coffee with... lucy higgins
a conversation with the florist, writer, and founder on squaring your shoulders to the hard things, reigniting old hobbies, and meeting people where they are.
Welcome back to “coffee with….” a series inspired by slow mornings in good company. This series shares conversations with people whose curiosity, craft and perspective inspire me, and whose words linger in my mind long after the last sip.
Today’s coffee with… features Lucy Higgins, answering from her living room in northern Vermont. Lucy is a mother of two, writer, florist, and this summer she is launching The Loop, a free, sustainably minded app to facilitate swapping baby and toddler clothes by location. I’m inspired by the way that she chooses the harder, more communal version of things – building the infrastructure for sustainability that she saw was missing, building a village instead of going it alone.
We covered everything from what she’s currently reading, using our chatty kids to foster connection when we don’t have it in us, renewing hobbies, and the role of women and mothers as the backbone of society (...obviously).
Without further ado — Lucy
Xx,
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about you:
Name: Lucy Higgins
Title / Role (how would you describe yourself and what you do?): I’m the founder of The Loop! And mother, writer, florist.
Where are you answering from today? My living room in northern Vermont :)
Where can readers find you:
Website: itstheloop.com
Social Handles @its_theloop on Instagram.
How would you describe yourself in one sentence? A mom of two on a mission to enjoy motherhood, raise kind humans, and explore the connection between creativity, community, and our environment.
Is there a project, launch, or other thing you’d love readers to know about right now? Yes! This summer, we’re launching The Loop — an app to swap baby and toddler clothes for free and by location. I’m so excited!
Go-to coffee order? Summer: Iced Americano. Winter: Americano and a huge peppermint tea.
What’s something you read, watched or listened to recently that stuck with you? Yesteryear (by caro claire burke ) and Consumed: The Need for Collective Change: Colonialism, Climate Change, and Consumerism (by Aja Barber) .
What’s a small ritual or habit that brings you joy? Running and scalding hot showers! One followed by the other for best results.
What’s a product or object that made your daily life better? An at-home espresso machine. Hands down the best thing on my baby registry.
What’s a book, podcast or article you keep recommending? TOGS Substack, All At Once by Dr. Len Necefer, Crime Junkie and Morbid (true crime babyy), and this breakdown of Vermont’s Act 181 and how it impacts rural life.
What’s your current most used emoji? 🥰 and 🥴. The duality of life.
What’s a small luxury you won’t apologize for? Taking personal time! I’m a better mom, partner, human. And gold hoops.
What is something you’re curious about right now? Moving abroad with my family for a short period of time. My husband and I are trying to decide when and how, now that we’ve passed the “if” stage of the question!
What is your favorite discovery this year? That if I read a lot of fantasy and “fairy smut” books, it will actually reignite my love of reading. I’ve read more than I have in years, in all different genres and on all different subjects. So, thank you fairies.
What is a new skill, hobby, or practice you’re trying (or… trying to try??) I love sewing and textiles and after years of ignoring or “not having time” for this side of myself, I’ve started embroidering and weaving again! So, a renewed hobby, I suppose…
What is your favorite way to get out of your comfort zone? “Ready isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision” rewired my brain.
What is a risk you’re glad you took? Having a second child. He’s six months old and delicious. :)
What is a piece of advice you return to often? When I was growing up and had a problem — of any level — my dad would tell me to square my shoulders to it and just deal with it. Meaning: problems won’t just disappear if you ignore them, so handle your business and move on. “Square your shoulders” is one of my lifelong mantras.
How are you defining success in this season? If I can end the day tired, warm, in my bed, with my kids and family safe and thriving, then I’ve succeeded.
What helps you stay grounded? My husband and I tell each other “get over yourself” when we have self-pity parties! Sounds tough but it makes us laugh and jolts us back to the present.
What idea, quote, or framework shapes how you move through life? “Energy can neither be created nor destroyed”
What would your younger self be surprised to know about you? That we like chocolate now! Otherwise I think she would be jazzed at how life is turning out.
How do you nurture connection with others? It’s hard to maintain friendships at this stage — early parenthood, early in building a business, and just the general swarm of life. But I try to schedule friendship dates, attend community events, and bring my chatty kids everywhere so they strike up conversations for me. I try to remember that you can’t expect a village without being a villager. Meet people where they are. Ditch the judgey bullsh*t, we’re all in this together!
How do you nurture connection with yourself? Moving my body, remembering to play, watching romantic period pieces, whispering “you can do this” over and over and over… it’s a work in progress.
Who do you look to for inspiration? Who or what is sparking your creativity right now? I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by incredibly inspiring women. My sister and mom inspire me in how I mother. My mom and aunt co-own a fiber mill and mercantile, and they inspire me as a business owner and someone interested in textiles — from processing to art. My friend and I co-own a florist shop and flower farm, and I find endless inspiration and creativity in working together, working outside, and designing with florals. Creating in a medium with such a short lifespan is an ephemeral, freeing experience that’s allowed me to have fun with design and trust the process.
What is a recent conversation you can’t stop thinking about? My four-year-old giving me the playground goss. Anything out of Mamdani’s mouth lately.
Is there a tradition or ritual you cherish? Every Christmas Eve, my family goes to my parents’ house and we decorate their Christmas tree. Instead of dinner we make a big buffet on the kitchen counter and listen to music, hang out, put up ornaments, and just be together. Now our kids join in and it’s really cool to see the tradition continue through their eyes. It’s one of the best nights of the year for me.
If you could have coffee with anyone (no rules!), who would it be? I’ve written out about five different answers! But I’ll leave it at two: (1) Hillary Clinton, but I’d need real answers on everything, from staying with Bill to Secretary of State times to the 2016 campaign. Because… girl. And (2) an answer for myself — my childhood best friend who passed away before I started drinking coffee. I’d like to listen to her laugh and give me shit about me drinking it now. <3
It’s no secret that community and sustainability have been top of mind for me in the past few years, and I’m blown away by the intentionality and commitment with which Lucy pursues both, from showing up within her community to putting in the time and effort to build infrastructure for others to make connections easier. She’s walking the walk in a way that invites others to join her.
If you’re a parent, a creative, a maker, or simply someone trying to be more “in the loop” with the people around you, I hope Lucy’s work will inspire you as much as it has me. The Loop is launching this month – I encourage you to follow along at @its_theloop to help them grow and get started in your community!