Decoration Day…only if you are Southern will you get this one. If you are not Southern, then you need to know about this to appreciate what we Southern children know down deep in our souls. Decoration Day is a Sunday in May or June when your family gathers at the cemetery where all your relatives from generations past (kinfolk) are …
I absolutely love creative people, and Cindy Cloward is high on my list. She is a top star in the sewing industry with her clever fabric designs and insight into children’s clothing ideas. The name Riley Blake is not only the name for her company but has become the call sign for her fabrics in the sewing world. It is …
What is it about a cast-iron skillet that makes food so good? As we were working on our new cookbook, Southern Cast Iron, I was pondering this very question. You just knew growing up that when that black beauty came out something great was happening in the kitchen. Through the years, the iron cookware has given way to more modern …
When I place a ribbon in my journal, I am marking the place where I stop for the day and where I will begin again tomorrow. Our walk together through this blog will be just that—a journey of celebrating the beautiful things in life one day at a time. It is my hope that when you come here you will …
When Maggie Smith delivers her lines on Downton Abbey, the world stops to take in every tiny word. As the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, she has stolen the hearts of people all over the world by delivering her lines in a most witty way. Don’t you just love her? Backing up, when Downton Abbey premiered no one could believe …
The response to the Easter perm was so wonderful. I loved reading your responses and hearing your stories very similar to mine—great stories and memories. As I was thinking about women and their hair, I remembered another spring hair moment that I thought I would share. It was a beautiful spring morning many years ago, and I was making my …
My mother has always been the live wire in our family. If there is mischief going on, she is at the center of it. Humor is a gift she has and uses frequently…you just don’t want to sit with her in church as she will always get you tickled about something. I often joke and say that my Dad raised …
There are people that come into your life that make a real impact and leave you with wonderful memories of special times together. Such was my experience with Dixie Carter. She is most fondly known for her role as the sassy Julia Sugarbaker in the television show Designing Women. I met her several years ago at Southern Lady Celebration, an …
The beauty of spring takes my breath away. I am sitting here looking at the most gorgeous dogwood tree laden with white flowers while my tulips and violas are making a show on the terrace. I planted my bulbs then planted violas on top of them. The tulips nudged their way through the tiny purple blossoms and together they create …
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the Easter dresses my mother would make for my sister and me. It was the spring ritual that we loved. But along with our beautiful dresses came the ritual we didn’t love: getting a permanent in our hair….ugh. That is the worst curse for a child, getting your annual Easter permanent so …
