In 2015, after more than a decade of hustling, saving and city living, Leighanne and her husband Mathew put their money where their mouths were and plunked $240,000 on a 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom cape-style house on a quarter of an acre in Rhinebeck, NY. They dreamed of a quiet, bucolic place that they could call their own, and from the first night they laid their heads down to rest in the bedroom that was three times the size of anything they'd ever owned before, they knew a new era of their life together had begun.

As they spent more time in Dutchess County they realized that their little piece of land was more than just a pastoral dream. It was a lifeline for friends and loved ones who needed a little peace and quiet. It was a centering force in their harried lives. It was an antidote to a world that values progress over tried and true solutions, quick meals over food made with love, and flashy treasures over what the earth can provide. 

Today Matt and Leighanne's little piece of paradise hosts guests most every weekend in the summer, and Leighanne is able to put her experience as a cook, head of housekeeping and manager of a high-end Bed and Breakfast to very good use. Last summer she and Matt designed and built eight new raised beds with integrated drip irrigation for their kitchen garden. They also made more than their fair share of jams, chutneys and pickles.