{GHP} Summer Lovin’

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Family, Gardening, Outdoor living, Simple Meals for the Avid Cook

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When I was young I loved summer. I grew up before the days of club sports, classes to teach what the schools have decided can’t be taught anymore due to budget constraints and overly structured childhood. I didn’t have a care in the world and besides a few household chores I was asked to do since my mother worked, I would get on my bike and ride to may friends house so we could play all day and into the evening. The time between the last day of school and the first day of a new school year loomed large and held promise of sleepovers, bike riding, walking to the drugstore for ice cream and candy, hide and seek, baseball, movies and fun.

Then I began to dread summer…I’m not sure when this happened but I believe it was when I was in my gardening business. I didn’t want to be in my own garden during overly warm days and I certainly didn’t want to be in our client’s yards (this might be a bit of an overstatement, but I sure grew to dislike the heat).

Yes, I needed an attitude adjustment…

I’ve come full circle and look forward to warmer, longer days and the relaxed way of eating, dining outdoors, taking advantage of the mild evenings and enjoying a concert under the stars or a ride in the harbor with several couples on a Duffy boat. There’s a relaxed feel to the season and I’m embracing it! {honest}

So with top down, radio on, enjoy the images I find to be a symbol of summer…

Happy Summer Solstice! Enjoy your summer.

I’ve stopped in at Sherry’s Open House – No Minimalist Here

{GHP} Happy Father’s Day 2012…masculine rooms

14 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Family, Holiday/Seasonal cooking

≈ 9 Comments

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Father's Day

♥What would the world be without great dads? In honor of the upcoming celebration of fathers, I’m posting images of what I consider to be masculine touches on a room or specific things that make me think of Hubby, one of the best dad’s I know!

Enjoy…

Isn’t this a great painting? It must have been someone’s dad.

Some dads collect watches…you know who you are.

Ship and Anchor

Diamond Baratta Design

When I met hubby he drove this car, he had brought it to the states from Germany. He wishes we’d kept it!

the Steward

I heard that manual typewriters are making a comeback, they have a young adult cult following. They look great in this bookcase as a vintage decorator item.

Ship and Anchor

Master of the tailored look, expert on masculine detail and probably a pretty good dad by all accounts…a Ralph Lauren room

Ralph Lauren

Hubby wears glasses similar to these…so preppy!

Ship and Anchor

New Victorian Ruralist

I love this perpetual calendar.

adventures in tartanscot

Architectural Digest

Lonny Magazine

Ralph Lauren

Happy Father’s Day to all of you who have loved and nurtured a child, sent them on their way into adulthood with confidence and joy…we thank you!

I’ve headed over to the Open House at No Minimalist Here, join me, won’t you?

{GHP} Happy Mother’s Day

10 Thursday May 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Antiques, Decorating, Family, Flowers, Holiday/Seasonal cooking

≈ 14 Comments

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Mother's Day

Parenting is not a duty. It is a privilege and an opportunity; A journey of self-discovery. -Becca Glouzstein

Charles Faudree ~ French Country Living

Oh for the clothing of earlier mom’s!

I lost my mom nearly two years ago to the day. I really never thought about what life would be without her, I miss her.

Since we’re going to celebrate MOTHERS this coming Sunday I thought I would share images that seem to reflect a feminine side to life as it pertains to home life and decor. As a mom, I feel blessed to have two wonderful sons and a wonderful daughter-in-law, with another lovely lady to join our family this December!

Donna Talley

Mary McDonald

The Paper Mulberry

Ralph Lauren Home

So, if you’re lucky enough to have a mom, especially one that lives nearby, be sure to treat her to a relaxing day filled with thoughtful deeds and loving gestures.

Happy Mother’s Day!

You can find me at Sherry’s Open House, No Minimalist Here

{GHP} Happy Easter

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Family, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking

≈ 6 Comments

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Easter

Happy 2 Days before Easter! ♥ Happy Spring!

Good Housekeeping

When our kids were young we were always the house where Easter dinner was held. We’d plan an Easter-egg hunt in the morning followed by a game of Bocci Ball for the group and a feast that included Honey Baked Ham, scalloped potatoes or potato salad, fresh fruit bowl, chocolate dipped strawberries, coconut cupcakes and a hollow bunny for each and every guest.

