I'm Susan — devout Francophile, mother of twins, writer, creative director, and aspiring author. I've been sharing my life here since 2010...thanks for reading!
I started looking forward to the holidays in this house as soon as we knew we’d be staying for a bit. We’ve always had a tradition of cutting a fresh tree, but this year it felt even more authentic, doing it in the mountains. While sometimes I wish we could just wander into the woods with an axe like back in the day, we found a charming local farm and quite possible the prettiest tree we’ve ever had. I even broke out the “nice” ornaments from storage, and it was comforting to see some old friends. Many of them are vintage (my grandparents) and I’ve slowly added to the collection each year. The kids got to have their own colorful tree in another room (which you can see in my holiday highlights), but in true 2020 form, a few strands wouldn’t light this year and we ended up with a striped tree…I’ll spare you those images, lol. We have so much to be thankful for, and the gratitude hits hardest during the holidays. We will never forget this year…for so many reasons.
Autumn at the lake is giving me life right now. As soon as October arrived in the mountains, the gorgeous crisp fall temperatures came with it. It didn’t take long for the breathtaking color to develop, and we’re spending our days savoring it. We’ve been living here since early March and there isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not overwhelmed with gratitude. We’ve settled into the mountain life and feel quite at ease with it, to be honest. Being surrounded by nature is so therapeutic amidst the chaos of the world, and it’s amazing what a walk in the woods can do for your mental health (we take a LOT of walks, ha). I’m at peace with where we are, and the uncertainty of where we’re going next – which is not something I’ve been able to say before. Just being alive and healthy is enough right now, truly. There are days when I feel guilt for not being as productive as usual, but you know what? It is OK! Give yourself the space and time you need to process everything going on…because it’s a lot. I saw a post on social media the other day that said, “there’s never been a time when you haven’t made it through”, and that really resonated. I’m going to be ok…we’re going to be ok. Breathe.
As we enter our third year of homeschooling, I feel like it’s finally time to share more about how we homeschool, along with some of our favorite resources. I won’t be getting into why we homeschool – I shared that here if you’re curious, and started the discussion on my blog back in 2016 with this post. Choosing a path for your children is a very personal decision, and not an easy one, no matter which way you go. My heart goes out to everyone being forced into a learning at home situation due to the pandemic. Homeschooling was a decision we made in our own time, and we remain prepared to switch gears if ever it’s not working for us and/or them. Choice is a privilege and I feel very lucky to be able to do it and still have time for my creative pursuits. It should be said that I gave up my interior design business when I started down this path full-time (and lost a dream project), but I can say with 100% confidence that I will never regret my decision to homeschool. The time with my kids during their formative years, the co-learning, the ability to creatively support their individuality, giftedness and learning styles, the list goes on and on. There are so many reasons to embrace homeschooling (despite the challenges) and I hope that this post is helpful should you choose that path.
We are witnessing a revolution. BLACK LIVES MATTER. Please educate yourself about white supremacy and privilege, and how it has served you. Look inward and do the work to be anti-racist. I know that I have a lot of work to do, and it’s hard to know what to say as a privileged white woman that has benefitted from this country’s systemic racism. However–silence is complicity, and I’d rather say something imperfect than nothing at all. Having an uncomfortable conversation with ourselves and with our children is a necessity. Face the discomfort of these paramount conversations, and then TAKE ACTION. I’m sharing some resources and links that are helping us as a family, and hope that you will share too.
Ten years ago today I clicked publish on my first blog post! I’ve spent the last few weeks reflecting on the decade and the impact that this little corner of the internet has had on my life. What began (with a beret) as a creative outlet for my Francophilia and promotion for my design business has evolved to include my life, love, and journey through motherhood. When I started, I was twenty-nine…freshly married, having recently moved to a new state where I knew no one. Now I’m forty…still happily married, living in the same state, and a mother of twins (who are almost eight). Ten years later and it still fuels me, brings me joy, and satisfies my soul…I’ve discovered so much purpose through it.
I’m so thankful that the blogosphere welcomed me with open arms during a time when it was already quite saturated, which still amazes me to this day. I’m so very grateful for friendships forged online…some of my closest offline connections developed from there. On a professional level, my blog has afforded my family and I opportunities that probably wouldn’t have happened otherwise. In these ten years, I’ve taught myself photography, graphic design, and social media marketing, among other things. I am very proud of what I’ve achieved through my hard work and dedication, which has landed me at the doorstep of what is soon to be a huge (secret for now, sorry) career milestone!
So many of you have come along for the ride, from day one…I feel immense gratitude that you’ve stuck with me through the years. This space wouldn’t be what it is without you! Your love and support is palpable, and extends into @thefrancophiles community that I launched a few years ago. It’s such a treat to watch that grow! I thought it would be fun to share my top ten (personal) favorite posts…which has proved to be quite a challenge. I would love to know if you’ve had a favorite post, what you enjoy most about my blog, or what you’d like to see here going forward? Leave a comment and I’ll randomly select one person to receive a personalized goodie bag (I’ll leave the details below) as a thank you. I’m indebted to this community and appreciate you being here more than I can express…MERCI MILLE FOIS! xo, Susan
