Ooh, child, this is something good. And if you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day dinner, you’ve found it. You can make it in advance, freeze it if you like, and it requires no last minute fiddling. But most importantly it would pair well with a chocolate dessert. A girl has her priorities. Alex Hitz,… Continue reading Got a Beef? Here’s Just the Thing:
News & Notes
A Windy Day With Martha Washington
Winter is come to Rancho La Zaca and so have I–back from a whirlwind two weeks in New York and Atlanta. Everyone was all hepped up about the rain we were supposed to have today, but it has passed us by to the chagrin of His Grace and his grapes, and the oats he planted… Continue reading A Windy Day With Martha Washington
Did Not Make it to Church This Morning
Did not make it to church this morning but did make it to the Cathedral Antiques Show in Atlanta this weekend, a whirlwind week of parties, tours, an “Inspiration House” of Atlanta’s up and coming design talent, and lectures lectures by Richard Keith Langham, Jeffrey Bilhuber, and Veranda’s Deborah Sanders. They all three couldn’t have… Continue reading Did Not Make it to Church This Morning
What do Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Anna Wintour Have in Common?
I thought that might get your attention. The answer is they will both be topics of discussion by their respective, and almost as famous decorators, Richard Keith Langham and Jeffrey Bilhuber, respectively. Where and when, you ask? Atlanta, Thursday, February 2, at 1 pm for Keith Langham, whose other famous clients include Pat Buckley and… Continue reading What do Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Anna Wintour Have in Common?
If I Were a Book…
If I were a book I’d be The Perfectly Imperfect Home – How to Decorate & Live Well, by Deborah Needleman, published late last year by Clarkson Potter. And if I were a portfolio of drawings I’d be one by the book’s illustrator, Virginia Johnson. It is simply the most charming, practical, accessible, inspiring book… Continue reading If I Were a Book…
Dealing With F-Bomb Breast Cancer
First give credit to my fabulous friend Hollye Jacobs of the equally fabulous Silver Pen blog, for coining the phrase F-bomb breast cancer, which she shortens to FBC. No reason to be polite to such a rude disease. It has in the last year rudely intruded on three dear friends–under 50!–and exactly 8 years ago… Continue reading Dealing With F-Bomb Breast Cancer
Chocolate Chip Cookies To Die, and Vegan, too! Updated April 2020
I was torn about telling you these unbelievable cookies were vegan, worried it would put off the bacon-cheeseburger set (of which I, too, am a member). But these are so dang good I feel a sudden urge to wear Birkenstocks–which I pray will pass. Recipe by Stephanie Valentine, below. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Vegan or… Continue reading Chocolate Chip Cookies To Die, and Vegan, too! Updated April 2020
Country Life and the Chicken Catalog
Have I been in the country too long, or is it normal to be mesmerized by the newly arrived McMurray Hatchery catalog? “The World’s Rare Breed Poultry Headquarters,” it says. It’s fabulous. For new readers, I am a small town Southern girl who lived in Atlanta during the ’90s and in New York City since… Continue reading Country Life and the Chicken Catalog
Flowers and Leaves by Nina Rumbough
How about a breath of spring in these depths of January, just to remind us that it WILL come? How beautiful is this? And this? The artist and photographer is Nina Rumbough, who I am happy to say is my friend, and who is as lovely as her work. See more of it at her… Continue reading Flowers and Leaves by Nina Rumbough
Nina Griscom’s Chic Manhattan Townhouse
Note: When I first posted this with photos I received a stern email from Conde Nast requesting removal of all photos, the head of my first born child, etc etc. I thought it was weird since I had carefully credited all photos, and, uh, photos from magazines are all over the place and then some,… Continue reading Nina Griscom’s Chic Manhattan Townhouse
One Little Thing: Holding a Grudge
Oh we all get our knickers in a knot every now and then. Lord knows I do. Yes even sweet little me. And the old me used to carry her anger around for way longer than necessary. Pouting, by any other name. Unattractive in a child; ridiculous in a grown-up. My sister and I used… Continue reading One Little Thing: Holding a Grudge
Killer Cauliflower Soup, Seriously
How exciting can it be, cauliflower soup? Well you just make this and see. You’ll be doing a great service for yourself and your family, possibly the country, the world… The recipe comes from our sublime cook at Rancho La Zaca, Chef Stephanie Valentine. You might think “chef” sounds pretentious but that is what she… Continue reading Killer Cauliflower Soup, Seriously