Miss Mustard Seed

Stone Gable

Now that half of our family lives in Austin we celebrate with soon-to-be in-laws and our youngest son and his lovely fiance.

Fotobank

Veggie Belly

Belclaire House

Jane Packer ~ Party Resources

What are your plans this Sunday? I wish you a day willed with spring sunshine, good food and the love of your family and friends.

{Garden, Home and Party} Living with pets

23 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Family, Misc, Personal Information

≈ 12 Comments

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Pets in the home

Carl Larsson

For those of you who follow my blog, {thank you}, you may remember we have 3 pets in our home. A 15-year old cat, Maggie {the senior pet}, and our two shelter-rescued dogs, Winnie, age 8 and Madison, age 3. Maggie is a black and white cat, whose grandmother was a Scottish Fold (their ears fold forward). Maggie’s ears do not fold but our vet says her ears are shorter and she suspected before I told her that Maggie had Scottish Fold in her genes. Winnie is our giant bear of a dog. The shelter labeled her “part terrier” when we adopted her. They also told us she was full-grown when we acquired her petite 30 pounds of puppy! She now weighs 78 lbs. and still considers herself a lap dog. Our baby, Madison, is a Border Terrier/Jack Russel Terrier mix. She has calmed quite a bit but when we first adopted her she was more a terror than terrier! We love her and she definitely entertains us with her antics.

If you have a cat you know they sleep where they want…Maggie decided hubby’s briefcase was just the right size for her.

Winnie truly thinks she’s a lap dog. She puts her 2 front paws on your lap and longs for the days when she could get up with all fours!

Laundry day is one of Madison’s favorites…when the warm laundry is thrown on the bed for folding she assumes that’s her invitation to snuggle in.

Our atrium is a favorite with the pets during warm days of spring and summer.

During the time our sons were growing up {they are now adults} we had a bevy of pets with, at one time, six in all: Mackenzie, a Scottish terrier; Woody, a Cairn terrier; Skittles, a calico cat; Thomas, a desert tortoise; Lucy, a Dutch bunny and Goldie, a gold fish won at a carnival).

We used to have a wire haired German pointer mix. Reilly looked very much like this sweetie.

This resembles our Scotty, Mackenzie.

There are books on the topic of pets/dogs in the home. Living with Dogs is my all time favorite and I blogged about it last year.

The cottage in this image, as well as the West Highland Terrier, all contribute to my vision of the ideal accessory for a home. {smile}

My husband teases me saying I only buy or adopt pets that look good with the décor. There may be some truth to that but the bottom line is…in my book they are one of the best home accessories.

The Cavalier King Charles spaniel has become a fixture in so many homes. I confess, I love they way they look as well as their sweet dispositions.

Our entire family loves animals and we always said yes, when youngest son, Kevin, would ask to bring home or buy a pet (lizards, hamsters, mice).

Providence Ltd.

Splendid Willow

Photo by Roger Davies

Photo by Victoria Pearson

{ahhhh}

I have very dear friends that prefer not to be bothered with the work and planning (when they travel) involved in owning pets but I’m not there quite yet. Oh, don’t get me wrong, there are days when I wish I didn’t have to perform the morning chores involved with providing good care for our pets. But at the end of the day there is something so satisfying about their unconditional love and exuberant greeting when I return home from work.

Maybe this sketch by Rupert Till would suffice, or…

…one of Penelope Bianchi’s antique, stone doggies.

So, dear readers, tell me…do you have a pet. Could you imagine your home without? I love your comments…tell me.

If I don’t answer the door, I’m over at Sherry’s Open House Party, No Minimalist Here

{Party} An easy recipe and the table setting to serve it from

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Entertaining, Family, Food, Party Planning, Simple Meals for the Avid Cook

≈ 7 Comments

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Easy Chili

January was an unusually dismal month for me. This is surprising since it’s my birthday month and the first month of a new year, a new beginning of sorts, so I surprised, even myself, that I was internally negative the entire month. No reason, which only makes it more confounding.

