Girl from the North Country: A Week in Waterford with Sus
Hey all! So last weekend, my husband Gustavo and I (and our hundred pound puppy!) hopped in the car and headed north to see my parents. Fifteen hours later, we arrived in Waterford, VA, a charming historic town situated in Northern Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
During my sophomore year of college, my parents left their home of 30+ years in Maryland in order to find a more peaceful retreat from the greater DC area. And boy did they!
To get to their house, you drive through a small historic district (c. 1743), then up a hilly, gravel road to the aptly named Clover Hill. There, perched on 3 acres, is their gorgeous Colonial Revival home, which boasts stunning sunsets, an ideal sledding hill, and the most relaxing summer breezes imaginable.
On the day that Gus and I arrived, it was a perfect 70 degrees. We made sure to take advantage of the warm moment by taking Basco, our Rhodesian Ridgeback, for several leisurely walks.
The rest of the week was spent enjoying walks, collecting rocks (I’m a sucker for Quartz), picking flowers, mixing cocktails, seeking out sunspots, and driving around the spectacular countryside. Below I’ll walk you through a few of my favorite moments of country life. Hope you all enjoy!
Gathering: Found Items & Flowers
With all the tragedy and change in the world right now, it’s nice to focus on simple, repetitive tasks. I’ve been collecting quartz rocks I find in the road. (They come in a variety of colors: pinks, ambers, whites, and more.) There are also such sweet wildflowers growing here, and my mother’s lilac bush is incredible this year–I wish you guys could smell it! There are also the most amazing fresh eggs here. The ones gathered below are just for decoration, but the *perfect* robin’s egg blue one is as real as real can be.
Entertaining: Drinks & Dogs
In lieu of tons of social visits, we’ve been stirring up delicious cocktails and making sure to get lots of puppy cuddles the furry friends (pictured below: Basco, Finn, & Rafa). We’re also swigging down tons of iced coffee. After years of pushing, we finally got my dad to try it, and now he’s obsessed. In addition to luscious lilacs, my mother’s mint beds are out of control in the best possible way, so we’ve been adding mint to whatever we can!
For Mother’s Day, we had a refreshing twist on a mimosa: Cava (we like Biutiful) mixed with orange juice, poured over ice and frozen blackberries. Garnish with whatever springtime-y flowers you have on hand!
Fun in the Sun: Work & Play
Even though it’s been surprisingly chilly, the sun has been out most days. When the weather is cooler, the sunshine offers cozy spots (like the idyllic window seat pictured below) that seem made for afternoon reading or “office with a view” Snapchats. And when the temperature rises (even just a bit), it’s time to play outside and soak up as much Vitamin D as possible.
All the rest…literally
The most amazing part about being in Waterford is getting to see my family. Even though I haven’t hugged either of my parents (and won’t until it’s been at least two weeks), just being in their physical presence is such a blessing. We’ve watched movies together, played games, laughed over silly jokes, and shared meals (though from different ends of a long table!). We visited a favorite local spot, The Market a Bluewater Kitchen in Upperville, VA for local fare. We had flowers delivered for Mother’s Day from wldwst and an amazing “distanced” visit from my sister (and one of our fab contributors) Kate, her husband and their kids. And, of course, we continue to sew face masks and srunchies, which will be for sale soon!
All in all, I could not be more grateful for this time. I hope you all enjoyed this glimpse into country living. Let me know if there’s anything you want to see more of! We’re here for another week, and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for us.
