My journey from comfortable urban familiarity to life in a small fishing village on the coast of Maine and my “second run” as a home and lifestyle blogger.
Welcome friends!
It has taken me three years, but here I am finally with my own little spot in the blogosphere! If you have followed me over to this space from Instagram, I am grateful for your continued support! And if you are brand new to me, I am so happy to meet you!
It was my intention in early 2019 to start a home and lifestyle blog. After retiring from a 34-year career with the federal government and launching my three children into the world, I was ready for something new and completely different — my “second run”, as my husband calls it. I had already started this bold journey — we had sold our beloved home of 28 years in the Washington D.C. area and moved to a small fishing village on the coast of Maine. I left behind friends, family, the only job I ever had, and everything that was familiar. My husband works on the West Coast and our children are scattered across the country, so there were many times when I seriously questioned what I had done.
The fact was, though, for many years I had longed for a life of quiet beauty. I fell in love with New England when I went to college in New Hampshire, and with Maine when two of our children went to college here. And of course it was love at first sight when, in January 2016, I stood in the field on this property and took in the views of harbor, shoreline, island, and ocean; bold rocks, jagged spruce, and soaring birds. We bought a view with two rundown cottages, and in the years since I have overseen the renovation of the guest cottage and construction of the house, and started to tame the wild landscape.
It has been a labor of love because home has always been a special place for me. I like to create warm and inviting spaces that encourage family and friends to gather and relax. I think a home should tell the story of people and place. It should flow with the seasons. Our homes are a haven from the crazy. (And oh, how we have been through crazy in the last few years.)
Which brings us back to 2019 and my “second run”. I wanted to share this notion of home and life here in Maine with all of you, but I quickly learned that the nuts and bolts of creating a blog at that time were too much for me. I turned instead to Instagram, and my journey there has been more than I had ever dreamed. The connections I have made and the doors that have opened to me have been amazing.
But I have always had a bigger story to share. You will continue to see me on Instagram, but here on the blog I will go into more depth. I will, of course, chat about home decor, but I also want to get into cooking, maybe a little fashion (is Maine fashion an oxymoron?), some gardening (I am a novice), family time, holiday celebrations, and daily life through the seasons. We will also go out and about to some of my favorite places here in this beautiful state.
So here I am, friends — Molly in Maine, the blog version!
Let’s get the conversation started! Leave me a comment below telling me about a bold journey you have taken in your life!
Our bold journey was getting an energetic husky despite city living. Best decision we’ve ever made ❤️
Congratulations Molly in Maine on the launch of your blog, we are so proud of you!
An energetic husky to go with your energetic husband! Thanks for bringing MiM to our family! Love you, honey!
Molly in Maine,
I am thrilled to hear that you will be sharing even more of yourself on your new blog! Congratulations on the launch. I am very much looking forward to following along!
Alice Strom
Minnesota
Hi Alice! Thanks so much for following along with me here! I am excited for this new endeavor!
Molly, I am so excited to see your first post. I am so looking forward to seeing and hearing more about Maine, one of my favorite places in the world. Your instagram feed capitivated me from the very first day and each time you pop up in my feed I smile. The beautiful view, your cosy collected cottage and your pups bring joy to so many and it is going to a pleasure to see and learn more about you, your home and Maine! Welcome to blogland!
Thank you, Elizabeth! You are the one that finally got me actually walking down this path. Thank you so much for recommending Shari!
Hi Molly, I’ve followed you on Instagram for awhile now. I look forward to now following you on your blog. Thank you for all your inspiration!
Thank you so much for following me on Instagram and now joining me here!
I’m so looking forward to your blogging Molly🙏🏻
Thanks, Ann! I literally could not have done this without you. You definitely earned the lobster roll and wine!
So excited for your new venture and count me in!
Holly — Thank you so much for joining me here! Let’s have some fun!
What a great story especially that you decided to go for your dream and create a place away from it all for your family to gather. Years ago I made a bold decision with God’s grace to embrace my fertility and have a large family. I had 3 children at the time and later over the years I had 5 more for a total of 8. Two days ago I welcomed my first grandchild a beautiful baby girl. My faith and family are everything to me and I too want to create a place now where we all gather and relax. We all get together on birthdays and holidays!
