In this very special edition of the monthly Dear Boots column, Boots offers deep-ish thoughts on viewing the total eclipse over Central Texas.

DaySpring is a church in Waco that is contemplative and Baptist. What does that mean? The Divinity School at Duke University has a magazine called Faith & Leadership, and they sent me in to find out.

Emily Knighton is not just a gifted artist, she’s also a gift to Waco. Along with art skills, her classes gently instruct children and adults alike on how to create space in this busy world.

What do you do when your special day is also special for millions of green-beer revelers? Followed by advice for a husband who has temporarily forgotten his wife is more important than his ugly old couch.

Boots advises warring roommates on fire + friend safety and a reader asks about seasonal adjustments for the most beloved dish in the land.

Boots counsels a reader whose house decor was ruined by Christmas and then gets serious about getting happy in the long, dark days of January.

Boots reminisces over dollars not spent and encourages anyone with state pride to wear it (literally) on their sleeves.

Kate Martindale + Amy Neunsinger have a 14 year friendship at the base of their creative partnership. This dynamic puts so much trust into their design process, it was a joy to go deep into their work for this feature about Capturing Home, their show on Magnolia Network.

This month, Boots puts her editorial experience to good use as she advises readers on how to create a festive front porch before diving into the hotbed of high school football rivalries.

Boots offers an out-of-state mom ideas for staying in touch with her freshman son and what to do when people hate on something (or someplace) you love.

Gabriela Salazar works, lives, and breathes flowers. She also believes if we’ll let them, they can guide us all to a happier place. Collaborating with her on this story was a beautiful experience.

One you can’t live with and the other you don’t want to live without. Temperatures are rising in July, and Boots matches by bringing some heat.

This poem was inspired by an afternoon pick-up at my daughter’s daycare. Because my husband is in farm and ranch we have a complicated, dependent relationship on rain. This was me, having a little more fun with it.

The start-of-summer edition. Tips on avoiding the pressure of a summer bucket list followed by what to call the most charming insects of the season.

One family asks Boots to weigh in on their house divided (Peeps vs Peanut Butter Eggs.) Another reader wonders whether she should follow her job out of the Lone Star State.

The theme of this issue was “Risk.” To try and shift the perception of risk as only a bad thing, I wrote this piece that casts risk takers in a welcoming light. The world truly does need risk takers.

Growing up in the south, I thought mums were for homecoming season only. This couldn’t be farther from the truth + a fabulous family farm in Virginia is on a mission to bring this truth to the world, one beautiful mum at a time.

What to do when basketball is everywhere and all you want is a time out. Followed by thoughts from Boots on having a great spring break (gasp) at home!

Artifact Uprising asked me to talk about holiday cards and it ended up being a piece about that age-old pressure to keep up with Joneses. The first item on this year’s holiday list? Getting priorities straight.

Boots tells us why Texas tree farms are worth a visit even if we are in the middle of a drought and also offers a definitive answer on the age-old question: are gift cards really gifts?