EARLY SPRING THINGS: OUT OF DORMANCY, A HANDY CHECKLIST, AND CELEBRATING FRIEND SUCCESSES

Not to be dramatic, but springtime makes my brain explode with awe and my heart burst with joy.

This former urbanite used to feel giddy at the sight of cherry blossoms lining the streets of Brooklyn - a mighty show for sure, but nothing compared to the excitement level brought by the first glimpse of anything emerging from the ground in your very own garden. Moving to the countryside has really opened me up to the miracles of nature (is it a cliché if it’s true?) — honestly in ways i never saw coming.

I’m now the steward of a property that boasts a large whimsical garden. It needs tender loving care… and a lot of work. Mostly, it’s been a great teacher, reminding me daily that Mother Nature is the ultimate queen.

And so, how fitting that this newsletter should land on our 5th anniversary of closing on this house? (big Q&A about moving and the house here if you missed it)

I’ve been obsessively, compulsively, aggressively walking around the property three times a day since the first tiny sprouts were spotted in late March— you know, just in case anything progresses. This little ritual has quite literally become my entire personality.

It’s a sluggish pace for anyone in a hurry (me), but there’s no taking my eyes of the ball because it’s on the very precipice of going gangbusters. Any day now, blooms will start to pop with the same zeal as a bag of popcorn in the microwave. Dear reader, i have no words for this kind of exhilaration.

First come the snowdrops, followed by the crocus and muscari. The daffodils are next, then enter the tulips and lilac as the main act. That’s when I know the garden is officially out of dormancy, alive and well once more.

In the fall of 2024, we planted 500 crocus bulbs in the front lawn. They showed face last spring, but so minimally, they were but a speck. Turns out time was the key: they came out in force this year, and my little crocus project really succeeded in putting a pep in my step (this is an understatement).

The biggest challenge is keeping Wally and Bruce from trampling them, but they’re learning (just like me). And they look so darling amidst those glorious purple blooms.

The mental and physical gymnastics required to *defrost* invite the kind of momentum that makes one want to plan all the things / declutter all spaces / clean to all the depths. Just me?

Early spring energy is characterized by a very specific push and pull: it ushers in the desire to activate while the frosty nights say “not so fast!”. Days are longer but the chill in the air keeps us grounded in the reality that Mother Nature operates without haste.

This little transitional slice of time is undeniably joyful, and below is a checklist to prove it. The kind that could really only resonate in early April, tapping into that reined-in thoroughbred energy.

My dear friend Colu Henry released her third highly anticipated cookbook back in March, Better at Home, and dare i say it’s her best tome yet.

Recipes with major wow factor line the pages, each one unfussy to execute and blurbed in her beautiful, witty prose. A feast for the eyes and the tastebuds!

This deeply personal cookbook offers a glimpse into her [food] life as she splits her time between Hudson and Nova Scotia — hosting, cooking, sharing meals, making time, cultivating vibes, and enjoying simple pleasures with loved ones. That is the Life Well way, friends.

This book is made even more special with the inclusion of recipes by her people. It’s with great honor that my ultimate go-to recipe, which I’m pretty sure everyone who’s ever been to my house has had a version of, is right there on page 38 in Better at Home.

This book is a must-have!!!

I’m very lucky to have amazing women in my life. Each of my girlfriends deserve to be celebrated for their wonderful accomplishments, but current timing warrants a couple more shoutouts.

One of the first people i met when i moved to the Hudson Valley is the talented visionary Hilah Stahl, founder of revolutionary interior design platform Spoak. I’ve seen her put blood, sweat, and tears in her company over the years, and I can’t tell you the excitement and pride i felt when i saw her blow away a crowd (audible oohs and aahs!) on the Tamron Hall Show last week.

This TV appearance was preceded by a spotlight in the New York Times back in December, which I never got a chance to share at the time, and just so happens to feature a room in my house as the header. Swoon.

Spoak is an absolute game-changer for the interior design-inclined, from beginners to professionals. Go poke around if you’re not familiar, it actually might change your life.

One last but ever so not least spotlight to shine on something major! I’ve watched with beaming pride my darling Chloe Crane-Leroux, who is like my little sister, soar to the moon in the last couple years.

In the fall of 2024, she released a breathtaking cookbook, The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking, and hasn’t stopped to catch her breath since. She became a magazine cover model in February, and last week, she graced the small screen with her perfect face in her first TV segment — on Good Morning America, no less — discussing (what else) springtime hosting and tablescapes.

Watch the segment here!

I leave you on that heartfelt note and the promise of another imminent rendezvous with more spring updates.

Brb, gotta get back to spring wish-listing, garden planning, seasonal cooking, wardrobe rotating, daydreaming, layer-shedding, and, of course, rain lamenting.

À bientôt,

Hélène