The Tiny Finch

Sidewalk sale Thursday-Saturday!

Who doesn’t love bedazzled BAGGU and primecut pieces?! We have a few one-of-a-kind pieces from — get them while you can! ✨🤍

We are HIRING ✨

We are looking for someone to join our team with a 4-5 day set weekly schedule! Please email your resume to [email protected] 🤍

The Lone Star collection from — a customer favorite! These hair clips are hand-painted and perfect for adding some “fun” to your outfit! 🤠🐴✨🤍

Wishing a very special birthday to our fearless and fabulous leader (and Tiny Finch mama bird), Karen Lee! We hope it is the best year yet 🩷✨

With love,
The Tiny Finch Gals

It’s our beautiful leader’s birthday!! To celebrate, we are offering 20% off your full purchase today only! Use code KLZ for your online orders ✨🩷

Ready, set, sew with Carla Valencia — July 10-12 at The Tiny Finch! ✨

Think of the father-daughter duo as your modern day bedazzlers, bringing new life to your loved bags, clothes, boots, etc. Bring something of your own or grab something new from The Tiny Finch (Baggu, Primecut, Dragon Diffusion, bandanas, pillows, and more)! They are also known for their one-of-a-kind purse straps!
Carla is bringing hundreds of patches, leathers, trims, purse straps, and more to create something fabulous for you in-store!

Technical difficulties

drive me batty

Hello, friends! We've run into a challenge with our emails successfully landing in all our subscribers' boxes that is driving me batty. Over the last six to eight weeks we have experienced a rise in our emails are bouncing back, and for a month now more than 25% of them aren't being delivered. Even I am not receiving my own emails!

Aargh.

I've enlisted the help of people smarter than me, and we've got a plan to try to sort it out. You may get a test email or two from us while we do. Please know we don't want to spam you - we're just trying to get back on course with sending to everyone who has opted in.

Hopefully we'll have it sorted out this week, but we'll be on pause with the newsletter until we do. If you don't already follow up on Instagram , please do - we'll be working extra hard there to show all the new goodies in shop and some musings along the way.

We'll be back in touch as soon as we can. Hope you have a wonderful week - and we'd love to see your smiling faces at the shop sometime soon.

xo,
Karen Lee

P.S. If you're not already a supporter of The Nature Conservancy, I'd encourage you to take a look. We were invited last night to the bat viewing at Bracken Bat Cave, which is nothing short of a natural wonder. They host viewing for members and groups throughout the summer, and it's a fun and fascinating way to spend a summer evening.

Technical difficulties are NOT one of my favorite things

The perfect pop of color 💚💛

A few of our green favorites 💚

A cookbook is one of my favorite things

You know I’ve got a thing about books, and cookbooks are no exception. Surrounding my desk in the kitchen I’ve got generous shelf space, and they are crowded with all manner of cookbooks. The cookbooks on my shelves fall into two categories – cookbooks that remind me of great meals, and cookbooks from which I cook great meals. I love to bring home a cookbook as a memento of trip somewhere special. I have stacks of cookbooks that read more like they belong in a travel section – there’s the Michael Mina cookbook with the lobster pot pie recipe, Alice Waters from Chez Panisse, Gundel to remind me of the paprikash we savored in Budapest, Dishoom in London, from the first time we ever tried Indian food and the waiter kept bringing dish after dish, each one better than the previous, the Palace Café in New Orleans, Eataly (from the Eataly in Italy, which felt slightly sacrilegious to visit but was actually a marvel), French Laundry from the wine country.

I pull these cookbooks off the high shelves from time to time, but – truth be told- it is to revisit the memories of those adventures. I feel far too intimidated to try to cook any of the recipes, not only because I fear that I lack the skill to pull them off, but that a failure might also inadvertently dislodge the memory of the perfect meal that inspired me to buy the cookbook in the first place.

On the easier to reach shelves in my kitchen, you’ll find the ones from which I do cook. The old and the new Joy of Cooking, two editions of Ruth Reichl’s Gourmet, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, the Silver Spoon in multiple versions, every one of the Barefoot Contessa – the ones I cut my teeth on and learned the basics. The Italian wedding soup that is our Christmas lunch tradition is an embellishment of Ina Garten’s recipe, and the cookbook opens immediately to its page due to the years of accumulated spills and stains. Then there are the ones from the stages I’ve gone through – Canyon Ranch and Lake Austin for tasty, healthy food. Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Italian Cooking from the aftermath of cooking classes in Italy, from which I fleetingly thought that all our pasta would be freshly made, easy as it seemingly was to make. 1080 Recipes, now simply called Spain, but still the bible of Spanish cooking, giving rise to a very brief interlude after a trip to Barcelona where I was convinced that mastering tapas would inspire me to entertain more.