So, I know that if I get down in the dumps, which doesn’t happen very often, I just need to continue to smile, live and wait…the wise words of my grandma (and grandma’s everywhere, I imagine) come to mind, “this too shall pass”. In my internal musings I self-analyzed, self-critiqued and I pondered the worth of my blog. No real revelations presented themselves since I believe you have to be cautious making huge decisions when you’re in the dumps, but I did decide I needed to share more of the recipes I try and like. That fills the “party” part of Garden, Home and Party. For those not interested in cooking I decided to couple the weekly recipe with a few of my favorite table settings that I’ve collected…kind of a something for everyone philosophy.

So here you go. I’m starting with a recipe for chili. I have always made my chili from my mom’s recipe. That means for the 39 years I’ve been married I’ve always prepared the same recipe. Until now. Pioneer Woman (and if you haven’t visited her site or read her cookbook or seen her Food TV program, I urge you to have a look) demonstrated a recipe for “Simple Perfect Chili” on her show. My husband had recorded the show for me and happened to be in the room when she was demonstrating the process and he commented that it looked really good. I took advantage of this segue to say, “Why don’t you cook it for us?” {Note: I work full time outside the house and he works from our home}.

He followed the recipe which you can print from HERE and I have to tell you…it was delicious, I believe it will replace the long time recipe for chili I used to use. {The only change: we used a large can of chili beans and 1 can of black beans, rinsed, instead of kidney beans and black beans} Below is a picture off Wikipedia and it doesn’t do the dish justice. But you’ll at least get the jest of it. This recipe would be good for a group since you can make it well in advance and it gets better by making it a day or two in advance.

If I were serving chili to friends and family I might set the table like any one of these….

Since Chili is a simple meal you might just want folks to serve themselves.

Since I usually serve chili in the cooler months I look for a table setting idea that reflect the season. Vignette Design always features such great ideas for entertaining.

This Veranda table setting by Toby West is a perennial favorite of mine. Barley twist candle sticks and horn-handled pewter, what could be better?

Don’t restrict your table to flowers and candles, pull out all the stops, as Delores at Vignette Design has done with the set up below.

This table looks pretty spring-summer with the white, but I included it because I love the aged wood runner down the center of the table and would like to make something like that for my table…it gives the table such a rustic look and I think you could change the linens and flowers to accommodate seasons and different dish patterns.

Enjoy and bon appetit!

February is a good month and I know it will be the start of a great year!

My friend, Jermaine has planned the most exciting trip and invites anyone interested in visiting Paris for an insiders shopping and dining vacation. Visit French Kissed for details.

http://french-kissed.com/archives/11592

{GHP} Happy Groundhog Day…H-B, Kevin

02 Thursday Feb 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories, Decorating, Family, Gardening

≈ 8 Comments

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Groundhog Day

As we embark on MONTH TWO of a new year, wait, how is that possible? Time needs to slow down for just a bit…right?

National Geographic ~ the groundhog

My mind has been racing with thoughts of things to do…from work to pleasure…I can’t seem to make it slip into neutral long enough for me to focus. Does that ever happen to you? You no sooner think of one thing then your mind races to a new topic and before you know it you’re lost in new ideas, forgetting the good idea you just had. No, I don’t think I’m suffering from early-onset dementia, why do you ask?

Source unknown, but this is the best of both worlds in my mind—a castle cottage.

So, since it’s Groundhog Day and I’m certain I’ve experienced the above condition before, and because it’s our youngest son’s birthday, {it’s cliché to say it seems like only yesterday he was a tow-headed toddler following his big brother around the house, but I’m just saying…}, I’m providing images of things I like and rooms Kevin might like. This isn’t a cohesive, all-one-idea kind of post, it’s an all over the place, like this and that kind of post. {It’s okay if you skip your visit with me today…it might be contagious and you’ll be out of focus if you continue}.

Veranda Magazine

Southern Accents, 2004

source unknown

Maybe this is a purge of images that have been intriguing but not really part of a larger subset of rooms. In any event, I hope you will return when I’m on topic. Thank you for your patience.

source unknown

Better Homes and Garden Some of my thoughts are towards planting for spring and a December wedding for Kevin and his darling fiance, Sarah.

Brides Magazine

Have a very Happy Birthday, Kevin!

May your beer brewing be successful.

