Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of outside "interior decorating" (also known as gardening), and I’m really getting into it. It involves lots of weeding, planting, and watering. I’ve learned so much along the way—things like soil quality, climate, conditions, and plant types. There’s so much to learn, and I’m still figuring it all out. I’ve spent hours scrolling through pictures of the ideal garden, you know, the ones where plants are healthy and green, the flowers are in full bloom in magical colors, and there’s not a weed in sight. I mean no weeds.

I took some time off over the Christmas break—actually, most of January. Between ferrying my daughter to and from the Australian Open for her ballgirl duties and heading to the beach, I had a real break from my everyday life.

Then February arrived. School started back, and the usual routine resumed—early morning wake-ups, school drop-offs, walks, work, making dinner. Repeat. Sound familiar? But something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but I was feeling a bit… flat.

Curious, I started looking into it. Was it that I’d had too much time off and struggled to get back into a routine? Or was it something deeper?

I think the words “Hamptons Style” are one of the most bounced around words when it comes to interior decorating. I often feel my eyes roll when I hear it mentioned. Not that I’m opposed to the style. It’s very relaxed yet sophisticated and certainly makes me think of the amazing seaside home of Diane’s Keaton’s character in “Something’s Gotta Give”.