Nori — How blessed you are to have 8 children and now a grandchild! Congratulations on your growing family! I understand your desire to create a place for them all to gather!
Congratulations on your new blog! I can’t wait to follow along on your new adventure!!! 👏👏👏
Hi Wynn! Thank you! I hope you will actually join me on some of my new adventures here!
Molly, I am so happy for your new adventure. I’ve followed you on Instagram for a while now and love your aesthetic. Second runs are sure to be the best runs….
Hi Deb! So nice to see you here on the blog! So far this is shaping up to be a great second run!
Hi Molly
I’m following you from the bottom of the world in New Zealand! I love your style and seeing your posts of the amazing scenery where you live. Looking forward to seeing and reading more
Kindest regards
Mandy
Hi Mandy in New Zealand! Thanks so much for joining me here on the blog!
Molly, I have followed you on IG for a number of years. I have loved each and every post. I really am looking forward to the blog and having more Maine joy in my days.
Hi Barbara! Thank you for your support on IG through the years! I am so glad you are joining me here too!
Molly, I am so excited for your blog! I am a mom of 4 in my 40’s. My big risk was giving my high school boyfriend a second chance; we now have a beautiful blended family. We live in a center hall colonial and I want to create a cozy home with character. I love details. I want our home to reflect all of the things we love.
It sounds like it was a risk worth taking and that we like the same kind of home!
Congratulations on your beautiful website Molly. I’m looking forward to seeing more.
Thank you, Claudia! More to come!
I’m going to cheat and pick two, first was adding a French major to my Studio Art major in college. The second was the decision to go to law school. Everything I have done since making those decisions was shaped by them, and my life has not been remotely what I had envisioned for myself.
But exactly where you are supposed to be, Liss!
NYC being an artist, no kids and certainly not a lawyer as a husband
Weird to think of that!
Hello Molly and all the Fur Babies:
I am so happy ya started your blog again. I really only follow two( one for Yeas) and the other one just recently
and now Yours., 💙 From The Deep Extreme Northern Woods to Ya beautiful Home on the Coast of Maine.⚓️🌲🌲💙
Our boldest journey., Life Event was five years after hubby retired from Corporate America( 45 years) was taking out the Atlas and saying where do we want to lay our hats., we chose Maine, never had visited the NE.
We knew we had to escape Big City Life, Smothering Heat
and all. ( Big D Dallas). We bought our old farmhouse with one hundred fifty acres, on an old dirt road with only one tin roof visible way down the road, We will probably still find an really small cottage on some body of water, as hubby graduated from the USNA.
I love your pics from IG, and your home, Interior to Exterior is awesome. And the Poochies and Cats too
I look forward to following your Adventures, Posts.
Thank you,
🌲🌲💙💙⚓️
Hi Karen! I did not know that you you also made the bold journey here to Maine! I so appreciate your engagement and comments and look forward to seeing which beautiful Maine body of water you settle on!
I think I’ve been following you on IG since early on. So happy you’re blogging now. You’ve definitely influenced me to put a visit to Maine on my bucket list. I love your heart for family, home, healthy lifestyle and of course pups and kitties.
Hi Julie! Yes, we go “way back” here! Thank you for your support the last few years and for joining me on this new endeavor!
Hi there, Molly! I was absolutely thrilled to learn (via Elizabeth’s blog, Pinecones & Acorns) that you’ve started a blog! Yay! And, welcome to this wonderful space on the inter-webs. Like you, it took me years to move from wanting to start a blog to actually doing it. It’s been two years, hard work, but I love it and I think you will too. And we will all love having you here for deeper dives into your beautiful, Maine coastal life. So … congratulations on your launch. Your blog is beautiful, I’m subscribed, and can’t wait for more goodness to come. Happy day, Molly! xo
Hi Juliet! Thank you for your kind words and support! Your blog is beautiful and I find it so inspiring! I particularly love your Saturday posts. I am headed there now!
Nice work Molly! Make sure to include that fabulous sweet potato dish you rock around Thanksgiving!
Wishing you all the best in your endeavors.