A funny side story about 1080 Recipes: when our daughter was in third grade, she announced that she needed a recipe from a traditional dish for the unit on food they were completing in her Spanish class. We pulled 1080 Recipes off the shelf and she painstakingly copied the list of more than 25 ingredients and the two pages of detailed instructions for traditional seafood paella. We both puffed a little with pride at the effort, not content with something more simple. Ah, but the thing about pride is that it is kissing cousins with karma, and the next day I learned that all the students were to prepare their dish – enough for the whole grade, 45 students in all – and bring it to their feast by 10am the following morning. Egad. I was loathe to admit it then, but I’ll confess now that we enlisted the help of our talented chef friend who did the lion’s share of the work for us at 6am while we took in just how over our heads we were. When my son came up through the same class two years later, we remembered well the lesson pride has cost us and selected a tasty empanada recipe which we prepared several nights in advance, popped in the freezer, and only had heating left to do the morning of the feast. We all did later take a series of paella classes, determined to shake the shame we felt at not being able to produce it in our own right the first go-round.

But I digress.

I think part of why I love a cookbook is because I love to share a meal with people, and I’m somehow wired to believe that cooking a meal for someone is a way to show love. It’s a funny characteristic, though, because I am a child of the 70s and 80s, where packaged food was very in vogue. We ate TV dinners on weekends, luncheon meat and American cheese sandwiches on white bread, canned vegetables, instant potatoes and coffee, crystallized lemonade, cakes from a box and frosting from a tub. We had a small garden that my father painstakingly tended that produced peppers and tomatoes and strawberries, but otherwise – like many of us from that generation - the novelty and convenience of processed food made it a staple of our diets.

But I’d always watched my grandmother cook – so effortlessly adept at dishes that turned out to be quite complicated when I tried them myself, but herself someone who rarely ate processed foods – and it planted seeds of interest in learning to master it for myself. There were plentiful rows of fruit preserves, homemade pickled and hand-canned vegetables on the screened-in porch of her farmhouse, and she could concoct the most delicious meals from what appeared to be a modest pantry of staples.

We weren’t particularly adventurous eaters growing up, and it wasn’t until I came to college that I started to get curious about different cuisines. Once I did, though, it was truly like a whole new world had opened up. I’ve never been able to decide whether I pity or envy people who have a utilitarian relationship with food - you know the ones: food is fuel is their mantra. Not me. I think about what I want to eat all day. When I’m washing my face in the morning, I’m thinking of the cup of coffee I’m going to make, with freshly-ground beans from that espresso café in the center of Rome that I buy in bulk to justify the shipping. I dabble with breakfast at home, delighted when I’ve got freshly baked muffins under the cake dome, or Saturday mornings when we make pancakes from scratch or fry bacon until it was crisp. I love to meet a friend for lunch somewhere tasty, but even if I don’t, I consider it a waste to get a boring salad or half-hearted sandwich. And I’ve likely been thinking about dinner all day long - fish or pasta, steaks or soup, grains or potatoes, vegetables or salad, dessert for sure.

I have to admit I got lazy about cooking while the children were away at school. But one birdie has returned to the nest and the other will soon arrive, and we’ve been cooking up a storm. I love to buy cookbooks for the shop just as much as I love to buy art books and coffee table books, and we’ve got a bounty of them from every cuisine and level of difficulty. Some of my favorites are the North African, Indian and Thai cookbooks, which incorporate so many of our delicious Diaspora spices (I’m on pins and needles waiting for her cookbook next year). A perennial favorite is the Flamingo Estate cookbook, brimming with light, tasty meals featuring so many fresh vegetables. Speaking of, we’ve got lots of vegetarian cookbooks of all cuisines, which I’m particularly drawn to these days. I don’t think I could ever fully commit to being a vegetarian, but I’m trying to be more intentional about eating more veggies. We’ve also got a broad representation of the flavors of Texas and Mexico, perfect for your own kitchen or that make beautiful hostess or birthday gifts.

