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A Finished Project – The Stenciling of the Foyer
Let’s just say that I’m not the most “diligent” on this whole blogging thing. Fairly obvious. The post below has been sitting 3/4 complete for over a year! Several friends have asked for details lately on how I stenciled the foyer…so, with their prompting, here you have it! Since the very first day we moved into our house (about a year and a half ago), the foyer has been on “the list.” “The List” (noun): The ever-growing, never-completed list of things that NEED to be fixed/changed/updated/loved in your dwelling. Most often includes un-realistic deadlines. High possibility of ever-changing priority assigned to items. Various forms include paper, computer file, reminders (IPhone), notes…
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My Front Door
Update – we painted our brick, and the front door last fall (2014). The door is now a cast iron black…but I loved the Hawthorne Yellow while it lasted! I moved my blog (and haven’t done much with it) since I pinned the Yellow Front Door in the Spring of 12. Here’s the original post: Yesterday marked the 1-month anniversary of sleeping in our new house. We are nowhere near as settled as I thought we would be by this point. So, instead of making excuses, I’m trying to gain new motivation and inspiration and dig into projects! To give myself a kick in the right direction, I thought it best start at the front…
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My, My Chicken Pie
Gloomy afternoon and my meal plan designated “Chicken Pie” for today – well that worked out pretty well. I grew up with Chicken Pie being one of Mom’s go-to covered dishes. Hers is delicious…bubbly crust made from biscuit mix, cream of something, boiled eggs…southern classic. Mine is an adaptation from that wonderful Yankee, Ina Garten. (I usually refer to her as “Barefoot,” but that drives my husband crazy for some reason.) A dish like this is simple for a weeknight, provided you do a little prep. I routinely boil chicken, freeze the meat, and freeze the broth. It’s amazing what all you can accomplish in the kitchen when you have…
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My Mom Called at 9:30 Last Night
That’s never a good sign. With that call came news that a cousin may not make it through the night. Such a kick to the gut. I continued with my plunge into Downton Abbey season 1 escapism. I’ve been escaping a lot lately and in this season of Thanksgiving, I am very thankful for easy escapes on the screen. During the scramble to get the first child out the door this morning, I received another call. My cousin had passed just a few hours prior. No escape now. But no time to really process either – I had to get myself presentable and my youngest ready for her debut as…
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Not Just Any Potato Soup
Fall in the South. For those that live here, the disappointment that this season can bring is all too well known…the teasing of a brisk morning only to succumb to mid-80s in the afternoon, a week of “boot-weather” only to bring your flip-flops back out the next week, and on and on. For me, the only solace is sheer denial. After the first evening of temps below 70, I’m all in – at least in my kitchen! Today we had a respite of perfect fall weather. Our Sunday evening meal matched it to a tee – Council House Potato Soup (and toasted, homemade sourdough bread). This potato soup is not…
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Why Cast Iron?
WHY CAST IRON? Cast Iron is a true equalizer of southern heritage. It lives as contentedly in the great antebellum mansions as it does in the trailer out on mama and daddy’s land (and every home in between). You would be hard pressed to find a southerner who doesn’t own a cast iron cornbread skillet or stand to inherit one someday. I personally feel a sense of “place” every time I use a piece of my (growing) collection. Many people dear to me have been nourished by these humble pieces of cookware – and that holds me near to my roots. Now my own children often help me cook with…
affectionately known as "Mama Devin" to some…