Tag Archives: MimboloveNantucket
Guys, tomorrow is December 1. IT’S DECEMBER. I know people say something to that effect every single year, but seriously, 2017 – where you at? Maybe I shouldn’t complain. Perhaps it’s the universe’s way of telling us that this year was a dumpster fire and we’d all be a lot better off if it quietly showed itself out. But I’m not here to remind of us of the current state of things, instead for #ThrowbackThursday, I’m taking a little stroll down memory lane… literally.
If you caught up on my most recent post, you know that I am no longer residing on the island of Nantucket and instead now have planted my feet firmly in the continental U.S. (If you’re like hey girl, I have no idea what you’re talking about, you can read more about it here.) Even though it was totally the right decision and there is really is no good time to make a major life change like that, one of the things I will really miss about the island is Stroll Weekend, which happens to be starting in oh, less than 24 hours. In case you don’t know, Stroll is this amazing time of the year when the island is transformed into what can only be described as a Norman Rockwell painting, Hallmark Christmas movie, and an episode of Gilmore Girls on peppermint-flavored crack. It’s busy and amazing and expensive and the most festive thing you will ever experience in your life. Dare I say, it’s downright magical.
Last year, my friend Molly and I (the social media-savvy lady seen above) decided to get up early before the crowds and hit downtown to fully experience Stroll before it becomes a madhouse of silly Christmas hats, off-islanders, and just sheer holiday madness. Despite the fact that both of us had lived on-island for a few years, we hadn’t really gotten to take it all in and we wanted to snap some photos of the scene.
Ah, bloggers. Who else would indulge your need to take so many photos not looking at the camera? (If you don’t recall, Molly captured some amazing outfit photos for me last year, like this one and also these. I miss her so much since she moved back to the West Coast and I swear it’s not just because she takes awesome pics of me “looking at the ground” as Steve says of blog photoshoots.) Also in case you haven’t had enough of reading about people’s experiences moving off the island, Molly has a great post about it here too.
Any good morning for us on Nantucket started at Petticoat Row. Between the sweets (the secret ingredient in everything? BUTTER), the proximity to our office, and the inviting interior, Petticoat was always like Visa – everywhere you wanted to be.
With no real schedule for the day, we explored all the streets and storefronts with displays that I snapped not only to capture the moment, but to remember for any and all future homes I might be able to decorate. I mean, the window boxes at Greydon House are my kryptonite. This updated inn was across the street from my office, and I can’t tell you how many times I hung out in front of the building in all seasons, taking pictures of their most recent window displays when I was supposed to be checking my mail. Hey, if it’s good enough for AD… well then it’s probably way too good for me. But a girl can dream.
I know, more window boxes. It’s worth mentioning that I don’t care for greenery or plants or anything that I have to keep alive without a pulse. But man, Nantucket changes you in a lot of ways, and for me? It made me want to have a green thumb (or, enough money to pay other people with those thumbs to do this for me).
Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good theme. One of my other favorite places on Nantucket, The Corner Table (I swear we did more than just eat) incorporated actual food into their outdoor decorations. FOOD. Get it? Because they’re a culinary center? I can’t, it’s just too good.
Since my dog cannot be trusted to walk around downtown or wear accessories no matter how much I bribe him, I had to settle for getting a shot of this cutie instead.
More Culinary Center goodness. Every year during Stroll, they have live free demos that just any ragamuffin off the street like me can walk in and watch (and more importantly, try the food). This is Sarah Leah Chase, who has a very well-known Nantucket cookbook that I have personally tried things from that she has made and oh my God is it like heaven in your mouth. I mean, not enough to make me actually want to cook anything, but enough to get me to show up at things when I hear she’s in town.
And how much was I coveting one of these N.TUC Marché bags depicting the story of Moby-Dick? (It doesn’t seem to be available anymore on their website but OHMYGOD THERE’S A DRESS VERSION.)
I kid you not, I had basically no knowledge of Jeep Wagoneers before I moved to Nantucket. Now of course I’m obsessed and I want one and I see them everywhere I go, like on these adorable ornaments at Vineyard Vines.
Fun fact: My husband wired these lights at Beauty Counter on the wharf. All I got out of it was him yelling at me when he realized I was buying their lip balm that costs $10 a tube (but seriously, it is the best).
Later we headed down to the Easy Street basin to see the annual Christmas tree floating in a tiny boat. For those of you on my Christmas card list, you may recognize this from our first year on Nantucket, as well as in pretty much any tourist’s photo during the month of December.