I’ve got two particular favorites right now, though. The first is Keep It Zesty from Edy Massih of the popular Edy’s Grocer in Brooklyn. He’s just published a vibrant, easy to follow cookbook of Lebanese favorites from which anyone from a beginner to advanced chef can make a great meal. My son and I picked some favorites and made the Za’atar Chicken thighs with cucumber salad and Mujadara for dinner Friday. It came together easily and was, in a word – DELISH. Next we’re planning to make some Pita-dillas, a clever Lebanese take on quesadillas and some of the spreads. Edy is also famous for his Brown Paper Board spin on a charcuterie board, and the cookbook is full of casual entertaining ideas plus main courses. Edy offers a great Middle Eastern four-spice set from his shop, and after ordering a set for myself I asked if he’d also sell us some sets so that you could have the full experience at home – and he said yes! So, we’ve got twelve boxes of the spices and cookbooks, so be sure to come to get your set right away!

The other is a baking cookbook, which, to be honest, is something I’m always a little leery about. My comfort zone is cooking, because if it tastes good, it doesn’t always have to be beautiful. But baking takes precision and prettiness, and those aren’t always my skills. But I was intrigued by The Cookie That Changed by Life – how could you not be?? – and decided to give it a try. The recipe is for an adaptation of the iconic Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie, but the twist where it features bittersweet chocolate chunks and the generous dusting of Maldon salt flakes. It called for browning the butter, then re-chilling it before incorporating it, and for a mix of rye flour for a slightly nuttier flavor. I followed the recipe to the letter, worried about letting the butter brown too long or the cookies bake too long, but they turned out delicious. In the hands of a more deft baker they likely would have been softer or more pillowy, but that’s for the next time to try to perfect. But these were thin and crisp and that magic umami combination of salty and sweet, and I can’t complain about them at all. We've got several other baking cookbooks, including two special editions of Laduree in Paris if you'd like to try your hand at recreating their famous macarons!

Whether you’re a gourmand or just an expert re-heater, or looking for some inspiration for something different for dinner, or a beautiful gift for a hostess this summer, come let us help you get cooking this summer!

xo,
Karen Lee

A cookbook is one of my favorite things

bags, the newest colors from .germany pens, beautiful nail polish, and stunning twillies from are just some of our favorite shades of purple from around the shop 💜

A few days ago we welcomed these beautiful embroidered cocktail napkins from into our shop! Pair your with beautiful glassware from for the ultimate cocktail hour 🥂

Chefanie was founded by New York-based caterer, culinary influencer, and designer, Stephanie Nass. Stephanie studied the culinary arts as a young woman in France and thenstagedat some of the most highly rated restaurants in Manhattan. In 2014, she founded Victory Club to bring together friends of friends over the culinary and visual arts. In 2016, she created Chefanie Sheets, an innovative dessert accessory to elevate any store bought or homemade dessert. In 2019, she launched tableware and accessories for home entertaining.

Chefanie’s eye catching designs have been featured on The Today Show, New York Times, Town & Country Magazine, O Magazine, Refinery29, Real Simple, and Tasting Table. Stephanie’s dinner club and passion for food has been mentioned by Vogue, Wall Street Journal, Harpers Bazaar, Food & Wine Magazine, InStyle Magazine, NY Magazine!

Trudon unveils an elegant summer capsule collection with the original duo composed of a perfume – Isla – and a scented candle - de Oro - highlights the many facets of bergamot. This luminous composition evokes images of Andalusian overlooking Mediterranean islands in the distance. Bergamot, the central ingredient, is exalted in these creations, delivering a fruity freshness during the day and an highly crafted citrus note in the evening 🍋☀️

A tall glass of iced tea

is one of my favorite things

Summer has landed in full force in Texas, and it feels like there isn’t a way to escape the smoldering heat. Well, maybe just a few – the bracing blast of air conditioning at shops and restaurants, the refreshing splash after a dive in the pool, and the sparkly tingle of a sip of freshly brewed tea.

I have some memories of drinking tea as a girl in the Midwest, the occasional glass jar brewing sun tea on the porch. However, we were more likely to be mixing a packet of Kool-Aid with a full cup of sugar, or diluting Country Time Lemonade or Tang into a pitcher of water.

So, it took moving to Texas to understand tea as a cultural phenomenon, especially sweet tea (which, inexplicably in light of my sweet tooth, I have never developed a taste for). I took a shining to it right away, and there are still few things I love more than a glass of tea morning, noon or night. Years ago we were on safari in Africa, and ten days in I’d had all manner of drinks, but no iced tea. I can still remember my delight when a tray of sharp, fresh iced tea with a slice of orange appeared as we were checking into a lodge at the Victoria Falls.

