Tapping In

Chebeague Island, September, Raw Milk, Site Visits, Yellow Watermelon, Abe, and Sweetness.

It’s 3:13pm on Monday August 25th and I’m sitting in bed near the window, feeling a bit low-energy - I’m telling myself is just how it’s supposed to be.

I need curtains but we’re getting there.

I’ve been slamming Abraham Hicks these past couple of weeks and I do believe it’s changing my life. I find myself thinking throughout the day - what would Abe do? It typically leads to accountability and a quick perspective shift. It’s powerful, really - responsibility for not only your actions, but for your mindset.

Site visit at Five Birds Farm in NJ

I’m in the thick of fall-planning. Spilt Milk’s biggest “season” is the fall - NY fashion week, brands coming back from summer vacation; cushioned by the best time of year to have your wedding in the Northeast. I’ve been sending e-mails, reviewing spreadsheets, editing rental decks and menu testing for a wedding, a launch, and few NYFW presentations - all happening in September. We’re actually doing less events this year than last but stepping away from grazing tables (only) and smaller dinners (though not entirely) and moving more into larger 200+ dinners and productions. I’ve been working on a couple production-only gigs (aka we work with a chef, not as the chef). The thrill I get from realizing I’ll be lugging only 4-5 bags versus the usual 15+ bags and boxes is really something.

Raw milk win on the way back from a site visit in East Marion.

While September is big this year, it has a much different energy from last year. I realize that last year I was trying on bigger shoes as I was cobbling them and simultaneously wearing them. Does that make sense? I 3x-ed our profits and learned how to work with an assistant, how to legally pay and manage a team, restructured our books and just all around started to “do things the right (read: legal, sustainable) way.” It was a big learning curve and it feels almost unsettling to be sitting in my bed on a Monday writing - shouldn’t I be scrambling, in fight or flight?

Grilled cheese and green gazpacho on Chebeague Island.

The truth is I set up systems, and this year my task is to learn how to trust them. I’m not used to having them, and I’m still getting used to having help run them. I’ve been categorizing the rest of this month and next as my “no days off month” and while that might be partially true, there can be a lot of sweetness in that. Because - no days off from what?

In Watermill

I listened to this, this morning and realized that I do have the time. It’s all as sweet as I make it - I’m as aligned as I allow myself to be.

Morning coffee on the island.

Anyways, I went to Maine - again. I’m starting to really think I could live there one day. Everything feels easy there, perhaps too easy for this stage of my life but ease is getting more and more appealing the older I get.

Chebeague, my room.

My sister has moved to Brooklyn, and is starting teaching at a new school. I’m trying to be mindful that she’s not just here to play with me but I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’ve found that I actually really value - and very often prefer - solitude - but my sister is the exception.

Let me tell you, I was not expecting yellow.

This felt important.

Waiting on my pendant lamp from Louis Poulsen (bless them) but look at my new cabinet!

I’m thinking of starting a paid series regarding production - producer notes - is this interesting to anyone? Let me know what you’d want to see in the comments - ie: how we do outreach, how we create pitch decks, our systems and structures, managing a team, pre-production, creating a menu, quotes….lmk.

xo

Z