Dear friend, I’ve been thinking a lot about fun lately. Remember that word? Fun? In an attempt to steer the ship towards such moments, I impulsively bought Stuart and me matching his-and-her Christmas sweaters to wear over the holiday yesterday. Complete with deer and all! Though they’re a bit silly, he thinks I’m a bit ridiculous, and the sweaters are not exactly flattering to form, it still felt…
Dear friend, I feel so grateful to share something special with you this week — our annual cottage Christmas tour. Before you watch, I should mention that a bit of extra time went into tidying the cottage. Our little home does, in fact, include plenty of dog hair, D&D dice, and craft projects on the norm. But with those extras tucked away for the moment, I hope you’re able to feel a bit of joy as…
Hi friend, I’m inviting you into my kitchen this week for some quality cooking time together. Even though many of us spent the majority of last week in the kitchen, it feels good to return to a normal pace — and one that is warm, nourishing, and delicious. It was a lot of fun recording this week’s video for you all . It was life-giving to focus on our roots in the from-scratch kitchen for a few…
Hi friend, Thirteen years ago, Stuart and I found ourselves spending Thanksgiving in Alabama — a place we called home for a year. A week before the Thanksgiving holiday, I gave birth to our second baby. Owen’s birth was extremely difficult physically (that’s another story for another day), but suffice it to say, by Thanksgiving Day, I could still barely function. We found ourselves weary with an…
Hi friend, I did the thing I should never do: I decided that the week before hosting twenty guests for Thanksgiving would be the perfect time to paint the baseboard in my kitchen. You know, that project that I’ve put off for the past five years? For some reason, yesterday felt just right. A few hours into patching holes and painting, I realized that I’d made quite the mess. Still, a few hours of…
Hi friend, Here at the Elliott Homestead, we are quickly approaching Thanksgiving and the holidays. The Cooking Community is bursting with feast-worthy recipes to feed a crowd, and our Limone shelves are stocked and waiting for you during our first-ever sale starting next Monday, November 17. ( Sneak a peek now to make your wish list!) As always, I’ve got one foot here with you in our online…
Hi friend, After explaining the wild week that we’ve had to my Italian tutor, Alessandra, she taught me a new saying: Piove sempre sul bagnata. “It always rains on a wet floor.” If you follow our journey on Instagram ( @shayeelliott ), you may have heard a bit of the Bertie saga that I shared over there a few days ago. What began as a normal dog, doing normal farm-dog stuff, has resulted in two…
Hi friend, I just got back from a Shaye-time-out. It involved a mug in my hands and twenty minutes in a screeching hot bath — so hot, my skin turned red. If it sounds relaxing, it wasn’t. It was a desperate attempt to calm my mind and emotions, a plea with myself to settle down. In such moments, I feel so mortal — I am but flesh. It’s rare that I need a time-out. 39 years into this life, I’ve…
Hi friend, I was a bit scared to share my intimate newsletter with you earlier this week , as if exposing myself as someone who has said no to Botox would alienate some of you in the way that choosing a different cultural path sometimes can. Instead, I received a slew of messages from Botox users and non-users alike that were supportive, questioning, and kind. It feels nice to have opened the…
Hi friend, Home is a beautiful word to me. Is it to you? Even though home can often mean full garbage pails and dog-hair littering the floor, much more than that, it is a place of belonging. That is, after all, what makes it a home — a place where one can tuck their feet into wool slippers, light the first of the autumn fires, hang their hat, and belong. Here, my toothbrush sits by the bathroom…
Hi friend, Stuart and I left for Italy yesterday — I’ve sent this email somewhere in the air between Seattle → Frankfurt → Florence. I either have an espresso or a glass of Prosecco in my hand, depending on what time zone I’m currently flying through… both are equally welcome. During COVID days, when Italy was closed down and strict regulations were in place, I wept — fearing a future where I…
Hi friend, I’m filled with peace as I write this letter to you. I love meeting you here each Friday, connecting you to pieces of my heart that I hope you’ll find lovely as well — perhaps helpful, most certainly delicious, maybe even a bit entertaining. After a hot, dry, and slightly uninspired end of summer, it feels very refreshing to be in a new season with new beauty and new possibilities.…
Hi friend, When all is moving too fast, too wildly, too out of control, I turn inwards towards something I can make with my hands in the kitchen. The culinary manifestation of this effort is always simple: perhaps a spiced loaf of banana bread or bowl of chicken and dumplings — a visual (and delicious) focus for my efforts and mind. But more often than not, I make pasta. I will confess that I’ve…
Hi friend, My favorite Italian word is by far the Italian word for homebody: pantofolaio ( pantofolaia for a woman!) . It literally translates to slipper-wearer. I would happily spend my days as a pantofolaia , boppin’ around the house in my very worn red wool slippers, especially this time of year when my feet are already starting to get cold against our old, poorly insulated floors. Home is a…
Hi friend, The light has officially shifted to autumn. The shadows are growing longer; the sun is sitting a bit lower along the ridge. Autumn is a season that welcomes us back into our homes. The outdoor adventures of summer give way to the cozy comforts of our nests. It is this welcoming of fall that has inspired our new Fall Collection at Limone , our curated home goods shop. We’ve got a ton of…
Hi friend, I know it was a hard week for our country. While I can’t explain the events or pretend to understand, I can offer a momentary respite from the chaos. If you need a break, here it is. Consider it your moment to sit back with a cuppa and to remember that there are good, and true, and beautiful things in the world too. I’m especially grateful for our new YouTube video this week , which we…
“ You are more precious than jewels. ” — Proverbs 31:10 I regularly practice and find pleasure in many self-care rituals: from time in the sauna to eating my body weight in grams of protein. I lift weights, prioritize health, and guard my sleep patterns carefully. I look at the morning sun, walk barefoot, and pluck organic vegetables and fruits from our vines. But there is most certainly a…
Hello friend, There are weeks when my words are plenty… and there are weeks when my words are few. After staring at this screen trying to write words in this paragraph… I am finally realizing that this is one of those weeks of fewer words, and that is okay. In such a week, I am grateful to have so many more ways of enjoying life, soothing my soul, and connecting with you all. From the words of…
Hello friend, I have one word to say: Hallelujah! Many of you joined me in prayer for my mother last week, after I shared a bit about waiting to see if she has cancer. We sat on pins and needles all week, wavering between stoicism and collapse. Stuart gently reminded me to take the situation a step at a time. We prayed, we cried, and we waited with anticipation for the results. They arrived and…
If you have nothing planned for dinner, you can make this. Promise. It just might remind you of faraway friends that live in New York that you once walked the ancient streets of Sicily with, devouring all the Italian foods you came within an arm’s reach of, always a glass of wine or espresso in hand (or maybe that’s just me). You can top the pizzette with whatever you like, though I’m partial to…