Notes from March

Things I loved in my home, around my table, in my closet, and more this month

On my calendar: Holy Week is here! Over the past few years, Dave and I have switched off going to church on Holy Thursday and Good Friday—sometimes bringing a big kid or two with us and sometimes not. This might finally be the year that we attempt the full Triduum as a family. As with all experiences when we are asking a lot of our kids, I am hopeful we’ll be able to call it a success (they often rise to the occasion when I least expect it!), but I am also trying to temper my expectations appropriately. Grace, grace, grace.

In my kitchen: I used to make protein pancakes for breakfast multiple times a week when I was engaged/a newlywed, but haven’t thought about them in years—I don’t even remember ever making them in a house, just our first apartment! I rediscovered them recently and am hooked once again. Here’s my recipe:

- Mash half a banana with a tablespoon of milk (whatever milk/non-dairy milk you like)
- Mix in one egg (or 1/4 cup egg whites)
- Mix in a scoop of protein powder (I use this one)
- Cook in a pan or on a skillet like any other pancakes. I like them topped with some peanut butter (this crunchy peanut butter is so good, I have a subscription to it) and berries.

In my home: I spent a LOT of time in my living room this month. After a decently healthy winter, strep, covid, and walking pneumonia all made their way through our house over the last few weeks. I camped out on an armchair with my laptop more days than not while a sick kiddo napped or watched movies on the couch. It lit a fire under me to make a few long-procrastinated updates: hanging curtains (these + these rods), jumping on a ($50!!) coffee table on Marketplace to replace our dingy ottoman, and picking out new frames for my beloved botanical prints (I have one for each of my babies: poppies for Charlie, daffodils for the little one we lost to miscarriage, azaleas for Azelie, and camellias for Emilia. The poppies are by Riley Sheehey and the rest are by M. Studio. I love them!).

In my closet: The vast majority of my closet is made up of boutique brands that I’ve bought secondhand on Poshmark, but there are a few categories I will always buy new: knitwear, denim, and white tops. For the latter, I look for 100% cotton at a low pricepoint so that it still feels good to wear, but I don’t have to stress around my messy kids :) Here are two I recently scooped up for spring/summer at under $20 a pop: a Doen dupe and Marea/Staud vibes.

In my suitcase: With summer travel on the horizon and the fact that my daytime moisturizer recently went from being packaged in a tube to a jar (read: way bulkier to travel with), I could hardly say “yes please” fast enough when Cadence offered to send me their Starter Set. Azelie and I spent a sweet mother-daughter weekend at a summer camp this month, so I got to try them out right away and I am hooked—everything fit perfectly into my toiletries bag and I love that it’s all prepped and ready to go for my next trip. This would make a perfect gift for a graduate this spring!

On my nightstand: Now that we have finished watching All Creatures Great and Small but can’t shake the bedtime cravings for English countryside imagery and these charming characters, I’m dipping into James Herriot’s books (and, I confess, also rewatching episodes here and there). A delight!

On my radar: After six years of plugging along with Canva DIY branding, Dave and his team launched their firm’s new website, branding, and logo this month! I loved helping to pull inspiration—lots of early 1900s Italian Alps ski posters and patches, plus a hefty dose of nods to their patron, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. We worked with the perfect team to bring it to life (Caroline Lunne + Going Places) and they nailed it. Check out their new site here and peek into the process here.