{GHP} Word of the year 2014

08 Wednesday Jan 2014

Posted by Karen B. in Personal Information, Traditions

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I get a lot of post ideas while reading other blogs. There are so many talented writers and I often gain inspiration for a subject to explore while reading someone’s account of a topic.

This happened on New Year’s Day. While reading as many of my favorite blogs as I could with a day free of obligation or industry (I was typically behind in my blog reading due to fun with my granddaughter/Christmas celebration) . When I read Layla’s {The Lettered Cottage} account of her choice of a Word Of The Year for 2014, something she does annually, I knew this word would fit with some of my goals for the year. As Layla explains,

That’s what choosing a Word Of The Year is all about. You live with it, you let it speak to you…you follow where it leads. There are no rules…it’s just supposed to be a little spark.

With the new year comes analysis of life in the rear view mirror and ideas for tweaking this or that. The goal is to improve in some small way, or to maintain things that are working well.

So with that grain of wisdom and inspiration, I decided to go with the word Simplicity as well. That decision sparked the need to share, it’s what we bloggers do, right?

Clearly, great minds think alike. I’ve since read a reference for using a word as inspiration for writing. Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project guru, posted a helpful tip for writers about using a single word to stir creativity. Posting a single word in your conscious to help with self-improvement holds great appeal for me.

I then came across the post by Ted Kennedy Watson sharing the cover of his new book, Style and Simplicity, An A to Z Guide to Living a More Beautiful Life. For those who have not had the good fortune to visit one of the Ted Kennedy Watson stores in Seattle, or visited his blog, you’re in store for a treat. This is what he had to say about the title to his book…

Simplicity is such a prevailing theme throughout the book, and the table I set that was chosen for the cover speaks to that word and philosophy.

I even had two dear friends mention in a comment on my blog that one of their goals (respectively) for the New Year is to simplify {thank you, Linda and Gretchen}. So that will be my goal for 2014.

So, I pledge to give simplicity in life a try this year. I hope to pare down and simplify my lifestyle in every way I can. With that, I hope to take more time to relax and appreciate what I have and the great beauty in nature that surrounds us.

Here are some simply lovely images for your viewing enjoyment.

♥ Karen

{Home} O Tannenbaum

18 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Christmas, Holidays, Traditions

≈ 17 Comments

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Christmas tree

The countdown is on…only 1 week until Christmas. I’m really getting excited.

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
wie treu sind deine Blätter!

I know most of you have your holiday decorations up, especially your tree. Still, I’ve found so many pretty images of trees and I’m at a loss to think of any other topic besides trying to finish my list of presents to buy, things to do, rooms to clean, so here’s some online goodness of my favorite Christmas trees.

You’re green not only
in the summertime,

Nein auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How loyal are your leaves/needles!

adventures in tartanscot

Centsational Girl

The Polohouse

No matter what size tree you manage this year, I hope you are enjoying the season and are further along on all you need to do in preparation for the holiday than me. Stop and smell the pine needles.

{GHP} Gratitude

27 Wednesday Nov 2013

Posted by Karen B. in House and Home, Thanksgiving, Traditions

≈ 19 Comments

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Gratitude

Thanksgiving is celebrated here in the U.S. ( I understand Canada has a Thanksgiving Holiday as well) and I’ve always loved this holiday. There’s no gift buying involved, just good food, good friends and family, and for the men in my life, good football.

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{and George}

As I’ve “matured” I appreciate the good things that surround me, there’s no taking this stuff for granite, as maybe I did in my youth, and Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we’re thankful for.

{unknown}

{Party Resources}

I’ve avoided the trend towards a gratitude journal for a couple of reasons, a) I’m terrible about keeping up with things like this…I start out strong and then let it drop; and b) I think about what I’m grateful for every day from the huge (family, friends, my first (and only-so far) granddaughter, whose birthday is on Thanksgiving Day this year, good heath) to the items that to some would seem frivolous (gardening, nature, good food, a warm house, blog friends, kind acts by strangers).

{heirloom philosophy}

So whatever you are thankful for this holiday, I hope you’ll keep it in your heart and remember everyday as we head into a new year. We need to remember…

Happy Thanksgiving!

{GHP} Let’s go on a picnic!

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Dessert, Drink, Family, Food, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, Traditions

≈ 28 Comments

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Picnic

Because this is National Picnic Week…

I think it’s time to pack a picnic and head someplace picturesque and relaxing. Want to come along? This idea of picnicking has become an annual theme for me, but when I read about this cookbook by Tori Finch I couldn’t resist another dream picnic.

