Lifestyle

Lifestyle

it’s been a while since i gave a full otto update. and to be honest it’s because things have been so good. we have received countless good news after good news that it’s easy to just celebrate and move on. which is so wrong because i don’t want to just share the dark. because right […]

an update on otto

Lifestyle

An Update On Otto

Lifestyle

we have been having some pretty epic weekends around here lately. while we should be staying home and taking advantage of the melted snow and brown yard, getting ready for spring clean up around the farm.. we just don’t want to. exploring is so much more fun. and this past weekend was nothing short of […]

dinosaurs and hot chicken

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

we are back from our short and sweet trip down south where we escaped the cold and hung out a few days in Fort Lauderdale and Miami. i’m starting to think that short little trips are the ticket to a stress free mini vacay. if i’m gone too long from routine otto gets out of […]

Fort Lauderdale and Miami Day Trip

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

i’ve been getting a lot of questions lately on my current hair car situation so i thought i would do a dedicated post to how i do my hair, specifically what i use on my hair during “hair wash day”. because anyone with curly hair knows that there is curl wash day and curl maintenance […]

my current curly hair care situation

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

there is something that has been weighing on me lately. and that is pretty much the weight of motherhood. guys… it’s hard. it’s a lot harder than I could have ever imagined. i’m struggling with all of the emotions that come with being a mom in todays day and age. and well.. i’m struggling almost […]

mom and toddler

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

i’m not a fan of valentines day. or am i? i don’t know. i’m on the fence. joe and i used to go out on valentines day for the fancy dinner and the gifts and chocolates but as we got older and wiser that places are packed and expensive on valentines day we made a […]

garden gifts for valentines day

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

i’m back in the michigan cold after enjoying three full days in the cayman islands with joe. while it was technically for work we managed to have a good time and enjoy all that the island had to offer. i thought i would take a bit and spill all the details about where we went […]

three days in grand cayman

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

well we are getting back in to the swing of things from our last family getaway of 2018 and spent it up in northern michigan. the more we go there the more i just fall in love with it and hope that each year i get to spend more and more time there. northern michigan […]

northern michigan family getaway

Lifestyle

Food & Beverage

preserving the pint – marisa wrote the first recipe i ever preserved. the tomato jam on her blog is insanely delicious. i went a few years using this book not realizing they were the same author! if you can’t get enough of her blog recipes then check this book out. she is super thorough and […]

my favorite cookbooks for christmas gifts

Food & Beverage

Lifestyle

what a day friends what a day! i feel like now we can sit back and relax and really enjoy yet another holiday at HOME. whenever we leave an appointment with otto a song or poem or verse always comes to my head and just joyful and triumphant was just clear as day in my […]

joyful and triumphant

Lifestyle

Lifestyle

can i just start off by saying that i used to think that a parlor was a worthless space in a house? that is until we had a huge party and i ran out of room to store vintage treasures. this room connects the formal dining rom to the living room. it’s not a hallway […]

farmhouse parlor holiday decorations

Lifestyle

Food & Beverage

i love cooking and baking but what i don’t love is a bunch of random kitchen gadgets around the house. i love a good spatula but i don’t need an avocado pitter. you know what i am saying? i have a few devices that have earned themselves a permanent spot in the kitchen and over […]

abby’s gift guide for the home cook

Food & Beverage