Welcome to The Sunday Roast — a series that beckons you to slow down and savor the things that spark inspiration. Here, you’ll find a blend of design notes, links I’m loving from the week, personal updates, and the small joys that make my life feel full.
I’ve always loved how the British have the tradition of the Sunday roast — where families gather around the table for a long meal, sharing stories and finding nourishment for the week ahead. My hope is that you discover a few nuggets here to carry with you into yours.
P.S. — This post gets a little long in email; I recommend opening it in the Substack App to be able to read the whole thing. :)
01: Birthday Love
Celebrated another special year around the sun this past week. ✨ As always, I’m so grateful for the quiet and heartfelt celebrations. This year I was away from home and the kids on a work trip, but still got spoiled by loved ones!
Evan is always so thoughtful with gift giving and this year he surprised with me something I never knew I wanted until I was in busy bee mode doing what I do best… tidying up. 🤭 It’s the best gift (if you ask me) since I feel like I’m constantly cleaning the house with endless snack trails and beyond. It’s an investment for sure but couldn’t be more appreciated from this birthday girl.
A few things I’m most excited about for the year ahead:
Spending more time IN our home. I’ve spent so many hours working ON the home that I am excited to transition to actually enjoying it. It seems silly but it has hit me as of late that our home is actually meant to be enjoyed, not simply a project to be tackled. I love creating spaces with my team for other families to live in and enjoy and find rest in; this season feels particularly special because we get to do that very thing in our new home now.
Now that we’ve moved in and are slowly seeing furniture pieces roll in, I’m excited to add pockets of charm to our home over the coming year. Doing that feels less like the heavy lifting I’m accustomed to and more like something that truly sparks joy: patterns, ruffled skirts, new art, quirky finds for the kids spaces … bring it on.
I’m excited for more quality time with my cuties. Since slowing down the clock isn’t possible, I’m soaking every second of it all in!
More date nights. Ever since having kids our date nights have taken a backseat and it really started feeling like a cup deserving of so much love; intentionality and dedication had been quietly neglected. With every year I grow older, I realize time is a thing to be cherished, appreciated, and carved out. I’m excited to date my hubby in a new city, a new town, and even a new home. Date nights may look like a night in after the kids go down, an open mic night in Leiper’s Fork, a special dinner at a new-to-us local restaurant. If you have any ideas that you do for date nights, I’d LOVE to hear so we can try them too! Please leave your thoughts in the comments. xx
Trying new things. For some reason, the older I get, the less I push my myself to try truly new things. One of those is making new friendships. Moving has highlighted my heart’s deepest desire for real connection and authentic relationships. Making new friendships in a new hometown is something I’m so looking forward to. I believe God has us right where he’s called us to here in Tennessee, and I’m hopeful for equally as good relationships ahead.
Planting roots… In a new church to call home for our family; in a new neighborhood that’s already provided to be so rich in good people who are like-minded in values and embrace a slower pace of life; in a creative new office space and home away from home for our team here in Tennessee; in newfound rhythms and routines.
02: Fall on the Mind
Dare we say fall is on the horizon? I’m not not going to say that I’ll be excited and ready for the cooler temps and fall trends. Early bird really does get the best, so here’s a few pieces I’ve had my eye on…
Also, stumbled on and fell in love with this swimsuit (and the matching one for Gracie). Paired with this fall-hued towel!
03: #mgdxlagunaranch Install
After a year and a half of working closely with our clients to bring their family home to life, this past week was a sweet reminder that always hits me during installs. The countless decisions, collaborations, and hands that make these homes possible is truly a feat, and never gets old! Our MGD girlies rallied to bring every little detail to life in this truly magnificent home.
04: Back to School Shopping
Back to school season is upon us and I loved this darling backpack I spotted in store earlier this week. Would also be perfect for on-the-go toys, sticker books, and coloring supplies when we just need something easy to bring along on our adventures and road trips.
I couldn’t help myself with doing some online shopping for back-to-school pieces. Here’s a few I loved….
05: Speaking of school…
My sweeties both started school this week! Ollie entered pre-K and couldn’t have been more ready. It’s been so incredibly special to watch him grow, thrive and mature in countless ways since we moved earlier this summer. Gracie too… she’s becoming such a little person and has us laughing non-stop. She has SO much to say, and officially started preschool. I didn’t know the day would come so soon, but I think she’s really ready. I’m sure those of you reading this with old kids can relate… and these young years must seem so easy in comparison. But I’m still living in this blissfully naive time warp with them being 2 and 4 years old and every new thing they do has me in awe of their resilience, their quiet yet steady growth as little people, and how quickly it really all does go by. I’ve been savoring them extra this summer!
We also started a kindness jar two weeks ago, which was inspired by my sister-in-law who does all the wonderful things. Since we started it, Ollie has been especially motivated and proud to initiate little acts of both kindness and thoughtfulness with his family, his sister, and to countless strangers. I already feel the southern way shining through; that added layer of graciousness around our new neck of the woods in Tennessee is rubbing off on him; I have to say I absolutely love it. He’s holding the door open, helping Gracie with small acts of kindness around the house, and truly blossoming as a little man. He’s only four, and seeing his heart so motivated to do random, kind acts has made me so proud of him. It’s not just filling the kindness jar, although his motivation to do skyrockets every morning with a new opportunity to fill her up, but its the genuine pride he feels when he’s done a kind act or gesture — it fills his cup and the smile he gets just melts me every time. I love watching his character and heart grow in these new ways.
His reward for filling his kindness jar to the brim was picking out a new toy, and surprise, surprise, our Thomas-loving boy got a new collectible for his beloved Brio train set. It’s easily his most loved and played with toy over the last year. Even Gracie is into it now too; it’s so cute to watch them in action together.
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Xx, Mindy
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