Well hey, it’s Sunday! (And if you’re reading this on a Monday, just pretend you’re still in your pajamas with a lukewarm coffee because that is the vibe we are cultivating today). It is a little bit of a weird one over here at the shop. We’ve got a much smaller meal prep crowd this week because literally everyone decided to collectively leave me and go on vacation. Like, did I miss the memo? Is there a secret group chat where everyone coordinated their flights to Disney or wherever people go when they want to escape their lives for a week?

I can’t even be mad though, honestly. I am perpetually looking for a quick trip—if someone suggests a drive to a different zip code for a specific type of taco, I’m already in the car with my seatbelt on. But seriously, it’s been a quiet Sunday morning in Chelmsford, and I’m just over here vibing with the extra time and wondering if I should DoorDash a lobster roll (the answer is always yes).

The Weather (and the Heartbreak)

Speaking of weird vibes, has the weather been absolutely unhinged lately? One minute it’s gorgeous, the next it’s like we’re living in a humid swamp, and don’t even get me started on the hazy skies. I’m sending so much love and all the good energy to everyone affected by the wildfires. I can’t even begin to imagine how scary that must be—it puts the chaos of my daily life into perspective really freaking fast.

Mercury Retrograde: Can You Not?

Okay, but can we talk about the real elephant in the room? We are finally in the final stretch of this current Mercury Retrograde (thank the heavens, the stars, and whoever else is in charge of this mess). Holy shit, was anyone else just... unwell? Because same.

It’s been a week (okay, a month) of so many emotions and just weird, weird stuff. I’m talking deep-seated nostalgia for things that happened ten years ago, technology betraying me at every turn (my work email was hacked at the beginning of the week—yikes). This has been a general framework for chaos that I did not sign up for. And then, because apparently the universe loves a pile-on, we’ve got Cyclospora overtaking us over here which is just... super fun when you work in food and already live with your nervous system doing parkour. Add in all the other terrible geopolitical stuff happening in the world and yeah, this week has felt properly effed. It makes all my little retrograde meltdowns feel both very dramatic and also very human—how are any of us supposed to feel normal when everything feels so off-kilter all at once? I literally need my mental clarity to return to the chat. Please.

Enter: Leo Season (The Glow-Up We Deserve)

But guess what? The end of July is looking promising. Leo season is upon us! If you know anything about me, you know I’m ready for that main character energy. We are done with the inward reflection, the overthinking, and the "why am I like this" spirals. We are shifting into that outward expression energy.

I’m buckling down, getting it done, and growing this little business until it’s basically its own ecosystem. We are gonna do all the things! I am manifesting money for real this time. I’m done being humbled by the universe; I’m ready to be rewarded by the universe.

Also, the weather today is finally PERFECT. Like actual human being weather. Nice breeze, sun shining, no swamp-ass energy. I woke up a little under the weather, which felt rude considering I have things to do and no backup version of myself hiding in the freezer, but I rolled out of bed and started the day anyway because that is the current vibe: mildly unwell but still clocked in.

This is a big "look at me buckling down" week. I have an interview with CanvasRebel (which I fully do not understand, but it sounds fancy, so we’re doing it). It’s very Leo season of me—saying yes first and googling later. We’re also training a new employee, which is exciting and chaotic and probably means I need to pretend I have a professional framework and not just a collection of sticky notes and a prayer.

I also went full cleaning goblin after closing up shop this week. Partly because it needed it, partly because my brain needed to feel like I was controlling at least one thing, and partly because I am literally manifesting a baker. As a double Pisces, I’m always daydreaming some slightly unhinged business fantasy, and right now the fantasy is this: a brilliant baker moves into my shop, we do a cute little collab, and I personally never recover because it would be the best thing to happen to me.

I’m talking about Shushan Farm, by the way. If you haven’t heard of her, she went TikTok viral, and I am simply trying to get her in here so Chelmsford can have a baker because HELLO? My shop was a bakery before I signed the lease—I have a giant convection oven, a gas stove, and now plenty of storage because I deep-cleaned it like my life depended on it. I have no chill, so if you have a favorite local baker—or know Shushan Farm—tell them to slide into my DMs. I have the oven, the space, and the desperate need for a cinnamon roll.

My family is on vacation for the next two weeks, and while I’m a little bratty about missing out, I’m leaning into it. This is the season for building, for showing up, and for making Graze run like the slightly frazzled but beautiful machine she is.

And, new personal growth journey unlocked: checking my spam folder like an adult woman. Turns out, some clients were trying to give me money and I was ignoring them. Oops. Love that for everyone involved.

What’s Happening at Graze (The Growth Era)

If you’re hosting a late summer bash (or just a "I survived the retrograde" party), we are fully loaded and ready to help you look like the absolute pro you are.

Platterboxes: From the 7x7 (perfect for "me time" snacking—I won't judge) to the 14x14 that can actually feed a crowd. They come on food-grade paper, so just slide them onto your own fancy board and pretend you spent three hours artisanally placing each individual almond.

Grazing Tables: If you want something that makes people stop and take photos before they eat, this is it. Charcuterie, sandwiches, salads, the works.

Workshops & Venue Rental: Want to learn how to do the beautiful chaos thing yourself? Keep an eye out for our fall workshops. Or, if you’re a local business owner needing a cozy spot for a meeting, you can rent the shop! I have the tables, the chairs, and the snacks.

I really feel like this transition into Leo season is the reset button we all needed. I’m done looking backward. I’m looking forward to taking over the world (or at least all the best parties in Chelmsford).

Thanks for being part of the journey and for hanging in there with me while I navigate the my nostalgic chaos. You guys are the best. Have a nice life.

XX,

Abby 🧀✨

Song of the day: Florence Road - "Hanging Out to Dry"

They really do have that authentic, 90s alt-rock grit that’s so hard to find nowadays and it’s not over-produced or polished to death. It feels like they’re playing right in front of you in a garage. And honestly, they have that infectious cool girl energy where you just know they’d be the best hang. My niche discovery band suddenly turned mainstream but I’ll still be fan-girling over here.

Surprised the kids at school with a little icecream social!

We went to Build a Bear and he wanted Bluey to match his outfit he picked out that day.

1PM apocalypse

Leo Season Is Upon Us: Mercury Retrograde Can Kiss My Manifesting A$$

Life is Lifing: Why You’re Still the Prize