It was there we stumbled upon a mother trying to capture a photo of her toddler on her iPhone for a Christmas card that he was having no part of. Molly helped distract him and I snapped a couple shots of him with my Canon and assured his mom that I would send them to her to use for her card. She thanked us by promising to send me a copy and taking the only photo of Molly and I together the entire day.
I told you – craziness. This is literally how the streets look from the time when Santa is about to arrive until people head to their dinner reservations.
Speaking of Santa, he arrives by boat with the Coast Guard, and it led up the wharf by an actual town crier. For those that think I say this in jest, see Exhibit A (above) and Exhibit B (below).
I mean, after all that excitement, where does one go?
To a party in the back of bike shop, of course. (Again, I couldn’t make any of this up.)
And of course, we always take advantage of when our favorite stores that were closed for the season open back up again, so we would make a point to visit Follain any time they opened their doors.
As day turns to night, the island becomes even more of a movie set when you see all the community-decorated trees that line Main Street (and all the people are pretty much gone, either at one of the restaurants that are only open again for the weekend or at fancy holiday parties).
All joking aside, Stroll Weekend is one of the best times to be on the island, if for nothing else than that there doesn’t seem to be anything like it anywhere. I know lots of vacation towns do their own version of a holiday festival, but this one is really unlike anything else I’ve seen in any New England town ever.
I’m so glad that we did this last year, because 2017 is definitely going to be less festive for the Scouras’s. With the move, and me living in America and Steve still coming back and forth from Nantucket, it just doesn’t make sense to get a tree or decorate for the holidays this year when we’re actually trying to pack all of our belongings (don’t even get me started on my Christmas card or lack thereof right now). If you need me, I’ll be reliving all the holiday hubbub with these photos and sustaining myself on the Buddy the Elf diet.
Happy Strolling,
~L
My outfit details:
Old Navy coat [sim] & scarf (mine’s old, but they have some newer colors here)
Nautica jeans [sim] via the Lightship Basket Museum Yard Sale
L.L. Bean socks & boots
The Lovely hat [sim] (I have no idea what brand it is but it came with a second interchangeable pom pom in another hue)
Kate Spade purse & earrings (these are both old but there’s sometimes similar styles at the outlet)
Molly’s outfit:
Primark scarf [sim] (I know because we both bought the same one last year – they don’t have it on their website but I feel like that pattern is everywhere now)
Gap pea coat [sim] (Disclaimer: I lent Molly this jacket because she is from California and therefore doesn’t exactly have a rotating wardrobe of wool coats. I have to tell you that I have had this coat since my freshman year of high school. I still don’t even know how that’s possible)
Hunter boots
Yikes. It’s certainly been awhile since we caught up, hasn’t it? The last we chatted I was still reveling in the glow of birthday gifts and sunny beach days. And now, here we are – living in a perpetual state of oversized sweaters and nonstop Hallmark movies where no doubt a big city curmudgeon learns the true meaning of Christmas (usually on a tree farm – big ups to Canada and their tax breaks for the film industry).
The biggest news ’round these parts is that I am writing to you from the continental U.S. Yes, that’s right – after four and a half years on a little elbow of sand called Nantucket (or ACK depending on how freely you like to throw around abbreviations), I booked a one-way ticket on the slow boat headed for America. There were so many reasons for this move, and it was definitely a long-time coming. I don’t want to bore you with all the specifics, but the underlying issue that Steve and I had been aware of for quite some time is that life on Nantucket (for us, at least) wasn’t sustainable for the long-term.
Some people make it work for years, they do the shuffle – move in and out of housing they can (sort of) afford depending on the season, or like us, live in a very small space (a friend once told me he would have murdered his wife if he had to live in our studio apartment with her) with no stove and no hopes of ever being able to afford anything else. For us, it just wasn’t the life we wanted to live anymore, and having an ocean in between you and most of the things you love (like TARGET… I mean, my friends and family) gets old eventually.
People refer to certain life situations as bittersweet, and that is 100% what I can say this decision was. There were a lot of great things about that island, from the beautiful sunsets to the opportunities to do things that you could never do in the “real” world (Steve was a DJ on the radio and I got to be on TV – things we probably would never have been able to do anywhere else). And depending on how you feel about it, the local community vibe, complete with town meetings, people that know your name on the streets – it was all very Stars Hollow-ish (including the lack of privacy). Not to mention it’s freaking gorgeous. Seriously, an Instagrammer’s dream. The blogger in me fears I will never ever get as many “likes” as I did living on Nantucket.
