Over the years creative consultant, editor, and design guru Michelle Adams has been at the forefront of the home and lifestyle editorial space. This installment of our Fieldnotes series is littered with sage advice and insightful anecdotes as Michelle dishes about trends and timelessness, offers tips for selecting the right house to remodel (and shares about her newest home reno project!), and catalogues her favorite publications, newsletters, and designers in the industry.

Round Top is a quiet little Texas hill country town situated between Austin and Houston, and we love it so much we decided to put down roots. We’re thrilled to settle permanently in the heart of town and welcome area residents and travelers throughout the year with a big dose of southern hospitality…and maybe a margarita or two!

Here’s the thing about Round Top: it’s refreshing slow pace, cultural vibrancy, and breathtaking beauty make it a slice of Texas worthy of a visit any month of the year. Whether you’re headed to the fields for the trinnual antiques show—an institution since 1968!—or considering a visit another time of year, we’ve pulled together basic information and a few of our favorite year-round recommendations for dining, shopping, and accommodations.

Like many pieces in the shop, our authentic lassi cups serve as an ode to bridging origins and eras, while also sustaining heritage crafts. For generations, the eponymous yogurt-based shake was served in hand-engraved patinated metal and brass cups. We now gather these one-of-a-kind pieces from markets across India for you to treasure for years to come.

I'm honored to feature my friend Erin Gates, the visionary behind Erin Gates Design and award-winning design blog Elements of Style, in the first installment of Fieldnotes, our new Journal series devoted to conversations with influential tastemakers. We hope that the perspectives, design tips, and industry insights chronicled in the series will inspire curiosity and delight about your home.

Last week The Wall Street Journal featured our Arabian Nights Tent in their roundup of children’s indoor play structures. What’s so captivating about the tent, what sets it apart from other teepees and indoor playhouses on the market, is its custom detailing. While it may be tempting to brush off design intricacies as above a child’s sensibilities, it is the structure’s details that conjure its whimsy, that transport visitors to a tiny magical world. To that end, consider this an introductory tour as we tie back the canvas flaps and invite you into this inspired lair.

With long-plotted getaways thwarted and kids’ activities in limbo, chances are that many of us are regrouping when it comes to summer plans. Our family will be home more than we expected, but I’m scheming about ways to make the most of the time, focusing my energy on home projects and work endeavors that normally get pushed aside this time of year. With the season changing and summer spreading before us, I can’t think of a better time for a refresh.

Mother’s Day is coming up, and like much of 2020 the holiday will no doubt be wrought with emotion. For our family, the weeks since Easter have been a bit of a struggle, the newness of days at home having worn off and our longing for normalcy growing stronger. So I’m looking to Mother’s Day with joyful anticipation — preparing to celebrate the influential women in my life is giving me a much-needed boost.