Today Is a Good Day to Start
A monthly recap and look ahead: a new business venture, thoughts on pursuing dreams, childhood summers, and back-to-school feelings
Hello, friends!
I posted on Instagram over the weekend, “It feels like a 50/50 split amongst my friends - half are team ready for school + routine and the other half are team long live summer!” I’ve laughed so many times since because I keep bumping into friends and they have all exclaimed their disbelief that I went on to share on Instagram that I’m not ready for summer to end and for school to start. I think part of it is that my kids go back to preschool next week, which is late for Charleston. Most schools start this week so I’m naturally a step behind with our later start. When my kids resume running into school every morning, I know I will love settling into the routine and having a few more reliable hours of childcare a week, but I haven’t quite come to terms with the hustle and bustle that the school year brings - sports, after school activities, birthday parties, holidays, classroom volunteering, work events, so much more. Summer is a lot for moms but so is the school year. Moms reading this, which do you think is more involved for you? The ease of summer feels like it disappears the minute the back to school season starts. There’s good and bad to that I suppose. We wouldn’t appreciate summer as much if it was year-round. I also adore fall. I’m such a seasonal person. I think a lot of these feelings are circling around my head too because I’m both excited for and coming to terms with having a more consistent state of work this fall for the first time in a while thanks to the new business I’m launching this month…
P.S. This post is too long for email so click through to Substack to read it in full.
I’m starting a new business with my business partner, Megan. It’s called TableWith. It is officially launching next week with a little launch dinner taking place first at the end of this week. I’ve never done anything like this before. After college, I went to graduate school and got my Masters in Teaching. I taught elementary school for a handful of years. I became a mother once, twice, three times over. I’ve written my blog, posted on my Instagram, and launched this Substack along the way. Those three come together are a business, yes, but they happened over time and didn’t happen as an attempt to start a business. They happened because I love to write, chat, and share. I started my blog and Instagram before business models existed for the two. I’ve ebbed and flowed in a huge way over the years with posting based on the demands of teaching and then with motherhood. This new business feels completely different. We have a go live date. We have monthly partners who are BIG. We have goals and forecasts. It started as an idea that my partner, Megan, had, which led to conversations between the two of us. That blossomed into tiny steps forward with a business name (so hard!), market research, a business plan, branding, a marketing and social plan, the list goes on.
When you’re looking for something new in your life and finding yourself at that familiar fork in the road that can stunt so many into inaction, what do you tell yourself? Do you jump right in, step back and reflect and ask questions, or save it for another day? I was talking to a girlfriend the other day and we acknowledged that we both have tasks on our to-do lists that have been there for years. It’s honestly hard to write that down and admit it to anyone reading. I wasn’t like that before having kids but, everyday I put my kids first so everyday something for me gets kicked to the curb and, before I knew it, years passed. Has this ever happened to you?
If you ask anyone who is accomplished in something - I mean everything from launching a business to completing a photo album for their children (both such daunting tasks in such different ways) - I’d venture to bet they’d tell you the same “secret” to their success. They’d say they just started. One day, they woke up and said, “today is a good day for X.” That first wheel in motion is everything. Similarly, when my dad would decide to run marathons, each time, his first action was to tell people. It was his first step to success. He always said he couldn’t back out of running if he put it out into the world. This has always stuck with me. It feels so simple; yet, it’s actually so bold. To be confident enough to mentally commit to something yourself and then to put it out into the world - that is another layer of believing in yourself and showing up for yourself everyday (and it definitely helps with holding yourself accountable). An “I know myself so I don’t pay mind to the judgement of others” way of thinking. I remind my kids to believe in themselves every single day so it’s language I’m regularly conscious of and, I’ve thought from time to time, “how am I modeling to them that I believe in myself?”
I jotted down a quote from Sara Blakely a few months ago that goes like this, “Even if it’s going to take years. Even if you feel like you’re not ready… The time will pass anyways. You might as well spend it creating your dream.” Tell me that’s not the best motivation to just start. It makes starting anything sound so gratifying. I’m such a Taraus in that one of my biggest “negative” traits would be that I’m resistant to change. It can bring another layer of feelings to starting something new. I’m not sure I’ll ever “overcome” this aspect of me, I think it’s in my constitution, but it’s something I can certainly acknowledge and work on.
Going into this new business with lots of unknowns, I want to trust the process. I want to grow but want to with purpose - by listening to our users and our partners. I never want to be in a rush but always want to be moving forward. I want to keep our “why” and our story at the center of all of our decisions. This may sound trite and obvious but, as a consumer just living in the world these days, I can spot a brand or business a mile away that is in it for their “why” versus one that isn’t. The lines can blur so easily and then the scales can tip - never a winning formula in the long run for a business or brand.