But by far, the best thing that Nantucket gave us was the people. Most of my friends I met through my job, because when you live on an island and you work your ass off, they’re the ones you spend the most time with. They become family when you feel like you’re alone, drifting out in the middle of the ocean. Unfortunately, most of us knew that the way we were living wasn’t forever, with a lot of us residing in dorm-style staff housing due to the lack of affordable options on Nantucket. In a lot of ways, it was awesome. The people you loved the most were just always there, kind of like on Friends. We often spent all day at the office together, then worked after hours for programs, and we would still choose to have dinner with each other or go out for a drink later. Many weekends I would roll myself up the stairs at the duplex I lived in, still in my pajamas, to recount our stories from the night before and make plans for the day. Schooner was the one really living the high-life, man. He had more dog moms than he could count.
With all of us being vaguely around the same age, this thing started to happen where we all realized that as strong as our bond was, it would never be enough to keep us all in a lifestyle that wasn’t attainable for us. No matter what stage we were at, all of us wanted more. Houses, better jobs, kids, the ability to travel – things that couldn’t happen here.
So for the last year, every few months or so, we lost one of our “group.” Our favorite off-season activity was this thing called Fight Night at Backyard Barbeque, one of our favorite restaurants. They partnered with Cisco Brewers and every Wednesday night, it was a challenge of beer vs. wine, wine vs. spirits, etc., with four courses to accompany each round of beverages (rest assured, they were small pours. But we still often had to hang out a bit before we drove home!). Steve was their best customer – the first year they offered it, he attended every single one. Seriously, they gave him a t-shirt at the end.
At the height of our time on Nantucket, we had a standing reservation for fifteen people practically every single week. The first deflectors left in September. Then there was the holidays, and we lost a few more in the months after. By the time that season of Fight Nights finished, we were down to four of us at a table. Don’t get me wrong – we were so happy for those who figured out their exit strategy, who found a good enough reason to finally make the jump, book the boat, take a chance on something new. But boy did it suck to lose those people that became woven in the fabric of your life every day. Things like this don’t happen other places. You know why? Because your friends move a town, or even a state away – and you can still drive to see them! In addition, part of the cache of Nantucket is that it attracts really interesting people from all over the world. From our “group,” there are now people living in Indiana, California, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Shang freaking Hai – not exactly places you can easily get to.
Losing our tribe wasn’t everything, but it sure made all the other parts of life that weren’t perfect a lot more obvious once they were gone. These people were an amazing distraction from the things about Nantucket that we didn’t enjoy. So this fall, Steve and I became some of the last people in our “group” to leave… well, correction. I left.
Yes, you read correctly. After all this, Steve is still on Nantucket, and I’m well… I’m hanging out in the good old U.S.A. Steve has a great gig there with his boss and still lots of work, therefore $$$ happening, so it’s hard to give that up. I got a job in the South Shore in an industry I’m super passionate about, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. So we packed up my stuff, and I left my guy and my pup behind on the rock. My inlaws were nice enough to take me in, and for the last month I’ve just been working, getting used to having a forty-five minute commute (I drove just over a mile to work everyday before), and figuring out our next steps so our little family can be reunited on land.
We’re trying to make the best of it. Steve has come to visit a few times with Schooner and I’ve been back once so far. There’s still an apartment to be packed and lots of loose ends to tie up, but we’re going to make it work. And of course, we’re already planning our next Nantucket reunion 🙂 #TribeTrip2018
All in all, I am so grateful for the time I spent on Nantucket. When I interviewed there, following the Nemo blizzard and getting on the first boat that had run in days, I had no idea what was in store for me. I was convinced that I was unqualified to work in a museum (which to be honest, I really kind of was) but the great thing about Nantucketers is they’re willing to take a chance on people. And trust me, the people and the island will test you. There were so many times I cried or I wanted to give up, thinking that Nantucket was going to chew me up and spit me back out the sea. But it didn’t. I spent four and a half years at an amazing institution that taught me what it truly means to be a professional. I stretched my creativity in new ways. I experienced so much joy and a bit of heartache too. But most of all, I grew up. And now I’m ready to grow some more, but in a new place where there’s a bit more opportunity to have some of those real-life experiences.
So thank you to everyone who in some way, shaped this experience for us. Not many people get to say “I lived on Nantucket year-round” – seriously, it is quite the conversation starter.
Speaking of words, there really aren’t enough to describe our lives the past few years. So of course, I avoided gathering up all my earthly belongings and instead spent hours making this video of as many of the high points as I could squeeze into four minutes. This could have gone on for hours, but I know we’ve all got things to do. Like packing.
~L
P.S. There’s so much more I could say about the island than would fit in one post. I’m going to do some follow ups on my favorite experiences, shops and restaurants, and more post-Nantucket life updates. Stay tuned!
