but still fits the Montessori, screen-free vibe, these stepping stones are such a wonderful option.

10. Superspace The Big Set Magnetic Fort Tiles $429

The Superpace Big Set Magnetic Tiles are at the top of our wish List for Grayson this year. And to be honest might have to wait for his birthday in April. If your little one loves building, creating, and imagining entire worlds (like mine does), this set is such a dream. It’s one of the most comprehensive magnetic tile kits out there — with big, sturdy panels that let kids build castles, garages, tall towers, cozy hideouts, and structures they can actually climb into. It’s basically toddler heaven.

What I love most is how open-ended and educational magnetic tiles are. They naturally support spatial awareness, problem-solving, fine motor skills, STEM-based creativity, and hours of independent play — all while feeling completely fun and effortless.

This big set is definitely a “wow” gift and perfect if you want something that will grow with them for years. Superspace also offers a smaller starter set at a lower price point, which is ideal if you’re shopping for one child or just beginning your magnetic tile collection. It has all the same quality and open-ended play potential, just in a more compact, budget-friendly version.

Both sets are wonderful, but that big set… it’s truly magical. If you’re looking for a gift that’s durable, meaningful, and encourages endless imaginative, screen-free play, Superspace is such a beautiful choice for ages 3–5.

Okay, so that wraps up my top 10 favorite gifts for little ones this year — a collection inspired by the toys we love in our own home, the pieces on Grayson’s wish list, and the meaningful, imagination-filled treasures I know kids truly enjoy. I hope this guide helps make your holiday shopping feel a little easier, a little more intentional, and filled with the kind of joy that makes childhood feel magical.

As promised, here are a few more gift ideas pulled directly from my ShopMy store and my Amazon Storefront. These are additional favorites that didn’t make the top 10 list but are still wonderful, practical, and well loved.

Happy gifting,

Jamie

So today, I wandered out into the garden for a breath of fresh air. What was meant to be a quick step outside turned into the entire afternoon — walking the beds, clipping seed heads from my summer flowers, and letting the quiet settle me again. It was cold and damp and softly raining, but somehow that made it even more grounding. It was exactly what I needed — a moment to slow down, breathe, and come back to myself before diving back in.

Some of the finds I’m sharing today you might have glimpsed earlier in my Christmas gift guides, but I’ve also discovered a few new special ones this week that I couldn’t wait to include.

I’m starting this week’s edit with this knit cardigan from Sézane — a piece I’ve been waiting on and finally received, and let me tell you… it was worth every second. I love it so much. Yes, it’s a bit more of an investment for a cardigan, but Sézane’s quality truly speaks for itself. Their pieces are thoughtfully made, beautifully crafted, and have that effortless Parisian ease that instantly elevates your wardrobe. This one is the kind of staple you’ll reach for again and again.

Styling it — and shooting this photograph — was such a joy. There’s something about Sézane that makes you slow down and savor the details. Honestly, if I could photograph their products for a living, that would be a dream come true.

Here are three books I’ve been so excited to dive into — each one thoughtful, beautifully crafted, and full of inspiration. They’d make such meaningful gifts for anyone on your list who loves to learn, slow down, or simply savor a good read. Whether you’re gifting a friend, a mom or dad who need ideas for their littles, a fellow creative, or treating yourself to a quiet moment this season, these books are truly something special.

1. Discover the magic of nature-inspired creativity with Charming Woodland Crafts: 50 Fun and Easy Projects. Whether you’re crafting on your own, making something sweet with a little one, or creating a thoughtful handmade gift, this book feels like an invitation into a tiny enchanted world of faeries, gnomes, and whimsical toadstools — all made from natural and recycled materials.

   My son Grayson and my husband Chad recently made the cutest little ladybug home using a recycled mason jar, and it turned out absolutely darling. It now houses five tiny ladybugs that Grayson checks on every single day. Moments like that — simple, creative, connected — are exactly why I love this book.

