Whenever Matt and I travel north to New Hampshire, we make it a priority to start our trip with an empty stomach so we have room to dine at some of our favorite places along the way or be adventurous and discover a new spot in town. Fun fact about Matt: he LOVES pancakes. Pancakes for breakfast; pancakes for lunch; pancakes for dinner – he’ll devour them all. Since Matt’s usually the one behind the wheel on our way to New Hampshire, he decides the fare. Leaving us headed for my favorite – Chinese; or his favorite – a…
Our House, The Story Of A New England Fixer-Upper: Kitchen Demolition Complete!
If you follow us on Youtube than you probably already know that we’ve been doing some pretty hefty kitchen demolition over the last couple of months. We probably spent all of December chopping down walls, knocking down ceilings and reframing the space. Honestly, we got sort of a slow start to our house renovation. We started by focusing on the exterior demolition, as you can see above. Our intentions were good but we probably should have been focusing on the interior first. Oh well, and less well learned. With that being said, we are now off to the…
A New Englander’s Guide to Refreshing Your Home’s Interior
February is always a busy month for us – between Super Bowl Sunday, Matt’s birthday, and Valentine’s Day – weekend activities are endless. This year is especially busy since we are wrapping up renovations on our new house. A lot of time and money has gone into making our fixer-upper a home, so Matt and I have decided Valentine’s Day this year will be a little less conventional. Instead of jewelry or a romantic getaway (like our trip to San Francisco last year) we plan to spend this heart day at home exchanging furniture as gifts! I know, furniture…
The Art Of Making A Decision: How My Home Renovation Has Made Me More Decisive
Making decisions has often played a crucial role in my business. Whether it be making a design element decision or a specific brand collaboration to connect with our audience. I’ve always enjoyed making all the quick turnaround decisions. It’s often what I feel I excel at! Yet, nothing has challenged my decisiveness more than taking on a home renovation. Over the last couple of months, I’ve had to make decisions from the moment construction starts (around at 6:00 A.M.) to the moment I go to sleep. At first, I loved it. Now, as we head into the fourth…
New Englander’s Guide To Packing For Ski Season
Winter is here and that means it’s time to pack up your wool mittens and ski essentials, jump in the car and head up north. New Englander’s are fortunate enough to have some amazing ski mountains in our region, among other things. With that being said, I’m a professional at packing last minute and heading up north to ski for the weekend; and I felt like it was about time I share my packing tips with you all. On that note, here is my New Englander’s Guide To Packing For Ski Season Ski Slope Staples: Softshell Ski Pants: If you’re looking…
5 Things You Might Not Know About The Coastal Confidence
So much has changed since I started The Coastal Confidence way back in 2013. My blog turned into my business and with that came specific branding, strategic planning, and creative content. I only share a small bit of personal information with you all, as I’d much rather have the focus be on what New England can offer you, than what Aubrey has been up to. In fact, I actually hate talking about myself, and I like to think of The Coastal Confidence as a New England lifestyle blog instead of a personal one. Yet, I always want to…
Sherpa Coats To Bundle Up In This Winter
For a while there I thought we were going to get through this winter without even a scatter of a storm. However, it looks like that’s going to change this week, as we hunker down for an estimated 18 inches of snow. Prior to the unanticipated blizzard, my Mom and I decided to play hooky on Thursday and head down to the shoreline, Noank to be exact, to grab some seafood, fresh air and enjoy the mild weather; before getting snowed in. With that being said, I always dress for warmth and alterability during New England winters, which is…
Story And Soil Coffee Shop, In Hartford CT
Now that Matt and I are officially back in Connecticut it’s funny to find that residents either LOVE it here or to put it politely, are patiently counting down the days, until they can leave. With each passing week, I see more young adults leaving to pursue careers in Boston as older adults simultaneously fly south to Florida for warmer weather. Leaving Connecticut feeling like a ghost town, more now than ever. Which brings me to the look Matt and I receive when we tell neighbors, friends new and old, and acquaintances that we left Dallas Texas for Connecticut. With…
10 Step Guide To Flipping An Old House
We are knee deep in fixing up our old house and if I could do it all over again, which I could see myself doing down the line, I wanted to have a guide or checklist to follow. So this post is not only a guide for you guys but also selfishly for future me! On that note, let me just say flipping an old house is not for the weak of heart, and I’ve never felt more thinly spread than I do at this moment. Yet, I find this process to be extremely rewarding, and I want…
Aubrey’s 10 Beloved Finds From 2018
We are one week into the new year and off to the races. And while these last couple of days have been a whirlwind, I always make time to read other blogger’s New Year’s resolutions, year in reviews and goals for the new year. I always find these articles inspiring but also so relatable, as we look back over the year. I’ve read so many of these articles in the last couple of days, including my own, and one thing seems to be a resonating theme for 2019, purchasing less and investing in more. Which got…