Hi David! Thanks for stopping by! At Thanksgiving I will definitely share that recipe!
I’m happy to see something new to read, and Maine is so beautiful. Coincidentally, I visited Portland a couple weeks ago for my birthday. What a great house on the lovely coast. I recently retired and am attempting to resettle here in New England, so I look forward to reading about your “second run.” Congratulations on the new blog!
Hi Lynda! Congratulations on your retirement! I highly recommend resettling here in New England! Thanks for stopping by!
How exciting Molly! Congratulations. I think, our “second run” is the perfect time to be bolder and more confident than we ever were in our prior years! Can’t wait to see your blog bloom! I’d say that my most recent big move, once I knew my 3 kids were launched, was to start selling my original artwork and prints at saltbox7gallery.com – Maine Landscapes (of course) & Bird Portraits too. With a small online gallery established, I am more than ever excited for my second bold move… to capitalize on all my years of garden design, installs and upkeep services to focus on a big new project on my own Maine property… I am developing a Lavender Farm! Keep an eye out for Saltbox Lavender Farm. You know that I’ll be sure to send you an invitation to visit when we 1st open!! Why retire when we can play, right? Keep doing what you enjoy most Molly and we will enjoy following along! Smiles, K
Hi Kathleen –You are an inspiration with not one, but two bold moves! I think a visit to your lavender farm sounds like a great blog post! I look forward to visiting and meeting you!
Hi Molly! Have been following you on Instagram and just love your little piece of heaven ❤️. My husband of 46yrs. Has been going to Maine since he was a small boy. I have been many times and also love it. Looking forward to your blog and will be watching for my favorite sailor lamp!!
Hi Linda! There is a lot to love about Maine! I has certainly captured my heart! Maybe the headless sailor deserves a blog post all his own, haha!
Hooray for you and your blog, Molly! The IG crowd is in for a treat as you share other aspects of your life here. Let me state right up front: Maine and fashion are not an oxymoron now that you live there! As for journeys, when I left language work to work with the newly hired workforce, it was scary leaving behind the familiar, but it worked out beautifully and brought me so much joy! I’m so glad you’re thriving on your second run. Your IG posts are a part of my daily routine and now your blog posts will be too! Congratulations! 🎊 👏 💐 🥳
Hi Patrice! Your bold journey brought you to exactly where you were supposed to be, as has mine! I am looking forward to seeing you and the other ladies in a few weeks!
Happy for you. Looking forward to hearing and seeing more from you, Molly
Xx
Colleen aka Littlematchgirlllc on Instagram
Hi Colleen! Thank you for joining me here! Time for me to get started!
Congratulations Molly I look forward to reading your blog and so happy I found your IG page.
Thank you for joining me here and on IG, Joyce!
Hi Molly! Congratulations on your new blog! I’ve been following you and your adorable pooches on Instagram for a while and look forward to your new platform. I have recently purchased a second home in Down East Maine so well know the allure of looking out the window and seeing the magnificent coastline and hearing the shorebirds…I even have a resident eagle! Best of luck to you.
Hi Melissa! Thank you for your support on IG and now here! And welcome to Maine! We had a pair of bald eagles here a couple years ago, but they seem to have moved on. I love all the other birds though, and this time of year watching the sailboats glide by!
I love your story, and I’m looking forward to hearing more. I don’t see myself as very adventurous, but I am also new to the blogging world. Some of the technical pieces are truly an adventure for me! 🙂
Hi Susan! I am not super adventurous either, so you can imagine how hard this was for me. The vision of the life I could have here kept me moving forward, though! And yes, the technical side of blogging is overwhelming. And it certainly didn’t start well when my site suffered a “critical error” within an hour of publishing my first post, haha! But friends and tech support go me over that hump. Thanks for joining me here!
Hi Molly,
I just read about your blog over on Rachel’s “The Ponds Farmhouse”…just finished reading your story, and BAM! I’m ready to be a subscriber! Best wishes on this new endeavor, and I look forward to reading your future posts.
Hi Gail! Welcome to Maine! Rachel is the sweetest! Thanks so much for joining me here!
