Little Things, Big Heart: How Small Decisions Shape a Peaceful Escape

There’s a quiet kind of excitement that comes with planning something meaningful—something that touches the heart long before the foundations are laid. Lately, I’ve found myself feeling that anticipation every time I refine another detail of Sunday Cottage Escape.

Even something as simple as designing the coffee service has become a doorway into imagining future mornings here.

In the Guest Lounge, I picture early risers padding in softly, wrapped in sweaters or weekend stillness. The morning light slips through windows… and waiting for them is a warm cup of coffee in a stainless steel thermal carafe—not a loud machine or a burnt pot, but something intentionally slow and comforting. A gesture that says, you are welcomed here.

It may seem small, but decisions like:

• thermal carafes over warming plates

• calm seating arrangements

• residential-style dining tables instead of café decor

• microwaves chosen for quiet convenience

…these details shape the atmosphere of a retreat where guests are invited to exhale.

And this week, as I tinkered with these choices, I realized something beautiful: the closer I get to defining how guests will feel when they arrive, the more real this dream becomes.

Even equipment becomes symbolic:

• The right carafe isn’t just a container—it reflects hospitality.

• A loveseat in the lounge isn’t just seating—it’s belonging.

• A microwave isn’t just a tool—it’s independence and comfort in small moments.

Every decision I make says something about what Sunday Cottage Escape stands for.

And as these pieces settle into place, I’m beginning to feel the shift from imagining toward building. It’s subtle… but it’s there. The walls aren’t rising yet, but the structure is forming in spirit, policy, and purpose.

I’ve been thinking often about that tiny two-story house I pass on my drive home—the one slowly taking shape beside the road. I watch new beams appear, walls close in, workers moving around like the dream is right there in their hands. And instead of envy, I feel this strange joy bubbling up for the owners—because I know the excitement that must be filling them.

One day, I hope strangers passing SCE will feel that same curiosity and hope for me.

That anticipation ignites something steady in me: this will happen.

Sunday Cottage Escape will be:

• A place to rest

• A place to breathe

• A place to simply be

Coffee service may seem like a small detail in the grand plan of a retreat, but planning it helped me realize just how deeply I want guests to feel cared for. Thoughtful hospitality begins long before doors open.

The pieces are falling into place, slowly, quietly, like stepping stones across a stream. Each detail is a gentle momentum. And with every decision—no matter how small—I feel closer to that day when I walk onto the land that will hold this dream.

Until then, I’ll keep shaping it with intention.
One cup of coffee, one gentle seating choice, one phase of planning at a time.

Thank you for walking this journey with me. 🌿