Summertime and Peaches

 I grew up in what is known as the Peach State but it didn't take me long to realize South Carolina actually has the best peaches. I suppose no matter where you live, fresh peaches are hard to beat. There is just something about peach season that makes me want to bake. It doesn't matter that it may be hot as blue blazes outside—if fresh peaches are on the counter, you can't risk letting them go bad, so you bake. Today, I was also lucky enough to have a nice amount of fresh blueberries, so a recipe was made.

Fresh Peach and Blueberry Cobbler

Cobbler:

• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 cup of milk

Fruit:

• 4 cups fresh South Carolina peaches, peeled and sliced (I blanched the peaches first to make the skin slide right off)
• 1-2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and drained
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Melt butter in a large, shallow casserole dish. Mix together flour, 1 cup of sugar, and milk until blended. Pour mixture over melted butter, do not stir.

Combine peaches, 1 cup of sugar and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  With slotted spoon, spoon peaches on top of the batter.  Sprinkle fresh blueberries on top. Add the liquid from the peach simmer and dust with cinnamon.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes until light brown.  

 

Enjoy!  

Purses...

 

I haven't gone back through the last 18 years or so of blogging to determine how many posts I have written about purses but I am betting there is more than one or two!  Purses (pocketbook if you prefer... an interesting side note the term pocketbook is used almost exclusively in the Eastern U.S. and even then, primarily in the South!) are very personal.  Much like shoes, I think they can say so much about personality; even more than clothing or jewelry. 

It is near impossible to buy a purse for someone  (now I am not talking about a cute, little, cocktail number or statement purse but rather those bags we turn to everyday)  unless you have specifically been shown what/which purse they love.  I believe this to be almost exactly the same in the buying shoes.  These items are not just decoration they have to work with our bodies.  The handles/straps have to fit "us" and our lives or even season of life.  I remember the years of not really carrying a purse but throwing my wallet into a diaper bag.  Now, I often forgo the purse and drop my wallet, keys, sunglasses into my computer bag and head out. Just like a shoe has to fit your foot to work in your daily life, so does the size, shape, and yes, even whether it has pockets, snaps, or zippers in a purse matter.  I can look back at my purse styles over the years, and although I have "tried on" different styles, I tend to navigate back to a basic style and fit... much like my basic black pumps that live in my closet as a necessity not an option  

In purses I am not brand loyal or even a brand snob.  If I see a purse I like, regardless of brand, and it fits...I will carry it.  My current bag is a lovely, pink patent, Kate Spade that I have carried in Summers past.  It is still in great shape, fits, and I love the pop of color... not to mention since it isn't current season no one else has the same bag!  One holiday season I carried a bag which had been the giftbag for a set of lotions but was made of red faux fur, trimmed in white faux fur with big, fuzzy, white pom-poms!  It worked and it fit.  It was festive, got lots of compliments, and no one was the wiser it wasn't even a purse.  I once had a friend who made delightful cocktail purses from wooden cigar boxes.  There is probably a great post about cocktail purses somewhere, I just haven't gotten around to it.

All this to say, that bag you haul around everyday says a lot about you.  If it is recyclable tote from the grocery or a Hermes Kelly bag, you are sharing more than you may realize!  Your purse is an extension of that arm it hangs from!

Fashion Friday - Good Bye Summer (I just wish the heat were leaving!)

Well, today I decided I would celebrate the last of my "official" wearing of the white pants with a pop of color to end their season.  Why, of course, I don't wear white (except creamy winter white) after Labor Day!

And because we know truly is is all about the shoes, I pulled out a pair of my favorites:

So, there you have it...Fashion Friday and it is time to retire the white pants!

Fashion Friday!