I follow you and a few other coastal/lake/beach accounts on IG. I live vicariously through you all from New Jersey. God Bless!!
Hi Barbara! You will be sure to find lots of coastal goodness here on my blog! Thanks for making the hop here from IG!
Congratulations Molly! So excited go see what you have planned for us.
Hi Elaine! I have lots of fun ideas! Time to get to work!
Our big risk was moving 2 years ago from an urban area we were very familiar with to a small town that has 2 hamburger joints, 1 Chinese food joint, 1 sub sandwich joint, and 2 pizza joints…none of which are really tasty or even offer delivery. The library, a well supported lifeline in our former town, only operates part time here due to lack of funding. Add the pandemic and staying in most of the time…erk. If it wasn’t for walking our dog, we’d have never met our neighbors. Even so, we couldn’t tell you their last names (but could tell you all their dogs’ names.) It’s definitely a learning curve. Do we regret the move? Well, now we are surrounded by farm fields, many many walking trails and forest preserves, foxes, coyotes, herons, cranes, white pelicans, wild trilliums, sweet corn and apple festivals and wild blackberries…the list is long! So, yes, we miss our former town and its conveniences but now we do not have the frantic pace, loud expressways, train schedules, etc, etc, etc. Hopefully this year will include meeting with our neighbors and joining some community groups.
Hi Deb! Your bold journey sounds very similar to mine — except you have more places to eat out than we do here, haha! (Plenty of lobster here, though!) We also have a wonderful library in our teeny little town. I hope that now that Covid is loosening its grip you will be able to make connections in your new community! Thank you for joining me here!
I just love everything about this, Molly! Your heart and courage inspires me daily to reach my dream of Maine coastal living. In the meantime, I get to live through it in your eyes. It will be a joy to follow along.
Hi Cara! It is so comforting to see you pop up here! I am here for you until you are ready to make this bold journey to Maine yourself!
Che bello! Complimenti per il blog! Sono una interior design di Firenze in Italia e adoro la tua casa e i tuoi dettagli blu💙
Sto completando anche io il mio piccolo rifugio al mare e per per farlo mi sono ispirata al tuo magico Maine!
Ti seguirò sicuramente anche sul blog e grazie per condividere con noi le bellezze del mare e della tua splendida casa!
Hello in Firenze! Thank you for your kind words (some of which I am able to understand!) and for following along with me here! Greetings from beautiful Maine!
I’ve followed your Instagram for quite a while and I’m glad you have a blog too. Instagram seems so competitive lately with all the videos; I prefer a quieter interaction.
In 2014 my husband and I sailed our boat out of San Francisco and headed down the coast, starting an adventure that would last 4 years. By 2017 we were in Maine where we fell in love with the land, the people, and the sailing, but NOT the lobster pot buoys! With winter approaching, we sailed south on October 1st vowing to return someday. We eventually sold our boat in Annapolis, returned to California, bought a house, and are fixing it up with a nod to New England: crisp, clean, lots of blues and grays, nautical accents.
I love the roller shades and will probably do something like that in my living room.
And we did return to Maine last fall as leaf peepers. LOL
Wow, that is a definitely bold and very literal journey you went on! What an adventure! Your new home sounds lovely! Fall is such a beautiful time to visit Maine! Thank you so much for joining me here on my blog. I agree that IG has gotten very noisy — visually and aurally. So here I am!
Hi Molly, so nice to see you in the blogosphere. I’ve been following you on IG for quite a bit. Welcome, looking forward to getting to know you here. coming from Rachel’s Pond Farmhouse.
Hi Debra! Thanks so much for hopping over from Rachel’s blog to say hello! (Rachel is so sweet!). I have some fun things planned here!
Congratulations on starting your blog. It’s beautiful. And it’s not as easy as people think. I stumbled across your Instagram and love the aesthetic. I live in a coastal beach town that was once quiet but is now “discovered.”
Now in my later years, I too long for a life of “quiet beauty.” My beach walks with my dog (and sometimes daughters) give me that joy.
I started my blog a few years ago as part of my “second run.” If you have any blogging questions feel free to reach out. Although it seems you have a great head start with your Instagram supporters. I am looking forward to future posts.
