You are so talented, kind, patient, consistent, and disciplined.

You are the easiest person to love. 🖤

I'm so lucky to travel with Margaret, Eliz, Sandy, Isabel, and Erin. I loved the markets, food, craftsmanship, and museums.

90% of the recc’s from Abby Clawsonlow ‘s book. I took a lot of pictures which you can see below.

The end!

If you liked this, you might also enjoy our Sanibel Shell Show: Girls Trip 2025.

Over three incredible days, I packed in everything I love about this city: walking through the Ferry Building, riding streetcars, eating fresh crab, visiting old neighborhoods, and soaking up that impeccable weather.

Here's how I spent every perfect moment.

Day 1

I walked through the Ferry Building and down the Embarcadero, then took a streetcar to Fisherman's Wharf. I spent a lot of time at Musée Mécanique, ate some crab (it's crab season!), and went on a ride on the new Ferris wheel. I took a self-driving car to the new Tunnel Top Park.

Lunch was at Dalida, then I headed to the Mission to visit our old neighborhood. I had a little picnic at Dolores Park with friends to give everyone a quick hug. Thanks to everyone for coming out!

Day 2

I woke up early to go to the Farmers Market and fill my suitcase with citrus. I went across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito to try the sauna where you can jump in the Bay at Fjord Feel, then went to lunch at Fish Restaurant.

I went back to the Mission to visit our old favorite places at Garden Creamery and got a Thai massage at my favorite place, La Nee. Then I had an incredible dinner at The Anchovy Bar for my birthday.

Day 3

I got pastries at Loquat then walked around Hayes Valley. I stopped by the Seward Street slides and headed to the Richmond to visit shops like our favorite, Parklife. I went to the Academy of Science (the kids have so many memories of being dragged there when they were tiny). Then we rented bikes and rode to Ocean Beach.

Gallery

Here are some pictures from this trip.

Love You, SF

I wish we had another week. It didn't hurt that the weather was impeccable every day.

These three days reminded me why San Francisco will always feel like home. From the fresh citrus at the Farmers Market to the salty air at Ocean Beach, every moment brought back beautiful memories and created new ones.

If you're planning a trip to San Francisco, don't rush it. Take time to wander, eat well, and soak it all in. Love you, SF. ❤️

It's nice to embrace the changes, from the colors of the leaves to the cozy evenings.

First Fire

The first fire of the season is always a special moment. It's a chance to get comfortable and be present.

Our first fire of the season

Saving Sunflowers

A recent rainstorm caused some of our sunflowers to fall over. We went on a mission to save them. We carefully carried the big flowers inside to enjoy them for a little longer.

Hooker Green

We the weekend at Hooker Green, a renovated house an hour outside of NYC. It has a beautiful and peaceful backyard. It was the perfect place to enjoy the quiet moments of the season.

Inside the house

Pumpkin Cookies

What's fall without some delicious treats? We had fun baking our first batch of pumpkin cookies.

They were a perfect snack after a day outside. It's these small moments that make the season special.

Cookies

Conclusion

We spent the start of fall with simple pleasures: cozy fires, saving sunflowers, and enjoying a quiet escape. These small moments, whether it was baking or spending time in nature, made the beginning of the season truly special. This season, I also went behind the scenes at Terrain's Halloween styling event.

The weather is changing and it's a great reminder to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.

Thanks for reading. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Patron View for more.

Recently, I had the chance to speak at Terrain's Halloween styling event at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and it reminded me why stepping into the spotlight is always worth it.

Gallery

Here are some pictures from the event.

Panel Talk

Speaking on a panel with the Brown Stone Boys and Jarema was such a highlight.

I'll be honest, it had been a while since I spoke in public, so the nerves definitely kicked in beforehand. But once we got started, the conversation flowed naturally and it felt great to connect with everyone.

Stunning Decor

The flowers and decor were absolutely stunning, which honestly shouldn't surprise anyone since it's Terrain we're talking about.

They really went all out with the Halloween styling, creating this perfect blend of spooky and sophisticated that felt totally on brand. This connects to another piece I wrote: Hello, Fall!.

Hands On Fun

One of the coolest parts was the little terrarium making station they set up. It gave everyone a chance to get hands on and create something beautiful to take home.

These interactive elements always make events so much more memorable.

Conclusion

The Terrain Halloween event was a perfect reminder of how much fun it can be to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. From panel discussions to hands on activities, it had all the elements that make an event truly special.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made the day so enjoyable. Your energy and enthusiasm made all the difference.

And here's the exciting part: keep your eyes peeled because there's a new spooky collaboration coming soon that I can finally talk about.

Thanks for reading. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, or Patron View for more.

The whole point of this trip was to give them a chance to experience the area like a local, and it turned out to be the most special time.

