Hello there and happy first of the month! Summer is officially here in both calendar date and weather. The first item on my bucket list has been completed - I tried a new ice cream shop: Lickety Split in North Conway, NH. The hilarious part of this taste test is that Lickety Split sells Richardson’s ice cream, which is our local ice cream spot! I think this means I need to try another new ice cream shop.

Styling Breakdown

In case you missed it in our Instagram stories a couple weeks ago, I shared a whole bunch of flush mount light fixtures. I received a direct message request for some ideas and I got very into it. Living and designing in New England means that I’m often working in midcentury built homes with low ceilings. Those big, beautiful fixtures that you see hanging from a 10 foot ceiling in a new build in Utah won’t work. By a long shot. But that doesn’t mean you have to accept defeat and keep a boob light.

When considering if a fixture will fit in your space, make sure there will be at least 7 feet of clearance below the fixture. Also compare the diameter of the fixture to the room size. As a general rule of thumb, you can add the lengths of two perpendicular wall in feet and that sum should be the diameter of your fixture in inches. For example, if you have a room that is 12’ x 14’ then your fixture should be approximately 26” in diameter. We will go a little smaller (maybe down to 22”) if we find the perfect fixture, but not typically bigger (there are always exceptions - i.e. vaulted ceilings make a space feel bigger and can handle bigger).

1) Woven 2) Fabric shade with metal cage 3) Green 4) Tiered shade 5) Blue 6) Black trim shade 7) Wood shade 8) White shade 9) Triple black shade

Fashion Find

I recently discovered a tanning spray thanks to Jillian Harris (it was featured in her seasonal Jilly bag). It’s for your face and neck. I gave it a whirl because I was feeling quite greenish/white-ish after a long winter. I absolutely love it. I use it about twice a week to keep myself looking a little glowy. I love that it’s made in Australia where standards for clean makeup are serious.

Keeping Myself Busy

For Father’s Day, my family headed to Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a day trip. The loose plan was to walk around and have a bite to eat. A “take it as it comes” day. Last minute, I got nervous that my kids were going to be bored and, in turn, whiny and, in turn, ruin Father’s Day. So, I found a scavenger hunt to keep them focused through the walk and the discovery. It can be done as a competition or as a team effort. And it worked wonders. It kept kids and adults alike happy and focused in between the destination site seeing (gardens, bridges, statues, etc,). I would highly recommend it for a true walking tour of a city. And, it’s free.

Local Fun

The Northshore Music Theater has a host of kid friendly shows later this month: Frozen, Beauty and the Beast Jr. and Mean Girls. Beauty and the Beast and Mean Girls are the kid versions (abbreviated) and are full kid casts. It’s a great activity to break up the outdoor marathon of the season. Not only is it fun for kids to see other kids perform, but the shorter show is particular nice for toddler and little kid viewers.

Have a wonderful month! Stay cool!

Cheers, Leah

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