Happy Friday, everyone! In case you’ve been avoiding me all week, just wanted to quickly remind you that the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum Annual Yard Sale is this weekend! If you haven’t gotten the lowdown on the 400 jeans that will be for sale, read my post earlier this week here. It’s also got all the details on the sale itself so that you don’t miss ANY of the good stuff (reminder: the photo above features a pair of 7 For All Mankind jeans that I found in the bunch. MIRACLES ARE REAL, PEOPLE).
The museum has been posting all sorts of other items that are up for grab this weekend on their event Facebook page, so you can get a sneak peek of some of the goods before you head down to Bartlett’s Farm (but seriously, just go anyways, because no matter what you’re looking for, you will most definitely find something).
And in case you need a little more style inspiration, here’s a few more shots of some of the jeans I scored when I got an early preview of the plethora of jeans that are available. I’ve also been posting full outfit details on my Instagram this week too, so check it out!
Steve immediately mocked me when he saw these acid-washed flares. I couldn’t help myself – I’ve never been much for the whole boho thing, but this seemed as good a time to branch out as any. I was having a little bit of an early 2000s flashback because they are a bit low-rise, but no pair of pants has ever made me feel taller (I’m 5’3) or leaner (I’m avidly working on my “winter” body right now).
I mean, can you ever go wrong with a pair of black jeans? I wear them everywhere. To work, on the weekends, dressed up, dressed down. This look was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers (unless you ask Steve, who will only refer to me as “Bad Sandy” when I wear this faux leather jacket).
I also loved this pair immediately when I saw them. So much denim is just the same thing in different washes, and sometimes it’s hard to break out of your comfort zone and get a little variety up in here. I was obsessed with the stripe detail and the zippers at the bottom of this pair, to which my husband immediately asked me which railroad train I was driving that day. As previously discussed, I care little to not at all what he thinks and just wear whatever I want (…although he did buy me this blazer and shoes), plus it was the perfect occasion to break out my popcorn purse.
If you have any questions about the sale, feel free to contact me on Twitter, Insta, Facebook, and Snapchat (@legallylinz)! I will be Snapping for sure when I hit it up this weekend, so check it out for some behind-the-scenes action. Hopefully, it doesn’t come to this.
See you then!
~L
You may have noticed ’round these parts that bargain hunting is a specialty of mine. Some people have watercolors or knitting, but me? My top hobby is the thrill of the find. This proves to be tricky on a place like Nantucket, that is, until the annual Lightship Basket Museum Annual Yard Sale. This is the holy grail of sales, filled with treasures a cheapskate like me can only dream of. They literally fill the entire greenhouse at Bartlett’s Farm with clothes, furniture, artwork, kid’s stuff – pretty much anything a person can donate, they will sell. And with so many high-end residents contributing throughout the year to this annual fundraiser, the sky’s the limit with what you could find there. I scored this Ralph Lauren sweater last year and a preppy vintage skirt two years ago, among other knick knacks that I have begged my husband not to take home with us (I mean, does one really need a ceramic quail figurine?).
With this year’s sale coming up this weekend, I was super-excited to get an early tip that in addition to all of the usual offerings, there will be approximately 400 pairs of jeans thanks to a supporter of the museum with a department store connection. I got a sneak peek at some of the styles and jumped at the chance to put together a few ensembles with my finds. We’re talking brand-new denim (most of the pairs I saw had tags and everything) in a variety of colors, styles and washes – for both men and women! They will be selling brands like Nautica, Ralph Lauren, Buckle – heck, I even found a pair of 7 For All Mankind that I was planning on making fit me regardless of what size the tag said.
I have never heard of anything like this on Nantucket EVER and I can’t imagine that it will happen again anytime soon. So here’s the deets you need to know:
- The sale will take place once again at Bartlett’s Farm inside the greenhouse, located at 33 Bartlett Farm Road.
- It’s open Saturday, November 19, from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. and Sunday, November 20, from 10 A.M. t0 2 P.M.
- If you are dying to get in before the crowds, you can pay the early bird admission rate of $10 and get in at 9 A.M. on Saturday morning. That means one full hour of shopping before the masses!
- All jeans will be $20! Let’s remind ourselves that you can barely get a sandwich, chips and drink for twenty bucks on Nantucket.
- In my experience previous years, I have learned that if you want the best stuff, you gotta get there early on Saturday. However if you want the best deals, you go later on Sunday when they’re trying to clear stuff out. But at that point, what’s left is what’s left! (Also, the Lightship Basket Museum is a nonprofit and this is one of their major fundraisers. Be charitable, ‘kay?)