I've been in iced tea heaven since we started carrying the premium French teas from the legendary Mariage Frères. We’ve got the most special naturally blue tea from Mariage, as well as three of their special iced tea blends in decadent glass bottles. I think the blue tea is as pretty to look at as it is delicious to drink, and the iced teas are a delightful twist on traditional black teas.

It took me longer than I care to admit before I realized that any sort of tea could be made into iced tea, and I love to experiment with different flavors. The Casablanca mint tea is my favorite traditional tea to make into iced tea, and, since most of our teas come in both loose leaf and tea bags, it couldn’t be easier to make iced tea out of any of your favorite tea flavors.

If you're a purist, Diaspora's black tea is the ideal choice for iced tea, and is also the perfect ingredient to make iced chai at home. I love Diaspora's peppery blend, but also love Mariage's smooth chai blend. Diaspora’s jaggery is the ideal sweetener for chai - it’s just a little bit nutty and earthy, and a great substitute for brown sugar.

Another tea really having a moment now is matcha. Its lush green color is hard not to love, and the ritual of its preparation is so satisfying. If you have a matcha lover in your world, a tin of our luscious matcha tea plus the handcrafted set of tools is a beautiful gift.

I don’t add sweetener to my tea, but if you wanted a delicious twist, the simple syrup from Bacanha or any one of the sweet syrups is a perfect way to give a little zing to your tea. Or you may be on the syrups bandwagon, adding such flavors as salted caramel or lavender to your chai or matcha, and if you are we’ve got a delicious range from hazelnut to vanilla for you.

To switch channels for just a moment, I want to tell you about the fabulous pie-baking class my son and I took at the San Antonio Botanical Garden yesterday. My grandmother could make a perfect pie crust with her eyes closed, but it is a skill I’ve never mastered – even though pie is far and away my favorite dessert. We learned to make savory hand pies, peach cobbler and a lattice-work blackberry pie. It was a fun time together, and I was quite proud of our results!

A side benefit of the class was the opportunity to take clippings of fresh herbs from their bountiful cooking garden, and some vegetables that were plentiful.

We tucked the red peppers into jars of Flamingo Estate honey 9a little DIY hot honey attempt), and then we made a flavorful pesto with the herbs. We added some fresh pasta from the Pullman Market and brewed some iced blue tea for the perfect summer lunch. To show off its aqua hue, I pulled out my pretty tea glasses from my dear friends from Aplazzi Antiques, who consistently have the loveliest array of vintage glassware. But if I didn’t want to show off the color, I’d have chosen these luxe framboise tea glasses from France that just arrived.

For your parties, picnics or just to add a little flair to your beverage options, won't you come see us? We'd love to help you find a match that suits you to a "tea."

xo,
Karen Lee

A tall glass of iced tea is one of my favorite things

Always love a visit to the Lingua Franca townhouse! This special holiday collection will land just in time for all the merriment of the season. 🥂🎄🎊

Happy National Clean Beauty Day! Here are a few of our favorite “clean” products — & ✨🤍

The beach is one of my favorite things

Ahhh, I love the beach. I love every single thing about it.

I love the sand, the surf, the roar of waves crashing, the smell of saltwater in the air.

I love to perch under an umbrella on a beach chair, juicy novel in one hand and pina colada in another.

I love to walk the long stretches on the sand in the early morning when the crowds have not yet gathered, and a souvenir-worthy shell might be spotted on the sand.

I love the craggy beaches of Italy, obstacle courses slowing your descent into the crystal-clear water.

I love the silky sand of the Caribbean, luminous under the setting sun.

I love the unassuming beaches in Australia, letting you think this is a beach trip like any other, letting the reefs just offshore knock your socks off.

I love the people watching, beachgoers in every size and shape and degree of coverage.

I love beach food, from fish tacos and crispy fries to pasta nerano and sangria.

I love the little tinge of sun-kissed pink on your nose and cheeks even if you’ve diligently applied your sunblock.

I love the beach clubs of Europe, swanky and buzzy and unabashed.

I love the toddlers suited up with the floaties and the goggles and the white sunscreen who dashed away before it could be rubbed in completely.

I love dinner at the beach, freshly showered, still-wet hair pulled back and donning a breezy sundress and sandals.

But more than anything, I love to swim in the wide-open water. Be in the sea or the ocean, I love to wade in, jump in, dive in, tiptoe in. My daughter and I have a strict rule that we will take a dip in any body of water, no matter how cold it might be. We might zip right on back out to a warm towel and heated pool instead, but we have never – even at Deception Island in Antarctica, shied away from taking the plunge.

