Pourch Journal: Pull up a Chair
A warm welcome and a few thoughts about this space and the heart behind The Whiskey Porch
Happy Friday, my dear reader!
I hope spring has fully settled herself into your little part of the world, and that she’s smiling with you.
Welcome to the ‘Porch Journal’, a short-letter series where I share small reflections and behind-the-scenes thoughts on living a smaller, simpler, more beautiful life. These are quick, easy reads, about a minute or two - just enough for a mid-morning coffee break.
A funny thing happened recently.
A few new readers have found their way here to the porch over the past few weeks - hello! And Welcome!
And I realized I’ve never really properly introduced myself - or explained what exactly this space is meant to be.
You’ve seen the gardens and our historic bungalow, Juniper Hill Cottage. The flowers and porch sittin’. The thoughts on beauty, smaller living, design, creativity, and seasonal life.
But I hadn’t really gathered all of those threads together in one place before.
And so this week, I finally sat down and wrote something called Welcome to the Porch.
What started as a simple introduction became something much more personal than I expected - it became a reflection on the winding path that led me here, from Silicon Valley and the NFL to this little 1924 cottage in the mountains of northern Arizona. And to you.
More than that, though, it became a reflection on the kind of life I think many of us are deeply longing for now:
A life that feels more like home.
More intentional.
More connected.
Smaller, simpler, and more beautiful.
Not perfect.
Not performative.
Just honest, meaningful, and deeply lived.
If you’re newer here, or if you’ve been reading along for awhile and wondering what exactly “The Whiskey Porch” really is - well - I wrote this for you.
I’d love for you to pull up a chair and read it when you have a peaceful moment this weekend. 👇🏼👇🏼
And before I go, I just wanted to thank you for spending part of your Fridays here with me.
Truly.
Writing you these letters has become one of my favorite parts of the week.
Some days I wonder if it’s silly to spend so much time talking about beauty, gardens, creativity, home, and seasonal living while the world feels so crazy and chaotic.
But the older I get, the more I believe these things aren’t trivial at all.
I think beauty matters.
I think joy and laughter matters.
I think creating a smaller and simpler life matters.
Maybe now more than ever.
And I’m so grateful you’re here beside me for it. I’ll see you next week.
With contentment & possibility,
P.S. If you feel like replying, I would love to know how you found your way here to the porch. I always enjoy hearing what part of the world you are visiting from and what you’re thinking about. What projects are on your weekend list?