Valentine's Day is such a brief little holiday, it's not really necessary to decorate for it, but it's such a sweet occasion that I do enjoy putting out a few pretty things around the house. Not every year, but when I can. You won't usually see me decorating in pink. I'm not really a pinky person, but I love the pinks and reds of Valentine's Day! We have had a LOT of work done in our backyard (more on that later) plus some repairs done inside our house which made the house a muddy, smelly, cluttered mess for the last month. The dogs had to stay inside a lot which just made it worse. Finally, by last Friday most of the work was done so my girl and I scrubbed the house and got things back ... Read more
New Year’s Day 2025
I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Our daughter and son-in-law were in town for New Year's week, so we invited the grandparents to join us for a New Year's Day lunch. This was our New Year's Day table— natural country winter vibes. And this was our New Year's Day group! We made sure our meal included the customary pork, collards, and black-eyed peas, not so much for superstition but for good 'ole tradition. My husband grilled the pork, my daughter cooked the collard greens, and I made cheese grits, peas, and cornbread. I’ve got to share this new-to-me recipe for black-eyed peas because it was so good. I usually make black-eyed peas in ... Read more
And That’s a Wrap!
I love to wrap gifts! I think I get it from my mom because she always made gifts look so pretty with her handmade bows. And my sister, Allison, is the master of finding good deals at TJ Maxx and making them look like a million bucks with her lovely packaging. My sister, Katie, has always added a fun flare to her gifts with handcrafted pom poms and such. So, it just runs in the blood! I have loved wrapping gifts since I was a little girl, and my dream was to work at a store that had a gift-wrapping department. How cute. Well, that childhood dream came true in high school while I was working at Kirkland's. Does anyone remember when Kirkland's offered gift wrapping? It was a little room with ... Read more
The Art of Sourdough
I've been working on loading my vacation photos, but I have a lot, and my phone is slooowww right now, so today, just for fun, I thought I'd just share some sourdough loaf photos that I already had in my blog's media file. I have a lot of fun with sourdough and trying new shapes and designs has been a bit of a new hobby for me the past year. I feel as though I am using my art degree and feeding my family at the same time, ha! The above loaf can either be seen as Christmas trees or leaves--you decide! Below is a regular sourdough loaf with cherries, honey goat cheese, and dark chocolate folded in. This is a delicious breakfast loaf! I've also enjoyed making seasonal ... Read more
Midwinter Table Setting
Happy 2024, everyone! On Christmas Eve Eve when everyone was home, Joel and I prepared a steak dinner for the six of us. On a whim, I set the table with blues, browns, cream, and a bit of orange. The cream dinner plates are Pioneer Woman and are getting old and chipped, but I still love them. The blue floral salad plates are from T.J.Maxx (4-ish years ago), the flatware is from Walmart, and the napkins are from Home Goods (2 years ago). The brown glasses are from Hobby Lobby's fall line which I got for 50% off in November and they have been a nice new addition to our kitchen. Winter wreaths, a frosty tree, oranges, and a gingerbread candle finish off the table for a ... Read more
A Merry Little Christmas Shower
In early December my daughter and I hosted a Christmas-themed bridal shower for a very sweet young lady. We've been friends with her and her mother, Missy, through years of homeschooling, tea parties, and even a trip to the Biltmore Estate together! My daughter will be one of her bridesmaids, so we wanted to throw a shower for our lovely bride-to-be. This shower was so much fun to plan and prep, thinking of goodies and details the bride would enjoy. She is so sweet and grateful for any little thing people do for her, that honestly, she would have appreciated peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! When I host a gathering, I try to finish preparations a few minutes before guests arrive so I ... Read more
Christmas Decor ’23
Good morning, friends! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. I have truly enjoyed all of it this year! The baking, the shopping, the gatherings, the goodies, the movies, the music, the decorating, and the worship! I had to cut out a few things this year, like getting Christmas cards printed and mailed, but it's a balance, right! I always hesitate to share photos of Christmas decor because I never want to appear that I'm showing off (I just enjoy decorating!) but also because Christmas decor has become so controversial. Has anyone else noticed that? The right time to put up your tree, the right kind of tree, and the right color schemes for your tree. In fact, there are arguments about ... Read more
Christmas Advent ‘23
When my kids were little our Advent time was usually incorporated into our school day. Some years I worked with them on memorizing the account of Jesus’s birth in Luke 2 (tip: The Charlie Brown Christmas movie helped with that!) Some years I read through a children’s devotional book and we made a craft or did a service project to go along with that day’s message. Having older kids now ages 19 and 12 in the home, we’re enjoying a more mature type of Advent. I’ve mentioned before that our family has a Bible time after dinner. It’s nothing rigid and not even every night but just a few nights a week when everyone is home and we can read through a chapter of the Bible and discuss. So, during ... Read more
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