I love to wade out from the shore, stand with my back to the cresting waves, unaware of how big they might be or how far I might get swept by them. Each time one picks me up I cackle with delight and also with a little fear, exhilarated by the power of the waves. I also love to jump, arms flailing, off a boat into the wide-open sea. Water so clear you can see every one of your fingers and toes through it. It’s always a little bracing on impact, but the sparkle of it all is so intoxicating that it makes up for the chill.

I often ask myself why I love the water so much – and I think it is two seemingly opposite things at the same time. I love the vastness of it – water for as far as the eye can see and feeling small in relation to it all. The perspective on how the Earth is vast and large swaths of it are inhabited not by people and buildings and problems, but by creatures and reefs and natural wonder. But on the other hand, I’m also lifted up by the sense that, even in its vastness, we can each have our place. Our own small spot in the world that we alone occupy and adorn and animate. Where we lift our faces to the sun, waves crashing, squealing with delight at the majesty and the wonder of it all.

It had been almost two years since I’d been to the beach, the last time being the picture-perfect beaches in Mallorca while vacationing in Spain. I’m taking the children on a little adventure at summer’s end, but it’s not a beach trip, necessarily. I have to admit that I’d been getting antsy trying to find an excuse to go to the ocean, and into my inbox appeared an invite to market in Miami. I had a flight booked before the end of the day, and I’m sending this note from the balcony of my pretty hotel, the moonlight reflecting just a hint of shimmer off the water.

The Tiny Finch is so full of goodies for a beach getaway that I think the only piece in my suitcase not from the shop was my swimsuit! We’ve got beautiful sleeved dresses for work or chilly restaurants, pretty sundresses for strolling on the beach or rooftop brunch (although we got rained on this morning and made a mad dash to the car in ours!) or my favorite silk dresses perfect for dressing up or down. In my carry-on I had all my new Roz hair products in perfect travel sizes, my favorite perfume from Italy, perfect beachy shades of Kure polish and my travel-size Kate McLeod moisturizer.

I love my pretty new coverup from France, and my beautiful woven beach bag was well stocked with Moscot sunnies and my Caddis readers, Zizia sun balm (and, of course, my favorite French Girl tinted lip balm – the perfect no-lipstick shade!), my Tkees flip flops, a pretty hair clip, a small wallet to hold my room key and cash for tips, Lorna Murray sun hat and my wider-brimmed Communitie straw hat. The gorgeous foutas from Inoui Editions are a must for the beach as well! It took going to the beaches in Europe to discover these pretty, absorbent and compact alternatives to bulky terry cloth towels, and I’ve never understood why they haven’t become more prevalent in the states.

In a bit of serendipity my daughter flew in for the weekend and we had two days at the beach and one full day at market. We found lots of beautiful pieces that I can’t wait to show you! If you don’t follow us on Instagram, pop on over and give us a follow so you’ll see all of them when they arrive.

If your summer plans include a trip to the water, whether as far away at the Mediterranean or as close as your backyard pool, come see us for all you’ll need to be sunning in style. We’d love to hear about your beach-bound adventures!

xo,
Karen Lee

The beach is one of my favorite things

Had the best time with my *ahem* junior buyer! Can’t wait to show you all our fabulous finds! 👜👗🩴

Happy Memorial Day! 🇺🇸🤍

I hope you’ll join me in taking a pause tomorrow to honor the brave men and women who have accepted history’s call to defend our freedom. Let’s also consider what role we can each play in preserving those freedoms. As General MacArthur said, “no one is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless they be vigilant of its preservation.”
- Karen Lee

A barbeque is one of my favorite things

Well, that’s not exactly true. I love the IDEA of a barbeque. The margaritas and the cooler full of beer. The ribs, the burgers, the corn on the cob, the watermelon slices. Oh, and the pies. The pool floats and the red, white and blue napkins. The cute sundresses and seersucker shorts and the bopping playlist and the chit chat. The palpable ease with which everyone moves, liberated of the school year-hurriedness. Good humor and bonhomie in the air. Ah yes, there is nothing better than a barbeque.

Except for the mosquitos. And the heat. And the sweating. And the neighbors complaining about the noise. Or worrying about a child falling in the pool. Or whether the potato salad has been out in the sun too long. Oh, and I never learned to grill or make a proper margarita. So, well, maybe a barbeque isn’t all that.

