Can you believe it’s almost June and summer is around the corner?! I’m looking forward to the long days of summer and the activities that go along with it. A couple life changing events are happening and I’m excited to share them with you! First, my daughter is expecting a baby in August .. so exciting! We are over the moon excited about this and I feel so fortunate that we will live close by so to help as needed. Secondly .. (drum roll!) .. we are moving!
The home we are currently living is the home we started in when we moved to Washington state. When the kids got older we needed more space so we bought a larger home two miles away. We kept our home as a rental for 7 years and moved back (what a mess it was!) when the kids were in college. The plan was to take it down to the studs, retain the original footprint, add a few bump outs and do a major renovation. It was our first big project so for that reason I feel attached .. so it will be tough to leave. Here is our video if you’d like to take a peek: https://vimeo.com/539657850?ref=em-share @parkandalleyco
With all that we went through last year, my husband Dave and I felt it was time to hit the reset button so we listed our home, sold it in less than 24 hours and two weeks after that we bought a home out in the country, about 45 minutes from our existing home. We will be surrounded by farm land, rivers, and lakes. Lots of wide open space and plenty of peace and quiet.
The home we bought is larger than our existing home and will require updates, primarily cosmetic. We will take possession of the house mid June and move in mid July so we will have about a month to get painting and wood flooring put in prior to getting our furniture in there.. then the cosmetic stuff starts! I’ll be sharing this journey with you so stay tuned!
What we’ve been up to: Our trip to Maui
With restrictions lifted we were able to take a much needed vacation to Maui. The first 5 days we stayed at the Wailea beach resort and spa. There are designated areas for families and an infinity pool for adults only. Something for everyone! Fun reel in case you missed ..
After our stay at the resort we headed to upcountry and rented a jungalow that was perched on top of a mountain. It was so quiet I felt like I was at a spiritual retreat at times. The trip was just what we needed and I feel fully recharged and ready to tackle all that’s ahead!
We ate so much fish and I was on a mission to find the best fish tacos. If you are planning a vacation there, my two favorites were Coconut’s Fish Cafe and Paia Fish Market.
May Favorites
01/ I discovered Heather Taylor’s linens last year and have since then made a few purchases .. totally worth it as everything is gorgeous. These napkins would be fun for a summer table! A couple weeks ago West Elm announced their collaboration with the California life style and textile brand Heather Taylor Home. The perfect match .. this is so good and you’ll need to take a peek!
02/ For your picnics.. bring along this classic straw tote on your next outing. There’s more than enough room for daily essentials, plus summertime extras like a picnic lunch and sunscreen. I’ll be wearing a pretty day dress (use lemongrovelande15 for 15% off) and flat sandals for a day of fun in the sun. While we’re on the topic of picnics, don’t forget a blanket or throw to sit on. One of my favorites is this Indigo textile I bought from Etsy.
03/ With our pending move I’ve been pinning so much beautiful inspiration! Make sure to check out these dreamy house exteriors and more on my patio and garden page.
04/ Have you ever made flowery ice cubes? Check out this reel! The tumblers are from St. Frank Textiles and I use mine for all the time, especially in the summer. Use lemongrovelane50 and receive a $50 gift card to use towards your first purchase of $250+
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.
2 Responses
First of all congratulations on the new grand baby! You must be so excited! We have a 18 month old grandson now and our granddaughter is 4 already. Happy to hear you found a house already…since you are moving to the country does this mean you are retiring or is that somewhere in the near future? We need to do a serious remodel but decided to wait until my husband retires in a couple years. Our house is not a good place to age in the way it is now, and we love our neighborhood so we would rather not move. We will probably have to move out during any construction though. Can’t wait to see what you do with your new house!
Linda
Thank you Linda! It’s been so crazy with the sale of our home and trying to line up contractors to get in our new place. We are definitely not retiring or considering that in our near future. The area we live in now has grown and become noisy and crowded over the past 20 years so we are wanting a change. Both my husband and I need to reduce stress and simplify life and this move will help us to do that. Many are opting to stay put and renovate or remodel .. good plan if you like the area :). I’ll be keeping you posted on the home front!
Leslie