By the way, full disclosure, I never really got around to taking a picnic someplace other than our patio in the backyard last summer. Enjoying the relaxation of a view, food that’s delicious and easy to eat without fuss, and maybe a bottle of wine (or a jug of iced tea) just never happened. The last grown-up, memorable picnic I went on with Mr. B was before we had children and it was in this picturesque spot…

[Note: We enjoyed picnics when the kids were growing up, but they were always more play than relaxation—I look forward to continuing that tradition with grandchildren]

{Crescent Bay Point Park ~ Laguna Beach, California}

In fact, when I think of going on a picnic I think of this location. During summer months nature’s air conditioning works beautifully to keep it comfortable and there are picnic tables and benches to use or you can spread your blanket out on the grass. The view is guaranteed to relax you.

But since this post is as much about the idea of a picnic as it is a travel plan, I have some images that are what I imagine a picnic would be like in a perfect world. Of course, this is my car! Isn’t it cute with that little picnic basket attached?

{source}

{Turkey Caprese Sandwich ~ Martha Stewart}

Packed in that pretty blue and white picnic basket I might make the Turkey Caprese Sandwich from Martha Stewart for me and the egg salad (below) for Mr. B.

{source}

I love the idea of a wine box shipping crate (large enough) to use as a little table for a picnic…okay, maybe the cloche and footed cookie plate with dome are a bit over the top, but I love the flowers and the quilt.

{source}

This is my kind of picnic…the shade of a tree in the country, maybe the soft sounds of a stream nearby….ahhh, what could be better?

{source}

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Why stick with the predictable cookie for dessert when you can have these at the ready for the end of the meal? I don’t have a recipe but I believe it’s a simple shortbread cookie (that may be cooked so as to be slightly chewy), whipped cream and large strawberries cut and skewered. How fun.

{source}

No matter how you get there…by car

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~or~

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Will you be making time for a picnic this summer? Tell me what you usually prepare, or do you benefit from a great deli nearby that can make the perfect sandwich?

I’ve linked to Savvy Southern Style for her Wow us Wednesday! ~and~ I’ve joined Ricki Jill at Art @ Home for her What makes me Happy!

{GHP} 10 Things I love about fall, I mean, Autumn

20 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories, Decorating, Entertaining, Fall Entertaining and Decorations, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, House and Home, Traditions

≈ 24 Comments

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greeting fall

Before I provide you with 10 things I love about the ~~fall~~ autumn season, I want you to know I’m a bit of a crazy when it comes fall. The season has always made me giddy with anticipation, maybe it stems from the whole back-to-school thrill I felt when returning the first day of school, seeing classmates I hadn’t seen over summer and sporting a new frock, not to mention the newly sharpened pencils and the fresh PeeChee folders and crisp, college-lined three-hole punch notebook paper.

Why am I telling you 10 reasons I like this time of year, whether you want to hear them or not? I was inspired by Melissa over at The Inspired Room. She hosts an Annual Fall Nesting party every year and I jump on the bandwagon because I know I’ll be surrounded by like-minded fall-season~~-fanatics~~ enthusiasts just like me and I’ll pick up a lot of great ideas for seasonal entertaining and décor.

So here goes, in no particular order because the way I see it each thing I love about autumn receives an equal share of my admiration…

1. Cooler days. A relative term since I live in Southern California however, it’s the little things, like a 10 degree difference that make my day.

{tumblr, the Steward}

Sometimes we even manage a little rain, nothing huge but still, it always makes me happy to know the plants are being gently cleaned of their summer dust.

{source}

2. Fire in the fireplace. We have a wood burning fireplace and it’s one of my favorite things in life. If I lived in the U.K. I would probably need a fire every day.

(above) a match holder I found years ago, love the acorn pattern to it.

{source}

{Carla’s coal burning fireplace ~ gas operated} * I apologize for the darkness of this photo.

3. The holidays. This time of year I begin to plan for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’m not as big a fan of Halloween, other than it’s the time of year the goblins arrive, bag in hand, that marks the beginning of cooler weather for us. {Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing small children dressed for the holiday, I just have never gotten totally wrapped up in “Halloween” decorations or costumes — curmudgeon, no, why do you ask?

{Martha Stewart}

{griege blog}

{Southern Accents}

4. Turtlenecks. I know, how can that be a favorite? Easy, I hate my neck and am always happy I can wear scarves and turtlenecks this time of year.

{I don’t think I’ve ever pulled off “attitude” like the turtleneck-clad model below, but I do like her Donna Karan outfit}

5. Extra blankets. I’ve been known to sleep with windows open year round and it always feels good to have the extra weight of a blanket on me. Fortunately Hubby feels the same.

#5 and #6 should have been combined, but I do believe they are not mutually exclusive.

6. Flannel sheets. TMI? We love flannel sheets in the winter months.
Shorter days. This is the one item I reluctantly list because there is a part of me that truly appreciates the longer days of summer. That said, I enjoy getting home from work, having something comforting to eat and enjoying the darkness of the evening while sitting in front of the fire watching TV, catching up on email. We bought our flannel sheets from Lands End and they are so cozy.

