Decorating
Our kitchens and Pantone
This story is included in my book, Exploding Hushpuppies – More stories from home. We can thank the “color-ologists” at Pantone for giving us a new reason to look forward to January. At the beginning of every year, they’ve announced their official, “Color of the Year.” It’s a very big deal for decorators and designers,…
Read MoreIf you give a co-ed a chandelier
Whether it’s grandma’s silver gumbo spoons, a tiara or a spinning baton, Southern girls have always been drawn to sparkly things. That’s why the trend to “bling-up” the dormitories of co-eds around the South has taken off like wildfire. It’s yet another outlet for our love of all things pretty. But now, The Atlanta Symphony…
Read MoreUse the good china
A version of this story can be found in my book, Exploding Hushpuppies— More Stories from Home. My brother and I were settled deep into the orange shag carpet watching The Brady Bunch, when we heard an enormous crash. My mother, who had fortunately stepped into the garage for a moment, thought an airplane had…
Read MoreOld letters to grandmother
Some of you with sharp eyes and a curious mind noticed my tray I was using while gobbling up those great meals my friends brought me while I felt puny a few weeks ago. Well, let me just fill you in. This wonderful tray was created one day several years ago when I was in…
Read MoreSweet home of perfection
Other than a lap full of puppies and dirty feet, my favorite thing to play was, “house.” An incomplete set of chipped Wedgewood dishes, an old orange rug, one small table and two little chairs were in the playhouse I loved. The house was absolutely perfect as far as I was concerned, and I knew…
Read MoreGreenery 2017
I know I’m a step behind, getting the new year off to a slow but wonderful start. Travel plus the flu have pushed my new year back a bit, but thankfully, this weekend I was finally able to get (most of ) the Christmas decorations put away. Here’s my method; pile it all on the…
Read MoreThe Southern Christmas Queen
You know her well. There’s at least one in each family and several in each neighborhood . . . the ultimate Southern Christmas Queen. Not content with only one measly Christmas tree, she’s been washed and redeemed by the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future, and isn’t happy until every single surface is glittering…
Read MoreMore unique family time at the Firehouse
I’m just now getting around to sorting through the pictures from Thanksgiving at my brother’s house in Smyrna, GA and have decided there are so many new things he’s added over the last year, if I shared them all with you in one post, your computer would start smoking, so I’ll save his new outdoor…
Read MoreFirehouse Wedding
The “hottest” thing around seems to be a Firehouse Wedding, and The Old Smyrna Firehouse is the perfect location! Do you remember me telling you about my brother’s Firehouse (HERE) in Georgia? Well, this is Jessica and Brian, who were married at Robert’s house this past September. Dreamy + funky = fun wedded bliss. Jessica…
Read MoreAnnie Sloan made me do it
One of my first stories for the newspaper was about how I would never, ever, ever give in and paint my grandmother’s china cabinet, even though Annie Sloan paint was all the rage. Well, guess what? I caved in, so here’s the updated story. Have you given in to the trend? It was the early 1960’s…
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