Chalkboard Crush

If y’all are anything like me, you have a kitchen drawer full of pads, pens (who am I kidding…make that crayons) and crumpled up, crossed out, barely legible notes.  Said notes contain pertinent information like the meals you’ve planned for week and random kitchen staples that you’ve run out of and don’t want to forget on the next grocery trip (think salt or lemon juice.)  Inevitably, I forget about at least one thing I had planned to make in a week and fail to purchase at least one of the things I meant to replenish at the store, all because I’ve lost my darned list.  Well no more!  Hold on to your hats because this is just the quickest, easiest, inexpensivest (I love making up words) project ev-ah.

I happened on this roll of repositionable chalkboard paper at Hobby Lobby and bee-lined to the checkout. With my 40% off coupon the grand total came to under five dollars!  If there’s one thing I love, it’s chalkboards (as evidenced here, here, here and here.)

And in under twenty minutes, I had measured, cut and adhered a chalkboard surface to the inside of my pantry doors. 



There’s just enough room for my weekly menu…

…that list of kitchen staples I forget I’m out of until I need to use…

…and a note to the littles pointing to their snack drawer…


It was easy to cut, easy to apply and reposition, easy to write on and easy to wipe clean.  And, as you’d probably expect, I’m dreaming up one bazillion other places to chalkboard as I type…I suppose one might call that a “chalkboard crush”.

xoxo

Nature’s Garden Delivered

Try as I might, I have finally come to terms with the fact that I can only manage to shop at one store each week.  And that has to be Publix.  So, after looking around for another solution for organic, local fruits and veggies, I have signed up at Nature’s Garden Delivered.

They deliver natural and organically grown seasonal fruits and veggies (and other great meats, cheeses, milks and spices) right to your doorstep!  There are a few different ways to customize your box – fruits only, veggies only, mix of both in large, medium and small sizes.  I went with the medium box and have it delivered every other week for $45. 

Our first box had celery, onions, rocky rose potatoes (divine), pink lady apples, red grapefruit, anjou pears, red peppers, green squash, honey tangerines, bananas, tomatoes, red russian kale, green leave lettuce and green onions!  Everything was fresh and delish!  We used every.single.thing. in the box by the time the next one came and found the size to be perfect for the four of us.



The second box had braeburn apples, bananas, broccoli, carrots, green kale, romaine lettuce, yellow and white onions, mid-season oranges, bosc pears, red roasting potatoes, yellow squash, honey tangerines and tomatoes.  As soon as the PCP got home from school he ran for the front porch saying “I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT’S IN THE BOX!!!!”



As soon as I opened the box I remembered seeing this Kale and White Bean Soup recipe on Pinterest.  I had everything on hand and everyone gobbled it up!  It’s a definite keeper!



Back to the box… we’ve gone with exactly what comes in the base box both times because we really aren’t picky eaters.  That being said, each week you get up to five substitutions for things you might not like or want more of.  You can also put items on a “never include” list to be automatically excluded as they come up.  You can hold delivery if you are on vacation or just don’t need it.  There is no contract and you can cancel at any time.  Your credit card is charged on delivery.

I have not been compensated in any way for this rave review :-)  I have just found the service and produce to be amazing, it saves time in my week AND I know that I’m doing good for my family and for my local economy.

In the time it took me to snap that second pic and write this little post, things have gone completely haywire.  The PCP is being dragged around the kitchen by the seat of the baby’s pants…



Clearly I need to regain some control around these parts :-)
xoxo

Savannah: Shopping

When the baby sweetly asked his Ampa “Can I stay home with you and be very good today?”, Mother and I did a little jig as we knew there was no way he’d get turned down :-)  We literally ran out the door before anyone could change their minds.

We started at Sweet Tea in Sandfly.  This is one of my fave fave fave shoppes outside of the historic district.



I picked up two cute shamrocks at Miracle Greenhouse.



And then we headed to Clutter off of Eisenhower.  It’s relatively new and chocked full of fab finds.  I left with a gorg piece of real coral for $18 (Sister got THREE before she left town) and a found turtle shell.







Right in the same shopping center is another newish addition – Maison de Macarons.  The chocolate ganache was too too fabulous!  I regret not getting a few for later!

 

 
After stopping in the Lilly store (where I procured a gorge green lace dress with birthday money), JoAnn’s (I settled on seersucker to skirt the desk in the closet) and Home Goods (where I finally, after four years, rounded out my set of mini footed cloches!!), we lunched at Back in the Day Bakery - a must-eat on every trip home.  Mother and I shared the grilled pimento cheese (which just shot up to the tip top spot on my list of favorite eats), the ‘nana puddin (always heavenly) and a lavender cookie (like no other.)  Afterwards, we headed to the shops on Whitaker Street – Circa Lighting, No. Four Eleven and One Fish Two Fish.  Mother and Daddy-O gave me a “gift card” for a gorgeous monogrammed throw from No. Four Eleven and I can’t wait for it to come in.  One Fish Two Fish was chocked full of lovely finds, including the gold leafed shell Sister gave me for my birthday!!
  





Our last stop was Paris Market.  Per usual, it was a feast for the eyes.  I love that you rarely see the same thing twice in here!