Thank you, Mary Ann! Yes, this has been a big step and I know the work is just beginning! It sounds like we have much in common! I look forward to taking a look at your blog too! Have a beautiful day!
Hi Molly,
I have been following you on Instagram since you started and love your feed. We have always lived in Maine but in our retirement the winters came too sedentary. So we bought a house in Northeast Florida and decided to be snowbirds. We always look forward to summer when we can be home to our family who live local but are much more active in the winter now. We feel we have the best of both worlds. I know that I will enjoy your blog as much as your IG feed! Congratulations!
Hi Brenda! It sounds like you have definitely found the best of both worlds! I hope you are back in Maine now to enjoy our beautiful summer! Thank you for joining me here on the blog!
Hi Molly!
I’m thrilled to see your blog. Your IG account is my absolute favorite.
Last summer, I messaged you for recommendations for our upcoming trip to Maine (inspired by you and your view) and you so graciously responded.
We’ve lived in Europe and all over the East Coast, so we’ve seen some of the world’s most beautiful places. But your kind contribution to our trip to Maine has now made it one of our most treasured of all.
Thank you for your generous heart and creative soul.
Hi Sasha! I am so glad to hear that you had a wonderful trip to Maine! I will definitely need to do a blog post sharing some of my recommendations! Thanks so much for your support on IG and now in this new endeavor!
I retired from teaching in February! I spend my days quilting and puttering around the house! Live your blog!!!!
Congratulations on your retirement! Enjoy your “second run”, whatever you choose to do! Thank you for joining me here!
Congratulations Molly! I am an IG follower and I love and look forward to your posts and your blog, it looks very interesting! I first fell in love with Maine from the novels of Elizabeth Ogilvie and her series of books about a family of lobster fishermen. She grew up on Bass Island so the the stories are semi autobiographical about island living before WW11; they are a magical read! Your photos are the way I pictured it in my head!
Hi Karen! Thank you! I will have to check out those Elizabeth Ogilvie novels. They sound like they could be set right here where I live! I am so grateful that you have joined me here!
Hi Molly,
I’ve loved your Instagram account for years. As a former New Englander living in California, it gives me all the daydream feels. I’m hoping I get my second run in Maine one day.
-Erin
Hi Erin! Thank you for your support on IG and for joining me here now! I have all the Maine daydreams for you!
Molly, It is timely thatI I should stumble across your blog today since we head to Maine in 2 days. We go each June for a week or two and have been doing so for more than 20 years. When it warms up here in Tennessee, we long for the cooler temps of Maine and of course lobster! We go down east to the Southwest Harbor area (actually to Bernard, but no one knows where that is.). Good luck with your blog. Look forward to following along!
Hi Sara! I am so glad you found me! You are right — I have never heard of Bernard, haha! Enjoy your time there and all the lobster!
This is an exciting new step, Molly. I am looking forward to your posts. Congratulations!
Thank you Sheena! Time for me to get blogging!
I’ve been following you on Instagram for about a year and have enjoyed seeing your beautiful home and sweet puppies. I too started over in a new location after 36 years of nursing to retire on the lake, new friends, new everything! Quite a journey, but a blessing! Blessings to you on your new blog!
It was scary, right?! But I love the life I am still in the process of creating here. And I chose this life here — just kind of fell into the other one. (That’s how life works sometimes, and, before you know it, 34 years have passed!) Thanks for joining me here!
Congratulations on the blog launch!! I’m happy to welcome another New England blogger into the fold!
Hi Jennifer! Thank you! I am excited to be a part of the New England blogging community!
Molly, I’m so excited for you! After I retired from teaching, we moved from Charleston to the tiny town where my husband grew up. We started a blog shortly after that and it was a good 2nd run! I would love to see you do posts about your wonderful collections.
Hi Jane! I am excited for this second run! It is my plan to do some posts on my collections — particularly my mom’s beautiful blue and white transferware and my sailors valentines!
I’ve followed you for a while on IG. And, I’m so excited to have the opportunity to follow your blog. I love seeing your home. Blue is my fave color. So, your decor speaks to my heart! And, of course, your pups always bring a smile to my face!
