the Mad Duchess
British Millinery in Austin, Texas
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A milliner, hat designer and maker's blog based in Austin, Texas. Stories about all things hat making, blocking, materials, my slow-living whether it be in the studio, garden, kitchen or just answering random questions.

TABLE: A Year in Sourdough
TABLE: A Year in Sourdough

I came to sourdough late—after the trend had passed, after the world moved on. What started as a quiet curiosity became a year-long journey of slow baking, failed starters, ancient grains, and loaves that rose imperfectly, yet always forgave me. This is not just a story about bread. It’s about presence, patience, and the deeply personal act of making something with your hands—and being changed by it in return.

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TableMJRsourdough baking, sourdough journey, beginner sourdough, artisan bread, ancient grain sourdough, einkorn bread, sourdough starter tips, slow food, home baking, sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough naan, overnight sourdough waffles, Texas flour mills, small batch grains, fermentation lifestyle, baking with intention, kitchen ritual, seasonal bread, healing through baking, table stories, handmade food
Tend: How I Accidentally Designed a Garden for Sitting and Growing
Tend: How I Accidentally Designed a Garden for Sitting and Growing

It started with two patio chairs and a beat-up orange stool. I wasn’t trying to redesign my life—I just needed a place to sit. But in moving those chairs to the east-facing porch, I unknowingly stepped away from five years of garden frustration and into something quieter, more sacred.

The garden I thought I was building was about growth. The one I actually built? It taught me how to rest.

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TendMJRlive oaks, texas gardening, austin gardening, learning to enjoy gardening, stop fighting the elements, insects and texas gardens, garden to table