- Want to stay up-to-date with what’s going on? Check out the Lightship Basket Museum’s Facebook page or the event page for the Annual Yard Sale.
If you have never been to this sale before, I cannot express to you what an experience it is. This is one of those things for Nantucket year-rounders that is truly ours. So grab your friends and some cash, bundle up, and get out there and shop for a good cause. You will most definitely see me there, diving head first into pile of denim looking for some more gems like these.
Want more details on the outfits I put together? Follow along on Instagram this week, where I’ll be posting pics each day of my ensembles leading up to this weekend’s super sale event.
See you there!
~L
This post was created in partnership with the Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Molly from Trust in Your Wanderlust for snapping these photos!
Living on Nantucket isn’t always picture perfect. Sorry, let me take that back – Nantucket may always look picture perfect, but living on an island isn’t always such a breeze. But there is no better time to be on this little elbow of sand than at the holidays. If you’ve never done an ACK-cursion between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, then you’re missing the most positively idyllic combination of a Norman Rockwell painting and Stars Hollow (yes, I’m on a Gilmore Girls kick right now – I actually never watched the entire series so I’m trying to catch up now before “A Year in the Life” comes out!).
One of the most magical times of year is Christmas Stroll, which is the first weekend in December. Trees decorated by local businesses line Main Street, Santa Claus arrives via Coast Guard boat to greet the kiddies, and everyone’s merriment literally exudes out of them in the form of silly holiday hats as they peruse local shops and eateries. It’s a bit crazy, but an ideal weekend for festive fanatics.
It probably comes as no surprise, but dressing for a theme gives me life. Stroll is a tough one though, given New England’s finicky and inconsistent weather. Plus most of the “summer people” return so everyone is dressed to the nine’s in holiday garb. So I was so excited when my friends at Shift asked me to put together a few ensembles to get a girl through the bevy of seasonal gatherings. I have been a fan of Shift since I first laid eyes on their Main Street location two years ago when they graduated from their space at In the Pink. My husband actually scored me two amazing dresses there at an end of the year sale last year (like this all-purpose number that I wore to Easter, Nantucket Wine Festival AND the Boston Pops concert) and their window displays this summer have been making me do a 180 every time I walk by.
My first look is all about a casual and comfy ensemble for said Stroll weekend activities. For me, it’s usually hanging out on Main Street to observe the festivities, but if you happen to live not on a magical holiday island, it’s still the perfect outfit for Christmas shopping, a holiday brunch, or when you want to feel like it’s socially acceptable to walk around wrapped in a cozy blanket.
Seriously, this plaid poncho is everything my lazy dreams are made of. Also these black pants are actual pants (like with zippers and an inseam and everything) but feel like leggings. Meaning I could take them from Sankaty to downtown and be comfortable all day long. Also I’m kind of obsessed with this white and gold chiffon top – it’s one of those versatile pieces that could be worn with a pencil skirt for work, jeans for casual but dressy night out, or layered up for an adventure like I did in ‘Sconset.
And that hat? Totally worth holding onto a windy Nantucket day. It comes in camel too!
If you want to get your hands on any of these pieces, visit Shift on Main Street – they’re open now through Stroll weekend! (For their full hours, check here or call.) See below for full outfit details.
And as a special offer for my readers, Shift is offering you lovely people a 10% discount! Just mention Lindsay’s Look to receive this discount off your in-store purchase.
I’ve got two more holiday looks coming your way soon, one including the most fun dresses I think I have ever worn! Stay tuned for more 🙂
And a huge thank you to my friend and blogger Molly for snapping all these photos for me. Make sure to check our her new blog Trust in Your Wanderlust here for lots of travel inspo!
Outfit details (all available at Shift!): Mudpie Hudson Plaid Ruana / Sail to Sable Metallic Chiffon Long-Sleeved Blouse / Kut from the Kloth Mia Toothpick Skinny / Cheveux Leather Band Wool Felt Hat
Additional pieces: JustFab Bag / Dolce Vita Booties via Nordstrom Rack / KJP Earrings / Charming Charlie Zodiac Ring / Target Sunglasses
This post was created in partnership with Shift. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Lindsay’s Look!
~L
I have a lot of clothes. Like I’ve broken two closet rods a lot. My favorite pieces are by far my dresses. At one point I had over 100 in my arsenal, which I completely understand is kind of crazy. Keep in mind probably 75 of them were from Forever 21 and cost less than $15. As I get older, I’m starting to really go for this whole “quality versus quantity” thing, and that’s where Ellie Kai comes in.
