Hidden Magnolias

When we think of the Edwardians, our minds immediately go to images portrayed in Downton Abbey or other images showing long skirts, heavy clothes, serving tea and having babies. Despite being corseted and all bundled up with what today we would consider very restrictive clothing, these women were quite active, especially the Edwardians, who began to eschew the corset. "Spencer-sisters" by Unknown - From the private collection of David Ball. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spencer-sisters.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Spencer-sisters.jpg So what did they do? They hiked... Flicker They boated... ohdalingdankeschoen They biked... Pinterest They picnicked... pintoresca They camped... Pinterest They rode horses...     They demanded that we vote...   And I, for one, am awfully glad they did. Pat

Originally a home, then a hospital, then a warehouse, then a restaurant, and now...back to being a private residence after being sold to a physician in 2006 and remodeled by Todd Architects -- this 8 bed, 8 bath beauty is still with us. From the book, Marietta, 1833-2003 by James Bolan Glover, descendant of the original owners and Rebecca Nash Paden: “Charleston planter John Heyward Glovers, Jr. built Bushy Park, a Greek Revival plantation house, on his 3000 acre property in 1848. The house had 17 rooms and many outbuildings, including a stone kitchen, which still exists. Heart Pine floors and hand-hewn beams are featured in the house. William King* and his servants occupied the mansion during the Civil War battles in 1864. The house was also used as a federal hospital.”   (*son of Roswell King and Catherine Barrington) Is it haunted? A lot of the paranormal activity is contributed to the fact it was used as a hospital during the Civil War. When it was a re...

Want to get depressed fast?   Nothing is guaranteed to bring on the Christmas blues faster than checking out blogs and Pinterest and Tumblr at Christmas.  a friend's stairs thepaintedapron.com thepaintedapron.com christmashome a friend's tablescape a friend's tree See what I mean?  Pat

What did we do before the Internet and Pinterest? Both are full of fun and lovely Christmas ideas. I just thought that today, I would share some beach-themed eye catchers with you. The picture above and those below are from Beachcomer . She has a wonderful, refreshing Facebook page as well as a great Etsy Shop . I love her sense of style and simplicity. Here are some other pretties from other beach decorators. Found on sandandsisal.com I just love love love this extrodinary tree made with oyster shells. It is so Apalachicola , don't you think?  From Carla Aston Designs . Carla Aston Designs Carla Aston Designs A fun sign from Meet Me Bye by the Sea . MeetMeByeTheSea http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/ http://missmustardseed.com/ MissHoneyPickles I particularly like this wreath. MeetMeByeTheSea And I end with my own perfect tree made by my creative Sis in law. It has become a favorite. Pat ...

When my cousin posted on Facebook a picture of her Russian Santa collecion, I was intrigued.    I have seen them before in passing, in various Christmas Shops ( or should I type Shoppes? ) but really didn’t give them more than a quick glance. But today, I did some research and fell in love. Each Santa is carved from solid wood and painted in stunning detail with rich designs and beautiful scenes. http://www.russiansantapurveyors.com/ The Russian Santa also called Father Frost, Ded Moroz, and Grandfather Frost, looks like our American Santa Claus… but take a closer look and you notice a few differences. Yes, they both wear boots, a coat, and they both have white beards. However, The Russian Santa wears a long heel-length coat and is seen walking with a magical staff and his hat is  round and fur lined. Just look at the detail. This one is paticularly pretty with a nativity on his gown. http://www.reasonstobelieve.com/ And...

I was inspired to write this blog entry because of a Facebook post I noticed from my cousin. It was a Ree Drummond receipe and all he said in the post was "Cake." "Cake" the nickname for his significant other. I knew immediately that he was dropping a hint. It made me chuckle. I am sure by now all of you foodies have heard about The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. She is one of my favorite cooks. I discovered her in 2006-07 when I was on a tear about reading blogs about ranch living. We had just been through Wyoming and I was fascinated--a quick google search and she pops up. I bookmarked her and have been following her for years. Her cookbooks read like novels. She has an interesting love story. So how did a self-proclaimed city girl wind up cooking for about 10+ people per day, three meals a day? She used to have the story on her blog, but she has written a new book Black Heals to Tractor Wheels  and now you have to buy it.  Howe...