Still Looking for a Costume?

At my house, we didn’t celebrate Halloween. That house that handed out Jesus flyers with your Tootsie Rolls? That was us. So pardon me if I don’t really see the point in dressing up as a sexy nurse or a sexy pirate or a sexy Big Bird. Big Bird? That’s right: Big Bird. However, in thinking of what I, as a well-educated, well-read adult female in a mutually beneficial relationship, would consider dressing up as for a night filled with tricks, candy, and six year-olds dressed up as prostitutes it finally came to me…

That’s right, this powerful symbol of early-90’s womanhood may just be the perfect costume for you. And what better woman to emulate? Taking charge of her life after rehab (or as Lisa taught us to call it: The New Boarding School), she is a woman with fabulous style and a great career, not to mention numerous intelligent men surrounding her. In 1992, chose to keep an illegitimate pregnancy and become a single mother prompting criticism from the then vice president. And in 1997 she battled breast cancer, sparking another controversy when she chose to smoke medical marijuana and talk about the sizes of fake breasts. What powerful She-model shouldn’t garner a little criticism in the public arena now and then? Murphy Brown was pivotal in leading women in the direction of independence, and if you want to do the same, this is your look. Lucky for you, there are only a few simple steps to find Murphy’s signature style.

Lesson 1: There is no such thing as too much teasing. Here in the South we say, “The closer to Jesus, the better we like it,” and obviously Murphy took that heart.

Lesson 2: Button that collar all the way up. Unless you’re celebrating ‘Ladies’ Night with your girlfriends, there’s no reason to show so all that decolletage.

Lesson 3: Of course, if you were up late watching reruns of Miami Vice, you could always pop that baby.

Lesson 4: Garish sweaters will ensure that you never go unnoticed at the office. Better yet? The incomparable sweater vest. I’d suggest doing as Murphy’s done in the picture above and accenting the most random color in the palette and using it in your accessories (Read: Big Earrings).

And finally, when you’re all worn out after a long day of being the most powerful woman in the room, pop your Keds up on that marble-topped table and turn on that ghetto blaster. After all, you deserve it!

You can now be assured that in Thursday’s 9am meeting no one will be picturing you as a sexy nurse. You can thank me later!

Halloween Candy: Cookies

Who said you don’t get presents at Halloween? Here you go, my gift to you…

These cookies are going to make you friends.

There, I said it.

I hate to go all Dale Carnegie on you first thing on a Saturday morning, but if you really want to ‘win friends and influence people,’ you’d better learn to bake. And if you can bake cookies like these, you may never be lonely again.

…Unless, of course, you choose to bake them and then eat them alone watching Addams Family reruns, which I happen to think would be quite festive of you. Que sera…

The recipe can be found on Joy Cho’s blog by clicking here. 

Now here’s what I do…

I bake the cookies following the recipe on Joy’s blog and then separate them into 2 groups.

On one group goes melted white chocolate.

On the other group goes a mixture of peanut butter with just a little powdered sugar to give it more body.

Finally, I put a marshmallow on the ones with white chocolate and stick them in a warm oven to soften up.

Squish the little sandwiches together and there you have it! I believe Joy said she’d also tried salted caramel with it, which I have not. However, I can assure you, no matter how you make them, they’re sure to be a hit!

Wait for It…

I should probably start this post with a 2 statements:

1.) When I was little, we did not celebrate Halloween. (Although, we did eat the orange oreos.) Nor did we watch the Addams Family. (But I did get The Munsters for some reason.)

2.) Over the past month of watching Addams Family episodes on YouTube, I have become increasingly convinced that Wednesday and I would have been very good friends. She played autopsy; I enjoyed playing funeral.*

All that to say: There are 5 days until Halloween, and while I still don’t actually celebrate the holiday in real life, I think the idea of the holiday is super fun. Therefore, there will be candy and costume ideas everyday on the blog leading up to the 31st. Hope you enjoy!

*Just in case you’re wondering, Skipper was usually the one that got the X. Pretend funerals are much more fun when there is a certain element of mystery involved. Plus, she always looked like she had it coming anyway–just a little too much attitude if you ask me… These funerals were usually followed by a round of Clue.