Charming Woodland Crafts

1. Most of you already know my deep love for flowers, so this book feels like an absolute treasure — and the perfect gift for anyone in your life who gardens, arranges, or simply loves creating with nature. Crafting with Flowers is one of those books that feels like a quiet companion: soothing, inspiring, and full of gentle encouragement to slow down and make something beautiful with your hands and heart.

   Whether you’re crafting for yourself, adding a handmade touch to a gift, or bringing a bit of seasonal charm into your home, this book offers projects that are both approachable and magical. Inside, you’ll find:

   • 20 thoughtful, nature-filled projects that bring floral elegance into your home — from airy garlands and delicate flower crowns to seasonal wreaths, kokedama, and more.
   • Guidance on choosing the right botanicals for every project — which flowers work best fresh, which ones dry beautifully, and how to blend them for long-lasting charm.
   • Stunning photography and calm, intentional styling that inspire you to slow down, savor the process, and reconnect with the simple joy of creating.

   It’s more than a craft book — it’s a gentle invitation to pause, pick a stem, and let nature guide your creativity.

   Crafting with Flowers

2. I’ve been feeling so inspired to return to painting, especially as the days grow quieter and the season begins to slow. There’s something about this time of year that invites a little more stillness, a little more creativity—and this book has been the perfect companion.

   Painting Nature by Gemma Koomen is a gentle invitation to step into the quiet wonder of the natural world. Her beautifully illustrated guide encourages you to slow down, pick up a brush, and capture the little moments we so often overlook—delicate wildflowers, soft forest shadows, misty morning landscapes, and the subtle shifting of the seasons.

   It’s the kind of book that makes you want to pour a cup of tea, sit by a window, and let the beauty of nature flow onto the page.

   Inside you’ll discover:

   • 20 thoughtfully crafted projects that span the seasons—spring wreaths, summer seas, autumn leaves and mushrooms, winter scenes by moonlight—each one a gentle path from sketch to finished artwork.

   • Clear step-by-step instructions and illustrations that make painting approachable whether you’re just beginning or refining your technique.

   • Inspiration to develop your own seasonal “style”—how to observe colour, texture, light and form in the world around you and bring it to life with paint.

   For anyone who loves the garden, the art table, or those quiet afternoons spent wandering and collecting, this book feels like an invitation—to see more deeply, create more freely, and bring a little of the outside world home through your own hands.

   Painting Nature

Today I also added a few new categories to both my ShopMy store and my Amazon Storefront, and I’m so excited for you to explore them. Amazon has kicked off a handful of early Black Friday deals too — such a great time to snag a few favorites and save! I’ve been slowly curating each section with pieces I genuinely love—practical, beautiful, intentional finds that make everyday life feel a little cozier and more inspired.

You’ll now find a full edit of my Old Navy and GAP favorites, filled with affordable staples, cozy layers, and easy pieces that mix effortlessly into a simple, elevated wardrobe. Old Navy’s Early Bird Black Friday deals just dropped, and some pieces are up to 40% off right now. I’ve also added a new section highlighting my Anthropologie finds—all the charming, unique, and beautifully designed pieces that feel instantly special. And a little bonus — Anthropologie is running 30% off right now with the code ANTHRO30 at checkout.

Whether you’re updating your closet, browsing for gifts, or just looking for a little seasonal inspiration, these new categories make it easy to find everything in one thoughtfully curated place. I can’t wait for you to take a peek and discover a few new favorites of your own.

I hope this week’s edit brings you a spark of inspiration—whether you’re gathering thoughtful gifts for the people you love or simply treating yourself to something that makes this season feel a little cozier and more beautiful. May these finds help you slow down, savor the moments ahead, and enjoy the simple joy of choosing things with intention.

Until next week…

Happy gifting,

Jamie

My hope is that this guide brings a little ease and joy to your holiday shopping, while helping you discover thoughtful pieces that feel personal and meaningful. These are gifts meant to be loved, used, and appreciated long after the wrapping paper is gone.

