Life Lately- Gathering

May Edition

Last month, I picked up The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker, and it completely shifted how I think about spending time with the people I love.

One of the biggest takeaways?

Gathering well doesn’t begin when people arrive… it begins the moment they’re invited.

From setting the tone early to thoughtfully shaping the environment, Parker challenged me to think more intentionally about how we create meaningful time together.

Naturally… I immediately called my sisters.

This Mother’s Day, my family became the guinea pigs for my first official intentional gathering experiment, and it turned into one of my favorite family memories yet.

It Started with the Invitation

Mother’s Day was already on the calendar, but this book made me realize it’s incredibly easy to spend time together without truly being together.

I wanted this gathering to feel different from the very beginning.

So I created formal invitations, added a few playful “pop-up rules,” and hand-delivered each one with a small clue about the evening ahead.

The response was immediate… my family was intrigued, excited, and already anticipating something special.

Before anyone even arrived, the gathering had already begun.

Then Came the Environment

One of my favorite lessons from Parker’s book was how deeply environment shapes experience.

And while Blake and I may not have a formal dining room in our cozy little home… that wasn’t about to stop us. : )

So yes… we literally moved the bed out of our guest room and transformed it into a dining room for the weekend.

It was equal parts hilarious and surprisingly effective.

Between expanding our convertible table, creating intentional seating arrangements, adding custom tokens to each place setting, and planning a full “grand reveal” of the transformed space, we wanted our family to feel welcomed, celebrated, and genuinely cared for.

It was such a good reminder that creating meaningful space doesn’t require perfection… just intention.

Side Note: The Amuse Bouche was one of the BEST recipes I’ve found recently!

You can find it here.

To The Little Things

The heart of the evening, though, was our conversation.

Inspired by Parker’s concept of “15 Toasts,” we built the evening around intentional storytelling.

Each person received a champagne glass, and throughout dinner, we shared stories centered around one simple theme: To The Little Things

From heartfelt reflections about Mom to hilarious family memories, each toast created space for deeper connection, laughter, and stories we may not have otherwise shared.

It was meaningful, joyful, and honestly one of my favorite parts of the night.

(And yes… to keep everyone on their toes, the last person had to sing their toast. Unfortunately for me, that was me. Lol.)

What I Learned

What stood out most wasn’t the table design, the menu, or even the multiple courses.

It was the intentionality.

• The invitation created anticipation.
• The environment shaped the experience.
• The thoughtful structure created connection.

This evening reminded me that gathering well isn’t about extravagance… it’s about creating space where people feel seen, known, and loved.

Final Thoughts

While I may have gone a little over the top for Mother’s Day, this experience reminded me how powerful intentional gathering can be.

Meaningful connection doesn’t always require elaborate plans… but it does require thought.

Sometimes it simply looks like:

• Asking better questions
• Creating a welcoming space
• Celebrating both big and small moments

When I think about our home, I want friends and family, old faces, and new ones to know they’re stepping into a place where they are not just welcomed… but truly seen, known, and loved.

And to me, that feels like something worth cultivating.

I hope this encourages you and thanks for following along! 

Much Love,

A few little snapshots from Life Lately…

1. A Brandon Lake concert with Blake! 
2. More golf with Blake & Dad (including one VERY rainy round)
3. Mini Sessions with BOTH my sisters
4. A double rainbow at session season kickoff
5. French Market date with Blake