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!
We were very fortunate to have a summer vacation at our favorite place in the Poconos. While we lived there for well over a year, we only recently moved back to Philadelphia and didn’t expect to be back so soon – it was a pleasant surprise! We were so thankful for glorious weather (as usual, ten degrees or more cooler than the city), perfect lake temps, and our own private space to enjoy summer safely. It blows my mind to see how much they’ve grown at the lake, and how many core memories have been made here. You can see all of our Poconos memories here, and click through for more!
I hadn’t planned to photograph their room here in the Poconos, but when we started to pack it hit me that this would be their last shared room (cue the ugly mama waterworks). Of course this room is just borrowed – all I did was add our accessories – most of the credit goes to my good friend Chanee Vijay. They’ve been sharing this room for many years whenever we stay here, but since we moved in for a year we were able to personalize it a bit more. Our new house finally affords them their own rooms, which is a luxury that they haven’t yet known. While I’m excited for them and know it’s time (they’ll be nine this summer), it’s the end of an era for them (and us) and I’m feeling emotional about it. I can’t help but reminisce about their nursery in our first house, their toddler room transformation (oops never shared that), and their “wild” room in our loft. They’ve been the best roommates a parent could hope for, and it’s helped to bond them forever.
One year ago today we took sanctuary here, and as we prepare to emerge from the woods (both literally and metaphorically), the feelings have come at me like a wrecking ball. I know I’m not alone, and while it’s easy to become fatigued by the “anniversary” posts, there’s a valid reason why there are so many. We’ve experienced a collective trauma–some much more than others. We’re among the lucky ones…we haven’t lost any family members, we have our health, financial security, and so much love. Our privilege, however, does not exempt us from the darkness. While we’re seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, I’m approaching it hesitantly…not allowing myself to feel comfort just yet.
One year ago today, my (very Irish) grandfather came to me in a dream and took me to the end of a rainbow…it helped make the road ahead feel safer, despite the uncertainty. I’ll never forget those feelings – equal parts wonder and fear. Perhaps that mixture isn’t a recipe to hide from, but one to embrace. Stepping into a new chapter with such a cocktail of emotion requires courage, but that bravery is usually rewarded with amazing and unexpected results (we’ve been down this road before). On our last visit to our new home, we spotted a triple rainbow reflection on the bathroom counter. Call it coincidence, call it the luck of the Irish…call it a sign. I followed a rainbow into the woods, so I’ll follow one out too.
Snow days are the best days…especially in our family! I’ve been quiet here on the blog (although active on social), as we’ve been savoring the season. I grew up in the Northeast and so many of my childhood memories are connected to the fluffy white stuff that falls from the sky and turns the world into a magical wonderland. My parents used to have to literally drag me inside after hours in the snow with a chapped face, nearly blue lips, and snow-filled boots. After a few decent winter storms, the “big one” came along a few weeks ago here in the Poconos, and gifted us with over thirty inches (yes, 30″). It started the day before and then got super heavy overnight…we woke up in Narnia and it was breathtakingly beautiful…
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.