From the softest, coziest throw you’ll ever wrap up in (or gift to someone you love), to the best-smelling non-toxic deodorant, to that heirloom tomato candle that’s gone full-blown viral — this guide has a little bit of magic for everyone. No matter who you’re shopping for, there’s a thoughtful, joy-filled treasure here that’s sure to make her feel seen, celebrated, and cared for.

I’ve divided this guide into two easy parts — gifts 1–10 and 11–20 — and included links, special promo codes, and all the early Black Friday sales you’ll want to know about.

So without further ado… let’s dive into your curated top 20!

Part 1

1. Tocca Wonders Collection Crema Veloce Hand Creams, Set of 3$34

Travel hand creams are always a hit, and this trio is truly perfection. Tocca’s scents are some of my all-time favorites — soft, feminine, and beautifully luxurious. And right now, you can take 30% off these and everything sitewide with code ANTHRO30. Plus, if you spend $200, you’ll get $50 to use later for even more holiday gifting!

2. The Pieced Barrel-Leg Full-Length Jean $148

Barrel jeans are having a moment, and this pair from Madewell is my absolute favorite. I tried them on in-store recently and immediately added them to my wish list. And right now, you can snag them for 40% off with code LETSGO.

3. Basile Cardigan $170

I love a good knit cardigan for this season, and this time I’m branching out with a yellow one — I recently discovered yellow is actually one of my colors! Sézane never disappoints, and this beauty is sitting right at the top of my wish list.

4. Blue Tansy Deodorant $16

I’ve tried a lot of deodorants over the years, and this one from Primally Pure is hands-down the best I’ve ever used. I love the aroma — a mix of blue tansy and geranium — and it’s aluminum-free, detoxifying, and gentle on the skin. And the biggest win? It doesn’t burn. Most natural deodorants make my underarms feel like they’re on fire, but not this one. It actually works, even on the sweatiest days. It comes in a selection of aromas and it makes a great stocking stuffer!

5. Lia Block Print Pillow $89.25

Handcrafted in India, this throw pillow from The Citizenry has been on my wishlist for a while. Their home décor pieces are beautifully elevated and thoughtfully made by artisans around the world. Their Black Friday event is happening now with 25% off sitewide — and because this brand rarely offers sales, I’m extra excited about it! I also have a few more of my favorite Citizenry pillows linked in my ShopMy store.

6. Five Minute Morning $176

I’m all about a simple, minimal beauty routine with clean ingredients and an elevated, effortless look. This set is the perfect introduction to Merit — a brand I love and one that’s become a staple for thousands of women. It’s on my wish list this year too!

7. Mejuri Mini Hoop $48

I’m not a big jewelry girl, but I do love a classic gold mini hoop and a simple pearl earring. I own both of these, and they’ve become staples in my small, curated jewelry collection. I love this brand — their pieces are beautiful, timeless, and surprisingly affordable for everyday essentials.

8. The Sophie Faux Fur Throw Blanket $98

This throw blanket might be my favorite item on this entire list. It is truly the softest blanket ever, and it comes in so many beautiful colors. It’s already under $100, and with my code ANTHRO30, you can grab it for just $68.60 — such a steal for a cozy home staple. Perfect to add to your own wish list or to gift the extra-special homebodies in your life.

9. Salt and Stone Body Lotion $49

I was able to try this lotion in-store recently and I’m telling you — it’s amazing. The santal and vetiver scent is so soft, warm, and elevated, and the ingredients are a dream:

• Seaweed extracts and spirulina to calm and revive the skin
• Jojoba, shea, safflower, and marula oils to hydrate
• Niacinamide for smoother, healthier-looking skin
• Vitamin E for antioxidant protection

It’s luxurious without being heavy, and the scent is just chef’s kiss.

And the hand cream is equally a dream!

10. Gola Elan Sneakers $110

Let me tell you — I’m obsessed with my Gola sneakers. I bought mine two years ago, and while that color isn’t available anymore, this black pair is officially on my wish list this year. They are truly the most comfortable sneakers and instantly elevate any everyday look. And right now, you can get them for 30% off with my code ANTHRO30 — such a steal. These are the perfect gift for the women in your life who love a classic, stylish sneaker.

