This week’s Monday Musing is going out on a Wednesday, because, kid germs. I spent the back half of last week getting over the first round of cooties when my older daughter hit me with round two of a cold over the weekend and into yesterday. But the sun is shining today, and it’s inching above fifty degrees, so all is right with the world.
We’ve been moving at a breakneck pace at AOI/Fenimore Lane, which is exciting – our project on the water in Massachusetts is coming along so beautifully, every time we get progress photos I feel so proud of the work we’re doing there. We’ve spent the last year completely renovating it, and I can’t wait for our clients to move in for the summer come MDW. They haven’t seen any progress photos and want to be surprised, which is a first for us! We’re also starting construction on the Roller Rabbit stores in East and Southampton next week, which we have a MDW finish line on (eek!) I can’t wait to share how those turn out, it’s been really fun to envision a new environment for a brand that I (and my kids!) love so much.
Our residential projects at AOI are varied and in different stages; our NJ historic renovation and addition is aiming for a summer install, which we absolutely cannot wait for. (This one is going to be so special.) And besides the above, we’ve got a variety of projects in differing stages (two just starting, one a total renovation and one a decorating project in the city for a beloved past client, two in the early creative phase where we’re working with the architects on plans for ground up builds, and two just wrapping up in the photoshoot/install phase) – needless to say, we’re on the move.
I submitted the manuscript for my book to my editor late Friday night of last week, which felt completely surreal. Finished in a haze of hot tea and cozy pajamas while I was getting over the cooties, I felt so sentimental detailing all of the projects that will be featured in the book. Each house has a story, and each one is so meaningful to me and our team. I can’t wait to share more BTS of the book process as we get further into the weeds this spring and summer. Now that I’ve submitted the manuscript, we’ll be going into the editing process, as well as continuing to refine the layouts with our truly incredible book design team, working on the cover options, and finalizing the title. I’ve started to put together the tour schedule – if there are any places you’d like us to visit with the book, please let me know in the comments! (Also if there’s anything specific you want to see/hear about the book process either here or on social – I want to know!) The book will, hopefully, be available Feb 2026 and the tour will go through late winter when it launches, and then early spring, summer and the fall.
Brodo, hot tea (Clipper decaf with some milk and sugar) and my cozy LAKE pajamas essentially got me through the last seven days. I also devoured four books while I was in bed: I finally finished Wives Like Us, which was a delicious escape from reality and the perfect light read to get me through the week, plus the three others I mentioned in last week’s take ten. I just started Early Thirties, after hearing about it from one of my best friends and then stumbling upon this great interview between the author Josh Duboff and Alison Roman, and I’m excited to get more into it (I’m only on the first chapter.) Reading in bed when everyone has gone to sleep is my favorite activity, and after figuring out how to turn my iPhone to turn into a dummy phone after 6 PM every single night and all day on the weekends (thank you, Technosapiens, for the how-to on the “downtime” feature in the Screen Time settings!) I am reading more than ever. My Kindle streak is 17 weeks strong and I am sleeping better and potentially distracted less (TBD on that one, my brain is always like ping pong.)
We’re starting to record for S4 of #talkshoppod next week after our winter hiatus, and I’m really excited; every time we record an episode, I learn so much from each subject, so I’m really looking forward to starting again. It’s nice to have a break during the winter to recharge, but spring is the perfect time to start again. We have an incredible line up of ten amazing guests from all facets of the industry, and I’m really looking forward to sharing these episodes. In the meantime, I’ve been listening to a lot of the goop podcast (one of my all time favorites – GP is an excellent interviewer and always leads with curiosity and openness no matter the subject.)
As for the rest of the week, it’s a mix of meetings and putting together creative presentations for clients. We’ve got a bunch of sourcing days coming up for all of our new projects, and I’m looking forward to some time at the D&D, 200 Lex, etc. In the meantime, my mom is here visiting, and we’ve been binging Running Point together (so good!!)
A few things that caught my eye since we last spoke: this enigmatic green Bill Tansey oil on canvas and this diminutive, modern take on a sailboat oil, a greek key adorned set of stone planters (if someone wanted to fill these with lush spring flowers and give them to me for mother’s day, I would not be opposed, hint hint), a vintage silver and turquoise Navajo cuff (I’ve been besotted by turquoise and Western-twinged belts as of late, I think Becky planted this seed), and an antique faux bois garden bench with some of the prettiest patina I’ve ever seen. And because I can’t help myself: a massive brutalist Danish vase with major personality, a perfect full set of yellow Bordallo, perfect for your spring holiday tablescapes, and these Meissen blue onion beauties that would look gorgeous hung on a wall or above a mantle around a mirror.
And now, I bid you adieu to walk to the office – it’s 52 degrees and sunny and I can’t wait to get outside!!!!!
xxx big love
AO
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