I had first heard of Ellie Kai at a trunk show at an event in 2014 here on Nantucket. I thought the concept was cool, but still was hesitant about custom-ordering a dress online. Like an addict, the rush of shopping feeds my soul. Touching and feeling the fabrics, trying them on, and of course, getting a bargain, are all an essential part of my fashion DNA. Basically, with Ellie Kai, you choose a fabric and a style of dress, and poof! It’s made for you, celebrity-style. You can even add extra customizations like short, tall, etc. Is it a bargain? Not exactly, but you know that saying “you get what you pay for?” As an adult, I’m starting to learn how true that is.
When Kate asked me if I wanted to give Ellie Kai, I thought, why not? Summer on this island is filled with function after function, and I often go back and forth between attending things like a normal human to working them like a show pony. Hence why I chose the Kelsey sleeveless dress in Ketan, one of this season’s new prints. Wrap dresses are basically a universally flattering silhouette, and are office but also cocktail appropriate. There’s a gajillion and one patterns to choose from, but I decided to stick with something that would work with my already vast nautical wardrobe. Plus blue and white are basically the national colors of Nantucket. If we had a flag, this would be it!
When the dress arrived, I immediately starting thinking of all the ways I could style it. I knew I couldn’t just pick one! So this is the first of a mini-series of posts with the different options for wearing this baby out and about, starting with a casual daytime look. I’m so excited to have partnered with Rebecca Love Photography – if you need any kind of photos on Nantucket (wedding, family portraits, little kids – you name it), she’s your girl. We spent a gorgeous Sunday morning walking around downtown and she indulged all of my blogger fantasies by telling me how cute I looked as I melted into a pile of humble goo and performed quick changes out of my car. We had the best time and I hope to work with her again very soon. Like tomorrow and then the next day and then maybe just all the time 🙂
Check out my daytime look, and stay tuned for evening and office styles to come!
~L
Ellie Kai Kelsey dress c/o / H&M denim jacket (old, similar here)/ Kate Spade clutch (outlet find, sort of similar here / Kendra Scott earrings / Vintage brooch / Jack Rogers sandals / Old Navy & vintage rings / Burt’s Bees lipstick in Fuchsia Flood
Breaking news: It is no longer winter in New England.
I know one can never speak too soon (after all, it did snow the day of my prom and yes it was fourteen years ago and NO I’M STILL NOT OVER IT), but I did feel secure enough in the slow creep of the temperature to relegate my sweaters and mittens to the confines of their Space Bags.
On Nantucket, the true arrival of spring comes with the annual Daffodil Festival, which starts on Main Street and finishes out in the postcard-perfect village of ‘Sconset. You may remember that this marked my first Nantucket Community Television appearance last year and ever since I arrived on the rock, it has always been one of my favorite island events. Everyone is always happy and smiling, so excited to breathe in the fresh air after being trapped inside all winter, there’s thematically-decorated antique cars and dogs wearing little outfits, and of course, flowers. Seriously, I had never seen so many daffodils until I moved here. I mean they die before spring truly kicks into overdrive, but for a solid couple of weeks, the island is covered in yellow and green.
Speaking of spring colors, my other favorite thing about the Daffodil Festival is that nothing is off-limits when it comes to dress. Most people just go all out on the day of the actual parade, but me? You know i can’t resist a theme. So for the last few years, I’ve chosen to rock my Daffy colors the entire week leading up to the festival, complete with marigold mani.
Check out this week’s ensembles, inspired by my favorite Nantucket springtime tradition:
New York & Company cardi (old, but this one is a perfect Daffy substitute)
Old Navy tank (old, similar here), flats & ring
J.Crew pants (same style, different colors) / Kate Spade earrings & watch
Old Navy chambray (old, similar here) / J.Crew skirt (same style, different color)
ILY Couture necklace (old, similar here)/ Target flats (out of stock, similar here)
Kate Spade watch
Banana Republic top & jacket (super old, similar style here & here)
J.Crew skirt / Kate Spade earrings / Dolce Vita booties via Nordstrom Rack
Old Navy chambray / Charlotte Russe necklace (similar here)
J.Crew pants (same style, different colors) / Old Navy flats
J.Crew dress (same style, different color) & blazer
Kate Spade necklace (old outlet find, different nautical style here / Old Navy flats
Nantucket bracelet (I can’t remember where I bought it, but I’m going to figure it out!)
Of course all of this was leading to the event itself, which was probably one of my favorite experiences since I’ve lived on this island. It was by far the best the best weather of the last three years, and I felt so much more prepared for my hosting duties than I did the first time around (which is hopefully obvious in this year’s footage compared to 2015). The only bummer was that Steve and Schooner weren’t here to enjoy the festivities, but luckily my fellow food-savvy friends camped out with a pretty bomb picnic in ‘Sconset.