7. Entertaining. I’ve had many conversations with friends who enjoy entertaining, about how much easier it is to entertain in the cooler months. When I entertain in the summer, yes the menu can be easier (BBQ, salads, etc.) but not necessarily. The “things to do” list is always longer in the summer i.e. windows should be clean, garden tended, patio furniture clean and so on. Once the time changes the outdoor factor goes away.

{my friend, Cayley always sets a beautiful fall table}

8. Apples. I enjoy fresh apples year round but there are so many delicious recipes using apples and there’s nothing like a piece of apple pie to help reinforce the season.

Have any of you ever tried these individual pie in a jar recipes?

9. Long, hot baths. No further explanation needed, right?

10. Fall foliage. You know, the leaves the plants the berries that crop up on so many deciduous plants. It draws thousands to the East coast annually…there must be something to it.

Talk to me, do you find yourself dreading fall, holding on to that last warm summer day, or do you get a burst of energy from the cooler season? It’s okay, I can take it, let me know.

I’m joining Kate at Centsational Girl for her fall link party. She is featuring mantles but said any fall post could join!

…and Alison at The Polohouse, for her Favorites on the First.

{GHP} The business of blogging

24 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Misc, Traditions, Trends

≈ 6 Comments

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Blog business

***Just a word of caution regarding random following on Pinterest***

Before I launch into the pretty minor topic below, I had an unsettling happening with Pinterest. I am not the most tech-savvy computer user (due in small part to my generation) but I’m learning. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Pinterest. I was receiving increased notices of new “followers” on my Pinterest account and for some time I just trashed the notices, but then thinking it might be like discovering new blog sites, I began to check the boards of each “new follower” to determine if I would want to follow them. After briefly checking a person’s boards, I clicked to follow some that seemed to have similar interests as my own. The next time I logged into my Pinterest account I was surprised to see the page filled with soft porn images of nearly nude men. I’m not sure how this happened but I really do not have interest in creating a board on that topic! I guess you aren’t supposed to “follow” random people…my bad.

I’ll now return you to your regularly scheduled post by Garden, Home and Party…

Here are some office/study spaces that I wouldn’t mind using as my office when I type my posts…

via Griege

I realize the title of this post must make me sound like I’m a blogging professional! Excuse me while I laugh myself to tears…I fly by the seat of my pants even after blogging for 3+ years. I confess, I do learn a new trick skill ever so often, but all in all I’m still worried I’ll push the wrong button, say the wrong thing or just generally mess things up. Insecure? No, why do you ask?

via Brabourne Farm

Casey Sills

That said I need to provide just a little bit of history about my blog. My two adult sons talked me into this, I wouldn’t have attempted blogging if it hadn’t been for them. I do believe in keeping as current with technology as my age will permit so I agreed to jump into this pond [pond=blogging]. And I confess the water is fine. Before I totally mix up any more metaphors, let me just say, as a creative outlet, (I work full time in the corporate setting as an Executive Assistant) it (blogging) satisfies beyond my wildest expectations. Readers have been slow to come by but I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every sweet and supportive reader I’ve met (figuratively speaking).

David Easton

French Country Style at Home ~ Sebastian Siraudeau

House and Garden

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My question to you, readers and fellow bloggers…

Elle Decor

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Ward Denton Design ~ Photo: Pieter Estersohn

…when I first started blogging, anytime someone would leave a comment I would answer it with a comment in the “comments” area on my blog. Then a friend of mine, who is also a loyal reader and commenter mentioned that she doesn’t receive my answers via email, she goes to the post and reads them. I was under the misconception that when I replied in the “comments” section that it would automatically send an email to the person who left the comment.

So I began answering all comments via email AND via the post itself. All the while I noticed when posting comments on the many blogs I follow daily, I rarely heard back. Which was okay since I know it takes time and some of these bloggers had twenty or more comments. Now I’ve begun to think that answering via email (which appears in the notice section of my email from WordPress) is easiest…what do you think, what do you do (if you are a blogger) or prefer (if you’re a visitor)? I just figure that if folks take the time to comment, maybe it would be nice to answer them, but is that being silly? I’d really love to hear your thoughts. There is no right or wrong answer. I honestly don’t mind if folks don’t comment, I still enjoy blogging and I mostly do it to fulfill a creative need.

{Home} Plaid

31 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories, Traditions, Travel

≈ 26 Comments

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plaid

When I think of plaid I think of…

Scottish Villages

Balmoral Castle

President Reagan & Queen Elizabeth

tumblr ~ walks in the country with my dog

I have had a long standing crush on plaid. Hubby likes to say it’s my favorite color {smile} and he’s not completely wrong. There is something about the traditional plaids, in particular, that always attracts me.

