Kitchen Remodelling Begins!

Before

My kitchen remodel has begun!  Goodbye ugly, small, cheap countertops and badly painted cabinets.  Well, maybe not goodbye to the “small” — my kitchen is only 8′ x 9.5′ and that’s not going to change.  But there are a few things I can do to make it much more functional.  

Alaska Adventures: My Head In the Clouds at Denali

Denali, the High One

Am I writing a travel blog or a home and food blog?  With recent trips to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Alaska and Texas I’m really beginning to wonder.  

South Africa & Zimbabwe Safari

What do you get when you combine a good cause — The Junior League of Washington’s annual Tossed & Found sale — with a few cocktails, fellowship, a live auction and complete lack of budgetary discipline? Cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, lions and hippos, oh my!

Ladew Topiary Gardens

It feels like I’ve been cooped up for weeks.  First in airports and hotels then in bed with a terrible cold (hmm, hard not to think there is a casual relationship there).  Oh for the cool days of spring when I could hear out of both of my ears and didn’t punctuate every sentence with a hacking cough.

The last time I was out and about was at the beginning of May for the Ladew Topiary Garden’s Rare Plants and Garden Ornaments Sale. The sale was fun  and fruitful.  I came home with more herbs,  two honeysuckle plants and a fantastic antique firefly engraving from Dongan Antiques, Ltd.

Shopping In Charlottesville All Along Ivy Road

And George in Charlottesville, VA

Last week I finally took a break from work and spent a couple of fantastic days in Charlottesville, Virginia.  Charlottesville known for the University of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, rolling country lanes, horse farms and wonderful shops and boutiques.  O.K., perhaps it’s best known to me for it’s shops and boutiques.

Spring Cleaning – Closet Organization

Closet Catastrophe

Tucked under the stairwell, just off of my kitchen, is my entertaining closet.  A closet where, in theory, I can store all of my extra entertaining accoutrements — plates, glasses, silver trays, chafing dishes – all easily accessible and ready to party at a moment’s notice.   As you can see from the photo, the easy access in a moment’s notice part is still just a theory not a theorem.

Spring Jinx!

Thyme, oregano and curly parsley dusted with snow.

Mr. Punxsutawney Phil, I have a bone to pick with you.   An early spring, uh huh. This is what I woke up to this morning.  Snow.  Yes, snow!  It’s March 27th Mr. Phil, exactly when is this early spring coming?  My herbs and I are waiting…

Garden Wall Wire Trellis

Garden Wall Wire Trellis

My “garden” is basically a brick box — a brick patio floor surrounded by three walls — two brick, one wood. Lots of hardscaping, little landscaping.  To soften things up, and provide more privacy,  I decided to plant an evergreen, flowering vine that would  eventually cover a hard wood wall with beautiful, soft green leaves.

Herbs Springs Perennial

Oregano is thriving on the first day of Spring.

Yeah Spring!  Today is the first day of spring, are you feeling it where you live or are you still seeing snow outside of your window?   Here in Zone 7 we’ve had almost 3 weeks of warmish weather and my patio plants and herbs are loving it.

Spring Mantel with Spring Florals

One of my many home fantasies is to be able to change out my house between winter and summer — roll up the winter wool rugs and put sisal in their place; slip linen or white cotton slip covers over my furniture,  replace the velvet and silk throw pillows with colorful cotton ones and  maybe even take down the silk curtains in the bedroom and put up cotton toile or a beautiful Chinoiserie.