Want to see for yourself what the Daffodil Festival is really like? You can watch a little behind-the-scenes recap on my Snapchat story (are we friends yet? You can follow me on Snapchat – my username is LegallyLinz!) .
Check out this year’s coverage of the event from our local station, NCTV 18, hosted by yours truly!
Had enough yellow yet? I have to admit, it’s not a universal color that everyone can pull off. But Nantucket, you wear it well.
~L
This month, I will have officially lived on the island of Nantucket for three years. I would say in that time, I’ve accomplished maybe half of the things on my Nantucket bucket list (and most of them involve eating so I don’t know if that counts). Well in February, we checked off another as Steve drove us and our friends Jessica and Jonathan (and our respective pups, of course) out to Great Point to check out the lighthouse!
Okay, disclaimer: I have been to Great Point one and a half times already. The one time was on Easter 2015, but it was dusk and I could barely see anything, let alone take photos. The half time was when we tried to take our friends Alisa and Kevin out there and Steve’s engine overheated and we had to turn back. Oops.
Nantucket has three lighthouses, and Great Point is by far the most challenging to get to. It sits on the very tip of the island on the Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge. You need a certain type of car that can drive through sand (which is very soft), a special permit, and you have to let a bunch of the air out of your tires before you hit the beach.
The lighthouse was built in the late 1700s, and it still operates today (with helpful modern additions like solar panels). Nantucket doesn’t have a lot of particularly large structures, so at seventy feet high, it’s definitely a sight to see!
We brought lunch with us and used our convenient L.L. Bean compact camp table to enjoy our meal by the lighthouse.
Given its remoteness (and the fact that it was February) it was nice to be totally alone on the beach and let the pups run free. Normally I’m worried about Schooner stealing beach toys from small children or going up to old people and barking in their faces, so that was a nice change.
I somehow forgot to ask someone to take a photo of me. But I promise, I was there.
The only company you really have to worry about there? The seals. So many seals! Frankly, I think this is what Jessica and I were most excited to see out there! Since it’s mostly unoccupied, seals just like hang out there all day long. I was worried that Schooner would try and attack them (after all, they are “pups”) but he wasn’t particularly intrigued.
I kept pushing my luck, trying to get as close to the seals as possible to get photos. Like seriously, when again in my life will I ever do this?! Totally worth a potential seal attack (I’ve heard they’re pretty mean and territorial when provoked).
If anything, the seals were quite aloof. Every once in awhile they would check us out, and then turn back around like they couldn’t care less that we were there. I found this adorable.
Sometimes I wish I was a seal. Sun bathing on the beach, a few dips in the ocean. They just look so content hanging out there all day!
Can we talk about the spots? I loved the spotted ones! They were like little dalmatians. And by little, I mean they were kind of gigantic (you would be too, if you just laid around all the time).
I seriously wanted to take that piece of driftwood home. I swear you would pay thousands of dollars for a chandelier made out of it from one of the fancy home stores downtown.
All in all, it was a great day (especially when you think about what the weather was like a year ago in February – yikes), and definitely a quintessential ACK-perience that we won’t soon forget.
If you can make the trip out there, I definitely recommend it because it’s a totally unique experience and not something that all of the usual Nantucket day-tripping tourists are able to do. Just watch out for those seals.
Until next time,
~L
Remember when you were a kid, and a snow day was pretty much the best thing to ever happen to you?
Then you become an adult, and unless there’s a statewide emergency, you have a pretty slim chance of having the day off of work to frolic around in a sea of fluffy white powder. At least for me, working for four and a half years or so of retail barely ever warranted an actual snow day, instead, an ongoing game of “which employees will show up today?” In fact, the one day we did close because of a government-inflicted travel ban, we still had a complaint waiting in our inboxes when we returned the next day claiming that we ruined their daughter’s birthday by being closed, and that they had driven all the way to our store just to find out that they had to turn around and go home empty-handed. Do you know what also might have ruined her birthday? Her entire family dying in a wintery car crash.
When I moved to Nantucket almost two years ago, I never imagined I’d ever have a snow day. The amount of snow needed to make the three mile drive I have to work too dangerous to attempt hardly happens here. In general, we’re about 10 degrees warmer than the rest of America, and we tend to have more rain than snow in the winter. But last year, we had not one but two snow days. There is nothing more liberating as an adult (even when you like your job) than being told you don’t have to go to work on a Tuesday. It’s like all of a sudden, the possibilities are endless! Are you going to sleep in? Get up early and get things done around the house so you have your entire weekend free for fun? Binge watch a whole series that the rest of the world has convinced your life is nothing without? That’s the best part – you can do anything.