Jen Shoop recently mused, “A lot of the worthwhile stuff in life requires elbow grease. Welcome to the murky middle of something good. When it feels hard, it’s because it is hard.” It has been hard in the sense that I have struggled to lift my part of the load for the new business with the way I have organized my life and our family life, especially during the summer. I’m with our children so much by choice, and, for that reason, we don’t have full-time childcare. I guard my time with my boys as my number one priority. There have been times when I’ve been pulled to work and the boys have been with Edwin or someone else (grandparents etc) when they would have otherwise been with me or with both Edwin and me. This has been hard for me. It is a me problem. No one is putting this weight on me but myself. The years just go by soooooooo fast. Edwin has been so steadfast in belief that this is worthwhile, what I’m doing, and that it feels hard because it is hard. He reminds me it’s okay if it feels hard as long as I believe in it and share it with the boys along the way. We’re only just starting but it feels like we’ve been in the “murky middle” for a while building our offering, securing our partners, and getting ready to launch. I believe I’ll breathe a big sigh of relief when it has launched and then will settle into a cadence of work that will have a balance and rhythm to it - one that hopefully ebbs and flows with growth but that is a bit more predictable than the past few months. I am so excited! As I said earlier, change can be hard for me but there is a lot ahead I’m really looking forward to. For starters, I can’t wait to launch! I have ambition to work for my family, ambition to work on something that brings joy to people’s busy lives, and ambition to succeed. It’s important to dream big and have a why.
I’m scared of the way our world is moving more and more away from in-person experiences. With the letting go of being together, we lose so much. We lose gathering around a table together, traveling, communicating, confiding, loving, cooking, eating, we lose the real importance of life and living a beautiful life. This is one of my “whys” - to leave a footprint in the world that encourages celebrating togetherness while doing things I’m passionate about. I want my children to see me create something that accomplishes this.
My other “why” is my family. I want my boys to see me pursue something I am proud of. Seeing me love being their mom is the most important thing for me but this can follow that up (I am also proud of my blog and this substack, no doubt). TableWith has nothing to do with children but I know they will continue to be one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Last week, a girlfriend and work confidant I really admire told me that she loved watching her mother work when she was growing up, saying it was one of her favorite things about her mom and has played a big role in inspiring her own career. It was just what I needed to hear. I’ve been carrying around this tidbit in my pocket ever since, repeating it over and over in my mind whenever a bit of doubt creeps in around what I “should” be doing at any given moment.
I have another career dream that I have started on the side. It’s not something I have to build and it can stay with me in my imagination and on paper for as long as I want until I’m ready to take some steps into putting it out into the world. It connects to my blog/substack and to my new business in a way that kind of brings them all together for me as a really nice triangle with my family at the center. This one pulls my kids into the forefront in a way I love. I see the diagram in my head and like how each corner of the triangle makes up a part of me and is aligned with what is important to me. I recently shared it with my oldest two, Rowan and Henry, in the framework of having dreams worth chasing. It went something like this, “Rowan, can I tell you a dream I have? (huge smile on this face) Yes, yes mommy!” He liked what I had to say, “I believe in you mommy.” I returned with “What is one of your dreams, Rowan?” A quick response followed, “Being a scientist, Mom. I want to study snakes. They are really important to me. Henry wants to study lizards.” I like creative dreams (even ones involving snakes!)!
This month’s collage is a rainbow of color. I’ve been feeling inspired by the notion of chasing down your dreams - for yourself, your family, your career, your output into the world - and chasing them as if chasing a rainbow. A beautiful rainbow that shines color down on you. Chasing a rainbow usually means you are chasing something unrealistic and unattainable. Not my rainbow! Chase away! It might be out of reach right now but it’s there to keep moving towards, to keep chasing, to keep dreaming big about. Chase down your dreams. Never in a rush but always moving forward. Be the colorful rainbow in the room. The one people say, “she dared to be” about!
I very regularly sing Judy Garland’s “Over The Rainbow” to my kids. Two-ish weeks ago, the Harry Nilsson rendition came on in the kitchen while I was cooking and eating breakfast with my boys. Rowan started singing along, remarking, “this is one of the songs you sing to us, mama.” I hadn’t known he knew the words. But, of course he does, I’ve been singing it to him for almost 5 years.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
I want my boys to dare to dream. I want them to realize it is hard (“a lot of the worthwhile stuff in life requires elbow grease”) but realize that along with the hard, there will be so much more. A rainbow of more. A rainbow of color and emotions and triumphs and tribulations. If “it” wasn’t over the rainbow, everyone would do it. The ambition counts for something. Those dreams are over the rainbow but they aren’t out of reach. Why can’t we chase the rainbow but reach the other side and jump head first into every color? There is nothing black and white about living. I’m here for the rainbow this month. I’m feeling a little corny about aspirations and dreams but, hey, blame it on back to school energy.
