Pull Up a Chair London mornings feel different. The light moves across old book spines, painted ceilings, walls of yarn, and rows of pigments that look like they belong on an artist’s palette. Bread is stacked proudly behind glass. Umbrellas drift overhead. Mosaic tiles tell their stories piece by piece. Even the markets feel thoughtfully arranged. This city doesn’t whisper its creativity. It shows it. We’ve been here teaching a course to UT Knoxville honors students focused on Human Centered...
3 days ago • 3 min read
Pull Up a Chair Next week, we head to London. Rock and Sole Plaice Fish & Chips (London, UK - Established 1871) It’s something we do each year, yet it always feels both familiar and new. There’s the excitement — a city rich with history, long walks, good meals, and conversations that linger. And then there’s the weight of leaving. Our farm. Our animals. Our routines. Our heart. And the people who fill it — our kids, grandbabies, friends, and the everyday closeness that makes stepping away...
24 days ago • 4 min read
Pull Up a Chair Right now at Sweet Bombdiggity Farms, it doesn’t look like much is happening. The beds are mostly bare. The greenhouse feels still. If you didn’t know better, you might think we’re in a pause. But this is one of my favorite parts of the year. This is when the real work is tucked out of sight. Seed packets are opened. Rows are measured. Notes are scribbled in the margins of old notebooks. We’re walking the beds, deciding what goes where, and quietly setting the stage for...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Pull Up a Chair Quieter Resolutions The beginning of a new year can feel loud. Everywhere you look, someone is setting goals, declaring intentions, or mapping out a version of themselves they’re supposed to become overnight. This year, instead of making promises I can’t keep, I’m trying something quieter. I’m paying attention to how I talk to myself. How I frame a hard day. How quickly I label something as behind, late, or not enough. What if the real work isn’t setting better goals, but...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Merry Christmas, Friends! As Christmas draws near, we wanted to slip into your inbox with something simple and heartfelt—a note of gratitude from our hearts to yours. This year has brought so much life and change here at Sweet Bombdiggity Farms. We welcomed new babies and fresh beginnings that brought us so much joy and reminded us how miraculous life truly is. Biscuit and two of her much-anticipated babes (She had an astounding four!) We also said goodbye to some we loved deeply—Dessie, JP,...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Pull Up a Chair Simple Gifts This week has been one of those full, head-spinning weeks—finals on campus, long drives, and a to-do list that refused to cooperate. But last night, when I finally stepped outside and looked up, the cold winter sky was clear and bright. It stopped me just long enough to remember that even in the busiest seasons, simple gifts still find their way to us. That’s the heart of this week’s issue. Yes, I’m sharing some of my favorite gardening, cooking, and cozy-home...
3 months ago • 5 min read
Pull Up a Chair Gathering Around Gratefulness On a day built around gathering and gratefulness, Lane and I want to say how thankful we are that you’re here. This little community has become such a bright spot for us since it began early this fall. It is full of people who believe in creativity, simple joy, and designing a life you love in small, real ways. I love sharing ideas and inspiration, and I also love learning from you. Whether your house is full today or quiet and steady like ours,...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Pull Up a Chair The Quiet Between Seasons This time of year feels like the world is changing gears. The mornings start later, the days end earlier, and there’s a quiet hum of readiness in the air. Out on the farm, we’ve been buttoning things up for winter, but the truth is, most of us feel some version of this shift, whether we live in the city, the suburbs, or out where the fields meet the trees. There’s work to be done, both literal and emotional, before the new season settles in. Closets...
4 months ago • 4 min read
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...
4 months ago • 5 min read
Pull Up a Chair There’s something about this time of year that invites a slower rhythm. The air feels softer, the evenings come a little earlier, and the world seems to exhale after summer’s bustle. Out at the farm, I find myself gathering the last blooms, watching the compost pile steam in the cool mornings, and realizing how much beauty there is in quiet transformation. This month’s theme—Turning Toward the Good—is about that same kind of shift. It’s about noticing what’s still working,...
5 months ago • 3 min read