I count my red check as plaid, is that fair?

Plaid used to immediately take me to the cooler seasons (fall and winter), but now I see plaid as a pattern that can serve spring and summer with equal relish.

House Beautiful

Photo by Keith Scott Morton ~ Country Living

Photo by Anthony Ferrie ~ Architectural Digest

House Beautiful ~ Sun Valley

House to Home

Country Living

SMW Designs ~ The Adventures of Tartanscot

So, I’m thinking I need to buy some of these clothes…

the Steward

search for some Tartanware for the tables…

and head out in this car…

What do you think? Too much? Have I gone too far with the whole plaid thing?

I’ll be having some plaid fun this week at:

The Polohouse

Vignette Design

Upstairs Downstairs

Hyacinths for the Soul

{Garden, Home and Party} Exciting news…an engagement

20 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Designer, Entertaining, Family, Flowers, Party Planning, Personal Information, Traditions, Trends

≈ 5 Comments

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weddings

Friends and readers (one in the same) will know that hubby and I have 2 sons…one is happily married and living with his lovely wife, and my very first granddaughter, in Austin. Son #2 just proposed and she said “yes”! We’re thrilled for many reasons, not the least of which is we love this girl and believe she and Son #2 are a good match. Reason number 2, at least for me, is we get to be a part of planning a wedding! Weddings encompass all manner of great things where HOME is concerned and can cross over into GARDEN and certainly PARTY.

via 100 Layer Cake

As I was typing those very words one of my favorite quotes from one of my all-time favorite movies came to mind. Father of the Bride, 1991, staring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton, when George Banks (Steve Martin’s character) says,

“I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That’s getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition.

I know. I’ve just been through one. Not my own, my daughter’s. Annie Banks Mackenzie. That’s her married name: Mackenzie. You fathers will understand. You have a little girl. An adorable little girl who looks up to you and adores you in a way you could never have imagined. I remember how her little hand used to fit inside mine. Then comes the day when she wants to get her ears pierced, and wants you to drop her off a block before the movie theater. From that moment on you’re in a constant panic. You worry about her meeting the wrong kind of guy, the kind of guy who only wants one thing, and you know exactly what that one thing is, because it’s the same thing you wanted when you were their age. Then, you stop worrying about her meeting the wrong guy, and you worry about her meeting the right guy. That’s the greatest fear of all, because, then you lose her. It was just six months ago that that happened here. Just six months ago, that the storm broke.”

There are so many options for planning and inspiration, from the ring to the reception, the world wide web now hosts blog sites that feature amazing ideas for every tiny detail of the big event. As I perused sites that came recommended, my head began swimming. I was overwhelmed with beautiful images of every imaginable event and all the trimmings that are tied to a wedding, no matter how small and simple.

Snippet & Ink is such a fun blog site where any upcoming bride, or groom for that matter, can find real wedding photos as well as Inspiration Boards created by Snippet & Ink’s author, Kathryn.

In fact, when Son #1 got married bride-to-be choose a seaside location and desired a “family only” wedding. At first I was slightly disappointed because I had hoped to share the day with close friends but in the end, this tiny 11 person wedding was so beautiful and intimate I was happy our DIL had wished for it. We later hosted a reception for dear friends and enjoyed celebrating the marriage a couple of months later.

My point, although you may be wondering at this point if I have one, is that the wedding of Son #1 and now DIL, took nearly as much planning as a larger version would have. You still plan for invitations, flowers, food, table settings, music, photographer and all the icing that goes on wedding cakes and receptions.

Above images: (left) Style me Pretty; (right) 100 Layer Cake

So, we’re off to begin what I believe will be a bonding experience for me with my future DIL #2. I’ll keep you posted. We are hosting an engagement party at our home and shopping invitations has begun.

via tiny prints (sample)

via Style me Pretty

{Home, Party}Independence Day ~ Happy 4th of July

04 Monday Jul 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Traditions

≈ 2 Comments

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Independence Day

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend and that you will enjoy some great food and the love of family and friends today. Thank you for stopping by! I appreciate each and every one of you.

{Home}Have a fun-filled 4th of July

01 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by Karen B. in Collections & Accessories, Decorating, Entertaining, Family, Holiday/Seasonal cooking, Outdoor living, Party Planning, Traditions

≈ 4 Comments

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4th of July

With the upcoming 3-day holiday {I hope you all have at least 3 days off} I wanted to wish all of you wheel barrel’s full of fun and good eats! Here are a few images to inspire you if you haven’t decorated for the holiday yet…or just feel like perusing some patriotic rooms.

Image via Content in a Cottage

I have always considered Independence Day the “kick-off” day of summer. I used to work at Disneyland and the 4^th was always crowded at the park and since Disneyland had a nightly fireworks display, that rivals most, the crowds were out in mass.