A Screened Porch

I love my house. We’ve been there for close to 15 months and while there is still plenty to do with decorating, new roof, etc., we’re very happy there. But, the one thing I really miss about our old house (besides our fantastic neighbors) is our screened porch.

We spent about three of the four seasons on that porch. It was wonderful to open the French doors off the kitchen and let gatherings flow into the porch area. Maybe, someday, we’ll build a similar porch onto our current home. Hey, the Power Ball Lottery is up to $245 million (I haven't checked yet if we won - I'll keep you posted). That could certainly build a kick-ass porch.

Anyhoo, what got me thinking about our old porch was the November issue of Southern Living, which featured a wonderful porch addition to a historic Mississippi home. It’s not only a screened porch, but it’s an extended living space of the house, complete with outdoor kitchen, fireplaces and other amenities.

The owners host their Thanksgiving dinners there  each year. What a great place to gather with family and friends.

What’s your favorite room in your house?
Images from Southern Living Magazine

Designer Show House: Stonecote Estate

Another show house fundraiser is upon us in my neck of the woods, and this particular one is a must-see.

The Bellarmine University Women’s Council is hosting it's 38th Annual Designers' Show House, which, in my humble opion, is the best among the different tours/showcases of homes held throughout the year. This year’s feature home is the Stonecote estate and from the photos I’ve seen in our local paper, I may have to buy my tickets today. (For my family and friends from this area, it's near Cherokee and Seneca Parks, so you have an idea of where this sits - on five acres, no less.)

While I’m not crazy about every room, given that several designers work on the house and are assigned different rooms, for the most part, it’s fabulous. Here is a taste of Stonecote. Judge for yourself.

This is a bedroom in the pool house, and below is a den and kitchenette, also in the pool house. Seriously.

I've heard the house is for sale, but not sure if that's just rumor or fact. If it is for sale and you're in the market for a newly refurbished home - and can afford to drop a few million - consider Stonecote. My family and I would love to visit you and hang out by the pool. :)

Have a great week, kids. Hope you are enjoying beautiful weather like we are here. It's good for the soul.

Images from Bellamine University and The Courier-Journal

The Big Green Egg

Dearest blogger friends, I am seeking your input on a birthday gift for hubby. His birthday is in June and I would love to give him a super-cool gift.

What do you think about the Big Green Egg?

Hubby has mentioned this type of smoker/grill a few times. Then, when our neighbor got one, I could see the look of green-egg-envy in his eyes as he gazed across the fence. So, I started to do some research. Holy cow – those things aren't cheap! But, I shouldn’t get too worked up. When you look at what some grills can set you back, and considering what this thing can do, that should be a reasonable price, right? We’ll just have to cook on it every single day of the summer into the fall to make it worth it, that’s all. ;)

So, anyone out there own the Green Egg or have experience with it? Is it worth the purchase?

And, speaking of outdoor cooking and dining, I saw this cocktail recipe on Julia Reed’s e-mag Fetch. It’s called a Rosemary’s Baby. Sounds devilishly good.

And, a batch of Rosemary’s Babies served up in these glasses from Corzine & Co., would look fabulous during your next barbecue.

Bring on the warm weather, good food and porch parties!

Since I'll be spending time enjoying the great outdoors for the next few days - albeit in my backyard, but nonetheless - I'm unplugging from the computer so I can fully enjoy the three-day weekend with my family. Talk to y'all on Monday!
Images from The Big Green Egg and Fetch/Taigon

Wreaths: Yes or No?

The latest issue of Garden & Gun arrived this weekend, yet again full of wonderful essays and photographs. Author and founder of G&G, Julia Reed, wrote about door wreaths and yard art in this issue. According to her, wreaths should only be hung on your front door during the Christmas season. Hmmm. What are your thoughts on this? I've seen some beautiful spring and fall wreaths and I think the right one can make a beautiful adornment to a front entry.

But, is it considered gauche? Not that what Julia says is the end-all-be-all, but I'm just curious.

She is right, though, about promptly removing one's holiday wreath once the season is over. There's a house down the street from us that still has a large evergreen wreath hanging to the left of the front door, with two red and silver ornaments attached to it. As I was walking with a couple of girlfriends last week, one of them said, "Would it be bad if I ran up there and took it down?" Yeah, you probably don't want to do that, but it certainly is tempting. :)

As soon as I can get a link to the article, I'll share it with you so you can read Ms. Reed's comments for yourself. Or buy the latest issue and let me know what you think.

Happy Monday, everyone!

A major shout-out to my Kentucky Wildcats for their win over North Carolina yesterday. We're going to the Final Four!!

Coach Calipari and DeAndre Liggins celebrating UK's win last night.

If you saw my posting from earlier this morning, I decided to alter it a bit. I sounded like an ungracious winner and I didn't mean to come off that way. My words were not directed toward UNC fans, but toward some unhappy University of Louisville fans who joined us last evening. They were being spoil-sports, clearly unhappy that their little team didn't make it very far in the tournament, and therefore felt the need to make snide comments about UK. Don't ruin the fun for the rest of us, guys.
Images from Martha Stewart Living, j-a-girl blog and kentucky.com

Random Ramblings about Ina

As we head into a fall weekend, thoughts of yellow squash soup, pork tenderloin, warm brie salad and other delectable fall foods fill my head. If only I could actually cook these items. Then my mind wanders to Ina Garten, the fabulous food connoisseur/entrepreneur and all of the wonderful fall-themed and holiday meals she has showcased on the Food Network’s “Barefoot Contessa.” Then my mind wanders yet again to her East Hampton home. That house. D-I-V-I-N-E.