I think I need a nap…

I’m visiting Sherry’s Open House at No Minimalist Here

My friend, Jermaine has planned the most exciting trip and invites anyone interested in visiting Paris for an insiders shopping and dining vacation. Visit French Kissed for details.

http://french-kissed.com/archives/11592

NOTE: I AM HAVING SOME SERIOUS WORDPRESS/SERVER ISSUES. I’VE BEEN TOLD IT’S FIXED BUT I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF YOU’VE HAD PROBLEMS ACCESSING MY POSTS OR LEAVING COMMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

{GHP} Happy Birthday, Hubby…and other masculine pursuits

12 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Antiques, Collections & Accessories, Decorating, Family, Personal Information

≈ 3 Comments

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masculine rooms

Sunday is Hubby’s (Lyn) birthday. Those Capricorn’s seem to always have it together and in his case, are always calm.

Ewan McGregor via

[Trust me, I don’t read daily astrological predictions and actually BELIEVE them but there does seem to be a thread of truth to many of the characterizations made about the various birth signs, don’t you think?]

No, Lyn doesn’t look like Ewan McGregor but he is half Scottish and I thought this captured the essence of his Scottishness (is that a word, probably not)

via

When we met Lyn drove a BMW he had purchased in Germany and brought home with him…it was similar to this but tan in color.

That said, there are certain rooms where design is concerned that remind me of Lyn and most of them I absolutely love…I’ve addressed my fondness for more masculine, tailored room design HERE.

I’ve used this image before, Glen Feshie Lodge via Elle Decor some years ago. It is truly one of my favorite rooms, mixed plaids and worn Persian rugs…if I could duplicate this room in my own home I would do it. I realize I live in California and it may not be the ideal setting for our climate but it’s still an all time favorite…oh, and I know Lyn likes this room too!

Library of Darin Geise via

This room reflects the lodge but there is something so inviting about a great leather wing back chair with a warm wool throw close at hand and a fire in the grate of a aging brick fireplace.

via

Does there seem to be a recurring theme here? As Lyn likes to remind me, “plaid is your favorite color”.

source unknown

See, I can do bright and cheerful. I have this house tagged as a home in Sun Valley which may explain the bright white light, reflecting the white snow, streaming through the windows.

Ralph Lauren – Fall 2011

As I’ve mentioned before, no one does ‘it’ better than Ralph Lauren for me. The richness of his rooms gets me every time.

…more of RL – Fall 2011

I’ve always liked this desk style but wondered about its practicality…where’s a drawer to keep the unsightly stuff?

via Carol Glasser via Southern Accents (years ago)

I’ve always been drawn to this house and have kept the pages from the magazine in my files for years. Joni at Cote de Texas called Carol Glasser’s home in Houston as a “perfect house”…I agree. There is something inviting and warm and timeless in this room’s details.

So, back to Lyn’s birthday…he loves coffee. He claims it stems from living in Germany where he first enjoyed truly great coffee. During our 39 years (yes, I was a child bride) of married bliss we have owned many coffee machines and now own a drip machine and a Breville espresso maker. I confess, he’s influenced me and I only like coffee that is full bodied and flavorful. The kitchen below would appeal to Lyn since there is plenty of room for this restaurant sized espresso machine. 🙂

via decorpad

…and I’m only partially kidding when I say he’d probably be able to justify an espresso maker in the bathroom! Fortunately, our bathroom barely has room for all of the essentials let alone such a luxury as an espresso maker.

via

To close, Lyn enjoys his leather…what man doesn’t right? The above David August items are a little out of our budget but the iPad case is pretty cool.

via

I wish you a good weekend and a very happy birthday wish to my husband.