But I do love a party and have been oohing and ahhing about all the perfect party pieces in the shop, thinking about how much you’d all love them for your weekend plans. The charming hand-blown glasses from France in every shape from margarita to beer to champagne to cocktails. My favorites are the small coupe size that come in lots of colors and are perfect for any of the above or for ice cream sundaes. For cocktail inspiration we’ve got lots of bar books from the world’s best hotel bars and mix masters, and for the bar we’ve got delectable salts that are the perfect Texas finish for all your cocktails. Or, our Seedlip and Ghia mocktail mixers are a perfect way to imbibe without feeling the effects in the morning. Last, our favorite Mariage Freres teas made special iced tea editions, one that is naturally blue!

The spice section has everything you need for a perfect spice rub for your ribs and steaks, and the Texas Salt Company seasonings are a great hostess gift.
Our straw hats come in four flattering styles and only $95 each, they are an easy and breezy way to look chic for the weekend. Our beautiful straw bags from France are a perfect way to tote all your goodies in style, and I’d tuck Kate McLeod’s natural bug repellent stone in my bag instead of using any of the other awful alternatives. Plus, we’ve got sundresses and separates galore, in pretty red, white and blue that will keep you looking pretty and breezy.

Being surrounded by all the great party pieces made me wish that I had planned a party. But I let myself hem and haw about it and suddenly it was Thursday. I was convinced it was too late. My family jokes with me that I am – well, the way they describe it when they are feeling generous is “spontaneity challenged.” So instead of sending a printed invitation several weeks in advance and hiring a caterer or at least a bartender, I made a pretty Paperless Post invite, headed to Target with my daughter for paper plates and napkins, ordered 100 pieces of fried chicken and biscuits from Freight Fried Chicken in the Food Hall at Pearl, and decided to wing the rest. My only pause was looking at the blank text box on the invite – what to call it? It wouldn’t be a barbeque, and picnic didn’t seem to fit either. It was definitely going to be an indoor affair – the other thing my family would reliably say about me is that I love the great outdoors – viewed from the inside of a pretty picture window. I settled on summer soirée and hoped it would be sufficiently descriptive. I scoped out Instagram feeds to see who might still be in town, send the invite to a gregarious group of friends. Those who were in town said they’d come and those who weren’t sent their regrets.

I decided to make a watermelon, peach and feta salad and topped it with Flamingo Estate blackberry vinegar and olive oil and Diaspora salt, cold noodle salad with peanut sauce I spiked with Fly By Jing chili oil, and guacamole served with red, white and blue tortilla chips. I also made salted margarita bars which were, honestly, dreadful and no one touched. Oops! My sweet friend who I talked into trying them asked why I thought they were way too salty and my only answer was that I added way too much salt and we had a good laugh about it. Luckily I’d also bought Texas-sized chocolate chip and pecan cookies from Pullman Market so we didn’t go without dessert.

People served their own drinks and made their own plates, we chit chatted and laughed and talked about our summer plans. The conversation was generous and congenial and delightful. And then everyone left at a respectable hour and I set to cleaning up the kitchen. It’s an odd thing that, for an everyday meal, I’m a strict adherent to the rule that she who cooks doesn’t have to clean, but I feel differently after a party. I like to put music on, rinse the plates and hand wash the platters and put away the leftovers. It’s a great chance to replay the scenes from the night, and I try to focus of the highlights instead of the things that weren’t quite right.

There were things that weren’t quite right, for sure. The margarita bars, for one, and I didn’t have all the dishes out in time and I never did I light the candles and I just closed the door on the laundry room because I didn’t get the trash bags out to the bins before guests arrived and the peanut sauce could have been creamier. And I didn’t learn to make margaritas so now I’ve got two gallons of fresh lime juice in my refrigerator waiting to be repurposed.

But when I headed upstairs, counters cleaned and dishwasher humming, I only felt happy. Grateful. We had so much fun that I forgot to snap a photo last evening, but the leftovers made such a pretty dinner that I couldn’t resist taking one tonight. I tried my hand at a mocktail margarita with Seedlip spirits to use up some of that lime juice and it was perfection! All in, a wonderful weekend for making memories, and I'm glad I didn't stand on formality and risk missing out on such fun.

I hope you’ll join me in taking a pause tomorrow to honor the brave men and women who have accepted history’s call to defend our freedom. Let’s also consider what role we can each play in preserving those freedoms. As General MacArthur said, "no one is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless they be vigilant of its preservation."

If you’ve got time between your picnics and barbeques and soirées tomorrow, we’re open from 10-6 and would love to see your firecracker smiles!

xo,
Karen Lee

A barbeque is one of my favorite things