Nicaragua Part II
And the studio scoop
I don’t want to crowd your inbox but I do want to share two things with you all. 1. The details of our spring break because it was truly a special place that I think my audience here would really enjoy (not sponsored at all) and 2. What’s going on lately in the studio including the details of an up-coming sample sale you all loved so much the first time around.
Rustic refined sophistication.
Those are the words I would use to define Rancho Santana in Nicaragua. We wanted something that would engage all 4 of our children ranging from 3 boys ages 15, 12 and 10 and our daughter, age 7, that would also feel like a treat for us. Surfing, hiking, yoga, swimming, relaxation and fresh delicious food were pretty much the requirements and this place delivered on all with authentic charm. Plus my VJ pieces fit in perfectly here.
My favorite parts of the trip were the sunsets over meals with friends and family while the children joined us at the table or ran freely on the beaches but still within our view. There are multiple different beaches and restaurants within the ranch making each night and sunset unique. My favorite was La Boquita. We also went off property one night. I highly recommend the view at Mag Rock (but not the food). After a drink there we drove down the beach (literally drive on the beach) for an oceanfront dinner with our feet in the sand at Salty Koala where they had live music, great dumplings and a very cool vibe. The yoga deck overlooking the pacific was also incredible and a nice moment for myself.
LOGISTICS:
We stayed in a house away from the main resort area on a beautiful cliff with a pool which I’m torn if I would do again. There are pros and cons to being remote so maybe I would still stay in a house but one that was closer so the older kids could walk to and from if necessary. But then would they want to leave us more often? In some ways it was nice to all be together wherever we went with no option to escape ;).
If you stay at one of the condos near the main pools/resort you can literally walk out your door and surf (as well as grab a bite or walk to the grocery). Of all the places we’ve stayed in Costa Rica, surf-in/surf-out (is that what it’s called) was never an option. There may be places in Nosara where you can do this (just not where we stayed?), and possibly in Tamarindo (but I’ve never stayed there). The other surfing beach on property has a super cute taco restaurant and surf shop for all the things you may have forgotten like your kids’ rash guards…
We rented a car from the resort to get us to the various beaches, spa, stables, pools and restaurants as well as off-site. They had a shuttle or you could call for a car but it was nice to have the freedom of our own vehicle.
We felt incredibly safe on the property and while off site although we only went about 1 mile up the beach from the resort.
According to the website a lot of the delicious food served at the restaurants is sourced from the farm on the ranch. The food was very fresh and reasonably priced which helps a lot when you have 4 kids (or any kids ;).
There’s an on-site grocery that sells fruit, meat, wine, alcohol, snacks, dips, ice cream etc with a very cool and mostly shaded Waldorf/Montessori style wooden playground behind it.
I would highly recommend a yoga class. The deck and view are incredible just be prepared to climb some stairs.
I didn’t make it to the spa but it looked incredible. I’ll be back!
Now I’m mentally sipping coconut water in Brennan but here are the studio updates…
We’re doing another sample sale later this month. First dibs will be for *paid subscribers here on Substack and then we’ll move it to our other Substack and newsletter subscribers hosted via a to be released Instagram page. It’s the best way I know to do it for now.
We’ve had a very successful pre-order launch of Bridget. There’s just a bit of fabric left for those so if you’re interested, I’d act fast as they’re being cut later today!
Brennan and Lou are almost ready. I really appreciate your patience! Running a small business right now is tricky and these pre-orders allow me to get an idea of how many to make and help keep this business operating well.
We opened a small pre-order for the Coco Cardigan in size XS/S with the yarn we have left from Brennan. This paired with Calvin is still one of my favorite looks.
I’ve added a few things to the sale section (40% off) on the site including Sam, the duster in gray plus a few older summer styles.
Thanks so much for being here and for your style + support! As always, feel free to reach out with questions!
Best-
Heather