Full Bloom

One of the best things to wake up to this morning.... a new bloom on our 20 year old hibiscus tree we were anxiously watching. Can't wait to see the rest of her....

Sarah Bartholomew

At long last, Sarah Bartholomew's new site is live, and her portfolio is stunning (no surprise there, of course, as the southern designer has one of the best eyes out there). This living room at a Belle Meade Georgian home is one of my favorite spaces. The use of pattern and texture is brilliant - classic but modern. Follow along: @sarahbartholomewdesign

Moules Marinières

One of my favorite things about summertime is the food. Fresh fruit for cobblers, seafood from local harbors and salads crafted from garden harvests...

We've seemed to have mastered the "Moules Marinières" dish, as we've feasted on mussels a few times and our recipe has progressively improved.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 
1 tablespoon butter
• 2 small shallots
, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 
1 1/2 pounds mussels
• 
8 ounces chicken stock
• 
1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons cream
• 
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 
lemon wedges
• 
salt and pepper
• Crusty French bread

DIRECTIONS:

1. Clean and remove beards from mussels.
2. Preheat a large pot to medium and add olive oil and butter. Once butter has melted, add sliced shallots, a pinch of salt and pepper then cook for 5 minutes until the shallots have softened.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, chicken stock and mussels, then cover with a lid and steam mussels for 8-10 minutes or until all mussels open. (If any mussels do not open, discard).
4. Add cream and parsley, stir and season with salt if necessary.
5. Serve with lemon wedges and slices of crusty French bread.

Enjoy!

xx

Fern Fanatic

My fern fetish began when my dear friend Betsy carried the most beautiful bouquet at her wedding with ferns. She later mentioned that Jackie Kennedy also had ferns in her bridal bouquet...

Ferns fascinate me as there are over 10,000 species and aesthetically, they exude a mystical yet understated elegance. On the subject of ferns, one of my favorites to follow on Instagram as of late is the English artist @lucindawhartonartist. Her posts usually include lovely vignettes around her Georgian Country home she is restoring, often with her two labrador retrievers in tow. She also seems to be a fern fanatic as her posts (akin to the above) include garden ferns around her home.