Part 2

11. Milk Mineral Bath Soak $36

Bathorium has become one of my go-to brands for creating the most indulgent bath rituals. I love so many of their products, but this one is extra special — it transforms the water into a creamy, milky bath that smells heavenly with Madagascar vanilla and coconut. A beautiful gift for the women who cherish their bath time.

12. Heirloom Tomato Candle $64

I know — you’re probably thinking, wait… a tomato-scented candle? But trust me on this one. As a gardener, I absolutely adore the way real tomato plants smell. I even clip the green branches and tuck them into my floral arrangements at home because the aroma is just that good. And now it’s all captured in a candle! It’s the perfect gift for candle lovers and the cozy homebodies who appreciate something a little unexpected.

13. Women’s Ruffle Rib Quarter Sock 4-Pack $60

Socks might be simple, but they’re one of my favorite gifts — especially when they’re well-made and unbelievably cozy. Bombas always delivers, and they make the cutest stocking stuffers.

14. Citrus Mint Probiotic n-Ha Toothpaste $14

Finally — a probiotic toothpaste! This one has been a complete game changer for the health of my teeth and gums. I swear, once you try it, you’ll be so impressed you won’t want to go back to your old toothpaste. I also love that it’s fluoride-free and uses an even cleaner, better-for-you ingredient blend. I asked my mom for a few for my stocking this year!

15. Mongolian Cashmere Oversized V-Neck Sweater $119

Quince is a brand I recently discovered, and I’m genuinely so impressed — the quality is incredible, and the prices are almost too good to be true. This sweater is unbelievably soft and beautifully made. It has that perfect oversized look, but I definitely recommend sizing down. I’m usually a medium, but I’ll be exchanging mine for a small. Truly such a great find for half the cost you’d expect.

16. My Gardening Journal $19.95

I swear, I wish I had this journal two years ago when I first started my garden! I’m definitely adding it to my own wish list — or honestly, I might just buy it for myself. It’s the perfect, practical gift for anyone who loves to garden.

17. Papinelle Super Soft Waffle V-Neck Top & Joggers Set $99

There’s nothing better than a pair of soft, beautiful pajamas. This set is on my wish list, and you can gift it for under $100 — plus take an additional 30% off with code ANTHRO30. And if you spend over $200 while shopping, you’ll also receive an extra $50 to use later in December!

18. The A&F Madeline Crew Sweater $60

The perfect everyday cozy sweater — endless colors, dreamy patterns, and a price that feels like a little luxury without the splurge.

19. The Essential Curve Shoulder Bag $198

I own five Madewell bags, and a few of them have held up beautifully for almost ten years. That’s why Madewell is my forever go-to — the quality is incredible. If you love a classic shoulder bag like I do, this one is the perfect gift. And right now, you can grab it for 40% off with code LETSGO.

20. HigherDose Red Light Therapy Mask $349

The HigherDOSE red light therapy mask has been a complete game changer for me — I’ve used it consistently for two years and the results are undeniable. It’s the priciest item on my guide, but if she’s been thinking about red light therapy, this is absolutely the one to choose. Even better, they’re offering 20% off sitewide and 30% off bundles right now.

Why it’s worth it:
• FDA-cleared for at-home, professional-level results
• Clinically proven to smooth fine lines and wrinkles
• Clinically proven to increase hydration and elasticity
• Clinically proven to strengthen the skin barrier and boost firmness
• 93% of users saw an instant glow after one session

Okay, so that wraps up my top 20 favorite gifts to give her this year — a collection inspired by the things I already love, the pieces on my own wish list, and the thoughtful gifts I know the women in your life truly deserve. I hope this guide makes your holiday shopping feel easier, more intentional, and a little more joyful.

And as promised, here are a few more gift ideas pulled directly from my ShopMy store and my Amazon Storefront. These are additional favorites that didn’t make the top 20 list but are still wonderful, practical, and well loved.

My next guide drops this Saturday, November 22nd, and it’s all for the kiddos — well, the toddler crowd to be exact, because that’s the season we’re in with my son.

