Hidden Magnolias

My daily commute takes by one of the most delightful places in Atlanta: Mt. Paran Country Store. It is truly a hidden magnolia. Nested among the trees is the Mt. Paran Country Store. The charming Mt. Paran Country Store is one of the earliest buildings that still exist in Buckhead. It is  located on prime real estate, at the intersection of Mt. Paran and Northside Dr. In 1906, this was a farmhouse and the owner, Mr. Norman, allowed people picked up their mail from him. But he got tired of them helping themselves to his coffee and food when they came by, so he started selling to them instead, and he made more money than he did farming. Only traces of the original house remain visible. The farmhouse stone fireplace peaks out from behind storage boxes. People love the hamburgers, but I love their morning biscuits. When you get a bacon egg and cheese biscuit, you get bacon – not just a token slice, but enough bacon to really tast...

Being an avid blog reader, I have stumbled onto many blogs that tout themselves as “preppy" - with excessive amounts of pink and green and monograms.  I wonder.... www.marleylilly.com Then one day at work, we had, as you so often do when things are slow, one of those group conversations about being preppy. It started when a particular client came in for class and the comment was made about her being so preppy. I have to admit, I have never seen her in anything but a Lilly dress, but I have only seen her once.  And it is summer.  LillyPulizter.com Nevertheless, Lilly does not a preppy make. LillyPulizter.com What passes today as “preppy” is for a most part a fantasized ideal of make-believe history.  It is a manufactured past that distorts the classically rooted values which gave birth to the preppy culture. Pinterest It started mostly at New England prep schools and ivy walled colleges.  Nassau Hall Princeton B...

I have the title with a question mark because I am still puzzled how a basic functional fabric can now be a hot home fashion trend.  And who would have thought that burlap sacks are now the hottest ticket at flea markets and thrift stores? People are making everything out of burlap. Why?   Burlap belongs in a barn, no? I have added some examples found on the Internet. Table runners (which seems to be all the rage for weddings)...   Naw This one I like. This is right place for burlap. Pillows and Cushions... Wreathes... Curtains... Even shower curtains... Banners... Personally, I haven’t warmed up to the burlap fad, however, I have seen some scrumptious pieces covered in burlap that are making me rethink my stand. This    Dan Marty  settee in burlap retails for $5,450. While I don't think I would ever pay that much, I do like it. Another l...

Mary Kay Andrews is the pen name of Atlanta writer Kathy Hogan Trocheck, based in Atlanta, who has authored a number of best-selling books under the Andrews pen name since 2002. Before that she wrote under her real name Kathy Hogan Trocheck. What I really like about Mary Kay is that she is a regular girl. She likes to snoop around garage sales, thrift, spend time with grand babies, cook, decorate, hang at the beach, blog, Twitter and Facebook and loves Downton Abbey. She has new a book out, Ladies Night . I haven’t read it yet, but it is on my iPad. Of all her books, I love Savannah Blues  the best with Hissy Fit coming in a close second.       Even though she is writing all the time, she still finds time to decorate Tybee Island beach houses. They are are wonderfully decorated with her thrifty finds. I love her style because it is really “beachy.”  The way I remember beach houses to be. You can relax and enjoy with out...