What began as the unexpected story of an old bungalow in the mountains of northern Arizona eventually became something much deeper - a simpler, more intentional way of living rooted in beauty, home, garden, creativity, and seasonality.
​

Over on Substack I wrote a letter, where I’m sharing the story behind The Whiskey Porch, the philosophy that guides my work, and the ideas that continue shaping a smaller, simpler, more beautiful life.

Read the full letter here: Welcome to The Whiskey Porch.

What if downsizing isn’t really about less?

What if it’s about creating more room for what matters most - time, beauty, ease, and a home that supports the life you’re actually living?

In this week’s Design Dispatches letter, I’m sharing the final piece in my smaller living series:

The Gift of Downsizing
A reflection on right-sized homes, thoughtful design, and the surprising pleasures of choosing enough.
​

With contentment & possibility,

At Letters from The Whiskey Porch, over on substack, The Spring Porch Invitation is now open.
April 15th - 24th, 2026.
​Become a member or upgrade now
Receive a handmade studio thank-you gift
​

I just opened a small and very special invitation for readers who would like to step a little further onto the porch.

For a short time, readers who join Letters from The Whiskey Porch as annual Porch Companions or Studio Stewards receive a small handmade thank-you gift from my studio at Juniper Hill Cottage in Prescott, Arizona.

The Spring Porch Invitation is open through April 24.
​
​You'll find all the details on membership benefits and access at the link below. 👇🏼
Join the conversation and be inspired.

Gardening has a way of nourishing more than just the plants we grow.


Over the years I’ve found that tending a garden - whether it’s a few pots on a balcony or a full backyard landscape - offers benefits that go far beyond aesthetics or food production. It’s one of the simplest ways to reconnect with nature, slow down, and engage in a creative, hands-on process.

In honor of National Gardening Day, I recently shared a short reflection on this topic in my Substack letter:  10 reasons gardening is good for the mind, body, and soul.
​

You can find the post over on my substack:  How Tending a Garden Nourishes the Mind, Body, and Soul.

For many years, my professional life looked like what most people would call success.
​
I worked in Silicon Valley - hi tech and software. I spent years with the NFL. The pace was fast, the expectations were high, and the path forward always seemed to lead to something bigger.

But over time, I began to notice something uncomfortable.  Success had stopped feeling like success.

That realization eventually led to a very different chapter of life - one rooted in home, garden, and a slower rhythm of living here in Prescott, Arizona.

I shared that story this week in Letters from The Whiskey Porch.

👉 Read the full letter here:  When Success Stops Feeling Like Success

​With contentment & possibility,

Well hello there, Spring 🌼

Today is the Spring Equinox - that quiet turning point when the light begins to return.

Here in Prescott the garden is just beginning to wake up. Snowdrops and hellebores are still holding their ground, and the porch is slowly becoming a place to linger again.

I shared a short Porch Journal with a few simple ways I like to welcome the season - sunrise tea, garden wake-ups, porch gatherings, and a little creative time outdoors.

You can read the full letter here:  Well Hello There, Spring.

With contentment & possibility,

That late winter restlessness? It’s real.

The light lingers a little longer each evening.  The seed catalogs are dog-eared.  The garden shed is calling.

​And yet — winter isn’t quite finished with us.
​

Especially here in the high country, spring has a way of arriving slowly… and sometimes teasingly.

I recently wrote about my  late winter checklist  “All the Spring Fever Feels.”

Inside, I share 10 thoughtful, practical ways to channel that restless energy into gentle preparation - at home and in the garden - without rushing the season.  

If you’re feeling the pull toward spring but know it’s still wise to pace yourself, you can read the full letter here:

​Swedish Lagom will help you embrace a simpler lifestyle.

There’s a Swedish word that doesn’t translate neatly into English — but it may hold the key to a calmer, more balanced way of living.

Lagom means “just enough.” Not too much. Not too little.

In a culture that constantly pushes us toward more, this gentle philosophy feels surprisingly radical.

In today’s Porch Journal, I explore what lagom really means - and how it shapes the way I think about home, work, and daily life.

👉 Read the full Porch Jounral here on Substack.

I would love to have you join the conversatin there.

With contentment & possibility,

I explore this idea more fully in my latest Design Dispatches letter Small, Not Tiny, where I reflect on what “just right” looks like in real homes- and why the missing middle matters.

👉 Read the full letter on Substack → That’s where I share ongoing reflections on home, garden, and thoughtful design rooted in real life and lived experience.

With contentment & possibility,

For years, the conversation around home size has been framed as a choice between two extremes: bigger houses with unused rooms, or tiny homes that promise freedom through radical reduction.

But for many people, neither option truly fits the way life unfolds.

A right-sized home isn’t about square footage alone. It’s about proportion, livability, and how well a space supports daily routines, changing needs, and long-term comfort.

Designing smaller - without going to extremes - often means focusing on flow, flexibility, and rooms that work harder without feeling overworked.

With contentment & possibility,