Monograms

Remember my monogrammed wreath post?

Well, I enjoyed working with that monogram so much that I am happy to say that I will now be selling my own wooden monograms!

They are cut from high quality birch wood and are available in 6", 14", and 18" sizes. The 6" monograms are lightweight enough to use as gift toppers...perfect timing for the holidays! The 14" and 18" are perfect for wreaths, hanging on the wall with ribbon, or simply propping on a shelf or a mantel.

Shop for them here!

Southern Nest

Shabby Corbel Shelves

I have been hunting for old corbels for a long time....and I finally found them! I scored a pair of black and gold corbel sconces at a thrift shop....but with the black and gold, they were UGLY.

As if they were not ugly enough, this little tassel was dangling from it. Oh my gosh.


It was so unattractive, but the shape was gorgeous and it was made well. The first thing I did was clean it-there was a ton of dust. I yanked the tassels off and removed those gold pieces of "molding."



After giving it a coat of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in White, I sanded the edges to distress it a little.

I added these hurricanes and candles. (I chose a frosted "bark" candle for the holidays.)

And I absolutely LOVE them. It just shows you...if you wait patiently, you will find exactly what you are looking for.

Your Mommy Loves You

How do you put into words the amount of love you feel for your child? Briggs is becoming a little person and as his personality develops, life is getting more and more fun for us. On a random fall day last week we went outside to play and snap a few pictures. When I was looking at the pictures, I couldn't believe the BOY (not baby!) I saw in the photographs.

He thinks rocks are AWESOME.

He's running all over the place.

He's interested in everything.

He's getting smarter at getting what he wants....and more determined.



My sweet, sweet boy.

Briggs-your mommy loves you!

How to Cut Onions...without Crying!

When I look over a list of ingredients in a recipe and come across the line that reads "chopped onion," I cringe. Ever since I had my son (pregnancy changes everything), I've had an extremely difficult time chopping onions. And I'm not talking just a little tearing here and there. Full blown tears streaming and I have to walk away.

Yesterday, I decided to try a tip a friend shared with me.

I ran HOT water over a peeled onion for several minutes in my sink. Apparently, doing this gently blanches the onion and starts to inactivate the enzyme that makes us tear up. For the first time, I was able to cut an onion with no tears.

I let the hot water run over the onion about 5 minutes. Every now and again, I would feel a tear coming on, so I placed it back under the stream of hot water. This instantly took care of the problem.

Try it. You'll be surprised how easy it makes cooking. And you won't have to feel strange trying to chop onion through giant sunglasses anymore. :)

Antique Mirror

I've added another window frame mirror to my Etsy shop! Can you tell I also have a mild obsession with mercury glass from the photo below?? :)

A Southern Christmas

Have you ever seen a home that was decorated in a way that just "stuck" with you? A home that inspired you so much, you thought about it long after seeing it? Meet my latest obsession. Southern Living did a story on the Christmas decorations of homeowner Genia Gilchrist, owner of Gilchrist-Gilchrist in Tennessee. I fell in love with her style instantly.

Beautiful greenery greets visitors to her home. She put magnolia clippings and small spruce trees in white urns on either side of her porch. Sounds simple, yet the visual is stunning.

LOVE the mercury glass!

This is the picture that had me at the beginning. Three wreaths, clean, elegant, comfortable...sigh.


And this is where I started to lose control...I love this mantel!! (I really, really want to take our TV down from above the fireplace after seeing this. Maybe just for the holidays? Wonder what the husband would think of a giant mercury glass pine cone hanging from the front of the TV?)



And this was just the icing. I love the placement of this garland! The cabinet is simple and clean just like the garland. The blue of the cabinet is perfect with the green.



Gilchrist says she adds depth to the tree by lighting "every inch." I try to do this every year....after I have carefully "coated" about 1/4 of my tree with lights, I'm over it and start tossing them on. This year, this is going to be my motivation to keep stringing!

So simple, yet beautiful.

Every year, Gilchrist chooses a ribbon color as a theme for all her decorations (note the wreath and gift below.) I love this idea and will definitely be doing that! Now I need to think of what color to choose this year.....

Below: Gilchrist and her precious pup. Ms. Gilchrist, your home is lovely.