I’ve spent a little time Harvesting this week. . . Reaping some of Nature’s Bounty~ Sowing the ingredients for a Pumpkin Vase Centerpiece. . . a few clippings from the garden & fall grasses, along with Sweetgum branches for some leafy fall color. . . Collecting Sunflowers, Mums, Daisies & Hypericum Berries from the Farmers Market as well as…
There is a corn field I’ve been driving by for months. . . just dried husks and stalks remain, having fulfilled its corn-destiny. Rushing by~“to do” list in hand focused on crossing off the next task~ I noticed a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye passing by last week. Beckoned, I was rewarded by the…
We’ve been Celebrating the Grape and enjoying Bottled Sunshine during September in observance of North Carolina’s Wine Appreciation Month. Harvest festivals with serenades, grape stomps, and harvest-to-barrel celebrations are abundant with October’s arrival. Taking my cue from the harvest events at North Carolina wineries this month, I pulled out my grandmother’s dishes~ Harvest Time by Johnson Brothers~…
I’ve been feathering my nest twig-by-twig lately. . . . . . tidying, sorting, consigning, donating~ There always seems to be nesting going on around me. . . I’m long past due taking stock. . . . . . cleaning out & preparing for Fall with October’s arrival around the corner~ I thought I would follow the birds’ lead and bring my…
While the calendar says September, we’re still having summer weather, fortunately with some lower humidity. A teaser of fall-like temperatures are on the horizon for the weekend. I set a transitional table reflecting the summer weather we’re still in the midst of and to enjoy the last of the summer annuals. Petunias~ still blooming after a long, hot summer and some fruits…
The calendar says September, but there is still plenty of summer weather ahead of us here in the South and plenty of fruit in season to enjoy~ I harvested a medley of fruits at the Farmers Market prompted by some dish inspiration from HomeGoods~ My basket is brimming with pears, white & yellow peaches, blackberries, along with a…
I recently unearthed a quilt that came from my grandmother, that was tucked away and forgotten (translation: I cleaned out a bedroom closet :-) The hexagon pattern is known by several names. . . French Bouquet, French Rose Garden, Hexagon Flower Garden, or more commonly, Grandmother’s Flower Garden. The quilter’s identity is uncertain~ but it is thought to have been quilted by neighbor and friend of my grandmother. My…
The Peach Keeper **** by Sarah Addison Allen An Edible Book Review inspired by Jain at Food for Thought, a delicious blog for readers with an appetite for the written word. “The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Chased the Moon welcomes you to her newest locale: Walls of Water, North Carolina, where the secrets are thicker than the fog…
I was thrilled to have found lilac bundles at Trader Joe’s about six weeks ago, which was the inspiration for this table~ a surprise as delightful to me as their fragrance~ and the only way to enjoy them here since our climate is too warm for them to grow. I pulled out my Mikasa Daylight Dinnerware for…
I’m dining with the butterflies~ enjoying this book~ with its beautiful illustrations by Maria Sibylla Merian (1647–1717), German-born naturalist and artist. At a time when few women were educated or literate, and rarely travelled, Maria Sibylla Merian was a pioneer, and made history with her studies of insects in Surinam. Trained as a copperplate engraver and…