It was such an treat to do just as we please, just Mother and I.  I’m pretty sure it’s been seven years since we’ve done this without little ones in tow! Speaking of the little one, he’s been sleeping in my bed with me all week (which I LOVE – he says the bunk room is “too scary without brother”) and just rolled over to request I fetch him some water…
xoxo

See all of my Savannah posts here!

Dixie Delights: Guide to Delightful Savannah

Handed Down

Y’all cannot imagine how absolutely thrilled I was when Honey’s mama (affectionately known as JuJu) handed down this vintage patchwork Lilly Pulitzer apron handmade by her late mother many moons ago.  It is in pristine condition and the love and care that went into making it is evident. 





 
I truly couldn’t love it more and it makes me want to do a little happy dance every time I tie it on.  I had the great fortune of knowing Honey’s grandma for a few years and adore having something so fun and so ME to remember her by.  I imagine she never dreamt that her youngest grandson’s wife would be wearing it one day…

xoxo

I Love {Mary Pratt}

I’m back today with another of my favorite local artists – Mary Pratt of Pink Chair Studio.  Mary is mother to my dear friend Anna, grandma to two of the most darling little girls you could ever hope to know AND a stunning artist.  I’ve had the great pleasure of getting to know her over the last few years and always look forward to seeing her at Anna’s parties, gatherings and events.  This is the piece that started an instant and all-encompassing love affair with Mary…


…can you even believe the gorgeousness?  I literally swooned right there in Anna’s kitchen. 

This portrait of a family friend’s daughter is equally as marvelous.  I’ve seen this child in person and I can honestly say that this perfectly captures her!  I sure would love to have one of the boys (I’m putting that out there on the off chance Honey is reading.)



It should come as no surprise that I’m drawn to her coastal pieces.  Here are a few of my favorites…








Soooo…after admiring Mary’s work in Anna’s home and through her Facebook page for a good long while, I was absolutely positively thrilled when Honey told me I could work with her on a piece for our bedroom for my Christmas gift.  I loved the idea of a diptych after seeing the aforementioned peacock painting and wanted something coastal in my muted colors.  Imagine my absolute delight when she presented me with this…  (that would be the second time I swooned in Anna’s kitchen).  She used thick gallery wrapped canvases - the two 20x24” pieces make for a total size of 40x24”.



I truly couldn’t have dreamed up anything more perfect and I cannot wait for y’all to see what we’ve done with it!!!  One of my favorite Christmas gifts of all time!
xoxo

Find Mary Pratt at Pink Chair Studio here!

I Love {House Portraits}

Since the boys both celebrate birthdays within a month of Christmas, each year on their birthday we give them one, nice item that we hope they will have forever.  This year’s gift is rather tardy, however I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not like they’ve been chomping at the bit to get their forever gift :-).  One day they will thank me.  (Cue the day dream where I become my Mother and say “You know I’m always right.  I knew you would love these down the road.”)
 
So, on to the good stuff… to mark their fourth and seventh birthdays, the littles received framed illustrations of the two homes they’ve lived their sweet little lives in.  (See last year’s forever gift here and the rest of them here.)

We had our current home (right) drawn back when we moved in for use on our moving announcements. It took me a good long while, but I finally found the same artist (he moved from ebay to etsy) and commissioned a pen and ink drawing of our old house. Paul Young (artworm on etsy) was a dream to work with both times. His attention to detail is unmatched and I love that he provides a high resolution digital image in addition to the 9x12 original.
 
Since I already had a gallery wall in the baby’s big boy room and procured frames for the PCP’s gallery wall at the same time last summer, I knew I wanted to use an Ikea frame.  The frame originally had openings for three 4x6” pictures, so I used an exacto knife to cut the dividers out making the mat just one large opening.
In photoshop, I combined the illustrations of each house into one file and added the street addresses.  I needed a print to be 20” wide to fit in the adjusted mat and was pleased to see that I could order a single 16x20” print from Shutterfly and cut it in half to fit both frames! 
With just a little work, the baby’s house portraits have already been added to his gallery wall.  We’ll hang the PCP’s whenever we get around to his little room reno (which first requires paint and crown molding so don’t hold your breath.)


I also had Paul draw Sister’s house for her Christmas gift this year.  She said it was the best gift she got that she didn’t even know she wanted :-)  She’s a hard one to surprise!!


These are the We’ve Moved announcements we sent out with the house drawing at the top.  I absolutely LOVED them and think they are my favorite of all the paper goods we’ve ever sent out. And while the baby still says his new tool bench was his “bestest birthday gift ever”, the PCP thought the house portraits were “awesome”!!  A boy after my own heart…
xoxo

Shopping Savannah

Y'all, if there's one thing the gals in this family love to do it's SHOP!!!  We shopped and shopped and dropped then shopped some more.  Here's a round up of some of our favorite finds...

One Fish Two Fish

Sylvester & Co. - A delightful new shoppe on Broughton Street

The Paris Market (again, and with French Frozen Hot Chocolates)

DC2 Designs

A break at Forsyth Park was nice to run off some of the little's steam!

Byrd Cookie Company

And we rounded out our day with dinner and drinks in the lounge at the Olde Pink House.  One of my all time favorite Savannah haunts and where we dined the night of our engagement nearly twelve years ago.  (Picture staged especially for bestie R.)

For more Savannah shopping chronicles, check here, here, here and here.  So many lovely places to go!!
xoxo