daddy needs a drink

As the red carpet rolled on in the background Sunday evening, I curled up with my favorite magazine: Garden & Gun. Don't let the title fool ya. I want nothing to do with guns and hubs is definitely not a hunter, but I'm telling you… this magazine is ridiculously good. The writing, the photography and the variety of subject matter - I love every single bit. We actually argue over who gets to read it first.

One of the absurdly funny articles was entitled, "Fetch Daddy a Drink." First off, I don't know a single man that wouldn't love to reel that off at the end of the day. Let's just not overdo it. I'm speaking directly to the men in my family. Yes you.

Here's a snippet that got me going… "I have three badly behaved children and a damn good bird dog. My Brittany spaniel is far more biddable and obedient than my daughters, and has a better nose than my son." Umm, hilarious. I've scanned it in case you want a giggle. And I highly recommend a subscription. It's a must if you're Southern and even if you're not, I still think it's a must. I'm just sayin'.

{ click on photo then select "all sizes" above pic in flickr and it will open larger }

pretty jewels

Pretty catalogs in the mail. One being J. Crew. Lately I've been preoccupied with their crewcuts line. I mean, those children are adorable. Sweet little things are totally more stylish than moi.

But I did stop and stare at the latest "grownups" J. Crew catalog as well. Anyone else see the flower necklace on page one? Oh my. All the texture and color on an oversize bib. It's kind of amazing. I did a little digging to see how much it would run ya, but it's not available on their site. Not that I was in the market, but I'm sure that means it was out of my league. Since the model/designer, Molly Carey, is featured though I was able to find her site of designs here. I'm smitten with them all. Molly…let's be friends and share.

from across the pond

We better all run get in line now, because I think this is going to big 'un. Liberty of London for Target. I remember, very clearly, walking into the Liberty store. I was studying abroad in London for the summer and momma came for a visit. She whisked me away from student life for an afternoon of shopping. It was divine. I'd never heard of the Liberty brand, but mom said we had to visit the huge Tudor style building. It was beautiful and had all these nooks filled with floral patterned frocks. There were chic Brits walking around everywhere and I remember being so taken by their style. I was at Auburn, at the time, and you could say it was a bit lacking in that European style. Shocker I know. A large winding wooden staircase in the center lead upstairs and every corner turned up something new. I bought a simple light blue shift with pockets, that I still own, but I'm still kicking myself for not buying one of their infamous prints.

But now here we are and this incredible brand is available at Target. Not that it will be the same experience by any stretch of the means. You won't exactly find fashionistas in the dressing room, but I am still anxiously awaiting this British arrival!

images via stylebeat

blueberry muffins

I love to do a bit of baking. All the puffy flour and measuring and sweetness. So fun. I put on my apron and baked up some muffins for breakfast. I don't know how people skip this all important meal, but I wake up with a growling tummy. In an effort to get my hubs off to a good start I've been making his morning meal. Aren't I just the best wife ever? Ha! Eggs and bacon, biscuits and honey or muffins seems to be the easiest so far. These muffins are super quick and I had all the ingredients in the fridge which is a huge plus. I went a little overboard on the blueberries, but I figure that means I can have more than one since they're healthy. Hmm, maybe I should have another for a snack. I'm rather smitten with them actually.

You may notice the random number of muffins here… they're going quick!

blueberry + oatmeal muffins
1-1/2 cup oatmeal (quick cooking oats)
1/2 cup flour + 1/2 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 applesauce
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1-1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Mix all ingredients (except berries) together until just combined. Then fold in blueberries. Fill baking cups with mixture and bake @ 425 for about 20 minutes. I'm no chef, but since this recipe is pretty basic I think you can substitute here at will. Whatever berries you have or use oil instead of applesauce. Next time I may put a little lemon zest in, just because.

winding down

Check out this big 'un. This is River, my moms horse.
I was doing a little test with a wide angle lense. He kind of looks like a donkey.
Sweet as pie this one!

As I warmed up leftovers tonight, I watched hubs play hide the tennis ball with big buddy. Room to room they were chasing one another. It was pretty funny and nice to see both of my boys in good spirits. Coop has been feeling pretty good lately and I am super grateful. Well, I'm off to bed with this growing belly. Have I mentioned how bad it sucks not being able to sleep on my stomach? Lot's of shifting going on during the night.

a healthy dose

I've always had an earthy vibe to my soul, but we really jumped on the trend a few years ago. I'm talking the organic food trend. Now, I'm no saint. I, by no means, turn my nose at a Krystal hamburger every once in awhile! But… when we cook at home I really try and eat good food. The organic staples I always buy are milk, eggs, and meat. And we love going to the farmers market in the warmer months. There was a wonderful csa we used to subscribe to every week back home. It wasn't certified organic, but it was local and everything was delicious. So much better than what you could find in the Kroger aisles. The Greenville downtown market is supposed to be amazing so I can't wait for the warmer weather. Do I sound like a broken record? Seems I'm obsessed with discussing the weather lately. In fact, hubs jokes that I'm his weather vane because I always have pulse on what's happening outside. And just so you know there are puffy white flakes falling quickly outside my window. I'll move on.

