Excerpts from my latest newsletter–

After my last Porcelain Drop we headed back up to Cape Cod. It's where my first studio was born, where our kids were born, and where we're fortunate enough to get back to to gather with the rest of my family.

It was the reset I needed. I took the social media apps off my phone, picked up a couple of books, listened to some podcasts, ate some glorious vacation food (lobster rolls, chowder, and more fried food than is advisable), and I took an actual break. While I was up there I realized that this was one of the first real breaks I've had in a really long time. Full studio shutdown. Email auto-reply. No social media. It was pretty fantastic and I'm so thankful for having that time.

This break also solidified some of the thoughts that had been percolating for a while — that these newsletters — this is where I want to share what's really happening rather than spending so much of my time on social media. Those of you who open these emails are the also the people bringing my work home. You're the ones cheering my work on at every turn. You're the ones that are truly paying attention to the what and the why of what I do in the studio. You're the ones that respond when help is needed in the community. I want to focus my efforts here. You've made the choice to keep supporting everything I do and I am so damn grateful for you. Best of all– these newsletters cut through the noise of social media and the algorithms that I have no intention of playing with.

I know that your inbox fills up way too often. You know that I don't click send without having a reason to.

Cape Cod Suggestions / What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Wildsam Field Guides. First of all, the amazing crew at Wildsam just published a Cape Cod Guide and it is fantastic. Start your trip by picking one up and you'll get to the Cape with a solid understanding of the place and its history.

Puzzles. It rained a lot while we were there. We even got to spend some time with Hurricane Elsa and her wind. There is no better rainy day activity at the beach than doing a puzzle. I did three...like I said, it rained a lot.

George's Pizza. Wildsam left if out of their guide, but it's on my list. New England Greek Style Pizza is its own thing with a thick, long-fermented dough. George's has been a staple of my Cape Cod experience since I was a kid. Get the hamburger pizza. I know it's a random idea for a beach town, but it's the best.

Mac's Seafood. Mac's is originally from Wellfleet, they have expanded and now have a location in Chatham, ten minutes from our stomping ground in Harwich Port and was a go-to for both take out meals and their fish-market for home cooking.

Grape Nut Ice Cream from Sundae School. Yep...grape nuts and ice cream go together beautifully and Sundae School is out go-to for all things ice cream. My studio in Harwich Port was two doors down from Sundae School and that meant you might have encountered a "back-in-five-minutes" sign on the door back in the day because I had snuck over for a cone or a black and white frappe.

Stand-Up Paddle. There is no place my wife would rather be than paddling on Nantucket Sound. She just got an inflatable board from SUP ATX and it's back home with us to spend some time out on Lady Bird Lake.

Books. I tend towards non-beach reads like Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror (which helped my thinking about my time with social media) and Forget The Alamo. My kids were reading classic summer reads like– American Royals, People We Meet On Vacation, Beach Read, and One Of Us Is Lying. My wife was reading Every Note Played and Inside The O'Briens, both by Cape Cod resident Lisa Genova. All of these  books got passed throughout the house. I'd suggest getting any of these titles from Bookpeople here in Austin or whatever your favorite local spot is. None of the independent shops are trying to sell you things and then build a rocket.