Happy gifting,

Jamie

And today, I’m kicking things off with the very first of seven gift guides: My Husbands Gift Guide “For Him” Ideas. These are all things he would actually buy and love (which says a lot, because he rarely spends money on himself).

I cannot wait to share the rest with you and help make your holiday gifting feel easy, inspired, and full of magic. ✨🎁

Before we dive in, let me tell you a little about my husband. He is incredibly frugal, very minimal, and one of the most efficient people I know. He rarely spends money on himself, but when he does, he prefers investing in high quality pieces that will last for years.

This is especially true with clothing. He keeps his wardrobe simple and streamlined with just a few solid, dependable staples — the kind of pieces he can reach for again and again without ever overthinking it. He also has a soft spot for tech and gadgets that work exceptionally well and make life easier, as long as they’re practical and simple to use.

And on top of all that, he’s an incredible cook. I truly feel like the luckiest wife getting to enjoy his delicious meals on a regular basis. When it comes to the kitchen, he loves using higher quality tools and cookware that help him create his best dishes.

We’re beginning this guide with my top 10 favorite gifts to give this season. These are the ones I return to again and again because they’re thoughtful, practical, and genuinely loved. Several of these are products my husband already owns and has used for years, so they’re truly tried and trusted in our home.

These picks also come from brands we trust and use often — not just in our family, but among my clients, friends, and loved ones as well. They’re the kind of gifts that consistently get a “thank you, I love this” response.

And because everyone’s needs and budgets are a little different, I’ve added an extra set of 10 gift ideas at the end for even more inspiration.

1. Fitbit Inspire 3 Activity Tracker $99.95

My husband has been using this tracker for about six months now, and he genuinely loves it — mostly because one of his biggest fitness goals is hitting his daily step count. He takes long walks with our dog, Kobe, and always aims for at least 10,000 steps a day.

It also tracks his sleep quality, which… let’s just say is a work in progress. We have a 3-year-old toddler who still occasionally wakes up at 2 a.m., and our dog and cat also seem to think nighttime is the perfect time for extra attention. So overall household sleep has been pretty rough.
But at least now we can track it — lol!

2. Asics® Skyhand OG Sneakers $100

I LOVE a good quality classic sneaker, and these Asics are perfect for pairing with a great pair of jeans and a vintage tee. They’re definitely on my wish list for my husband — he is in desperate need of a more elevated everyday sneaker!

3. The Organic Cotton Tee $60

This tee from Taylor Stitch is definitely on the pricier side, but it’s elevated, incredibly well made, and so worth it. I’ll honestly be ordering several of these for my husband this year.

4. The Wood Oil $18

My husband has been using a cheaper mineral oil on his wooden spatulas, so I’m really excited to upgrade him to this plant based option from Material. It’s such a simple swap, but one he’ll actually appreciate and use.

5. The Straight Jean $178

One thing I’ve learned about jeans is that paying a little more for better quality is always worth it. The right pair will last for years, truly. I’ve completely let go of buying cheaper, lower quality denim — and that goes for my husband’s wardrobe too. These jeans from Taylor Stitch get fantastic reviews, and I can see why!

6. Williams Sonoma Walnut Essential Utensils, Set of 5 $184.95

Recently I broke one of my husband’s wooden spatulas — and let me tell you, he was not thrilled. In my defense, it already had a crack in it, and I’m convinced it’s because he’s been using that cheaper oil on them. Which is exactly why I’m upgrading his wood oil this year… and gifting him a fresh set of wooden spatulas while I’m at it.

7. The Minimalist Billfold Wallet $98

This wallet is absolutely gorgeous, and my husband has literally been using the same one for over a decade. I think it’s safe to say it’s time for an upgrade!

8. Theragun Relief $159

So let’s be real… I’m a licensed massage therapist, and my husband fully thought that once we got married he’d be getting massages all the time. Little did he know he is solid as a rock, and deep tissue is no longer my specialty. So instead, I gifted him a massage gun.

