What do you do when you’ve got a large living room for a young family and only a few pieces of furniture? You layer. And you have fun with it.
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OAXACAN ON SUNSHINE
Let me start by saying this: The journey to Hotel Escondido in Oaxaca, Mexico is well worth it.
By the time your taxi turns onto the final dirt road leading to the hotel (a short 30 minutes from the airport), you’ve already seen a few glimpses of the beaches, stretches of jungle-like palm tree groves, and acres of local farmland harvesting, among other things, the avocados and citrus fruits that are certain to find their way into some of the best meals you’ve ever tasted.
Read MoreBEFORE & AFTER: A MINIMAL, MODERN CONDO
For a young couple who share a love of travel and seeing the world, the idea of coming home to a more minimal space made perfect sense.
With this condo being a renovated storefront, we had plenty of unique features in the space worth highlighting: Large front windows. High ceilings. Exposed brick walls. A large, loft-like main room. I couldn’t wait to amplify these architectural elements with furniture, décor, and art.
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COCKTAILS & COUNTDOWNS
Marc's birthday is New Year's Eve, so we always throw a party. It's tradition at this point. And whatever we end up calling it every year - Cocktails & Countdowns, Tipsy & Toasty, Drinks & Dancing, or Wining & Dining - I love the way it's always a fun excuse to get dressed up and raise a glass to my favorite person.
Read MoreFINDING ENDLESS INSPIRATION IN MOROCCO
I like to consider myself a global nomad; I grew up moving around the world, and I’ve never kicked the travel bug since. In fact, as an adult, I still love to jetset as much as time permits, curating experiences to seek out inspiration at every turn. It seems like there’s so much to see and do in the world that my bucket list only gets longer each year—so many destinations, so little time.
And every now and then, you come back from a vacation feeling changed and invigorated with a fresh perspective. That’s how I felt at the end of our week in Morocco this summer.
Read MoreOFF THE BEATEN PATH IN PORTUGAL
Some have rumored Portugal to be “the next France” or “the next Spain”. Perhaps that’s the case, but there’s an off-the-beaten path quality to Portugal that I’m hoping can endure for a little longer. So, what's my advice for planning an off-the-beaten-path escape to Portugal?
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THE PERFECT END-OF-SUMMER SALAD
While one of my favorite year-round pastimes is eating delicious food and pairing it with even better wine, salads are definitely the unofficial signature dish of summer. And since Marc and I love to riff on recipes we find in various cookbooks and on Pinterest, I thought I'd share a mashup of a few different recipes that we've been eating on repeat for the past month or so. We're calling it the Nectarine Caprese Salad.
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THE DAY PARTY PLAYLIST
A FRESH NEUTRAL TAKE ON A FAMILY HOME
When Holly and Brian and their daughter Avery moved to the suburbs, they wanted to make sure that their downtown sensibility translated to their new home. They also wanted to embrace larger spaces in a way that would give them ample opportunities for playtime, downtime, and making memories as a family. The solution? We filled their new house with a layered mix of cool neutrals balanced with warm, family-friendly touches.
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Photo: Michael Barney
COACHELLA 2017: JUST THE HITS
It's no secret that love the Palm Springs area, and I love listening to music, so going to Coachella every year is a no-brainer. So I put together a mini-playlist composed of some of my favorite artists from this year's lineup.
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PALM SPRINGS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH
Palm Springs is my happy place.
The California desert destination holds a special spot in my heart, and for good reason: I got married in Palm Springs, so I automatically associate it with the best memories of my life.
Anyways, Palm Springs is on the short list of places I love to travel back to a few times every year. With a long bucket list that spans the globe, I tend to lean towards trying new spots over repeating ones I’ve been to before. Palm Springs is an exception to that rule. It’s such a great blend of weather, scenery, food, and activities that I kind of think it belongs in everyone’s travel rotation.
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THE VIEW FROM SAINT LUCIA
One of my favorite times of the year to escape is mid-January. It’s just enough time after the holidays to need a little extra time off, and it’s also generally very cold weather in Ohio. So we like to pick a spot somewhere south. Over the years, we’ve done everything from adventurous expeditions in Patagonia (it’s the warmest time of year to visit the South Pole, after all) to beach-hopping in Vieques, Puerto Rico (I have a whole separate blog post planned on that one!). Even though the time of year stays relatively standard, we use it as an opportunity to check destinations off the bucket list.
So how did we end up in Saint Lucia?
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MASTERING OUR MASTER BEDROOM
A little lighting goes a long way.
In the spirit of continuously evolving and updating our home, Marc and I decided it was time to modernize our bedroom a little bit. Nothing major; just a few simple upgrades. New lighting. New throw pillows. A plant for the corner.
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EASY, HEALTHY BREAKFAST: GUACAMOLE DEVILED EGGS
I’m always game for an easy, healthy breakfast. Particularly one that can be prepped ahead of time and doesn’t require heating up. Even better? A breakfast dish that doubles as a great party app.
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Photo: Rouxby Photography
THE ART OF THE DAY-AFTER PARTY
We’ve all been there. We’ve all gotten a major case of the blues the day after a big event or party.
It’s the amplified version of that feeling you get on Sunday afternoons when you know the weekend is rolling to a close.
But I’ve stumbled onto a solution: Day-after parties.
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2017 THEME: HIGHLIGHTER
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about goals for 2017.
With how busy everything got at the end of 2015 going into 2016 last year, I lost track of coming up with my usual yearly theme.
This year, I’m bound and determined to reinstate the tradition, and I think I might be onto something:
“Highlighter.”
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'TIS THE SEASON
For most of my twenties, the holiday season had minimal impact on my home. Sure, I love spending Christmas with my family, but the pragmatist in me didn’t see the need for a single guy to be decorating his apartment for the holidays.
These days, life is a little different. I married someone who sets the tuner to Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving, for starters. And all kidding aside, Marc’s excitement for the holidays is contagious in a good way.
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AN UPDATED LIVING ROOM LOOK FOR HUMPITZ MANOR
It was only a little over a year ago that I first published pictures of our home on my blog. It was my second-ever blog post, in fact! I was proud of the way we had taken our rental and turned it into our own masculine mix of eclectic décor and furnishings that showcased our personalities and our travels from around the world.
Over the course of the past year, our tastes have evolved. The more I looked at our living room, the more I craved a few small improvements.
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WRITING HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE
It's no secret: I took a short hiatus from posting on my blog this summer. I’ve done a little blogging this fall, but have kept the pace a little slower. For an exciting reason: I’ve been busy writing and blogging for other websites instead.
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SPICE UP YOUR LIFE: CHILE-INFUSED OLIVE OIL
On our trip to Italy earlier this year, we discovered that every time we would ask for red pepper, we would receive olive oil infused with chiles. And it was delicious.
So, almost immediately upon return, Marc and I decided to try making this ourselves. It turns out that the recipe is pretty simple (2 ingredients) and relatively easy to make.
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