Pull Up a Chair

Bring on the Rain

Some days, the rain sets the pace. It taps against the windows, softens the world, and quietly insists that you slow down. Maybe it’s a gentle nudge not to rush through but to let life breathe a little.

We live in a world that rarely pauses. The lists are long, the emails never stop, and most of us are working full-time while trying to build a life that feels like our own. But when the rain comes, it offers a different kind of rhythm — one that reminds us we can’t pour from an empty cup.

Rainy days can feel like interruptions, but what if they’re actually invitations? To pause. To listen. To notice the small things we usually hurry past — the way the leaves shine darker, how the air smells of earth and new beginnings.

Sometimes designing a life that you love starts here, not in the hustle but in the hush. The quiet rhythm of rain reminds us that growth happens even when it looks like nothing’s happening at all.

So this week, find a moment to pour a cup of something warm, light the candle you’ve been saving, and let part of your day unfold slower than planned. Maybe the rain isn’t ruining your plans. Maybe it’s rewriting them into something gentler.

Let’s dream it, design it, and live it—together.

With love,
Lane + Jules

Designing a Life You Love

A Gentle Reset - Practice the Pause

When life feels full to the brim with work deadlines, family needs, and a to-do list that never seems to end, it can feel impossible to slow down. But designing a life you love isn’t about escaping the hustle. It’s about finding calm inside it.

This week, practice the pause. Let the rain be your reminder. When a meeting ends five minutes early, sit in the quiet before jumping into the next thing. When dinner’s in the oven, take a breath instead of reaching for your phone. When it rains, open a window and listen.

The pause doesn’t have to be long to make a difference. It isn’t wasted time. It’s how we refill what the world keeps pouring out of us. Those small, gentle resets add up. They remind you of what truly matters and help steady your heart for what’s ahead.

Designing your life is really about paying attention, one pause at a time.

Some reflections for you:

1. When was the last time I allowed myself to rest without feeling guilty?
2. What small rituals could I build into my day to help me pause and reset?
3. Where in my schedule could I create even a five-minute window of stillness?

From the Farm Kitchen

Chicken & Kielbasa Skillet with Cornbread Topping

When the rain rolls in, this is the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table. It’s smoky, savory, a little spicy, and just what a gray day calls for. Think of it as comfort in a skillet, southern style — tender chicken, smoky kielbasa, and colorful veggies baked under a golden cornbread crust.

You can find the full Rainy Day Chicken & Kielbasa Skillet with Cornbread Topping on the website. It’s warm, easy, and totally bombdiggity.

Out in the Garden

The Rainy Day Garden Guide A few summers ago, I started keeping a “Rain Day Garden List.” It began as scribbles in a notebook — things I could do when the ground was too wet to dig, but I still wanted to stay connected to the garden. Cleaning pruners, sorting seed packets, checking stored bulbs, and making notes on what thrived and what didn’t. Over time, it became its own little rhythm, a reminder that tending the garden isn’t just about planting. Maybe it’s time I turn that list into a short guide for all of us — The Rain Day Garden Guide: 10 Things to Do When You Can’t Garden but Still Want To. Rainy Day Garden Guide

​ “Sometimes the best thing we can do for our gardens is to step back and let them rest. Not every season requires our effort. Some simply ask for our patience.”

The Curated Corner

One Flower Can Inspire It All

This week’s curated corner of joy is an arrangement that began with a single dahlia — one of the last still blooming and an absolute showstopper. She caught my eye, and suddenly everything else fell into place. I went wandering around the farm, gathering what was still vibrant: a few dogwood branches, bits of greenery, and even a burst of hot pink Gomphrena that somehow worked perfectly.

Sometimes all it takes is one spark of beauty to inspire everything that follows. You can see the original pumpkin vase video here and maybe create your own arrangement that celebrates whatever’s still blooming where you are.

Favorite Finds

My favorite Rain Boots

I have tried 100 brands of rain boots (I'm not even sure that is an exaggeration). They are a necessity for me here on the farm. I have a few favorites, but lately my go-tos are my Ariats. They have an excellent arch support and cute patterns, too. They are rugged and reasonably priced for the quality. I have these butterfly one,s and they make me smile.

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It's Sweater Weather! Cute & Cozy

I am always on the lookout for a cozy sweater, and as a Vol Fan, a pop of orange brings me great joy. I snagged this cutie recently. It is excellent quality, and the price was crazy reasonable. I love a good find, so I'm passing it along. They have some adorable patterns that aren't orange, too!

For the Curious and Creative

Let the rain be your cue to slow down and look closer. Not to journal about the weather, but to notice the details you usually rush past.

Consider starting a Detail Journal or list — a place for little things that make life richer. The color of the mug you always reach for, the sound your dog makes when she/he settle in beside you, the scent of fresh basil on a rainy windowsill...

The more you notice, the more you begin to design a life that you love.

Tuck it in your pocket

The rain reminds us that not everything needs to be fixed or hurried along. Some things simply need time — time to settle, time to grow, time to begin again. Renewal often happens quietly, right where patience and grace meet.

Have a question you'd love me to answer? A project you're proud of? Something inspiring you've seen? I’d love to hear it—and it might just show up in a future newsletter.

We’re building something beautiful here, together. Now that's BombDiggity!

Here’s to simple joys and big dreams,

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360 Bethlehem Lane, La Follette, TN 37766
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