Sage, champagne, and good news

We bought a house!

I’ve known it was time for me to leave New York for a while, but my desire to flee hit a fever pitch around the time we started struggling to get pregnant. I realized that the city’s energy, that pulse that used to fill me with so much buzz and inspiration, had begun to take more than it gave. I was regularly exhausted, worn out by the pace, frustrated by how little of the city I fell in love with is left. Tired of the scene and the sirens and the subways. We both felt like maybe it was time for a little change.

So we started hunting (in the worst housing market in history) and two months ago, we found our escape. It’s just an hour’s drive from the heart of Manhattan and a 10 minute walk to the train, with a huge, sprawling lawn with room for a sauna (for Ben) and a garden (for me) and just enough renovation needed to turn it into magic. And as of Friday, it’s officially ours.

Greetings from the sprawling lawn of Casa Del Tuber

It’s a weird time to feel future-focused — both in my own life and in the world at large. There have been nights where I lay awake wondering if we’d ever even be able to fill the bedrooms of this home with our own children, or if we are blessed enough to do that, what kind of world we’d be bringing them into. But since we closed, the universe seems to be telling me that things will work out. Just today, when I was walking home from my errands, worrying that I’d miss my morning trips to Winner for sourdough, a ladybug flew and landed on my shoulder. I took that as a sign that we were headed in the right direction.

My hope for this home is that it helps us pull in a bit to focus on the day-to-day things that actually matter. I’m looking forward to my world getting a little bit smaller, and simpler, and quieter. I’m thrilled by the idea of Ben and I rolling up our sleeves and building something together.

We’ll be diving into renovations shortly after we move in early July, including a gut and expansion of our kitchen, a new patio, and an update to the sun room in the front of the house. And I plan to share the process — both here and on my social channels. I’ve decorated numerous spaces in my time in New York City, but I’ve never had the privilege of transforming a home into exactly what I want it to be. And let me tell you, I am READY. (Wait till you see my mood boards.)

I’m so excited to bring a little light back into our lives, especially during a period that has felt excessively dark. As always, I’m so thankful that you’re here.

xx Maria