When Life Is Lifing | News and Notes from Maine

Life’s ups and downs, snippets from my Michigan visit, new drapes, Vermont-made candles, and a look ahead to November. Plus some surprise (happy) news.

Hello, friends.

I’m back from my trip to Michigan and, well, since my return, life has been lifing. So please excuse my absence here last week.

It also means that I haven’t been able to focus on creating any substantial content for you.

I do, however, have some news and a loose collection of things to share. Some fun snippets from my Michigan visit. New drapes and a small-batch New England candle maker. A look ahead to November, while still hanging onto a bit of summer by bringing your geraniums inside.

But first the news…

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Tuck and Izzie

Some of you might not realize that, in addition to Cisco and Maddie, I have also had two kitties.

Years ago I was at PetSmart getting guinea pig food (Mr. Darcy is another story), when I wandered over to the pet rescue section. Something about two gray kittens, littermates to be adopted together, called to me. The next day I found myself driving home with Tuck and Izzie in the back seat. My eldest was heading to college the next fall and I might have been trying to preemptively fill the void — they joined our previous Springer, Shamu, and the aforementioned Mr. Darcy.

Tuck and Izzie saw those two depart and Maddie and Cisco arrive. They were with me as all my kids flew the nest, and they made the move to Maine with me.

I said goodbye to Tuck last Friday, and Izzie followed him on Tuesday. Tuck was a big handsome fluffy boy who strutted around the house and lorded over everyone else, but he was a softie at heart. Izzie, conversely, was a tiny sprite of a thing, though tough as nails. She loved to escape and go on adventures outside. Like Maddie and Cisco they made quite a pair. And while Maddie and Cisco might have been the melody in the music of our daily life, Tuck and Izzie were the steady rhythm beating beneath. I loved my home, so alive with furry companions.

At 18, Tuck and Izzie lived good long lives. Old age and a chronic thyroid condition had taken a toll on them over the last couple years, but when I left for Michigan I didn’t think their end was near. So it was wholly unexpected to return and find they had severely deteriorated — especially both at the same time and so soon after Cisco’s passing. As I sat in the vet’s office with Izzie, the feeling of loss for all three was crushing. For now I am left to move through my days, slowed by a heavy heart, tears quick to fall. It has been a rough six weeks.

So that has been life lately. But I don’t want to dwell on sadness with you — read through to the end of this dispatch for some happier news.

My Michigan Visit

And of course there was my visit to Michigan, before all this went down.

My new granddaughter Juliette is absolute perfection. I spent my days snuggling with her, gazing at that sweet little face, and supporting the new parents (who are doing a fabulous job).

We did manage to get out and about a bit, with little Juliette in tow. There was fall fun at Long Family Orchard & Farm in Commerce followed by pumpkin carving back at the house. I don’t know what got into me, but I somehow ended up carving one that my son-in-law Adam, seeing a photo of it, immediately described as “terrifying”. Not very Mim of me!

Another day we went to Pathway Market, a local consignment store. They had a wonderful selection of home furnishings, but most interesting to me was a room full of over 200 vintage Longaberger baskets. Their owner had apparently been a successful Longaberger home consultant and there were many limited-edition and special sales-award baskets.

You probably remember that Longaberger baskets were all the rage back in the 1980s and 90s. So, this was quite the blast from the past. I thought they had gone out of business, and I learned that they did file for bankruptcy and close in 2018. But the business was purchased and reopened in 2019, now selling online instead of through home parties, as they used to.

Naturally, I had to get a basket for old time’s sake. It was hard to choose, but I finally settled on a beautiful American Craft Traditions gathering basket with splints in shades of natural, dark, and gray brown, instead of the typical Longaberger warm brown. I couldn’t fit it in my suitcase, so Jack and Margaux will be sending it my way when they get the chance.

I have linked some fun new Longaberger baskets below.

New Drapes for the Living Room

Those of you with eagle eyes might have noticed in one of my posts this week on Instagram that I have new drapes in the fireside seating area.