I especially love this brand because of the handle and the way it’s designed — even using a massage gun can tire out your arm, and this one makes it so much easier and more comfortable to use.

9. DR. SQUATCH Men’s Natural Solid Deodorant Fresh Falls - Aluminum -Free $12.99

My mom actually introduced us to Dr. Squatch years ago when she gifted my husband some deodorant and a few of their soaps. It quickly became one of his favorite self care brands. And I’ll be honest… I love them too. I’ve definitely snuck one of the bar soaps into my own bath more than once. And they make a great gift for the stocking!

10. Men’s Lodge Moc Vibram® Slippers, Shearling $160

And finally, I’m saving the best gift idea for last because I know my husband will be so excited to receive these. He’s been trying different lower quality slippers over the past few years, hoping to find something that measures up to his old LL Bean pair, but nothing quite compares. I know he’s going to love slipping back into these.

Honestly, every man appreciates a good, comfortable bedroom slipper — and these will not disappoint!

Okay, so that wraps up my top 10 favorite gifts to give for him this year — all inspired by my own husband and the things he genuinely uses and loves. And let’s be honest, these ideas don’t just stop at husbands. They make incredibly thoughtful gifts for the men in your life whether that’s your dad, your son, your grandfather, your brother, or even your guy friends.

Each pick is practical, well made, and something they’ll actually appreciate and use — which is always the goal when gifting for men.

And as promised, here are a few more gift ideas pulled directly from my ShopMy store and my Amazon Storefront. These are additional favorites that didn’t make the top 10 list but are still wonderful, practical, and well loved.

Feel free to browse through both stores to explore all the other gifts I’ve handpicked for the season. There’s so much more to see, and I’m confident you’ll find something perfect for every man on your list.

More Gift Ideas for Him On ShopMy

Gifts for Him on Amazon

Thank you so much for stopping by and trusting me to help you find the best gifts this holiday season. It truly means the world to me. I hope this guide brings a little more joy and ease to your shopping experience and helps you discover the perfect gifts for the men in your life — gifts they’ll actually use, appreciate, and love.

And a quick reminder: many of the brands I’ve shared have already started their Black Friday sales, with even more joining in next week. You can also create your own wish list directly in my ShopMy store and on Amazon to keep everything organized and ready when you’re ready to shop.

And we’re just getting started. I’ll meet you back here tomorrow for my next gift guide: For Her — “What’s on My Wishlist.” It’s filled with some of my favorite clothing finds, beauty must haves, wellness goodies, and of course a few cozy pieces for the home. I can’t wait to share it with you.

Until tomorrow…

Happy gifting,

Jamie

But in this season of life, I’m realizing it’s more than okay to share something I truly love, especially when it can genuinely help others. In my treatment room, my clients have benefited for years from the products I’ve thoughtfully recommended with care. So now, I’m giving myself permission to fully embrace this passion. To search, gather, curate, and share the things I use and find beautiful in my own everyday life. And the sweetest part is that I now have a space where I can bring all of my favorite brands and products together in one easy to explore place.

Enter the ShopMy app. It’s an all-in-one space where I can upload the products I love, organize them into easy categories, and make everything simple for you to browse and shop. I also earn a small commission when you purchase through my links. And yes, only if you click the link first.

Now, you might be thinking, “Here we go… another person pushing products.” But that’s not what this is. Every single item I share is something I use in my own everyday life or something on my personal wish list. I’m not here to promote gimmicky things or stuff no one needs. These are products that can truly support your overall well-being, simplify daily routines, or help you make thoughtful design choices for your home. Because let’s be honest… design can be hard.

Think of it like a curated Pinterest board made just for home, garden, style, and beauty. And for my flower and garden lovers, don’t worry — there will be plenty of gardening tools and inspiration sprinkled throughout.

For the past three days, I’ve been pouring so much love into building and curating my ShopMy store, and I’m also planning to create content for many of the products over on Instagram. Another part of this that feels really fun for me is the photography. I’ve always loved styling and photographing products — it’s something I’ve done for brands as a photographer and for the spa as well. So this new chapter feels like a sweet way to bring all of those passions together.