During both of my maternity leaves, I had a serious addiction to Food Network, and the “Barefoot Contessa” was my favorite. I think I was more drawn to her home, mainly her gorgeous black and white kitchen, than the actual dishes that she cooked – although they looked so scrumptious. Ina has an interesting background, having worked for the Department of Energy in Washington, on policies and regulations. She then did a 180 and purchased the Barefoot Contessa gourmet food shop in The Hamptons, which eventually became her culinary empire.

In addition to the home in East Hampton, she has apartments in Manhattan and Paris. Her hubby, Jeffrey is a professor who only comes home on weekends, therefore Ina is left to cook fabulous meals Monday through Friday for her close-knit group of gay friends. Jeffrey then returns home Friday evening to TONS of food, freshly cut flowers from the garden and a sparkling clean house, because they have no kids and, again, the gays have been by for a visit. What a life you lead, Mr. Garten.

In fact, “30 Rock” wrote Ina into a show recently, as Liz Lemon compared her relationship with her pilot boyfriend, Carol, to that of Ina and Jeffrey.

Liz Lemon: I'm like that woman on the Food Network whose husband only comes home on the weekends, and spends the rest of the time eating and drinking with her gay friends.

Jack Donaghy: Her name is Barefoot Contessa, Lemon, and you will never be like her, starting with the 'barefoot' part.

Oh, Ina. You’re living the dream, my friend. You’re living the dream.
Images and content from The New York Times, House Beautiful, Hamptons Magazine and The Huffington Post

Color Needed

Dear blogger friends, I need your input!

Okay, here are shots of our new living room. Very neutral, no? Our sofa, the walls, the brown mirror frame and the brown accents on the lamps – definitely needs a punch of color, I just don't know where to start. (And, I just threw in shots of our dining room entry hall for the heck of it.)

With a couple of other paint jobs in the works, we’re not going to be painting the walls or reupholstering furniture in this decade, so I need to come up with something colorful to flank the mirror. But, not sure what. Prints or artwork in colorful frames? Toile plates – or is that more appropriate for a kitchen or dining area? And did I mention we’re on a MAJOR budget? (By the way, the curtains in our living room are not pink, they are actually red, but the color appears washed out in these photos.)

Oy, where to begin. Any creative suggestions are most welcome and VERY much appreciated.

TGIF, everyone. Have a great weekend!

P.S. - To blogger friends old and new, thank you for all of the kind words, for compliments on my blog of late, kind messages and for just checking in everyday to read this little blog of mine. I really value you and appreciate your support. Thanks so much! And, thanks for your patience as I try new fonts and layouts. It's a work in progress!

Knock, Knock

Later this month, we're having our front doors painted black and changing out the weather-worn hardware. Yep, we’re losing the yellow doors. After living with them for a while, we’re just not that crazy about the color.

So, I’m thinking about changing out the door knockers for something more attractive, perhaps even with some character. I’ve been browsing online and came across some interesting options. See what you think.

Traditional
Restoration Hardware offers the traditional, as well as something a little more modern. Both would like good on our doors.

Animals

I kind of like the bear, but he’s more suited for a cabin in the woods or a log home on one of the Great Lakes.

A woodpecker – we get it. Probably not on our house, but it’s a cute idea.

Dragonfly – I like the whimsy of it. Perhaps for a back door, but not likely something I’d put on the front of a house. Really cute for a cottage or vacation home (neither of which we have, so a “no” to the dragonfly).

Lion – This falls into the traditional category, big in Victorian England. Although, for some reason, this reminds me of something that would hang on Ebenezer Scrooge’s front door.

Symbols/Misc.

Since the fleur de lis is the symbol of Louisville, this is a possible consideration. Although, I think the fleur de lis has become a bit overused in our area. And with the Saints winning the Super Bowl last year, it’s EVERYWHERE. We’ll revisit this.

Pineapple
Love, LOVE this pineapple doorknocker from Williams-Sonoma. Although, even on sale for $98, it’s a bit pricey, given that we need two.

Claddaugh
Both Hubby and I are of Irish descent, so this is something to consider. But, not a top choice.

Horseshoe
Any good Kentucky home has one of these, but it often hangs above your door, on the inside of your house. I’m afraid that two of these on our front doors scream “Welcome to the OK Corral” or "Let's hit the saloon for a shot of whisky."

Creepy Hand
Uh, no.

So, what’s your favorite design for a doorknocker? Traditional? Whimsical? None of the above?

Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone!
Images courtesy of Restoration Hardware, Williams-Sonoma and Signature Hardware

Housewarming

Hubby and I are hoping to host a housewarming party once we’ve put the final touches on our house, and once the temperature drops about 30 to 40 degrees (today’s high will be 101).

I’ve always liked the idea of hosting an outdoor dinner, like the ones you see in the Italian countryside with the long tables, jugs of wine and plenty of food served family-style. Of course, Tuscany probably doesn’t have the mosquito issues we have here, so early autumn is likely the best time for us to host such a party.

I really like the “firebowl” in the photo above and think that would be so cool for a backyard party, or just to lounge by in the cool evenings. Sculptor Elena Colombo actually designed the bowl for her cottage on the shore of Peconic Bay in New York. Colombo started a business designing propane-fueled, no-logs required firebowls. Although, I have to admit I love the smell of real logs burning on a fire, but Colombo’s invention is a great idea.

So, dear blogger friends, did any of you host a party when you moved to your new digs? If so, was it a cocktail party? Brunch? I wish I could have all of you over to celebrate our new house. In the meantime, I really need to take some photos of our new abode and post them on the blog. I promise, I’ll get on it soon!

Happy weekend everyone!
Image courtesy of Martha Stewart Living