June 2026
- Jul 4
- 8 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Hi, friend.
Come sit with me for a minute.
I’ve got sourdough on the counter, dirt under my fingernails, and a month full of stories to tell.
If I’m being honest, I’ve been dreaming about writing something like this for years. Not because I wanted to start a blog again, but because I wanted a place where I could slow down.
A place that felt less like social media and more like sitting on the back patio with a girlfriend catching up.
No algorithms. No pressure to make another thirty-second video. Just real life.
So… welcome to 🌿✨From the Haven✨🌿
This little journal is where I’ll share what bloomed, what baked, what inspired me, what challenged me, and all the little moments in between. Think of it as us catching up over coffee once a month. (You can have the coffee. I’ll be over here with an ice-cold crispy Coca-Cola. I’m just not a coffee girlie.)
This also won’t be your typical blog. Think of it more like the running conversation we’d have if we texted all month long. Little thoughts. Garden updates. Things I baked. Random stories. Whatever’s on my heart that day. My ADHD friends will probably appreciate the format.
So… if you’re here for perfectly curated perfection, you might be in the wrong place.
But if you’re here for the messy, beautiful, ordinary moments that make up a life… welcome home.
Buckle up, buttercup. Here goes nothing..
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🌻 In the Garden
June always feels like the month where summer finally settles in.
School is out. The days get longer. The garden stretches toward the sun. The boys are suddenly home asking for snacks every seventeen minutes. In this economy I’m going to need to get another job to support their eating habits. We’ve been soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the slower days. Somehow every day feels both slower and busier at the same time.
Before we left for California, I think I was more worried about my garden than I was about packing. My poor mom got a complete walkthrough of every flower bed, every pot, and exactly how I water everything. Looking back, I probably made it sound like she was taking care of an entire botanical garden instead of my backyard… but if you’re a gardener, you understand.
flower garden before leaving
When we came home, walking into the backyard honestly felt like Christmas morning. Everything looked lush and happy.
Well…
almost everything.
Garden after vacation & what’s lefts of my wisteria
Unfortunately, my wisteria officially decided it was done.
I’ve been holding onto hope for a while now, but sometimes the garden reminds us that not everything is meant to stay forever. Pulling it out is bittersweet, but I get to dream about what will take its place.
wisteria last July
And then there’s my peach tree…
Bless its little heart.
It started the season covered in tiny peaches. Now we’re somehow down to one determined little peach with its pit sticking halfway out like it has absolutely no idea what it’s doing.
Honestly…
Same. 😂
I’m planning to stop by the nursery where we bought it and see if they have any ideas because gardening has a funny way of reminding you that you’ll never know everything…and I kind of love that.
definitely not James’ giant peach!
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✈️ California
no planned outfits just us before the older boys headed out with their dad
One of my favorite parts of June was spending a week by the ocean with my family.
No rushing.
No schedules.
Just salty air, sandy feet, and long days together.
This is the second summer we have been in Oceanside, third in a row being in California. We Adore southern California...the traffic...... not so much. I think Tyler and I will end up there one day, even if its just part time. Maybe when all the boys are grown and living their own life. I'm not rushing to that though, I'm soaking in these days having the boys under one roof.
Our week settled into that easy going beach vibe almost immediately. Mornings started slow with walks on the beach looking for shells during low tide. Followed by breakfast on the patio and whatever the day would bring. Our week was full of walks to the Pier, beach days, boogie boarding, relaxing, exploring, farmers markets, put-put golf, ping pong & of course Odies Pizza Co. We got SO LUCKY with our VRBO location. Our cottage patio was literally steps away from the sand in North Coast Village. I highly recommend not only the cottage we had but any place inside North Coast Village. Honestly the location and beach are unbeatable. if anyone is interested, I can share the VRBO link.
Our week wasn't packed with an itinerary and honestly it was AMAZING!!! The only day we had plans was the day we went to Sea World. I could go on and on and on about Sea World... However, I will save you from reading about me ramble about dolphins and how I was trying to convince Tyler to take one home with us. If you have never been, I do recommend going. Keep in mind however that a hot dog costs FOURTEEN DOLLARS...singular hot dog.. UNO hot dog. However watching the boys enjoy everything, it was worth it. even the dang $14 hot dog.
One of the biggest moments of the trip was taking Aiden’s senior photos.
I still can’t quite believe I’m saying “senior photos.”
How did we get here already?
Aiden my Senior 😭😭
One thing that made this trip especially meaningful was getting to share it with my older boys. They are usually with their dad over summer break. However, their Dad, his Wife and their kids joined us on vacation, and it was even better than I could have imagined.( They were able to book in the same “resort” as us. It’s not a resort but definitely gives resort vibes and has all the amenities.)
We are so lucky to be in a place where we can make these memories together. Co-parenting isn’t always easy, and every family finds their own way. For us, this trip was a reminder that sometimes the greatest gift you can give your kids is simply seeing the adults in their lives happy.
There wasn’t a “Mom vacation” or a “Dad vacation.”
There was just… a vacation.
The boys got to build memories with all of us.
As Aiden gets ready for his senior year, I couldn’t help but think about how quickly these seasons go by. Before long, he’ll be off building a life of his own, and family vacations with everyone together will become fewer and farther between.