Hi Renee! Thank you for following me on IG and for joining me here! My second post will be about the blue paint colors I used downstairs. I just got started on it today!
We did the same. Left our home of 36 years and moved to a small coastal town in North Carolina. Best decision we ever made. I’m also a Springer mom and our daughter has two Springers! Best dogs ever.
Sounds like we have a lot in common! Yes, springers are the BEST!
I’m excited for you and me because I get to follow both accounts. I can’t wait to see what you blog about.
Thank you for following along with me in both spaces! I plan on posting again soon!
Molly, love your energy! My ‘second run’ was photography, a passion that I never had time to work at during the 30 years I ran my own marketing company. But here we are, two women in love with Maine and more to give! So congrats to you, and I look forward to whatever the future has in store!
And you have excelled in your second run! I hope that I can be half as successful at this! Let’s get together this summer some time!
I fell in love with your beautiful home on Instagram & I’m thrilled to follow you here! We have one college graduate, twins in college & our ‘baby’ will be a senior in high school this year. So, we’re heading towards an empty nest. A new & exciting adventure, but first we must get this final child off to college!
Hi Kelly! It is both rewarding and difficult to see all our “babies” leave the nest. It is a time for new adventures, though! Good luck with senior year!
Hi Molly I am so excited for you setting up your blog! I have so enjoyed following you on Instagram! I look forward to your posts.
Hi Sonya! Thank you! I will be working on my second post tomorrow! Thanks for joining me here!
Oh Molly, I am so happy you are doing a blog. I love blogs and your home is captivating. I have never been to Maine, and you make me want to visit. In the summer of course, since I am a Florida girl and care not one bit for snow outside of photographs. Boldness is not exactly my best attribute, but I am sure I have some things. I am a Springer mommy too.
Hi Sandy! You definitely must visit Maine! I know you would enjoy our comparatively cool summers here! Springer Spaniels are the best!
Molly, I am so excited for you and for us, the recipients of your posts. I look forward to your morning view every day. Between you and Emily @our1880farmhouse, I definitely want to visit Maine. Our bold move was adopting two children internationally when we were in our late 30s/early 40s. My husband and I dream of moving to a place with a slower pace. Your story and many of the stories in the comments are very encouraging.
Hi Roxanne! That was definitely a bold move you took, but I am sure your children have brought so much joy and love into your life! You must all visit Maine one day!
I’m excited to read your blog! I fell in love with Maine a zillion years ago reading teenage novels and my first “bold” trip there was with my grandmother when I turned 21 and she turned 81! Now it’s many trips and many Maine novels later, and I’m very happy to follow all you have to share.
Hi Connie! I love your story of how you fell in love with Maine and visiting with your 81-year old grandmother! Thank you for sharing and for joining me here!
I started following your Instagram page about 18 months ago and I just love it!!! I’m so happy you’ve started this blog, I can’t wait to read more and more!!!
Hi JoAnn — Thanks so much for following along with me on Instagram and now here!
I love Rowing North with you!! I embrace and love all that is exciting and new in your life and mine! Thanks for bringing sunshine to all of us!!🥰👍🏻
Hi Gail! Thank you for bringing sunshine to my day!
Hi Molly,
I’m Karen B. (Only because there seem to be more Karens than ever. :)) Elizabeth from Pinecones and Acorns introduced me, and it sounds like I will enjoy your posts. I no longer have an active blog site (Garden Home and Party). I do have an Instagram account that I try to keep active (Gardenhomeandparty).
Nice to meet you.
Karen B.
Hi Karen! And welcome to Maine! Thank you for coming over here from Elizabeth’s blog! She is so kind and generous!
Hi Molly,
I’m excited for your blog as I have followed your Instagram page for awhile. We share a love of blue, home and dogs.
I’m looking forward to reading more.
From a cottage in the mountains, and one who shares your outlook on life,
Debra B
Hi Debra! Thanks for coming over from IG to join me here too! Sounds like we are kindred souls!