Oh. My. Word. This week was unexpectedly crazy  and hopefully this weekend I can get around to blogging about all the excitement that is happening in my house. But, another Friday has rolled around and I didn't want to loose my streak (this making it an actual streak...2 is a streak, right?) of Fashion Friday blog posts!  So here is what got me through today:

We have had summer turned up high this week, complete with high temps and humidity, so today I grabbed a cute little Crown & Ivy sundress from Belk to make sure I didn't melt and paired it with my beloved neutral pumps and super deal Cato handbag (see last week's post for details.) Of course, no summer day is complete without some big, blingie sunglasses and anyone who knows me, knows I like my sunglasses to be a little bit "extra," unfortunately I do not remember where these came from.  For accessories, I did simple silver & crystal hoop earrings and my signature stack of bracelets.  You may question why I say my "signature" stack of bracelets but I have been wearing a stack of bracelets for more decades than I am willing to share....cloisonne bangles ring a bell with anyone?  Trust me when I say....I was the queen of the cloisonne bangle back in the day!.  

Happy Friday and I hope you dressed cute!

Bright Spots for Summer

I have always loved holidays and the changes of seasons.  It is fun to change a few things up in my home for each season or holiday just to make me (and hopefully my friends and family) smile just a little bit. This week I finally took my Patriotic Décor down, which I usually leave up from Memorial Day through the 4th.  Yes, I was very late I getting it down, but I still wanted to put up a pop or two of Summer and was surprised when I went shopping that all the stores have already been taken over by Fall and CHRISTMAS!!!  The one positive thing about this whole season surprise was that what I did find  was on sale big time ( as in 90%off!)

My unexpected joy was that I found was the piece I want to use in moving forward to create the look of "MY" house and I couldn't be happier  It will be my anchor piece! My decorating style has been evolving in the last few years, and as finances allowed, I have been able to make changes...small changes, but still moving towards my vision of what I want my home to look like and be a place where I can be replenished, revived and also be a place that is open and makes others feel the same.  So today, I am feeling the Summer heat and enjoying a few little pops of summer around the house!  What do you do to change your home up from time to time?

Summertime!!!

Summer is here!  School is out, baseball is almost finished, friends have graduated and we are ready!  I am so looking forward to this summer.

This year I want to make sure we experience a true summer, one filled with fun, hot, lazy days and friends.  We haven’t made any plans to go on a trip this summer but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to see new things, meet new people and experience different and exciting things!  I also don’t want to see my boys waste their summer in front of a TV or video games.  I am determined to make this a summer of fun.  Of course, I have to say Pinterest (yep, that again) has given me some major motivation and inspiration for fun things to do and create this summer.  I am going to cook new things, do some crafting and some DIY home projects and play!!  We are kicking it all of tomorrow with a big pool party and I can’t wait. 

What are you planning for this summer? 

Better catch it while you can…it won’t be here forever!

Summer in My South...

Source: southernnest.com via Allie on Pinterest

{Semi} Wordless Wednesday

dated July 1956

Are YOU ready for bathing suit season?

A Southern Belle's Ten Golden Rules

Ok, y'all lets have a little fun today. Since it is just about 825 degrees with 300% humidity outside, and I believe it is getting to the best of us, I thought it might be time to cool off and revisit one of my favorite little books

 A Southern Belle Primer or Why Princess Margret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma by Maryln Schwartz and get a little refresher on what is important! So get a nice big glass of iced tea, and enjoy:

"A Southern Belle's Ten Golden Rules

1. 
   
   Never serve pink lemonade at your Junior League committee meetings. It has Communist overtones.
2. 
   
   Always wear white when you walk down the aisle (even if it's for the third time).
3. 
   
   Never wear white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day. The only exception, of course, is if you're a bride. Bridesmaids, however, must never wear white shoes. Bridesmaids' shoes should match the punch.
4. 
   
   It doesn't matter if you marry a man who doesn't know the difference between a shrimp fork and a pickle fork; you can always teach him. Just make sure he can afford to buy you both.
5. 
   