That realization made me put my phone down a little more but also struggle with trying to capture every moment. I am a photographer, so I have to remind myself to enjoy the moment while I try to freeze time and capture it all. One day, years from now I will be so happy that I captured these memories.
Side note..
✨One little thing that completely saved the trip?
The boys’ water shoes.
On the very first day, Tyler stepped on something in the ocean that reminded him of stepping on a goat head back home. He hobbled over to me and I had to yank out something. His foot bothered him the rest of the vacation, while the boys ran across rocks and tide pools without a care in the world.
Those little shoes earned their keep.
And because they were only eight dollars, we left them at the Airbnb instead of packing sandy shoes back to Colorado. Hopefully another family gets some use out of them.
It’s funny how sometimes the smallest purchases end up being the most useful.
Cade in his water shoes.. best purchase ever for the beach!
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🍞 From the Kitchen
Sourdough has become such a natural rhythm in our home that I almost forget it isn’t normal for everyone. I mean not everyone has a 3-year-old fermenting starter named Breadie White just chillin on their counter. It’s like having a 5th child, except it doesn’t talk back. Win!! However she needs to be fed daily and is moody in hot summers.
With Vacation in June I didn't do much baking, but we did google if we could bring a fresh loaf inside a carry on .
I'm finally back in my sourdough rhythm now and there is something about mixing dough, waiting, stretching and folding, and pulling a warm loaf out of the oven that slows my brain down in the best way…..Except when its hotter than hell outside and your dough is a sticky mess.
You get to a point where you just have to accept that you are now making focaccia. Hooray for Western Colorado summers.
I’ve also realized I’ve been sitting on years of recipes, photos, and little kitchen tips that I’ve only shared with close friends.
I think it’s finally time to start sharing them here.
Not because they’re fancy.
Because they’re the recipes that actually live in our kitchen.
snickerdoodle bars. keep an eye out for the recipe next month
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🤍 Around the Haven
This month felt like a turning point, not because The Tailored Haven is new, but because it finally started feeling like it had found its footing.
I’ve been selling sourdough since 2024. The business has been real for a while now.
But over the last few months, something has shifted.
The logo finally feels like me.
The vision has become clearer.
The Tailored Haven has become less about products and more about creating a place filled with things that are thoughtfully chosen, naturally inspired, and genuinely loved.
But if I’m honest… this month wasn’t just pretty logos and pretty photos.
It was hours behind a computer.
Buying a domain.
Building a website.
Learning how to accept payments.
Setting up shipping.
Figuring out inventory.
Writing product descriptions.
Changing my mind… and then changing it again.
There were moments I wanted to throw my laptop out the window because nothing seemed to work the way I thought it would. (If you know, you know. 😂)
I’ve learned that owning a small business isn’t just creating something you love.
It’s becoming the photographer, the website designer, the customer service department, the accountant, the shipping manager, the marketing team, and somehow still remembering to make dinner.
Some days it feels like I’m checking one thing off my list only to discover three more things I didn’t know I needed to do.
And honestly?
I wouldn’t trade it.
Because every late night, every frustrating website error, and every little victory is helping build something I’ve dreamed about for years.
The Tailored Haven is slowly becoming exactly what I hoped it would be.
⸻
☀️ Life at Home
Summer break officially arrived, which means our house has been wonderfully loud.
We’ve spent afternoons outside doing scavenger hunts, watering flowers, pulling weeds, pulling weeds...........PULLING WEEDS and finding little adventures right in our own backyard.
When I think back to my own childhood, I don’t remember perfect days.
I remember magical ones.
Helping decorate for Christmas.
Playing outside until the sun went down, even in the pouring rain of B.C.
Watching my mom turn an ordinary house into a home.
Those are the memories I’m trying to give my boys.
Not perfection.
Just a home that always feels like a warm hug.
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🌙 Something June Taught Me
This month reminded me that gardens and people aren’t all that different. Some flowers take off overnight. Some spend weeks looking like they are doing absolutely nothing before they suddenly explode with blooms…. And some plants… despite all the care and watering you give them.. they just wilt and throw up a hypothetical middle finger
Gardening has a way of keeping you humble.
Maybe that’s exactly what June was trying to remind me. Maybe you’re a slow grower who just needs more time to bloom. Or maybe life has you feeling like throwing up the middle finger for a while.
Either way… keep growing!!!
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🌾 Gathered This Month
Consider this the “Girl… where’d you get that?” section. No sales pitch. No pressure. Just me doing what I’ve always done.. sharing the things I genuinely love in case they make your life a little better too.
A few things that genuinely became part of our month.
👟 The boys’ $8 beach water shoes.
🌞 Our favorite sunscreen.
🧤 My favorite gardening gloves.
🍞 The sourdough tools I reach for every week
🌿 Amazon Favorites This Month
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🌼 Looking Ahead
In July I’m looking forward to…
Watching the zinnias bloom.
Figuring out what’s going on with that stubborn peach tree.
Baking more summer recipes.
Spending slow evenings in the garden.
Continuing to build this little corner of the internet.
Thank you for sitting with me for a while.
Until next month…
Little rascals wave.👋
xo, Jess