Hi Molly, I have been a quiet follower of your IG account for a few years now. I love your style and your story. I too took a leap last year. We sold our house in town where we had raised our children and moved an hour away to our beautiful home on the lake. I’m not fully retired yet, but plan to in a few years. My husband and I just decided “What are we waiting for?” We have added on to our small home here, rebuilt a small cabin into a guest house, and embraced LakeLife! Thank you for sharing your life and all your ideas! I’m excited to find your Blog.
Debbie in Alabama
Your bold journey sounds similar to mine! Isn’t life on the water wonderful?! Thanks for your response and for joining me here!
Congratulations on your new blog. I discovered your work on Instagram a while ago and loved your aesthetic. I, too, live in a coastal town and can’t think of a better lifestyle.
I’m looking forward to reading your posts for more inspiration!
Hi Mary Ann! Thanks for joining me here and on IG! Living on the coast is a dream come true for me!
Congrats on taking the leap into the second run! Looking forward to your posts and learning more about beautiful Maine
Hi Holly! It is so good to see you here on my blog! Thanks for your kind words!
Having visited almost every state but four, your Instagram account has put Maine on top of the list. My husband and I lived for 47 years in a small southern Oregon town, 40 in the same house, and moved to Portland January 2020. As the boxes were emptied and we were settling in the Covid-19 pandemic shut everything down. Other than our son’s family a mile away we had no close friends or associations. I have no regrets for our move especially downsizing by more than half the space. As things are opening up we foresee new adventures with fewer obligations to hold us back. I enjoy your Instagram posts and look forward to reading the blog!
Your bold journey was the opposite direction from mine, but bold nonetheless! One of our daughters lived in Portland, OR for almost a year — you have so many great restaurants to explore there now that things are opening up again! I also did a bike ride in the Crater Lake/Bend/Sister (I think that was the name) area. So gorgeous! Thanks for joining me here on the blog!
I can’t tell you how excited I am that you’re now an awesome blogger! Your blog looks fabulous by the way. I look forward to reading your blog each week and continue to be inspired by your coastal style. Hugs.
Thanks for your constant support, Kim! You have always inspired me! Hugs right back!
I too, have just purchased a coastal cottage in a fishing village in Maine. Unfortunately it will never look like that, as it’s an 1860s bit of a disaster. And it’s tidal, so that beautiful blue water is replaced by mudflats twice a day. But, we love it. I’m just trying to make it a little more homey without spending my dwindling retirement funds.
I took some inspiration from your blue china, I’ll post it on your insta.
Hi Leslie! Oh, your home sounds like a wonderful project! It will just take some time, but that way you can figure out exactly what you want to do with it! Take a look at my “morning” stories — our harbor is tidal too. We are lucky to have big rocks out there at low tide in addition to mud. And we get fabulous birds too. Some of my guests prefer low tide over high tide. We also always have the ocean in the distance. Where are you located?
Molly,
I am so excited about this new journey for you! Your website is absolutely beautiful and I know it will touch and inspire so many people!
Thanks so much, Kristin! You are a constant inspiration to me! I don’t know how you do all that you do — and do it so well!
Hi Molly,
Love your insta, so I knew I would enjoy your blog. And, I do! My second act was travel. My husband and I sold everything when we retired bought a Motorhome and traveled the United States for 3 years. We landed in Florida for 2 years, until the bustled became to much. We returned to Maine. Still love to travel. But love coming home .
Can’t wait to see what’s next with the blog!
Wow! That was such an adventure! Always good to come back to Maine, though!
Your Instagram account is where I go when I want inspiration it has been such a blessing to me for the past 2 years! I live 50 miles south of DC in Fredericksburg Va. my husband was born and raised in Arlington. I long for New England we honeymooned in Cape Cod 31 years ago and it stuck to my soul! I’ve been obsessed with New England practically my entire life! I was from Houston Texas and knew in my soul it belonged on the east coast. While I do t reside on the coast I’m a close drive away here in the mid Atlantic and I get so much comfort in your beautiful home and guest cottage!
Hi Patricia! Thank you! I hope you will find the same inspiration here on my blog! I grew up outside NYC and lived in the DC area for 34 years. But I went to college in New Hampshire and have always felt like a New England gal at heart. It is where I feel most at home. And here I am! Thanks for joining me!