It’s been nearly a year since we purchased a great little place in Truckee, California and we were so excited to start on projects that would give it new life (see my design inspiration here). We use it as a vacation house to get away from the city, and started using it for rental income last year before the holidays. To get it ready, we put a lot of sweat equity into the space.

home: hanging vintage oars

Getting Snowpeak Retreat together was easy since we purchased the furniture in the sale, and we actually kept most of it while the stuff we didn't easily sold or donated. When we purchased the unit, it didn't feel like it was a retreat in the woods (remember the large print of the Golden Gate bridge over the fireplace?). The goal: turn this into the modern mountain retreat we couldn't wait to leave the city for.

Immediately after closing on Snowpeak Retreat, I was on the hunt for fun and affordable ways to decorate. The monthly Alameda Point Antiques Faire  is my favorite go-to for inspiration and I quickly found these vintage oars and scored them for $25!

read: nonfiction favorites for 2018

Reading is such a luxury when you're short on time, but when you pick up a good book, you wonder why you even stopped in the first place! If you're anything like me, you need something that will keep the pages turning. I've always been a big popular fiction reader but recently focused on nonfiction, biographies, stories that make us appreciate life a little more and learn something along the way.

Here are my four favorite and highly recommended recent nonfiction reads:*

• Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter written by Kate Clifford Larson. I can never get enough Kennedy history, and this book focuses on the story of the Kennedy sister that turned an entire family into her biggest advocates. (NOTE: I'm watching American Series: The Kennedys on CNN right now and it's everything a nerd like me wants from a good American story.)
• When Breath Becomes Air written by Paul Kalanithi. I picked this up before boarding a flight from Cabo San Lucas. The writer finished this book before his death and a courageous fight with (fucking) cancer. A beautiful story = tissues. 
• Promise me, Dad written by Joe Biden. Politics aside, I'm a fan of the former Vice President and Senator. Not only is he a fellow Syracuse University alumni, but he is also a tremendous softy. This book does a fantastic job of balancing his son's heartbreaking story and his role in the Obama Administration. Tissues, you need tissues. 
• The Year of Less written by Cait Flanders. Finally, a read that didn't require a box of tissues. I'm a good purger, keep my shopping to a minimum. But Cait will inspire your soul to prioritize life over things.

Let me know if you end up reading any of these books and what you think! Do you have any good nonfiction suggestions for us to try?

Is fiction more your thing or you don't fancy carrying around a box of tissues? I shared this post of my favorite titles and series last year. 

craft: easy DIY fabric coasters and trivet

Purging. I've talked about it before, and I'm always looking for a new project that can create something useful with the overflow of materials in my craft room. I even have loads of Pinterest pins just waiting to accomplish exactly these goals!

Here's a good - and easy - project that cleared out fabric (did I mention that I'm a hoarder?). With less than a yard of fabric, laundry rope, hot glue gun and sewing machine, I had enough to create four coasters and a trivet.

goals: may round-up

You probably think that I'm failing with my 2017 resolution and not making or keeping any weekly goals, but that's not true. With the Snowpeak Retreat keys in our hands, we've been replacing, updating and searching for the right items to make it both a home and rental. There's been a lot of researching and comparing, and with long work days and travel, just getting there to put it all into place has been all the goals a girl can handle.

home: a lasting vacation

We have a fun announcement! April weekly goals were big and they included reviewing, signing and chasing down documents for the purchase of our new ... vacation home! That's right. Two mortgages for the win!

Here's the short story of a decently shortish story. My husband is a fantastic skier (from New England that one) and I spent my winters on a dairy farm not skiing. Four years ago, I took my first ski lesson and last year, I became completely addicted to this ridiculously cold sport. So now we both have this hobby that takes us to the Lake Tahoe area often, and we fell in love. (To clarify, the area. We already loved each other.)

goals: march wrap-up

A quarter of the year is complete and I continue my weekly goals. The important thing is that I have stayed true to my goals and maintained the ones from the week before. For instance, reapplying lipstick has been a challenge but I'm trying my hardest here!! (And it makes me feel more put together which in turn makes me more confident.)

March Week 2: Start a Garden (again)

There were attempts in 2010 and again in 2012, and every year since, I make little attempts to grow basil or calla lilies. Every year, not so successful. But this year and with this California rain, I feel less guilty about growing my own crops. So one Saturday, we pulled out all of the dirt in this garden box (that was the problem) and started over with fresh soil and new vegetables.

squash | red onion | lacinato kale | romaine lettuce | parsley | red peppers | tomatoes | raspberries