   Never date your sorority sister's ex-husband until at least three years after the divorce. You might need her to write your daughter a Kappa Kappa Gamma recommendation one day. Just remember it's a lot easier to find a new man than it is to get your daughter into Kappa.
6. 
   
   Never marry a man whose mother and grandmother owned silver plate instead of real silver. He's not quality and he'll try to cheat you on the divorce settlement.
7. 
   
   It's never too soon to write a thank-you note. Some belles take the notes and a pen with them to a party. In the middle of the evening they go into the ladies' room and write a thank-you describing how much they enjoyed the dinner (naming specific items).  They then put the note in the mailbox as they leave.  The hostess receives it first thing in the morning. Sure this is compulsive, but you're going to have to be compulsive if you want to be president of Junior League.
8. 
   
   Never show your bosom before evening and never wear an ankle bracelet before anything. Girls who wear ankle bracelets usually end up twirling batons.  There has never been a baton twirler who became Miss America and there's certainly never been a baton twirler in Junior League.
9. 
   
   Never chew gum in public and never smoke on the street.
10. 
    
    Buy low. Sell high."

Oh, I just love you,Miss Schwartz! 

Oh and y'all ,summer is a state of mind (one enjoyed just as easily from in the conditioned air as outside!).

Schwartz, Maryln, A Southern Belle Primer, Or Why Princess Margaret will never be a Kappa Kappa Gamma, 1st ed., New York, New York, Doubleday Dell Publishing, 1991

Seersucker Thursday!

Happy Seersucker Thursday!  Yes, I know I am a month late for the "Official" Seersucker Thursday, but it has been so blasted hot (not that I am complaining!) I think every summer Thursday should be Seersucker Thursday! 

Did you know that there truly is an official Seersucker Thursday?  It traditionally arrives on the 3rd Thursday in June.  It began with Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, who in 1996, wanted to "bring a little Southern charm to the Capitol", not to mention, it gets hot in Washington (in more ways than one!).

I am really impressed at how well our Capitol Hill representatives got into the entire seersucker vibe!  Don't they just look nicer?  More civil?  More refined?  If they dressed this way more often, I just know our world would be a better place!

Whether you are a bow time or a tradition tie kind of guy, seersucker makes my heart sing and makes any man more handsome. 

This past Easter my sweeties all decided to take the cool route and celebrate the arrival of the Southern Season in seersucker.  See more Southern Somedays Seersucker here: Easter 2010

In case you need some seersucker in something other than a traditional blue or pink; what about this beauty - the Franco dress from Lilly? Lilly Pulitzer Franco Dress

Or this for the sweet, little, pink princess in your life (ooooh, I wish I had a baby girl to buy for!): 

Everything But The Princess

I love seersucker and all my babies had their fair share of seersucker love

(Seersucker and a Southern Mamas Heaven).  Just remember seersucker isn't just for clothes...isn't this an adorable Moses Basket?  Find it at: Wendy Anne Moses Basket at Cozy Babies

So, cool off y'all and put on your seersucker...you will be all the better for it! 

No endorsement or fees were paid for this post.

Summer Reading...

Summer reading is just the best, don't you think?  Well, my sweet friend, Amanda, over at Serenity Now has a blog party going on for great summer reads, and I don't like to be left out of the party so I thought I would jump in.  Please pop over and check out some other great recommendations for indulging in the fine art of Summer reading!

So far this summer I have read:

Now, this is a long awaited book for me.  Charles Martin is currently my favorite author.  I read this in the two days that our movers were at our house in Georgia packing up.  It was a wonderful escape and I actually left it as a "parting gift" for my dear neighbor, Susan.  We are kindred souls when it comes to reading, so I knew she had to share this book with me.  The only sad part is that I won't be there to sit beside her on our front porch rockers and talk about it when she finishes! Trust me, Charles Martin doesn't disappoint with his latest release! 

I also just finished up The Help.  When I first picked this up, I wasn't really feeling it would be all that great, but isn't that just the most wonderful thing about books....surprises lie between the covers.  The Help turned out to be one of the best books I have read in a really long time. 

