1.  Someday when I have my dream home with my dream closet, and my dream gift wrapping room, and my dream wine cellar, there will also be my dream stove.  The La Cornue stove.  The end all be all of stoves.  And it’s also moments like this when I realize how old I’m getting because I’m dreaming of stoves.

2.  A trip to Blackberry Farm.  This has been on my wish list for years.  YEARS I tell you!  One day it will happen.  One day I will go to that farm and marvel in it’s beauty, eat all their food, and yes drink all of their wine.

3.  Roots.  An amazing new cookbook for the veggie minded like myself.

4.  Stoneware brie baker.  I challenge you to find a more perfect gift for the host, hostess or anyone who loves to cook.  And it also comes in white.

5.  Rifle Paper Company polka dot tin recipe box.  Though I love my technology some things are best written.

6.  Ice Milk Apron.  Because one can never look too good…even when cooking.

7.  Silpat Mats.  Probably my number 1 cooking MUST.  I have 6 of these, and honestly I can always use more.  They are hands down, the absolute best no stick mat on the market.

8.  Williams Sonoma Tagine.  I have been wanting to try this North African cooking method for quite some time now, and these hand painted tagine’s make it even more enticing.

9.  French Press.  This cup of coffee is worth the wait.

10.  Cook’s One Line A Day Memory Book.  The perfect stocking stuffer for the food obsessed.

As I look back on March and look ahead to April, I feel like I’m standing in the eye of the storm.  Not a bad “storm” per se, but even an all-positive whirlwind is still a whirlwind.  So in light of all the crazy, I’ve decided to begin each month by taking a moment to sit down, grow quiet, and get a little personal.  Nothing earth shattering; just a time to reflect upon the last month and share what’s coming next. And while I’ve always felt WOM isn’t a place to wax poetically, it’s become apparent that it’s time to grow in that thought.  I mean, if you’re going to go on this journey with us, you might as well be an active participant.  Let’s begin, shall we?

March’s biggest milestone was hands-down the re-launching of our three websites; The Shop, The Blog, and The Portfolio.  This was a blood, sweat and tears, years-in-the-making, type of milestone.  We really tried to think through every aspect and little detail to provide you with as much daily inspiration and insight as possible.  And while the style of WOM hasn’t changed dramatically, there have been a lot of enhancements and additions made to help you get the most out of your WOM experience.  I’ve provided a little recap below in slideshow form (a new addition in itself) to walk through seven different areas we want to make sure you’re enjoying.  

While March’s biggest highlight was definitely our site’s facelift, the biggest pinch-me moment was receiving a phone call from one of my closest friends because her mother saw me doling out a tip or two in Pottery Barn’s Summer Catalog.  I had no idea?!  I mean I knew there was a possibility of being in the catalog, but in all of the conversations with PB nothing was guaranteed.  So imagine my surprise and delight when there it was in black and white, my face and thoughts on organizing in one of the most popular catalogs.  Surreal!   

But March wasn’t all shiny new sites and catalog fame.  March also held a tough decision; leaving behind my post as Editor At Large for The Celebration Society (formerly Occasions Magazine).  Bittersweet on so many levels, when all was said and done the reason to leave solely came down to the fact that the world of wedding whites isn’t the direction WOM is going.  I’ve never had plans to be a full-time bridal stylist, and when I began saying no to projects I wanted to say yes to because of time constraints I knew it was time to make the tough call.  But I’ve still got a few loose ends to tie up before the May issue is put to bed and I say goodbye, so while bridal isn’t the plan for the future, for the next thirty days, I plan to soak up every last tulle-filled moment I can.

My case of wanderlust doesn’t seem to be quite quenched yet as I’ve been traveling more than ever.  I explored San Francisco, Sausalito, Charleston, and Kiawah Island in March.  And in April, I’ll be exploring Turks and Cacios, Charleston again, NYC, and maybe Dallas if schedules permit.  Plus, you can look forward to seeing the Napa Valley Guide, which I’ve been talking about for months.  So if you’re planning a trip to wine country any time soon, be on the look out for that.

Along with travel, April holds some amazing collaborations including Lilly Pulitzer for Target, a little antiquing with Chairish and an exclusive collection for Hayden Reis.  Not to mention, we’re participating in our second One Room Challenge.  If you remember for our first ORC, I redesigned the WOM offices to accommodate a growth spurt.  Well big news, we’ve officially outgrown our current office, so we’re moving!  Beginning July 1st, we’ll be calling ADAC home.  And while I’m terribly sad to be leaving all the comforts of my home office behind, I couldn’t be more excited to be surrounded by so many designers I love and am inspired by on a daily basis.  Not to mention a new office means a whole new design project!

And with that, I’d like to wrap up my first Editor’s Letter with a heartfelt thank you.  All of the support and love of our readers is the reason I can sit here and pen this letter.  It’s why this letter will hopefully hold just as much news and excitement each month going forward as it does today.  This gift of being WOM which you have bestowed upon me and my team is something we will never be able to repay, but I promise we’ll try.  Truly, MKR