Hidden Magnolias

Ok, I know I am a bit behind.... Everyone else has posted an opinion about this... Took me a while to soak it in.... Pantone's Color of the Year: Why is the Pantone color of the year important? Well, decorators will use it in their designs;  fashion designers will use in their clothes; paint stores will have this in their paint collections. It will be splashed every where -- purses, shoes, scarves, pillows, sheets, sofas, chairs, draperies, tee shirts, stuffed animals, and maybe cars, who knows? If you love this color, you will be happy. If you dislike this color, just wait a year and Pantone will pick another color.

It is January! And Pinterest, Facebook and blogs are full of tips for organizing and starting the New Year fresh with clutter control. There are tons of really cool ideas for organizing just about anything. Here are my favorites. Disclaimer: I am guilty of all of the following. Shoe Closets The jealousy begins.... http://weheartit.com/entry/64516160 http://bella-tierra.tumblr.com/post/69647482721/http-bella-tierra-tumblr-com Jewelry  Can a girl have too much jewelry... Alice Arabian - Pinterest TheFrugalHomemaker.com Makeup Gotta cover up and improve that ol' face... http://ethioprincess-xo.tumblr.com / Pinterest Tank Tops You never know when a tank comes in handy.... Kristy Piche - Pinterest purpleberrybliss.blogspot.com Purses An all time favorite... Wayfair.com Food What if it snows or the power goes out... http://rnrfoodorganizers.com/ Ozziebeth Then I saw thi...

People outside the South like to make fun of the store name Piggly Wiggly. Piggly Wiggly is found all over the South except in Metro Atlanta. Most of the Atlanta stores are long gone.  Piggly Wiggly stores aren’t the biggest grocery stores in the country or even the cheapest, but they cultivated a following by being unabashedly, intentionally local. For those living near the coast of South Carolina and Georgia—the so-called “Lowcountry”—Piggly Wiggly was one of the only places to consistently find such regional favorites as Duke’s mayonnaise, “dirty-rice,” smooth grits, and smoky neck bones. Piggly Wiggly was local  before  it was fashionable to be local. People who have Piggly Wigglys near them are very loyal. Last fall, Piggly Wiggly announced a deal to sell about half of its stores to bigger rivals. Twitter and Facebook were lit up with comments. Why, there is a state Historical Marker for the site of the first Piggly Wiggly opened in Memphis...

One of my favorite rooms is my office. It is bright with lots of natural sunlight. It is upstairs and tucked away from the main part of the house, so it is quiet. This what is looked like when we first moved in. As you can see, it has some strange angles. Once we moved in, it became a typical "junk" room with boxes of books, genealogy files and information. I am almost embarrassed to show you what is has become. Since one the main items stored in this room are books--boxes of books crammed into the window area. By the closet is a wall that really served no useful purpose. The perfect place for a built-in bookcase. So I searched the net and came up with some inspiration. I just love this full wall built in. I even like the simple desk and a small sofa in the room. So after many months of nagging reminding, my super talented husband got to work. Deciding on the trim was not really too hard. We have t...

With the New Year and having to be inside because of the weather, comes the urge to clean and freshen the house.  The web is full of clever, interesting, frugal ideas for organizing and cleaning. I thought I would share some I have found with you. Mary Beth at Cupcakes and Crinoline  shares an easy, inexpensive soap scum remover. Looks like a winner to me. Angie at The Country Chic Cottage shares a clever way to hide and organize toys. I don't have small children, but I have often seen houses with toys strewn everywhere. And I know some of you have small children or grandchildren. Her ideas here are really clever and decorative. Beth at Home Stories A to Z shows 21 ideas for tidying up that pantry. Now this is one I really can use, my pantry is a wreck. And Carrie, owner of NeatsMart , has a great blog full of ideas for organizing just about anything. I really like her Pinteres...

“I am not as pretty as I used to be, but I still want to be pretty.” This statement was said to me by my beloved Aunt Pauline while she was in the hospital toward the end of her life. She had asked me to bring her some lipstick and I had replied that she didn't need lipstick in the hospital. Ouch. Her last Christmas with us. I never thought of Aunt Pauline thinking that way, she was such a practical, down to earth person. However, Aunt Pauline always made sure her hair was fixed, her lipstick was on and she had on her earrings. I had always heard that “Pauline was a looker” in her day. And old pictures seem to bear it out. Pauline (seated)  and others at the USO during WWII But I believe it is a sentiment all women share, especially those of us over 50. Women in our society are still measured by their appearance, though that may be changing slowly. With today’s youth-focused culture, many beautiful older women are over looked.   Today, I just want t...