Speaking of healthy stuff, have you heard about Food Inc.? It's a movie that's been on our list for a while now and I just discovered it on On Demand. Apparently, it's a must see and contains really important information about our food system. Check out this neat spread I found on stephmodo… seems like a good reference to hang on to, except that it means I've been buying all wrong now!

The Lee Bros.

Yesterday was really nice. I woke up and took the buddy dog outside in my pajamas. Bed head, funny pj pants, a pullover and uggs. Really lovely I'm sure. The neighbors don't mind. Coop gets fed first, but then it's straight to the coffee maker for moi. I carefully unrolled the newspaper and began to devour over the Times and a little muffin. Sunday Morning played in the background as I occasionally paused it so I could finish reading a story. Sometimes reading and listening is a bit much, even for a multitasker like myself. I don't feel a bit guilty lounging on the couch on Sunday mornings. It's completely relaxing. I did however, manage to make it out of the house. Hubs was busy studying some accounting program that made my head hurt, so I headed out the door solo. The Cooks Station was hosting a cooking event by the Lee Bros. and I was not going to miss it. Remember when I mentioned those divine buttermilk cakes? These were the guys so I was very intrigued. The place was packed, but I squeezed in and could occasionally see one of their talking heads. Low and behold they made the buttermilk cakes. Yippee. Good ole southern gentlemen they were. Someone asked them their favorite Charleston restaurants and I quickly jotted down The Wreck + Hominy Grill. Now I really need back down there for a visit.



Since they have a new cookbook out everyone queued up to have them signed. They were passing out some food and so I stood patiently awaiting a little cake. By the time I got up there though, there were none in site. Well darn. I wanted to see how mine compared. I did get to briefly speak with them and mentioned how much my mother and I loved their recipe from the Martha show. Apparently it's one of their wives faves as well. Smart lady. I haven't had a whole lotta cravings, but these cakes are up there. My book was signed… "cook up a storm and enjoy!" And indeed I will.

more familia

Sweet sunshine is pouring in my office window today and I am so grateful for it. I wanted to share the last few pics from my ladies weekend part deux. It was so nice to show them around "my" new town and they loved it. We visited the Greenville Art Museum which has an amazing Andrew Wyeth exhibit. And it's free. I can't remember the last time I visited somewhere for free. The moms loved it and we could barely pull them out of there.





Our big meal of the day was brunch at High Cotton. The husband worked his magic and got us a table even after I'd been denied. How does he do that?! He's so darn smooth that one. Anyway, I'm glad it worked out because our food was scrumptious! Good vibe + good service + really good company. I made everyone take a pic of their plate…











It was the day of L.O.V.E. after all so we continued the party on our last evening at the bungalow. We nibbled on bruschetta and carrots + dip while dinner cooked and the daily re-cap from the Olympics played in the background.

Baked penne with roasted vegetables : We ate like kings and I didn't want them to leave. There's just something about having a house full of folks that makes ya feel good. It was a perfect Valentines with lots of love to go around.







Oh and you know I had to bake up something sweet. Yellow cake + cream cheese frosting... umm, yes please.

family visit

Momma, aunt Lola and cousin Lauren came to town for a visit and brought a whole heck of a lotta snow with them! Literally, it was coming down so hard right at the time they were supposed to be arriving, I didn't think they would make it. But they did. Whew. The ladies came a blazing in the door needing a stiff cocktail. asap. We headed to the Bohemian for a late supper and started right in with stories of the trip. I'm pretty sure we were the loudest table in the joint. Hubs got the moms all settled into the hotel and Lauren was a guest in our bungalow. Everyone needed a good nights rest after the drive. I have a feeling they will be telling the tale for years to come!



The next morning I cooked us a big breakfast before heading out into the snow. The streets were so gorgeous and white, but fading quickly. With our winter boots pulled on we piled in the car and headed out for bit of retail therapy. I have done practically no shopping since I moved here. Partly because it's not as fun to shop solo and partly because my belly has inhibited my purchasing any new clothing. So this was a treat. We had the best time and found the cutest baby store called but… it was closed! Argh. So I left a message and we headed to Babies R Us. Talk about overwhelming. Yikers. We felt a bit out of our league. Where to start, what to buy? My goodness. But with our moms following behind, Lauren and I jumped in the best we could. Soon, we were wheeling strollers around and chatting with other mother/daughter pairs in the store. Luckily, I got a call from the baby store and she was now open. Sweet. It was well worth the drive back. The store is called The Nest and we loved every sweet thing in there. The best part was I bought a crib plus the bedding. Done and done. I can't wait to get all set up and show you. Yessiree, it's starting to feel real.



After all this we were seriously starving and ready for some grub. Our lunch stop was at The Brickstreet Cafe. It's kind of a ladies who lunch spot. You know, chicken salad, soups, sammies and quiche. The highlight was this decadent chocolate cake. Warm, gooey and served with fresh whipped cream. I was real nice and shared.





We ended the day with a drop of champagne and then a lovely meal downtown at the Lazy Goat. Tapas all around was the perfect amount.



More to come from this family visit, but for now I am hitting the hay. Goodnight!

snowy bliss

Well, well, well. Where have I been? I took an unexpected bloggin break when life got super busy. I had some fun visitors come to town and can't wait to share our tales. Here are a couple of snow pics in the mean time til life gets back to a normal pace. I love the way the puffy white snow can just come out of nowhere and change everything. It was absolutely beautiful.