And let’s not forget the holidays are coming up. I’m so excited to create and curate beautiful gift guides that will make your shopping feel easier, more joyful, and a whole lot more enjoyable this season.

I’m also launching a weekly newsletter called The East Edit, where I’ll share my favorite finds and how they connect to wellness or whatever season of life I’m in at the moment. And don’t worry — The Sunday Bloom isn’t going anywhere. It will simply shift to once a month, landing in your inbox on the first Sunday, while The East Edit will arrive every Friday.

Here are the categories I’ve set up so far in my ShopMy store:

• Fall Favorites — mostly fashion for now, with some cozy home décor coming soon.

View Fall Favorites

• Home— all the pieces that help create a peaceful, spa-like feeling at home.

Home

• Garden — tools, accessories, and inspiration for my fellow flower and garden lovers.

Garden

• Beauty— clean, thoughtful products I use and trust for both myself and my clients.

Beauty

• Style & Wardrobe Staples — my go-to pieces that make getting dressed feel effortless.

Style

• For Littles — the sweetest baby and toddler essentials I’ve loved for my own son.

Children

• Art — beautiful prints, frames, and creative pieces that add warmth, character, and soul to any space.

Art

If you’d like to explore my ShopMy store as a whole, just click below. And if you find something that speaks to you, feel free to click through the links or save your favorites to your wishlist.

ShopMy Store

Ok, that’s it for today. Thank you for reading and for being here with me through all my never-ending passions. I hope this inspires you to find joy in your shopping and to bring home pieces that truly add to your happiness and well-being.

Happy Shopping…

Until next time,

Jamie

P.S.

Our first real frost has finally arrived, and with it, my flowers have said their goodbyes. It’s terribly bittersweet, but I’m leaning into the beauty of it and looking forward to a quiet season of rest in the garden.

Here are a few photos of the last little bud vase and a fuller arrangement I was able to make the day before the frost.

Enjoy :)

Enjoy 😊

Hope you enjoyed this flower study.

Until next time…

With love,

Jamie

Welcome to “The Sunday Bloom", a bi-monthly source of inspiration for you to slow down, be where your feet are and step through some of the most beautiful gardens and flower farms in the world. Written by me, Jamie East with a focus on connecting you to the simple things in life. All while sharing resources, ideas and what I've learned that I hope will inspire you and guide you towards living your best life.

I'm so glad you're here and if you feel inspired by this newsletter, please share the link at the end with a friend or loved one.

As September closes and we step into my very favorite season, I have to admit—this month has felt heavy. The weight of the world, paired with tender shifts in a few friendships, has left me not quite myself. And now, with just 31 days until I turn 40, I find myself holding onto the hope of entering this milestone feeling more grounded, more alive, than ever before. I’ve already lived at least half my life, and only now do I feel like I’m beginning to truly understand who I am and what really matters.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about time—how precious it is and how quickly it passes. The other night, my husband, son, and I were watching Avengers: Endgame. (Grayson is completely obsessed with all the Marvel superheroes right now—especially Spider-Man, which feels fitting since his middle name is Parker after Peter Parker. My husband and I couldn’t be happier, since we’ve always been fans ourselves.) I’ve probably watched Endgame a hundred times, but this time a line stood out to me in a way it never had before: “No amount of money ever bought a second of time.” As I near my 40th birthday, I feel the weight of that truth more than ever.

This past week, while visiting my parents, we dusted off a few old VHS tapes from my birthday parties between ages 1 and 5. Watching them was such an emotional ride. So many familiar faces filled the screen—friends and family I love dearly who are no longer here, including my Papa Jim and my Grandma Stellese. I spent nearly my whole childhood with them—wandering the woods, climbing treehouses, and tearing off on four-wheelers that I’m sure nearly gave my grandma a heart attack every time. Hearing their voices again—especially my papa strumming his guitar and singing me “Happy Birthday”—brought tears that were both sweet and aching. That sharp, familiar sting in my heart reminded me just how much it hurts to miss the ones you’ve loved so deeply and lost in this life. That painful reminder of just how fast time flies by and to enjoy every single second.

