I distinctly remember the day I discovered the house that would come to be called the Girls House.
I called my good friend and realtor Ashley Jacobs about the house as I followed Eva in an ambulance to the ER. At the time (Spring 2020), Eva was making frequent trips to the ER for diminished respiratory status, and so it felt oddly normal to be making this kind of call at that kind of moment.
I had seen the little 100 year-old craftsman style house as a coming-soon listing, and knew in my heart it was the place for LL. I cannot believe God's timing and provision in this! I had built a business where traveling for shoots was part of the gig. Laura and I had done it for about a decade. Most shoots were at her home, or an AirBnb, or in borrowed friends' homes. I'd also done most of my work at coffee shops and cafes. But as Covid was hitting the country, that possibly narrowed quicker than anyone expected, and we needed to pivot.
We got the house.
And then kind of all at once, but also slowly over time, my team and I made it beautifully ours. It became a co-working space and our primary photoshoot location, but for me it was also a beautiful respite in the middle of deep personal despair.
And we worked her HARD. How many shoots did we pack into that little house? Tons! We created a prop room, a white box studio, bedroom scenes, a painting studio, storage...
We had sales, had deep and good and hard conversations and tears, we had LOTS of dip, and we took thousands of photos. It was a haven for me, and served LL and the team incredibly well. I have a deep gratitude for this space. It feels like how you feel about a friend, and not a piece of property.
But as with many things in life, it's time to move on to the next chapter. As Eva's days change from long hospital stays to time mostly at home but with lots of incidentals (therapies! appointments! school!) mixed with Phoenix's little blossoming life and Dugan's commitments and ministry at church, I'm feeling really called to work from home again. It's something I've never ever been good at. But we built our new home with this in mind, and I'm excited to press in to this season. The Girls House has never been accessible, which becomes more of an issue the more I'd like the freedom to have her with me while I work. And as the country opens up, and as we simplify at LL a bit, it feels totally right that it's time for the Girls House to have a new chapter, too.
Does it feel too soon to sell the girls house? No. Essentially, I'm just trying to do the best I can, and say yes to how I feel God leading me, and I know this is it. And that feels really, really freeing and settling. Creating spaces as part of my art and business will always be something I love doing, so I'm trusting God has more in store for me there. I only feel gratitude for the time I had with this space, for the levity and beauty it provided, and for being able to find those things now in my own home. My cup runneth over.
I'll tell you, even before Ashley facilitated the sale of the Girls House to me, I knew it would someday be hers. She's an incredible business woman, and had awesome ideas for all the additional potential for the Girls House from day one. I could never execute making that adorable house a place for us to work in and also for other people to get to come in and experience, but Ashley can and she will! And this feels like what the house is craving and deserving of! She's ready for people (not just my team and friends) to be able to come in and enjoy her!
We've had an annual Girls House sale the last couple years, and we're doing that again this year, but it will also be like a moving out sale. There's like, a LOT of good stuff, and if you love Lindsay Letters art and vintage shopping it will feel like the estate sale of your dreams. It's on Friday, May 26, and you can read all the details here. Ashley's team will be there as well, selling decor and furniture. It's going to be a party, really!
And if you think you may like to stay at the Girls House (soon to be called The Gathering Place), follow @ashleyjacobsred and watch the journey unfold as it becomes an AirBnb and event rental!
Thanks from the bottom of my heart for being the best, most supportive, wonderful people on the internet. For cheering me and my people on at every turn. So excited about this new chapter and all that's in store!
xo, lindsay
