Husband: “Do you like the blue car or the red car better?”
Me: “The red. It looks like tomatoes… & it would match my lipstick.”
Regularly scheduled programming will return tomorrow, kids!
The Green Acres Complex
Husband & I have long had what I like to call our “Green Acres Complex.” Husband mows the lawn in what most people consider church clothes. And if I could spend my mornings in silk gowns while my chicken laid eggs-to-order in a china bowl, I most definitely would. Click here to check out my Style File on Lisa Douglas.
So it should come as no surprise to you that each year our garden has expanded. This year we’re growing several things we never have before–broccoli, greens, cucumbers–alongside old favorites like okra, zucchini, and numerous herbs, tomatoes, and peppers.
It’s Husband’s Garden because he is most definitely doing the laborious work with this one as he continues the job hunt. I am so excited that our little garden keeps expanding.
Last year we were members of a CSA, which stands for “Community Supported Agriculture.” The way it works is you buy into a farm and then get a basket of food every week from them. (If you’re in East Tennessee, we used Mountain Meadows Farm last year and loved them!) But this year, with our life a little more in flux, we decided we’d grow as much as we could ourselves and then just supplement the rest with goods from local farmers.
There’s something about Spring that seems to make everyone I know get a green thumb, but I wonder if it’s just because we live in a small town in Tennessee. Does it work that way in the big city? Is it even possible to eat local in a big city like NYC that is more pavement than garden? If you have any experience with the matter, I’d love to here about it!
Tales of a Crafty Hoarder
Words from Husband tonight: “I threw out three jars the other day, but I didn’t tell you. But I love you, and you didn’t miss them.” Le sigh.
Hello, my name is Hannah,
and I am a crafty (find better word for “hoarder”)
My favorite thing to hoard of late? Jars. No, I don’t know why. There’s the giant button jar…
The jars from the Made + Remade mantle I did for Joann at Christmas…
The jars from our pantry redo–although, I completely blame Husband for those. And the other night, I threw together a cute little candle holder with a jam jar, a handful of grits and some washi tape.
Note: Cute succulent washi tape was a gift. It’s part of a new line by Smarty Pants Paper Co. that I’m currently obsessed with.
It’s not always jars though. I go through phases. At one point is was felt. Then, it was old clothes. I have an odd assortment of fuzzy mini pom-poms for no particular reason. And this past Christmas I noticed myself repeatedly buying tinsel for some reason… (I really like things that sparkle!)
But I suppose the real problem comes when remnants from each phase stick around and have to be organized into some semblance of order in my studio.
Around the holidays I posted this Instagram of a drawer in my studio just to see if anyone else had this problem. Newsflash:
My favorite people also hoard craft supplies.
Let’s face it: crafty hoarders are totally the ones you want around in a crisis.
Need a last minute party thrown? Call a crafty hoarder.
Outgrown your outfit for the pride parade and need more sequins? Call a crafty hoarder.
Want a monogram put on that cute new sweater set? Call a crafty hoarder.
Don’t have any mini dinosaurs to put in your terrarium? Call a crafty hoarder.
So, in the comments below, tell us…
What do you hoard?
Evolution of a Home Pt. 4
Otherwise titled…
And Then, Hannah Went Over to the Dark Side
So eventually, as will inevitably happen once the chaos of college is over, we found our own style and no longer found the look to be ‘Us.’ Totally normal… Although, I may not be the best person to judge: my mother used to wallpaper and rearrange furniture on nights she couldn’t sleep. (As a result, she’s also had more stubbed toes than anyone cares to count.)
Anyway, the one room that we really hadn’t touched in the house was the downstairs bathroom–quite the “novelty” when it was added in the 50s I’d learned from the Lord girls. Nevertheless, there was quilted country gingham wallpaper and a big popcorn ceiling that just had to go. So over the course of a few days, Husband ripped down the ceiling and took up the floor.
Then, six months later, he replaced it.
And I completely fell in love with the floor. Isn’t it fantastic?! So here’s the thing about small spaces. Some people tell you to make everything light and airy to open things up. I say…
If you live in a small house–make bold moves.
The print was from a letterpress shop that used to be in Knoxville called Yee-Haw Industries.
I loved that floor so much. So I thought, let’s go with it! The beadboard in room was in great shape so Husband just added a little top trim, a coat of white paint, and then I picked the paint color: Black. That last part was met with more than a little trepidation. Black walls? We all love The Addams Family, but are we really those people? This from the boy who used to love houses decorated with different shades of beige–eeshk. But, second piece of unsolicited advice…
If you’re going to try something that scares you, try it in a space that’s small enough to fix quickly.