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Picking an Exterior Palette

Yesterday, I shared the Before & After of our recent paint job. Today, I wanted to share with you just how we got there.

Picking a color palette, especially one that is such a bear to get done as well as quite costly like your exterior paint, should not be taken lightly. However, I am also a firm believer in ‘just going for it.’ What’s the worst thing that could happen? If you are going with your gut, the odds are that whatever colors you choose will be great. Here’s how I like to go about choosing a palette.

First, I go to Pinterest. I look through all the images that speak to me at that moment and see if I can spot any similarities. Above is a collage of some of the pictures that were really singing when I was choosing the palette for our home.

Next, I go to the paint store and start looking. Live with the paint chips for a while. Carry them around in your bag. Get them out and mix them up. Odds are, after a couple of days, you will be looking at the same few every time you get them out. When you find a few that work, I highly suggest trying them out online. In the world of computerized everything, each paint brand has a way to “try on” their colors. We chose these 3 from Sherwin Williams.

Finally, look at accent fabrics. For this step, go back to your original set of pictures. What are the accent colors that are repeated in several photographs. Then, start sorting fabrics by what type of fabric you need (in this case we needed Indoor/Outdoor fabric.) and colors.

I chose the 4 fabrics you see above on Fabric.com, and then let Husband make the final decision. If you have a significant other, this is a great step to do together. To be honest, the fabric he chose was just one I’d thrown in the mix. It seemed a bit much for me at first, but now I am completely in love! Significant others have a way of seeing things that you may not even know you like, but you’ll be surprised at how much this stretches you!

Finally, don’t be scared! Try something new. If you don’t want to start with your whole house, maybe you just need some encouragement to liven up that old guest room. A little fabric and a fresh coat of paint can totally change your outlook. Just take my word for it!

It’s Like Having a Brand New House!

We moved into our house 6 years ago, and I’m pretty sure it has needed a paint job for at least 15. In the sun, it had faded to a pretty funky ombre… and, trust me, ombre is not nearly as stylish on a house as it is on your hair. So several weeks ago we were finally able to get it painted, and now it feels like an entirely new house. What do you think?

Please note the 2 small pumpkins on the front steps… I found them growing in our backyard!

We also made some seriously fab upgrades to the front porch including new screen, new fixtures, some upgrades to the furniture, new cushions, and a great table & chairs Husband thrifted at a local yard sale.  We’ve been spending so much time out there, it’s like adding a new room to our home! There’s nothing better than sipping a bourbon and hearing jazz drift through open windows out onto the porch. A few of the details…

Tomorrow I’ll share how we picked the paint palette and the fabric. What about you? Any last minute upgrades you’re making to the outside of your house before hunkering down for winter?

Snapshots of NYC

So far this quick trip to NYC has included:

– A visit to The New York Public Library… of note: Lunch Hour NYC and seeing the original Winnie-the-Pooh (I always have to pay him a visit.)

– Martha Stewart’s American Made event in Grand Central Terminal

– Ari Meisel’s talk at Grind: The Art of Less Doing

– The Century of the Child at MOMA

– Lots of wandering around the city with my honey.

– – – – – – – – –

One more day in the city, and I’m topping it off tonight with a book release party for Debra Shriver that is sure to be swoon-worthy. If you don’t already, follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see Live tweets from the event!

Southern Living Takes It to the Tailgate

A few weeks ago when Husband and I visited Middleton Place, we also had the opportunity to attend The Southern Living Taste of Charleston event to top off our weekend. Southern Living was nice enough to invite us, and when I saw that they were doing a special demonstration for the new Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook, I knew we had to attend.

Football is like a religion of sorts here in the South and, regardless of my personal interest in the sport, tailgating is an art form that most Southern Belles need to learn early. From decking out your tailgating space to preparing food that will still look tasty 3 hours after you arrive is really something. Luckily, this book is full of really great recipes… as if we ever expect anything less from Southern Living, right? A few that we got to try at the event: Buttermilk Chess Tarts, Deviled Eggs (a particular hit with Husband), and these amazing little Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes…

The unexpected treat of the day? Meeting Southern Living Test Kitchen director Rebecca Gordon, an Alabama girl who was cute as a peach! In fact, she even has a tailgating blog, Tidefan Fare, where she shares stories, recipes, as well as a few Q&As with SEC heroes. (For Tennessee fans like us, here are a couple Tennessee parents you may be interested in: this Q&A with Barbara Dooley or this one with Archie Manning.)