{GHP} Visions of sugarplums dancing in my head

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Christmas, Entertaining, Family, Holiday/Seasonal cooking

≈ 2 Comments

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Christmas

‘Twas ~~the night~~ 5 days before Christmas…

As we round the corner, with Christmas clearly in sight, I think of the upcoming days with excitement and joy {and yes, sugarplums or any sweet treat, have been dancing through my head}. Our granddaughter, Olivia, will be spending Christmas with us as well as her mommy (Jamie) and daddy/our oldest son (Kyle)! {huge smile}

The front door is dressed and ready to welcome guests…

Wreathes adorn nearly every room, some fragrant fir and some faux pine and berries…

Cox & Cox

The pantry is stocked with ingredients required for old favorites and a few new recipes…

{via}

The side board is set with festive serving pieces at the ready. Candles are lit every evening to set the mood of the season…

{via}

The table is set and ready for meals that will fill tummies and make memories for the season…

{via}

Christmas cards have been sent and received…

{via}

The fireplace is laid with logs and ready to warm the room…

Southern Accents

The tree is decorated and presents are wrapped…

Outdoor activities are on hold until after the holiday…

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tin reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too. And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes–how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all and to all a good-night.”

by Clement Clarke Moore

Dear readers/friends, I am taking some time off from Garden, Home and Party to be with my family. I wish you all a happy, healthy Christmas surrounded by loved ones. May 2012 be a very good year for us all!

{Home} 16 Days and counting…Christmas 2011

08 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Antiques, Collections & Accessories, Family

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Christmas at Bethany House

Has this first week of December flown by for you? It certainly has for me. I diligently put up all (or most) of my Christmas decorations the weekend of Thanksgiving, foolishly thinking this would put me way ahead of the game. Yeah, right. I’ve been scrambling every day since. I am trying to “enjoy the process” and I have taken the time to stop and smell the fir and noel candles and been grateful that if finding the most thoughtful presents is the worst of my problems, I’m very lucky. But seriously, is it just me? I’m kind of getting tired…I did manage to take a few snaps of the decorations around our home and thought I’d share them. Besides, I seem to do something different each year so I thought this might be a way to journal what I’ve done for reference next year. 🙂

I found lanterns at Ikea this past summer. I used the small, white versions in our trees to give it a magical, twinkle light effect for the engagement party we hosted for our youngest son this past October. When I revisited the store they had this large red lantern and the battery operated lights. At night the little LCD lights give just enough glow to make the kitchen bay window look festive. {I should have done a better job of hiding the little cord}

I began collecting nutcrackers 30 years ago. I wasn’t a true purist about brand, although I’ve since pared down to mostly German nutcrackers {although there are still a few sentimental favorites “Made in China”} The 2 miniature nutcrackers in the foreground are made in Germany and only measure about 2″ tall. I found them at Crate and Barrel about 25 years ago and they remain favorites for their diminutive size and detailing.

This is the overall grouping. The two candle holders were a gift and come from China, but I think they are fun since they hold candles that I can light for Christmas.

The end of my counter/bar has always been a bit of a challenge for me when it comes to vignettes. I change it constantly in search of the right “look” and still haven’t found it.

My chef nutcracker seems happy to be in the kitchen. 🙂

Spode’s Christmas Tree has served many a holiday breakfast, lunch and dinner to our friends and family. There are so many pretty Christmas dishes out there but I was certain should I start collecting others that I would be on a slippery slope of pottery love and might never recover! What pattern (if any) do you collect/love/use?

The center panel on our pantry has display-shelves and I hung my faux, berry wreath on the front.

Our granddaughter will be here (from Austin) for the holidays and the coffee table will need to be clear {she’s walking and exploring, best to give her room to do that without worry about her}, so I used an arrangement I had and placed some berry/pine cone stems to add a festive touch.

One of the small things I’m grateful for is the abundance of pine cones we have for picking in our neighborhood. Once I decided on this arrangement I just took my trusty bag and Madison and went for a walk.

Nutcracker Sherlock Holmes is on the case for a Happy Christmas!

The 2 smokers are suffering withdrawal since there is a NO SMOKING policy here.

The mantle clock is always present and usually I try to crowd the nutcrackers in and around but this year I decided to leave the English ivy and add some snow berries and faux fir sprigs to dress the mantle for Christmas.

Even the little lantern that hangs outside has a Santa and pine cone to greet the season, compliments of my friend, Linda {thank you, Linda}

And the tree…

The bottom third of the tree is adorned with non-breakable ornaments since Olivia will be undoubtedly curious and want to touch some of the ornaments.

Breathe and continue on…we can do this, we’re having fun!

I’m joining the Hooked on Holidays party tomorrow, stop by and be inspired by the hundreds of creative bloggers that will show you their homes and traditions.