(now on Letters from The Whiskey Porch)

If you love thoughtful design, authentic craftsmanship, and homes that live beautifully in small footprints — you’ll enjoy this one.

I’ve shared a new Design Dispatch featuring my favorite books and publications for anyone who’s drawn to bungalow style, timeless architecture, and soulful living.

These are the design titles that have truly earned their place on my shelves here in our 1924 Craftsman cottage in Prescott, Arizona.

Whether you’re dreaming up your next renovation or simply seeking inspiration for a simpler, smaller home with soul — this curated reading list is a wonderful place to start.
​
👉🏼 Read the full story and join the conversation on Substack:
Bookshelf: Design Classics for the Small Home & Bungalow Life →

🌿 October in the Prescott Garden
Your Monthly Garden Keeping Summary from The Whiskey Porch

​With crisp mornings and lingering daytime warmth, October in Prescott is a lovely transition into fall. It’s the moment to begin dialing back irrigation, prepare for frost, and settle new plantings in before winter takes hold .
​

I’m launching a new series over on my Substack called Porches & Cottages of Prescott — and it’s exactly what it sounds like.

This will be fun!  

Today is "Sustainable House Day" - actually, the beginning of a month-long celebration that takes place in Australia every year now since 2017.  https://sustainablehouseday.com/ 

Many things go into defining whether a home is "sustainable" or not, and it depends on who you ask.  

Of course, most of us would assume that efficient energy use, low environmental impact during the build as well as use of greener materials, products and technology would always apply.    

​The result of much of that is to also end up being budget friendly for the inhabitants of the home over time (although I'm not certain that the up-front investment in these higher end materials and technology is less of a budget drain currently than standard materials, and that's part of the hesitancy.)

Here in the U.S. (and around the world) we are still in the throws of the Tiny-House-Craze.  One of several reasons so many find it an intriguing concept is that it's assumed to be a vastly more sustainable option than your typical American home.  

​I would tend to agree with this idea theoretically, for some individuals.  

However, I would argue that when viewed from the collective perspective of making a real and ongoing impact in our larger communities, tiny homes are NOT a sustainable option.  And that there should be a wider, more vocal dialogue about small-not-tiny homes as the path to meaningful sustainability for both the environment and the larger community.

Let me explain.

~ post continues, click Read More ~

Here in Prescott’s high country, autumn brings cooler air, golden light, and a slower rhythm. Beyond pumpkins and holidays, it’s a season made for simple rituals—tea, candles, long walks, comfort food.

​I’ve shared 14 of our favorite ways to truly embrace autumn on Letters from The Whiskey Porch.
Come join me on the porch and read the full list →
​
👉🏼 Savoring the Shorter Days - 14 Simple Ways to Truly Embrace the Shorter Days of Autumn — on Substack

🌿 September in the Prescott Garden
Your Monthly Garden Keeping Summary from The Whiskey Porch

September in Prescott is a moment of graceful transition.  It's late summer here.  The garden is often at its peak, with fruits ripening, flowers still blooming, and cooler evenings offering relief from the heat. It’s a month to harvest generously, plant fall crops, and enjoy the momentum of a thriving high-desert garden.
​

🌿 August in the Prescott Garden
Your Monthly Garden Keeping Summary from The Whiskey Porch
​
August celebrates the start of harvest season in Prescott’s high desert. With monsoon rains continuing, your garden should be in full summer mode - filled with produce, flowers, and growth. It’s a month to enjoy your garden’s bounty and prepare for the cooler months ahead.
​

🌿 July in the Prescott Garden
Your Monthly Garden Keeping Summary from The Whiskey Porch
​
​As July rolls in, Prescott settles into the heart of summer — a season defined by tending, timing, and watchfulness. With monsoons often arriving early, this month is less about big projects and more about daily presence: adjusting irrigation, watching for pests, and harvesting what your garden has to offer.

This week we are thinking about and celebrating local places, local-ness, the beautiful scenery we are lucky to have, and picnics.  Let me explain!

Today is International Picnic Day, not that we need a special holiday to make a picnic worthy of celebrating.

And since we want to share more time with the special people in our lives, I think we should all spend the day outside  with our family and friends enjoying a picnic.  There's nothing that sounds bad about that, right?  Consider that aside from some well-earned downtime, there are health and general wellness benefits too!!  

👉🏼 Keep reading to see my list of local Prescott picnic-worthy spots. 🧺

​~  post continues below ~