We stayed at my favorite hotel, which is right at the entrance of the park and has the most stunning views. It was the perfect home base for our big canyoneering hike.

Our AirBnb

Early Start

We got up super early on Sunday to get ready for our big hike. My friend, Heather, had one of her son's cute teenage friends, Jack, drop us off at the top of the hike to make things smoother.

It was so helpful to get an early start on the day.

Into the Canyon

We did a hike that is called Pine Creek. It's a really special place.

Paid guides aren't allowed in this part of the national park, so the only way you can go is if you are comfortable with the technical skills or have a friend who is.

I was so grateful that my college roommate, Angela, who is very experienced at canyoneering, agreed to take us. We used to go on crazy adventures together when we were 19, like hitchhiking to Moab!

My best friend from high school, Maegan, also came to help guide us.

Once we got into the canyon, we got suited up in our wetsuits and gear. Besides my local friends, none of these people had rappelled before this weekend, so I was so proud of everyone.

Dropping In

We spent the day rappelling down waterfalls, navigating through pools of water, and taking in the breathtaking scenery. There were some thrilling moments, like when Erin did her best Indiana Jones impression with a big boulder.

The last rappel was really dramatic and incredibly beautiful. I'm not scared of heights, but I have to admit, I was nervous! It was such an amazing experience.

The Long Haul

The hike out was a few hours long and very hot. There are almost no photos of this part because everyone was tired and ready for it to be over.

One of us even got a little bit of heat stroke! But we made it, and some of us jumped into a swimming hole at the end of the trail to cool off.

A Perfect Ending

After the hike, we rushed to take showers and then I surprised everyone with a fancy dinner in a field overlooking Zion National Park.

The amazing team at Zion made us a beautiful meal, starting with a delicious grazing board.

As another surprise, my high school friend, Rick, arranged for his friends at Water Canyon Winery to come do a wine tasting for us.

To top it all off, my friend who had just been to Dubai, surprised us all with the viral Dubai chocolate. It was the most special way to end the trip.

I loved being able to show people where I grew up and having friends from so many parts of my life in one place was incredible. This connects to another piece I wrote: Why We Love Italy.

THE END

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The Question

Every time I go to Italy I ask myself, "why do we ever go anywhere else?"

Photos

Here are some of the things we did on our trip.

Going Home

We're going home with so much inspiration and these special treasures:

• The bartender's grandma's limoncello recipe
• Memories of mosaic school and truffle hunting
• Striped Murano cups

Twenty Years

We went to Italy to celebrate 20 years.

Happy 20th, Paul! ❤️🍝 🇮🇹 🛵

For a closer-to-home adventure, see our trip to Zion National Park.

Here are some photos.

Captain Brian took us on his boat to all the best secret beaches for shelling.

We got a tour of a tropical farm and spent hours walking the beaches looking for shells.

Get yourself some crafty friends who like to nerd out on sea shells.

Speaking of unforgettable trips, here's why we love Italy.

Thank you for this trip, Hannah, Margaret, and Erin! It was fun. 🐚🧜🏼‍♀️🏝️🦀🤓🏝️✨

Here's how it went.

The Birthday Party

We rented out sandplunch, and they brought out trays of sandwiches piled high.

I ordered ten perfect cakes from ninetynine

We played competitive bingo.

housesandparties surprised me with a vintage taxicab to take me to the party.

My friend, Mikelle Kelly, managed everything during the party and even arranged a surprise performance from @emigrate_drag.

Event Photos

Conclusion

We ended the night around the corner at a karaoke bar. It was one of the funnest nights of my life. This celebration was one of the last in our beloved SoHo loft before we moved.

I always have to remind myself that there are always plenty of good reasons not to make a big deal, but I'm always glad when I take the time to celebrate with friends.

Follow me on Instagram for more content like this!

Living Room

Jordan's Note: This is my personal account of the story originally written by Julie Vadnal for Domino.com. While the events and quotes remain the same, I wanted to share this journey in my own words.

Humble Beginnings

This is a New York story—SoHo, to be exact—but it begins in St. George, Utah, where I grew up. My dad was a schoolteacher, we were eight kids, and we just didn't have money. But I was always creative and an intensely hard worker, and in 2006, two years after graduating from college, I launched the wildly addictive party decor site Oh Happy Day, a definitive standout in the blogosphere of the time. (TikTokers today could never.)

The Color Factory Years

It was all a precursor to 2017's The Color Factory, my museum for chromatic geeks that was so much more than Instagram fodder. Displays at the multihued immersive space discussed theory and history—and, yes, there was a pastel blue ball pit. But after it launched, I felt overwhelmed. In 2018, I sold it.