I also recently read Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt and, though it was a much lighter read than The Help or The Mountain Between Us, it was a good book!  I look forward to seeing more from this writer.

Now on to my "about to read" list:

So, what have you read that has just been wonderful this Summer?

Last Day of Summer Break...

Here is how we spent our last day of Summer Vacation, at the lake. It was a gorgeous, sunny mid-90s kind of a day and seemed like the perfect day for some water fun.

I love seeing how close in size my boys are getting.
They spent most of the day wrestling and trying to wear down each other.

DD was more content to just take it easy, no wrestling for her.

Well, I guess that is technically it for Summer of 2009. On Wednesday they head back to class. Sigh.......

Frugal Check In - Back to School!

Ok, I have to admit the summer hasn't been great for my frugal-wannabe status. I found myself, last week, with a stack of coupons (of course, the best having expired) that I hadn't bothered to clip since school got out at the end of May, and realized that I didn't think I had done a proper grocery run since then either. So, I forced myself to sit down and weed through the stack an organize them and make a grocery and CVS list - to coordinate with sales and needs for the next week+. It felt good to start getting control again. I am a person that needs lists, and rules, and boundaries!!! Whew, that feels better - especially when I have tangible evidence of my organization paying off with my savings.

The one down side is that when I really took a look at last weeks paper it brought the hard and fast reality that our summer is almost over when I saw all the Back-to-School sales! Unfortunately, we live in a area of the country where school administrators have decided that sending kids back into the classrooms in early August when it is 678 degrees outside is a good idea. Our 1st day of school is August 12th and we are one of the last to return in the area (insert eye rolling, pshaw noise here). When we lived in NY we didn't return to school until after Labor Day and I loved it. It felt natural and it wasn't 678 degrees, but I digress and don't miss the NY taxes.

Sooooo...back to my original point, frugality! I like to buy school supplies for the entire year and keep a supply shelf stocked so that I am not having to frantically locate a report cover at 10:00 p.m. on a Thursday night (yes...yes, this does happen!). I also don't want to spend a house payment gathering all these supplies. For those of you who have children, you know that those lists of supplies have continued to grow each year as costs have risen. I definitely don't begrudge the purchases because I am aware that teachers receive next to nothing (if anything) for supplies and most spend a great deal of their own money providing supplies - even with the long list of requirements from parents, but I also have 3 children and need to manage this expenditure carefully. I imagine parents are really eyeing how to cut costs this year, more than ever. When looking over the Sunday paper last week I saw several CVS Back to School sales that, after Extra Care Bucks, were FREE and Office Max had some amazing "loss leaders" so that got me rolling. Yesterday, I again scoured the Sunday Paper and headed out this morning to pick up the great deals to be had at Walgreen's and new loss leaders at Office Max. I love sharing good deals so here is what I have managed to get:

• 50 mechanical pencils
• 2 pairs of scissors
• 2 bottles of glue
• 2 rulers
• 3 protractors
• 44 ink pens
• 10 highlighters
• 3 packs of cap erasers
• 3 rolls of Scotch tape
• 44 #2 pencils
• 3 compasses
• 3 pencil sharpeners
• 10 2 pocket poly folders w/ prongs
• 6 binders
• 10 report portfolios
• 24 2 pocket folders
• 8 composition books
• 3 sets markers (washable)
• 3 sets colored pencils
• 16 sheets poster board (white)
• 6 packs 100 count index cards

Are you ready for my grand total?

$25.03 (including tax)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do have a few things left on my list but feel pretty certain I will manage to get school supplies for all three for less than $50! I am doing the happy dance today to be sure.

OK, how are your frugal efforts this summer?

It is hot...

It has been very hot down in Georgia the last few days! It was so hot I found this little guy just laying out (literally) in the shade, on a limb, in one of our backyard trees...I guess the AC must have been on the blink at his house.