Unless your power goes out.
Ah, the dreaded kryptonite of what could be a perfect snow day. You know, when I was younger I actually thought it was kind of exciting to be without power for a night. We would have barbequed food on the grill, read books by candle light (especially American Girl, obv), play a game or something, and within a few hours, we’d be back to our twenty-first century, power-using selves. Then something shifted, and as I got older, the power outages in and around my hometown of Derry, New Hampshire seemed to get much worse, like the time my parents lost power in December 2008 FOR ELEVEN DAYS (which in case you’re wondering, is magical right before Christmas). Weird that even as technology gets better, PSNH’s way of dealing with power gets worse.
I have been told on more than one occasion that Nantucket never loses power. I still don’t entirely know how it works, but from what I gather, our main source of power from the mainland is underwater, meaning that it doesn’t malfunction the way that normal power lines do in storms. So even though I knew yesterday at around 3 P.M. that today was going to be a snow day, I did virtually nothing to prepare for the worst, other than braving Stop & Shop at 5:30 PM to get a loaf of sourdough bread for baked French toast. Yes, that’s right – despite the impending Juno storm, I planned a brunch. Between Steve’s X-Terra and the extremely short distance to my friend’s homes, I never really live in fear of getting around on the island, even in a storm. So when we woke around 6:30 A.M. today and saw nothing on the face of my digital alarm clock, I was surprised but too sleepy to be concerned. I figured it was a temporary problem that would be rectified before our scheduled brunch time.
It’s now 2 P.M., and nothing.
I had many grand ideas for how my snow day would go. After brunch, I would finish my SAG blog (because let’s face it, it’s my dream to have the day off after an awards show to compose my thoughts), catch up on a little DVR that I had been waiting for Steve to get back from his trip off-island to watch with him (because I’m such a good wife), organize under my bathroom sink (leftover weekend project that just didn’t quite happen), and of course, spend an ample amount of time snuggling with my little Schooner-pup under a blanket.
Instead, I have done nothing. And by nothing, I mean stay in bed until I physically had to pee so bad that I thought I had forever damaged my bladder, only to find that due to an electric water pump, we are unable to flush our toilet without power. I mean that I haven’t eaten anything, partially because I really don’t want to have to go to the bathroom and also because Steve is so paranoid about losing money that I’m not allowed to open the fridge. I guess I did accomplish one thing, which is make a dent in an overflowing pile of Entertainment Weekly magazines that have been accumulating on my coffee table for weeks. Oh, I also discovered that my new portable battery charger does NOT come out of the package 100% pre-charged and ready to go. After refreshing the #ACKJuno tweets repeatedly in hopes of hearing any news about what is happening on the rest of the island right now and when our lives… I mean power… would be restored, I am now at a strong 31% iPhone battery charge and therefore, am soon-to-be disconnected from the rest of the world. Literally.
There are so many ways we could have better prepared for today, had we even thought that we might be electricity-free for this long. Besides ample charging, we could have washed all the dishes in the sink (dirty from preparing the French toast at midnight last night), as we now have no clean pots to make soup. We could have filled the tub up with water, instead Steve spend the morning boiling snow on the stove (in the last clean pot, whoops) for us to pour in the toilet (which in case you’re wondering, a small Rubbermaid container filled with snow gets you enough water for about one flush). Most of all, I could have mentally prepared myself to return to the ways of my pioneer relatives (and Kirsten, everyone’s favorite Swedish-braided American Girl doll), instead of entering this weird stage of paranoia that is starting to take over with every bar of energy I lose on one of my devices.
Listen, I get that this is a #firstworldproblem. I know that there are people that live every day in extreme temperatures, without running water or a source of technology to entertain them. But I’m not one of them. I don’t ever plan on trying out for Survivor. I always expected to be the first to die when playing Oregon Trail, and every time I see a Hunger Games film, I debate whether or not I would be taken out in the first ten seconds or the first twenty seconds after they pop out of those tubes in the arena. I’m just not built for stuff like this. Why do you think I don’t ever go hiking?
So instead, I’m snuggled under multiple layers of clothing, blankets, and pups (well, just one) as we wait this one out, while the wind savagely beats trees against our apartment that I now consider to be a little too close for comfort. I’m trying to prepare myself for the loss of daylight we’ll no doubt experience soon, and am wondering how desperate for a connection I’ll have to be to venture outside and charge my phone in the car. Also wondering if eating an entire family size bag of white cheddar popcorn is forgiven when in a state of emergency. I’m going to say yes.
Stay safe, East Coasters.
~L
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