Like my previous drapes, these were gifted to me by TwoPages. I wanted something that worked year round, instead of changing them out seasonally as I had been. (It seemed like a good idea at the time, but the wrinkles from storage became unmanageable.) This small coastal botanical print fit the bill perfectly. The warm beige works for winter, but still feels breezy enough for summer. And the pattern adds a bit of texture without fighting with everything else I have going on in the room. I truly couldn’t be happier.

TwoPages is a wonderful resource for custom curtains, fabric shades, and natural blinds. Since I worked with them previously, they have greatly expanded their designer collaborations to offer a beautiful selection of exclusive fabrics. My drapes are the Amy Courtney 100% linen coral design (it reminds me instead of seaweed) in the color Timber. I have linked them below.

A note on ShopMy and brand collaborations: In addition to making it easy to share and store shopping links for you, ShopMy also provides a platform for brands to connect with me. It has been fun to receive collaboration opportunities for a variety of products, but that doesn’t mean I say “yes” to them all. I recently turned down a lucrative offer from a large well-known home goods brand because it just didn’t fit with my aesthetic, and I couldn’t promote the items to you in a genuine way. So, know that when I do choose to share something with you, it’s because I truly use and love it. Stay tuned for some fun collabs with Quince and Sea Bags — two businesses I have always been a fan of.

Scented Candles from Vermont

Speaking of collaborations, I received a fabulous selection of scented candles last week from Hayden Rowe Candle Co, a small Vermont-based woman-owned business — my favorite kind to partner with. Founder and owner Christina Whelton creates hand-poured, non-toxic candles made with 100% soy wax. Her current seasonal scents perfectly evoke the atmosphere of a cozy New England fall and winter.

She sent me: Warm Maple (rich, but not too sweet), Cranberry (perfect for Thanksgiving), Lavender Pine (a mix of floral and woody), and Maine Woods (we are the Pine Tree state, enough said). My home has smelled so good since they arrived!

I would also like to give Stick Season (saffron and fresh ginger), Frasier Fir (evergreen and citrus), Flannel (clean cotton), and By the Fire a try. Are you feeling all the feels?

I have linked some of the scents below.

November in Maine

It’s November and Mother Nature is settling in for the quiet months ahead. The sun sets now before 4:30. The field has been given its winter haircut. And the leaves have mostly fallen. Colors have faded to deep browns, tawny yellows, and weathered buff, with pops of crimson. This fall, my home has served more as a source of comfort than a canvas for my creativity. But the changing palette out my windows has me wanting to bring some warmer colors into the dining area.

I’ll be spending Thanksgiving in Michigan this year (Juliette is too young to travel), but I’d still like to change things up a bit for the season. I’ll share that with you next week. While I’m at it, would you also like to see some Thanksgiving ideas from past years?

Overwintering Geraniums

If you aren’t yet fully ready to let go of summer, now’s the time to bring some of your potted geraniums into the house for the winter. I have actually had mine inside for several years and they bring me so much joy on those cold bleak days.

Place them in a bright window and feed them every time you water. Since I have been using Bleume plant food, my geraniums have taken off and they are covered in blooms.

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This Week and Looking Ahead

It was quite the week. Loss was tempered by hope. I found comfort in the rituals of everyday and distraction in simple joys. And, as always, I was lifted up by the beauty that surrounds me.

I flew through the latest season of Nobody Wants This on Netflix, then moved right into The Diplomat. Two very different shows, but equally entertaining.

I found inspiration in Designer Rita Konig’s cheerful London flat and the perfectly imperfect four-generation Sister Parish home on an island here in Maine.

And while I avoid politics on the blog, I can’t help saying that I am overjoyed that the American people voted on Tuesday for the return to a kinder, gentler, more accepting, decent, and diverse version of ourselves. It gives me hope again for the future of this country I love so much.

Finally, speaking of the future, I am excited to share that Maddie and I will be welcoming a new puppy in December. I have mentioned before that Maddie and Cisco came along at a time in my life when I really needed them. And it seems fate stepped in again, with a litter born to the same breeder just two weeks after I said goodbye to my boy. I knew that I wanted to open my heart to a new pup, but I had no idea until this past week how very badly I would need this new life in mine. I’m not sure yet which, but he will be one of those in the photo above. I really can’t go wrong — they are all adorable.

I leave you with this happy news.

Be well,