Dream Home in SoHo

Not sure where to put my newfound cash flow, I bought two dream properties: a home in upstate New York and a 1,700-square-foot, two-bedroom loft in SoHo, which I renovated into a three-bedroom for my family: husband Paul, sons Moses (15) and Roman (13), and daughter Simone (7). I was definitely approaching it as an investment—an investment we could live in. Just the idea that I could ever own a house in New York City; I couldn't believe it. Are you kidding me? That's like a TV show. The day of the closing, I cried.

The Renovation Journey

My next move? Hiring architect Josh Keller and an owner's advocate to manage the project and keep the contractors honest. Obviously I wouldn't need an interior designer—that was all me. I sent Keller photos of European apartments with thick molding and regularly traipsed to the nearby Roman and Williams Guild, a French (and Scandinavian and Japanese) furnishings store, for inspiration.

Me and Paul

A New Design Direction

While my previous rental embraced a punchy palette and pattern, the SoHo space is softer and a bit more subdued than you'd expect from someone who launched a brand with "color" in the name. This connects to another piece I wrote: Hello, Fall!

An ultra-veiny charcoal and white marble waterfall island grounds the open kitchen, and European white oak chevron flooring spans the entire home. The custom Rift Cabinetry cupboards? A calming dove color. "My palette was 50 shades of gray," I joke. "I was designing for a character in my brain, specifically trying to do things that were a little less risky and more classical." In other words, Quiet Luxury Jordan had entered the building.

Even in my daughter's room, where I let Simone choose the paint (Benjamin Moore's Kitten Whiskers), it ended up being a grayish hue so that it would feel cohesive with the rest of the apartment. (The one anti-neutral? The kids' Fireclay blue tile bathroom.) The boys' shared room is also neutral city, and the small bedroom sizes were intentional: "I told Josh, if you have to pick between making the bedrooms a little bigger or giving space to the common area, give it to the loft."

Living Large

In that big bright and sunny room, two pebble gray Hay sofas encourage conversation, and a hidden Samsung Frame TV is tucked inside the bookshelf, which I designed with museum shelving, the kind that displays a book's front instead of its spine.

I really wanted to focus on texture, referring to layering objects, not just using nubby fabrics next to smooth ones. So if I felt like a space looked boring, I was like, okay, how do I bring in more texture here? Plant stands and columns also do the trick. I explore related ideas in Behind the Scenes at Terrain's Halloween Styling Event.

"I realized, 'Oh, shit, this isn't like a place to live in. This is a business. I actually built a business."

Perfect weather to relax

Dream Amenities

Then there are the next-level amenities that a former renter could only dream of: a seltzer tap in the kitchen, an entire wall of storage in the living room—I admit to owning an "obscene" amount of cloth napkins—and in the primary bathroom, a heated shower bench and floor. "When we have a party, I'll come into the bedroom and everyone's sitting in the shower and drinking wine—it's hilarious," I say. "I have so many pictures of friends having intimate conversations in there because it's so cozy."

The Plot Twist

I never thought we'd live in the loft forever—the plan was three to five years—but when we moved in, I was already dreaming up my next venture, a collective of retail spaces in the same Manhattan neighborhood. So this savvy creative got, well, creative. I Zillow-ed what lofts in the area rent for and found that I could lease our new home to create additional income.

The Business Decision

"I realized, 'Oh, shit, this isn't like a place to live in. This is a business. I actually built a business,'" I say. It was settled. My family would move back into a rental, which, for my new alter ego, Quiet Luxury Jordan, felt more comfortable anyway. Before I knew it, I was slapping my signature saturated hues on the walls.

Looking Forward

When I announced the pivot on Instagram, my followers were stunned—hadn't I just built my dream home?!—and I felt slightly embarrassed that I was uprooting my family after just eight months.

"The reality is, we could have stayed there," I say. "But if I want to be able to start a company without taking money from people who would tell me how to run it, then I already have all our money—it's in two houses."

Photography by Sean Davidson
Original story by Julie Vadnal
Produced by Kate Berry

1. Every restaurant is kid friendly if you show up right when they open.

2. Move hotels as little as possible and instead spend that energy actually enjoying where you are. The cost/benefit equation is better.

3. If you have children that nap splurge on a room with an epic view. You'll spend a lot of time there.

4. Boats, bikes, and gelato are the cure to turn any day around.

5. Always ask locals "where is the best place to watch the sunrise/sunset?" and plan your day around it.

6. Alternate stressful activities with relaxing ones. (ie: crowded morning at the Louvre then quiet picnic on the Seine.)

7. Just say 'no' to cruises and all inclusive resorts. (With very few exceptions, in my experience, it's a trick!)

Also as a general rule I would add: lower your expectations and remember: It's better than staying home.

We put these rules to the test on our trip to Zion National Park.

Would love to hear if you have any tips on traveling with kids!!