April Closing Shift
A Whimsical, RAINY April
April, hi.
We’re halfway through your stay and I wanted to check in on you. You have been a little stormy this month... more rain than I was expecting, more grey than I was hoping for. To be honest, I wanted to be outside more than I have been. But you know what? You kept me inside and it has actually been much needed. Movies, crafts, baking... I’ve always said that a rainy spring day feels like fall... and you KNOW how much I love fall!!!
Bucket List Check In
One thing I have learned about you, April... if I don’t write it down and actually DO it, you will fly right by. So I made a little list at the start of the month and I am happy to report I have been checking things off! I made matcha, took a walk in the rain, planted something (though it accidentally had peanut mulch and that was almost an emergency room trip... but all is well), made a picnic, picked flowers, and opened a window. Honestly not bad at all!
Still on the list... feeding the ducks, but they have been hiding because of the rain and honestly I respect it. Buying local produce, sending snail mail, and wearing my rainboots... which would be easier if I could find them. They have been completely MIA and I may just need a new pair. We shall see!
Recipe of the Month
You already know I have been on a little matcha journey this year... and April, you have only made it worse (in the best way). I went on a full side quest this month to find the easiest strawberry puree to add to my lattes and I think I cracked it. Quick, simple, and made from stuff I already had in my kitchen. AND it doubles as a baking mix in which... game changer honestly.
Strawberry Puree:
1 cup of strawberries, cut off the top
2 tbs manukora honey
1 tiny pinch of cardamom
1 tsp lemon juice (this keeps it fresh for longer!)
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Blend, then heat on low for about 5 minutes to infuse the flavors and help the honey melt. Optionally strain if you’d like, then set to room temperature and keep in the fridge!
Whats Whimsified?
April... I’d hate to harp on the rain thing again, but I actually think I’m coming around. There is something about a grey afternoon with a warm candle lit and my coffee + a lil treat by the window that just feels like exactly the right way to take a pause in my day (yes, I have to take a snack break). I have been doing that a lot lately and I don’t want to stop even when the sun comes back.
I also started Grey’s Anatomy from the very beginning and I am convinced there is no better show for a stormy afternoon. Something about the drama just hits different when it’s overcast outside. Maybe it’s because it’s always overcast in Seattle? Or maybe I weirdly find hospital lighting cozy? Who knows.
And my plants... April, well after the great peanut mulch incident of 2026, I was a little nervous. In fact, I wash my hands after every backyard outing... But I check on them every single morning and they are finally, finally sprouting (thank goodness). I cannot tell you how happy that little green poking through the dirt has made me. I also cannot tell you much beef I have with a squirrel in my back yard… How dare they burrow in my plants?!?
Little Obsessions
A few things have made this month feel a little more special and I just have to share them...
Commodity Milk Orchid mini... I don’t know how to explain this scent other than it smells like spring. And fall. Weirdly both? It’s warm and cozy and I got the mini version so I can take it EVERYWHERE. It might be the best perfume I’ve ever smelled. I’ve been reaching for it constantly. ($34)
Bonne Maman Strawberry Preserves... April, you know I love anything that feels a little European and a little precious and this is both. On toast, stirred into yogurt, eaten straight from the jar with a spoon... and let’s be real, the jar is perfect for an iced coffee once it’s been emptied. ($7)
A picnic basket... I thrifted my basket, and would love to encourage you to thrift one yourself, but this time of year the baskets are hard to come by, so I thought I’d share this cutie basket. It’s ADORABLE! ($25)
The Piyamam navy gingham PJ set... I wear this every single week. You probably wonder if I own any other clothes.... I do, but not any that I love as much as this set. Rainy days NEED a good pajama situation after all. ($109)
See You Soon, Friend
April, I can’t believe your visit is coming to an end so soon... you have gone by so fast. You came in a little stormy and a little grey but somewhere in between the rainy afternoons and all the slow days, you became one of my favorites. I mean that.
I won’t lie though... I am starting to peek around the corner at May. The promise of more sunshine, the first little whisper of summer light... it’s hard not to get excited.
BUT, we still have a little time left, you and I. And I plan to make the most of every bit of it. Thank you for being sweeter than I expected, April. I’ll miss you when you’re gone.
So Sweetly,
Leah