As I watched myself as a little girl on those old tapes, I couldn’t help but see so much of my son in me. It was almost surreal—he looks like me, sounds like me, and even carries himself the way I did at that age. It reminded me that I’m in the middle of living those same first years with him right now. And it hit me—I can’t spend my days longing for the past. There’s such a delicate balance between remembering where we’ve been, dreaming about where we’re going, and actually being present in the moment. If we linger too long in the past or rush too far ahead into the future, we miss what’s right in front of us. And before we know it, we’re looking back, wondering where all the time went.

I don’t want to spend the next 40 years looking back and wishing for the last 40. I want to be present—to soak in every laugh and every tear, the tiny footsteps running through the hallway, the snuggles and cuddles, and all the moments with the people I love most. To truly do that means choosing gratitude for what I already have, finding contentment in simply being, and letting go of the constant chase for the “next best thing.” It means stepping away from the hustle culture that robs us of our most precious gift—time.

When did we get here as a society? So caught up in ourselves, running endlessly on the hamster wheel without ever stopping to notice what’s really happening around us. This constant push to do more, to buy more things we don’t even need—it’s exhausting. And worse, it’s slowly draining us of our joy and the simple beauty of truly living.

One of the greatest blessings in this life I share with my husband and son is that we are truly rich in time. We may not have hundreds of thousands of dollars, fancy cars, or big houses—but our needs are met. And more than anything, we get to spend our days together, free from the grind of punching a clock or running ourselves into the ground for someone else’s demands. We’ve chosen to live with less, which means spending less, and in turn, not needing to chase after endless amounts of money just to get by. Don’t get me wrong—it took a lot of hustle and hard work to get here. We were once on that hamster wheel too. But now, we’ve stepped off, and we’re living a simpler, more intentional life.

I used to believe success was about making hundreds of thousands of dollars, chasing goal after goal—because the moment you reached one, you were already on to the next—and having all the things everyone else seemed to have. But today, success means something entirely different to me. It’s about having time and truly being present. It’s about being a mother and a wife, caring for my family, and nurturing friendships that are rooted in love, generosity, and a genuine desire for each other’s best.

And, of course, a big part of living a meaningful, beautiful life is being grounded in and surrounded by nature.

My Visit to Pilot Mountain North Carolina

When you’re driving through the Piedmont Triad—whether you’re coming down from the Virginia mountains or heading up toward them on Highway 52—you just can’t miss Pilot Mountain. I like to call it “Nipple Mountain,” because, let’s be honest, that’s exactly what it looks like—poking straight up out of the flat plains. And I know I’m definitely not the only local who calls it that!

This week I made my way back up to Pilot Mountain for a short hike and a little time to myself. It’s just a 25-minute drive from home, yet somehow five years have slipped by since my last visit—when I took my soon-to-be husband up there for some astrophotography that ended up on our wedding invitations in 2020.

With the gentle hint of bonfire in the cool, almost-fall air and my camera in hand, I allowed myself to just be—soaking in the stillness and peace this unique mountain always gives. I hope these photos from my visit bring you a little of that same calm and inspire you to pause and savor the beauty of this changing season.

For more information and to plan your visit to Pilot Mountain click the link below.

Visit Pilot Mountain

Ok, so that wraps up this week’s edition of The Sunday Bloom.

Happy Fall Ya’ll

With Love,

Jamie

P.S.

A show I recently started watching—and one I think is an absolute delight—is Long Way Home on Apple TV+. Of course, part of the charm for me is my love for the Scottish hunk Ewan McGregor, but it’s more than that. He and his best friend, Charlie, journey together by motorcycle through Northern and Eastern Europe and up into the Nordic countries. The scenery is breathtaking, and the show itself feels refreshing, funny, and just plain beautiful. I highly recommend it! Oh, and I’ve always been afraid to ride motorcycles, but this show has me thinking I just might try it one day!