Wedding season is upon us and gatherings joyously once again possible. I’m biased, but our Valley does have to be one of the prettiest places on the planet to host a wedding. We’ve rounded up a few gorgeous images in my stories, including this splendid decor by @kellyoshiro and @cocorosedesign!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ #Santayezvalley⁠⁠ #Santaynezvalleywedding⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Styling by @kellyoshiro⁠⁠ and @cocorosedesign

Hope your start to the week has you feeling refreshed and feeling as calm as this ocean looks. Photographer @maxwanger shows his trained eye in capturing the beauty of negative space, and has me thinking about less is more. What can I do less of, have less of, fret less over…I will fret less over ending sentences with prepositions…. What about you?⁠ What can you subtract in order to simplify your life. Even the tiniest course correction today can create a profound new direction tomorrow, a month from now, a year… You get the idea. I’d love to hear from you on this.

In my years of arranging flowers, I have become partial to dahlias. The fact that I can actually grow them doesn’t hurt either…The Café au Lait variety is among my favorites and was the first I planted at the ranch, what, five years ago now? They are perennial in the Santa Ynez Valley where we live, meaning we do not have to dig them up and store them each year, which endears them to me even more. But fair warning, unless you live somewhere very warm, you’re gonna have to dig’em up. That, or start all over with new plants each season. But hey that isn’t so bad seeing as how they bloom their hearts all summer long. Today in my stories are some tips you need to plant and grow your own. ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Photography by @floretflower⁠⁠

Ending the week on a sweet note with a different and delicious dessert recipe to try this summer: peach dumplings. No I never heard of such a thing either! But I mean, we can’t be all cobbler all the time. I might even serve these with peach ice cream. For the recipe, stop by my stories. Recipe by @foodnetwork Photography by @yummymummykitchen

Does anyone know the @peligoni club in Greece? A family-run beach club with villas and cottages on the island of Zakynthos! I heard about it recently and it looks kind of cool. I am charmed by the aesthetic and the vibe. This old farmhouse, for example, has been lovingly restored by local artisans and offers three large bedrooms with en suite baths, a kitchen, outdoor dining area, and a pool with a view of the sea. More via my #linkinbio. Photography by @richardleemassey

Beginning with this view, there is much to love about River Knoll House, an 18th-century ferryman’s cottage along the Connecticut River and recently featured in @verandamag. Designer @cathykincaidinteriors choices of cozy prints and earth tones keep the centuries-old house’s quirky charms intact and bring it gracefully into the present. See how she did it in my stories. Interior Design by @cathykincaidinteriors Architecture by @brookegirtydesign Landscape Architecture by Drew Kenny Photography by @triagiovan Courtesy of @verandamag

Always a gorgeous combination of flowers and colors! Brava to Melissa Kronk and her team and the beautiful flowers at today’s sold out (!) luncheonnkicking off the 30th anniv celebration for the @hsvmuseumart featuring yours truly as speaker. Yikes it had been a while, and I was kinda nervous, but the crowd was friendly and so welcoming. My books sold out too, gosh! Thank you Huntsville! And if you wanted a book but didn’t get one you can order them anywhere, including my we site via link in my profile, and Ill sign it for you too #greenandwhite #californiacookingandsouthernstyle #thebeecottagestory #beecottagestory #melissakronk

Guess where I am?! . . . Huntsville Alabama! Want to learn rocket scientist as soon as I master the Apple TV remote. I think rocket science is WAY easier. No srsly am here to speak today at the beautiful @hsvmuseumart and love Huntsville! Charming and pretty and thoughtfully planned. Speaking on #californiacookingandsouthernstyle and other things…

Longing to pick up your brushes again? Come paint the splendid Santa Ynez Valley with gifted plein aire artist and excellent instructor @timhornfineart (DO see his Insta feed). If you are interested, we’ve just had a spot open up for our workshop this month, June 23-27, in Santa Ynez, California. See my #linkinbio for more and DM me pronto if you are interested! Photography by @tonoandco

How sweet is this breakfast nook by designer (and friend!) @danielledrollins. From the woven light fixture to the blush-colored walls, this cozy corner bespeaks Danielle’s chic Southern style and confident femininity. No wonder she also has a successful clothing line AND a fantastic book. Join me in my stories for more delights a la Danielle. Interior Design by @danielledrollins

Taking a page out of my wise sister’s bath book, I actually did this last night and wondered why i dont do it more often. Why don’t we all?! … Well I have answers and Im sure you do too, but Im not sure they are all true. And ah ha, that is always the question when we we get caught in the stories that keep us from our hearts’ desires. I ask myself “Are you sure…?” One of the many pearls of wisdom from my training as a Martha Beck Wayfinder life coach, and more to be found in her recent book The Way of Integrity. More on that later. . #bathtime #selfcare #thewayofintegrity #rancholazaca #homesweethome @duvallfuqua

Happy Memorial Day weekend! And let’s remember as we bask by the sea or lounge around the pool that the weekend also includes a solemn day of remembrance for the men and women who gave their lives defending this great country of ours.⁠ ⁠ Photography by @lucylaucht