It’s spring break and I haven’t caught up on the blog, but I did get notified that our demolition job on our floors got moved up from next week to Monday which means I have to move everything that’s standing in most of our house to two rooms, and I have two days to do it. Brett walked in my office this morning, glanced from piano to desk to piles of shit all over the floor and just started laughing that weird nothing’s-really-funny-but-I-don’t-know-how-else-to-respond laugh. “How are we going to do this?”
“We can do anything,” I answered. “We’ll make it happen. We always do.”
So we’ll be busy for the next few days. But we’ve had a lot of fun the past two weeks, so we’re stocked up pretty good.
We’ve been enjoying…
Weekend Farmer’s Market
In season, our little downtown streets host the best farmer’s market that makes you feel alive and in love with everything. Especially the beignets.
One of my favorite things about our poppa and Gary? They are adventure seekers. They never say no to an art show, a farmer’s market, an early morning beach excursion, a bike ride, a day trip, a memory.
(my first baby niece was here last week, and we LOVED having her)
Welcome to Naples. Where tiny dogs are treated better than tiny children. We quite possibly have more dog boutiques than coffee shops.
We can walk right from the farmer’s market to the pier where they sell frozen chocolate-covered bananas. Dash calls them something else that I don’t really feel like typing, but if you really want to know, it rhymes with “boop-on-a-stick”
The Annual Grandma Stay
My mama was here last week, and every time she leaves, I’m left a little stunned at how the beginning of this love journey so quickly turned to the middle. So many of my favorite memories of my mom that make her who she is to me happened at the same place in life that I am now. Desperately loving my parents and kids at the same time feels overwhelming sometimes and can make me anxious. I am learning to stop viewing that love in terms of an hourglass losing sand but rather an eternal gift–every year, every change makes it better and stronger and more beautiful. No fear of scarcity in moments or memories or love. Just open arms, open mind, open heart: there is more, there is more, there is more. There is always more.
Florida Lovers
I posted this picture on Instagram and a reader who used to live in Naples but moved away and misses it wrote the following comment: “I know exactly where you are. Wiggins. 4th entrance, middle boardwalk. My favorite spot in the world. It’s my locked screen wallpaper.”
…and I was astounded. There are multiple boardwalks on all our beaches, and we have beaches aplenty. To have a secret place you love so much that you’ve memorized its view–the exact height of the sea grass, the knots in the weathered wood of the boardwalk planks, the way the sky and sea and grass and boardwalk all magically combine to make it stand out from every other beach boardwalk in town…well, I want to be that kind of observer.
She was right though. It’s special.
Spring Preview
We Floridians take one for the team by testing out the spring vibes before they get to the north. We take that job seriously. So, dear bundled up northerners, you have much to look forward to. The flowers are coming…
…and the waters are getting warmer.
Spring fashion offers many colors this year…
…and nautical is so in.
Forecast: Sunshine. Hope you find lots of it this weekend.
Just yesterday I sent a realtor.com link to my husband for a beautiful home near the beach in Naples. Just a dream, as we are stuck in IL for now. But man, seeing these pix today. I need to go buy that house and move!
We were in Old Naples this time last year and oh my goodness this has made me “holiday sick”. I absolutely love the west coast of Florida. I want to be back there now, or on the beach at Sanibel.
I was also in Naples this time 2 years ago and I miss those beaches! My boyfriend’s parents want to move down there and I would miss them… but endless visiting opportunities doesn’t sound so bad either 😉
That little sailor dress!! So cute.
What I wouldn’t give for some beachable weather right now. It’s currently 3 degrees Celsius (37F?) here. Enjoy that lovely sunshine!
Hi there – I am a Florida lover! Except from across the Atlantic. We’ve been to Naples a few times in recent years, absolute favourite place and often I get pangs when I see your photos! That boardwalk – yep stood on it. And others. My personal favourite is the beach access at 8th Avenue where there are benches and a diagonal (I think!) criss-cross paving. There’s a house in that street that is pistachio green and is my lock-screen! Funny how things go. Lou x
I can’t wait for some sunshine!! We just had a ton of snow dumped on us, and although we enjoyed making snowmen, climbing mounds of shoveled snow and drinking hot cocoa, I am SO over it! Send that sunshine up to Virginia please. I’ve never been to Naples, but it looks AMAZING! Enjoy.
At the risk of sounding ridiculous…your spring coming North line just made me cry. We spent Tuesday/Wednesday in a blizzard getting over 30″. And now it’s snowing again outside my window. It’s comforting to know it’s coming – from someone who sees it. Because up her in NY it feels like we will never see the green again. Thanks for thinking of us and sending the vibes our way!
As a former Michigander you’ll be happy to know I woke this morning to the feeling of being in a snow globe…huge fluffy flakes… the whole world quiet and covered.
I love your quote about time. It has always haunted me as well, the need to try to control time vs allowing myself to connect to a timeless source.
I wish your Poppa and Gary would adopt me! I love adventure seekers! I wish I was your neighbor…I love cleaning and organizing…I’d would be happy to help you move and organize the “shit” that needs to be moved for the new floors!
🙂
Man….homerenos are always terms for divorce at our house…but somehow we always get through it. Best of Luck!
I love going through your posts and the way you bring up your children is very inspiring to me. I love the photographs you take. Will you be able to share your latest photography tips along with the camera gears you use? Also, let me tell you that I was so inspired by the ‘Nella and Maude’ book, I recently made one for my son and his lovie.
Daisy sunglasses! I must have!! okay on a 56 year old? who cares, I’ll look fab in them
You write the best blog posts! They always brighten my day down here in Australia 🙂
Those first two photos of Nella…. LOVE!!
This: it rhymes with “boop-on-a-stick” made me laugh out loud. HA!! 😀
xo
How come you won’t quote Dash referring to “poop on a stick” by actually refusing to write “poop” but, when Nella named every single Barbie doll “poop” we heard about forever and you thought it was cute?
Perhaps because we don’t eat our Barbies.
John, Kelle is probably just experiencing Potty Talk Overload. Sometimes when Moms are exposed to excessive toddler potty talk, they tend to rhyme more often. Dr, Suess had children who spoke potty talk almost 24/7. Its very common. Also, Barbies named Poop is just funny.
John, Was your comment really necessary?…I thought it was a bit rude!
Mine is Bean Point, Anna Maria Island. Early morning. I can close my eyes at any given moment and transport there. See the white boats against the bluest sky, stand precisely where I see the Bay and the ocean meet. Watch the waves come and go and bring seaweed and gulls running. The grey birds with beautiful orange thin beaks slowly stalking. The pelicans racing millimeters from the surface of the Gulf searching for food. And the air….I’m in a boring taupe walled cube right now and can literally imagine how the salt air feels mid morning on “my island”.
a very nice description of the spring break. yes, definitely we need to spend a lot of time with our kids and make them love all the different activiities.
The hair product was called “sun in”! It made my hair orange! ????????????????