The month of July was really all about our time in California and Connecticut. They were a few of my favorite weeks of 2025 so far. My big kids are just at such fun ages - they can really enjoy our trips and they realize they are somewhere special with their family, their cousins, or their friends. Traveling with kids can present challenges but I think my kids are even better on trips sometimes because they are so stimulated by being somewhere new and because they are so enamored with the undivided family time. When we get home, they continue to talk about the trips for days, weeks, months. A big highlight for me of the past month was good old fashioned games. Regular nightly activities consisted of spoons and salad bowl! My kids are a little young but my older nieces and nephews could join in on the fun and it made me so excited for what is to come for our family.
At home, we’ve been doing things like catching and releasing frogs, cooking with a copious amount of peaches, and swimming until we are pruney all over. Life at home has been slow in a really marvelous way. I’ve enjoyed it so much, which is part of my hesitation about school starting. It has felt like there’s been such a familiar happiness to this summer. Every summer as a parent is so different because kids are a whole year older so new opportunities present themselves. There’s a lot of newness yet this summer felt familiar in all the best ways. Traveling back to the same places summer after summer plays a large hand in this. This is how my childhood summers were and how I want them to be for my boys too. The revisiting of special places feels elemental to summer.
A few highlights from the blog this past month:
On my radar:
What to do with your late summer peaches:
Peach Galettes (Make this asap! We did last weekend - divine + easy. I cut the sugar to ¾ cup)
Peach and Basil Chicken Orzo Salad (We made this recently - I added a bit more dijon to the dressing. If you can make it early in the day so it sits and the flavors seep in before eating, then I think it’s even better!)
Other recipes:
Books:
I read that once you pick up this book, The Long Island Compromise, you can’t put it down. It’s at the top of my queue.
I’m currently reading Finding Grace and was completely blindsided by the first chapter!
We Might Just Make It After All: My Best Friendship with Kate Spade. You’ve undoubtedly seen this as it’s received a lot of press but everyone says it’s great.
Whatever Happened to Lori Lovely. My girlfriend said this is the best book she’s read all year. Say less!
Podcasts:
Grace Coddington: The Eye Behind the Image
Aerin Lauder: Style in Full Bloom
Mallory Goldman on motherhood, surrogacy, and starting over after the LA fires
Shows:
The Basic Projects duo on transforming their dilapidated 1830s Charleston home into a thing of beauty.
Please tell me you watched The Buccaneers second season on Apple TV!
Exciting Launches:
Plain Goods expands! Really just so excited about this. I want to go!
The new pareo drop from Casa Bombón is pretty cute. The ‘Freya” is my favorite.
For all the mothers to young ones reading this, Solly Baby just launched their fall collection. The collection features a petite fleur print designed by newly minted mother of 3, Samantha Varvel and is so beautiful.
Miscellaneous Reads:
Gil Schafer and Rita Konig’s Guide to the best antiquing in Maine.
More Maine: organic pick-your-own fruit farms in Maine to visit this summer and fall
Less doing, more being. The email inbox auto-response note in the boundaries ≠ rudeness section is incredible. Mine would say, “Hello! Monday through Sunday I’m with my children living. I’ll return your email at an odd hour late at night unless it is urgent. If this is time-sensitive, please contact my non-existent team. My office days will take place when my youngest is in Kindergarten.” I’m being cheeky but this is, for the most part, accurate.
For anyone reading this with a business or anyone interested in marketing, I like this substack I discovered over the summer.
Top gourmet markets from coast to coast.
Thank you for reading and for following along with my Substack. I so hope you enjoyed this longer post. If you made it this far and feel so inclined, I’d be grateful to you if you could give the post a heart just below here. It helps others find me on Substack and helps me grow. :) Thank you so very much! My monthly recap posts are my way of getting my stream of consciousness thoughts down on paper and to share what is restoring, refreshing, and renewing me right now. My wish is that it will stir something in you and inspire you to add a new idea or a little extra bit of beauty to your life. I will see you on Thursday for my next installment of my weekly post, The Catch-Up.
Collage Photography Credits: LA VESTE / Décors Barbares / De Castro / Julia Berolzheimer / La Double J / Olympia of Greece / Mark D. Sikes / Moda Operandi / Whitney McGregor / Pottery Barn / Augusta Cole / Nicola Bathie / If Only If / Jane Schulak / Mark Rothko / Tea Lane Farm / Castle and Things / JJ Martin / Super Yaya / Nantucket Dahlias / John Derian / Sojourns Of / xo Me Studio / Blakely Made / Hana Katoba / Underwater Weaving Studio / Nicola Alexandra Bathie McLaughlin / Buggy / Charlotte Rey / Marta Ferri / Edgardo Osorio / Tableshoppe Co. / Kevin Sharkey
Congrats Jillian! (I wasn’t ready for school to start back either! lol) and love the quote by Jen S. ❤️
So excited for you! I’ve been a quiet reader of your Substack after randomly coming across it and I love your intention behind what you do!