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Forget the stick. Enjoy summer’s best dessert sans the sticky mallow mess and burn ban smoke. All three classic ingredients are still used, just without the old school method. It’s easy to say “Kumbaya” with a mouthful of gram cracker summer.
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Party in a jar. Be the best hostess by never refilling guest drink glasses. Take in the trend that is all over Pinterest by investing in a few dozen mason jars. Create that perfect summer lemonade, drop in some frozen lemon wedges and screw the lid on for an easy summer drink guests can grab right out of the cooler.
When My Home Life Magazine asked to take a tour of my home, I said, “Only if my dog, Ruby can be in it!” Of course, Ruby the model dog that she is, handled all of the right poses and became the star of my home shoot. MHL followed Ruby and I through my 100 year old downtown apartment from my ray lit sunroom or the outer boundaries of my raised bed garden. See why I love the original hardwood floors, crystal knobs and high ceilings for more than just the beauty of the past. It is the home heirlooms from my grandparents, childhood possessions from my mom and local antique finds that allow me to carry on the stories from before to help create memories of my own.
“The gold mirror was my Mimi’s (grandmother). A true antique. My mom remembers the mirror hanging on the entry wall in the house she grew up in. It has been in the family for generations. Beside the mirror sits an antiqued brown and gold side table with hand-painted flowers on the surface that holds up decades of literature from Robert Browning’s poetry to a copy of Peter Pan from the 40s. My mother remembers my Mimi purchasing this table and saying, ‘This just makes me happy.’”
“I wish my mom took more photos of her house growing up because I am sure it was beautiful, especially her room. The cream-colored vanity in my bedroom was a piece of her original bedroom set when she was a little girl. It included a headboard, dresser and side table. She still has the side table today. The green and pink striped chaise is from my Aunt Sally. Countless hours of book page turns and long distance phone calls have been made from that nook in my bedroom. “
“One of my favorite places to go and grab a coffee when I was in high school was a small, local shop called The Java Bean. When the coffee shop closed down, I purchased this table from the owner. Now 100 miles away, I am still continuing the practice of morning coffee on that metal table.”
“One of the highlights of my apartment is this hutch, which is more than 100 years old. The turquoise color of the kitchen continues inside the hutch, adding a pop of color in the details.”
“I love to entertain and I love to read so why not house my food books with the dishes? My new favorite kitchen book has to be Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard.”
“My previous apartment had this chandelier hanging over the bed and it is the reason why I wanted to live there. I installed the chandelier in my new apartment overlooking my dining room to bring a little of The Garden to The Cottage.”
“The original crystal knobs and paint-layered molding, grounds my apartment in the past, while the glass, French doors let in the new light of each day.”
“Before Pinterest was Pinterest, I had this idea to use an old ladder for blankets. Instead, I found an old, used staircase railing. It is great to showoff favorite blankets (this colorful patchwork quilt I purchased from a lady on the beach in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico) and easy access for guests to grab a blanket for a movie.”
“A great way to manage hoarding magazines is with a large basket. This is an old baby doll cradle converted into a magazine holder that I found at a local antique shop.”
“I love snail mail. I grew up going to an all girls camp during the summer and the only way to communicate with your friends and family was through writing letters. Still to this day, I love checking my mail and I try to send more hand-written letters than e-mails. There is nothing like the way someone you care about writes your name on the front of a letter. When I found this old postage stamp dispenser in an antique shop, I had to have it. My dad even tinkered with it and now you can drop in a quarter and a stamp will slide out of the bottom. Forever stamps for 25 cents.”
“My Mac (grandfather) purchased this chair for my Rethy (grandmother) for a wedding present in Washington D.C., in 1938. Same original fabric woven with anniversary love.”
“After I moved to my new apartment, I realized I could grow more than just herbs on my porch. My neighbors and I spent a week in March tilling land, building a raised bed, filling the bed with soil and planting our summer grocery. It has been incredible to see the tomatoes, squash, peppers, strawberries, potatoes, cucumbers and okra grow a little more everyday. It is so life-changing to watch something grow from nothing and not only fill your fridge, but also fill your soul.”
“I love filling my house with pieces that have stories before my stories even began. This wine rack was the second piece to a bar set that included a small cart. My mom had it in her house before she married my dad. The story is that my dad sold the cart without my mom knowing at a garage sale, because he thought it was so unsightly. Needless to say, the other piece of the collection now lives with me, instead of being hidden in the attic.”
What better way to celebrate red, white and blue than with the fresh patriotic fruits of the summer? This 4th of July breakfast sparkler has everything but the kitchen sink with enough sugar and spice to satisfy all family and friends. Filled with cream cheese, walnuts and a dash of orange zest, this simple recipe is perfect as a morning brunch or afternoon snack for Independence Day weekend.
4th of July Breakfast Sparkler
1 c sugar1. Combine sugar, pecans and orange zest in small bowl.
2. Cut each biscuit in half, place a cream cheese square and roll together.
3. Dip biscuit in melted butter and then in sugar mixture.
4. Place each biscuit around the outside of the bundt pan.
5. Drizzle remaining butter and sugar mixture over biscuits and bake at 350 for 30-35 min.
6. Mix together orange juice and powdered sugar for orange glaze to drizzle on top. Finish with sliced bananas, sliced strawberries and cherries.
LBDujour 