I couldn’t post about the book without giving you a little sample of the goodness, so I asked if I could share a recipe. This one was an obvious choice; what belle doesn’t need a little more bourbon in her dessert library? Enjoy!

Mini Bourbon-and-Cola Bundt Cakes

Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cola soft drink
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup bourbon
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Bourbon-and-Cola Glaze (Recipe below…)
– – – – – – – – –
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.
  2. 2. Stir together cola, buttermilk, and bourbon in a small bowl. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in another bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with cola mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Pour batter into 3 lightly greased 12-cup Bundt brownie pans, filling each three-fourths full.
  3. 3. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool 30 minutes. Drizzle warm Bourbon-and-Cola Glaze over cakes.
  4. Go Big: Batter can be poured into 1 greased and floured 15-cup Bundt pan. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Bourbon-and-Cola Glaze

Ingredients: 
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 3 tablespoons cola soft drink
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
– – – – – – – – –
Cook first 3 ingredients in a 2- qt. saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until butter melts. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon. Beat in powdered sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
© Southern Living 2012 The Official SEC Tailgating Cookbook

The Inn at Middleton Place in Charleston, SC

A few weeks ago, just as the leaves were starting to hint that Autumn was finally arriving, Husband and I drove down to one of our very favorite Southern destinations: Charleston, South Carolina. Usually we spend the bulk of our trip eating & drinking our way around the city, going in and out of shops in historic downtown, and laying out on Folly Beach. But this time, we decided to visit some of the old plantations, and one in particular had an inn that looked like it might be right up our alley… Boy, were we right!

Middleton Place is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in America. It was acquired by Henry Middleton in 1741 and restored by the family at the turn of the 20th century. As a designer, it was fascinating to actually see the historical progression of the design: first geometric (modeled after the gardens at Versailles) and the subtly transitioning into the Romantic period with more winding walkways and shorelines.

Here are a few snapshots from our wanderings…

We were both amazed at how much wildlife surrounded us as we made our way around the property. There were beautiful peacocks, cranes, & guinea hens, sheep, lizards & frogs, and, of course, beautiful butterflies darting in and out of the bushes near the butterfly lakes.

Above, you can see all that is left of the original home and below, you see the view from that house’s front steps. Many guests and businessmen would come by boat along the river and walk up the terraced lawn to that very path.

This last statue was particularly interesting to me. The “Wood Nymph” is something of an icon for the house. She’s one of the only statues and works of art that survived the American Revolution and Civil War. In fact, we heard that she was actually buried during the Civil War so that the Union troops, who looted the house, wouldn’t steal her away. She’s sort of magical, don’t you think?

Now let me tell you a little bit about the inn…

We arrived late Friday evening and were immediately enchanted. As you turn off the main road, the Spanish moss hanging from the trees and the lights guiding you into the plantation make you want to be as still and as quiet as possible. The design of the buildings has a bit of Asian influence; clean purposeful lines allow you to get as much out of the beautiful surroundings as possible without interfering too much with the natural world. In our room there was a wall of windows looking out on the Ashley river, a fireplace, and a great big tub complete with a Charleston soak… perfect for drinking champagne and reading the latest issue of Garden & Gun.

We were both amazed at the attention to detail; everything we needed was right at our fingertips. While we chose to spend a lazy Saturday morning reading the paper, sipping coffee, and watching the little lizards change colors as they darted from one thing to another, we could just as easily have taken out a kayak or gone for a swim. It was all right there. One small note: I would recommend going in to Charleston proper to for lunch and dinner… the food was the only thing that failed to blow us away on the property. Other than that, it was an absolutely dreamy weekend, and I can assure, we will be returning to The Inn at Middleton Place very soon! Might I suggest you do the same?