I read a lot of lifestyle blogs. Too many, really. And the thought that comes into my head most often when I’m scrolling through them goes like this:

Wow, other people lead such beautiful lives. Such well designed lives. Such Life-Is-A-Party-And-Every-Detail-Is-Art-Directed lives. Where do they find the time for all that planning? For all that acquiring? For all that executing? While I’m on a rant here I might as well add this. For all that photographing of and writing about It????

Then just last weekend, Tim and I made a quick trip to Georgia to visit my most awesome “country cousins” (as Meg calls them). We had a glorious and leisurely lunch on the deck overlooking the lake. Over steaming bowls of Meg’s corn chowder into which we dipped Carey’s herb bread, and while munching on Houston’s gigantic and yummy oatmeal cookies (that we dipped into pottery mug coffee), we talked about interesting things. For instance, Kathleen got us going with starters like: Tim, tell us something interesting we don’t know about you. No, wait. Instead, Cathy, tell us something interesting about Tim.

How I loved that day.

Right after lunch I pulled my phone from my pocket and snapped this photo. No stylists, no props, no blog planning.

Just life, real and beautiful.