So he went with it, loved it immediately, and we’ve never looked back!
So This Happened…
Y’all… I can’t even.
Because sometimes I feel like God is just messing with us purely for the entertainment of all of our friends (& enemies), be sure to follow of our adventures on Instagram:
Hannah: @hb_belle
Husband: @jamesaslaughter
DIY’s Made + Remade Goes On Location
In the days before preschool, I spent what I’m sure is an inordinate amount of time (especially for your average 3 year old) standing behind an organ bench and putting on cooking shows with my mom’s old bowls and spoons. So it probably comes as no surprise that it has always been a dream of mine to get in front of a camera and entertain people.
Well, last week a few of my Made + Remade friends and I ventured to Asheville, North Carolina to fulfill a dream or two. We were there working with a production company to make some rad videos for the DIY site, and I can’t wait to share everything with you! Until then, here are a few behind-the-scenes pics…
The Made + Remade crew (& Peter from the Scripps video team) plotting out the awesome. Clockwise from Peter: Michele, Emily, Ellen, and Kelly
Ellen Foord killing it on camera.
Shooting stills
Emily Fazio rocking out some how-tos.
Ellen hamming it up for the camera.
Hair Before | Hair After
The TERROR of my work clothes: I wore tennies even though I wasn’t exercising and, on shoot day, I had on a Canadian tuxedo. It’s not all glamorous, people.
My view during the shoot.
Getting Ants Off Peonies
True Story: The first Mother’s Day lunch in our new house, I’d set a beautiful table and was so excited to add a bouquet of fresh-cut peonies from the backyard to the centerpiece. Then, about halfway through the salad course, we noticed a mass exodus of ants from the flowers that were scattering all across the table. Trust me, sharing your luncheon with ants is not nearly as adorable as cartoons would lead you to believe!
As it turns out, ants are attracted to a sweet juice found in those round peony buds right before they open. So if you’re going to bring the flowers inside, remember to get the ants out of the center first! Here’s how…
Fill a large bowl with water and plunge the flowers in bud first. Soak the flowers for about 5 minutes. This will force the ants out.
After 5 minutes, just give the flowers a gentle shake and flick off any ants you see. Then, they’re ready to display.
Hers & His
Hers
Reading:
I’m finally reading Julia Child’s My Life in Paris, and I cannot believe it has taken me so long! I bought the book in 2009, the year Julie and Julia came out–such a stereotype. That was also when I fell in love with the cookbooks but, not being an avid reader until recently, I’m just now picking it up. The way she describes the food and the markets is, of course, completely enchanting. But what I’ve really loved is her little observations. Here are two that I wrote down in my notebook…
[Speaking of her walks with her husband Paul, an artist] “I discovered that when one follows the artist’s eye one sees unexpected treasures in so many seemingly ordinary scenes.”
“In late 1949, the newspapers informed us that something called “television” was sweeping the States like a hailstorm. People across the country, the papers said, we’re building ‘TV rumpus rooms’… in order to sit around for hours watching this magical new box. …When we read an article about the horrifying effects of TV on American home life…”
Watching:
Speaking of television. I have serious, hardcore fangirl feelings for Mindy Kaling. And the season finale of The Mindy Project is Tuesday night, y’all! Last week I tweeted this after watching Mindy throw a mug out the window because there was a bug in it…
I love the @MindyProjectFOX because I am The Mindy Project. @mindykaling
— Hannah B. (@HB_Belle) April 30, 2014
Side Note: If you haven’t read it yet, her book will make you laugh out loud! It’s a total must read.
His
Reading:
I’ve been reading Bart Ehrman’s How Jesus Became God. I must admit, I started it feeling very separated from religion, but as I’ve read this skeptics historic view I’ve come to question many of his arguments. The historic norm doesn’t necessarily mean the historic every time, most notably as it applies to Joseph of Arimathea. Never underestimate the power of rich friends. That being said, still keep me firmly in the ecumenical camp. Religion, like style, is a highly personal thing.
Watching:
Sorry.
Can’t talk.
I DVR’d 24.
A Few Days Away
It’s good to be home. Last week I joined a couple of buddies on a fishing and camping trip. My dad and his two best friends from high school have been making the same trip the same week for 29 years now, and the last few years I’ve been trying to bring along a few guys to continue the tradition.
We fished a bit, talked a lot, and drank too much. Oh, and we always had a fire. The perfect camping trip.
We Have a Mouse
Husband staring into the kitchen.
Me: You see a mouse, don’t you?
Husband: Yes, but he’s a little guy if that helps.
Me: So all cute Beatrix Potter style?
Husband: Yes, but he shits in our house so don’t get too attached.
