An Ocean House Mother's Day

 

Happy Sunday, and more importantly, Happy Mother's Day to all the beautiful mamas in the world! As I see more and more of my friends become mothers over the last few years (with a big boom in the past few months!) I am even more amazed at the love and joy that being a mother can bring to life. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing loved ones and their babies. It truly brings tears to my eyes on a regular basis.

Since I can't spend Mother's Day with my own magnificent mother this year, I thought I'd share pictures of last year's Mother's Day outing. It was the most perfect and lovely day with the woman who has so selflessly given so much of herself to me and my family over the last 27 years.

The Ocean House is one of those places that takes you back in time. It's the most beautiful, rambling hotel along the Rhode Island coast that seems to forever have a place on the lists of top resorts in the world. It's an escape away from the reality where you can enjoy the little, and plush, things in life.

The tea was absolutely lovely. Utterly perfect. From the champagne and tea selection, to the scones (best lemon scone I've ever had) to the gorgeous pastries that had gold on them, I couldn't get enough. Sadly, our stomachs told us otherwise after nibbling on a little bit of everything.

My mother and I got to catch up in a real way that afternoon after weeks of business trips, visiting friends, and trying our best to guess where it was that I would be moving in just a few short months. We ever started talking (read: daydreaming) about how amazing it would be if the potential opportunity to move to Paris worked out. I remember sipping our darjeeling tea and my sweet mother trying to contain her excitement at the possibility that a dream of mine might become true in a matter of weeks.

It was such a happy few hours that I will always treasure. 

Tea was followed by a nice jaunt down to the beach. While the wind was a little strong and the water a little cold, it was still such a gorgeous afternoon. My mom and I spend hours walking and talking along the beach, so it was only fitting the day ended with our feet in the sand.

Rhode Island (and my sweet mom!) seems miles away to me at the moment, but I love looking at these pictures and reminiscing about such a lovely day with my beautiful mother.

Sunsets and Saltwater

 

Isn't it magical how golden hour can make you feel so alive and full of life?

Add in a hazy evening that makes everything look a little dreamier and some choppy water that catches the light just so, and one can easily forget the rest of the world and all their worries. Everything close by looks bright and alive, and everything in the distance is so soft. The ambiance is something hard to match. It can make you feel like you're in a world of your own, far away from any worries, anxiety or sadness. How could you be anything but blissful when you are in the middle of a golden world?

This little dock just before sunset is one of the places I feel like I could live my entire life without ever growing tired of it.

Newport, I love you. So dearly.

Have a beautiful weekend. I'll be chasing more sunsets.

A Winter Stroll

Well that was a very unintended little hiatus from my little space. Sometimes I get too busy living life, but that's a good problem to have. The last month has had precious few slow moments, but it has also been filled with so much happiness and fun. I guess that's really just the pace of my life, not just the last month, if I'm being honest. Sometimes it exhausts me, but I wouldn't change a thing. To have so many loved ones to visit, afternoons filled with laughing and fun, and late nights catching up with friends is a beautiful thing.

The few quiet days I've had lately have been just as wonderful. Catching up on sleep and taking long walks have been my favorite way to pass time this winter. Even with the frigid cold and high winds, fresh air can really renew the spirit and reenergize you. 

These pictures were taken at the end of February when temperatures hit a high of 40{!} here on the Rhode Island coast. Although signs of spring have been more and more present since last week {we were in the 50s this past weekend!}, it seemed as though the subfreezing temperatures would never end. I don't think I've ever been more ready for spring and sunshine! But beautiful February days like these would refresh me and ease my impatience for warmer days!

Looking forward to catching up with everyone over the next week. It's hard to believe it's already April - as always, time is flying by me! 

Autumn Sendoff

Another handful of pictures with foliage and vines. 

Shocking, I know. 

I couldn't resist. Vineyards absolutely capture me. I think I was meant to live among the vines. Not in a Tarzan way.

Thanks for laughing at my little joke.

These are the last pictures {I think} of the beautiful autumn we had in Rhode Island. In true Michaela fashion, the last few weekends I've been at home in Newport have been spent with friends and family, enjoying some of my favorite spots along the Coastal Wine Trail. I've already written about my love for  Sakonnet Vineyards and Greenvale Vineyards in the past, but I thought the two deserved another shout out. Because they are two of my favorite places to bring out of town visitors when they venture down to my little corner of the state.

Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyards was purchased last year by Carolyn Rafaelian owner of Alex and Ani. The vineyard has changed a little since my last visit, but not in a bad way. There is a delicious-looking restaurant on weekends {that I will have to try one of these days}, and the same staff is as friendly as ever. This is one of my favorite places to spend a few hours catching up with friends over a bottle of Rhode Island Red {highly recommended}. 

Greenvale Vineyards might be my favorite of all the Rhode Island vineyards. There is something so cozy and personal about the experience there. The farm owners are often the ones pouring your glass during the tastings and telling you about how their family has owned the farm for over a hundred years. One of my favorite things about Greenvale is the fact that they keep the vineyard going only to maintain and preserve the land rather than sell to developers, which I think is brilliant. I've been known to spend hours here with a picnic basket and friends on a Saturday during the warmer months.