Happy New Year 2018

Some years are better than others and let’s just say I’m looking forward to good things in 2018!
I spent the last few days after Christmas taking down all the Christmas decor.  The house seems so empty now.

We’re staying home tonight and watching football.  That is totally okay with me.  I’m wearing champagne-motif PJs that I got from Target a couple of years ago.

I decorated the bar and we’ll celebrate the new year sipping champagne.

All my Christmas trees are down and out of the house because Mama always said it’s bad luck to have the Christmas trees up on New Year’s Day.  Following Mama’s other traditions, I hope I don’t forget to open the doors at midnight to let the old year out and the new year in.  Also, tomorrow I won’t be washing clothes or taking out the garbage because that’s bad luck.
Southerners are very superstitious about what they eat on New Year’s Day.  I was always told not to eat chicken on New Year’s Day or I would experience financial difficulties in the new year.  Pork, black-eye peas, greens, and cornbread are a must if you want good luck in the new year!  This is a little history about these “lucky” foods.
Black-Eye Peas:
The tradition of eating black-eye peas dates back to the Civil War.  When General William T. Sherman led his Union troops on their destructive march through the South, the fields of black-eye peas were left untouched because they were deemed fit for only animals.  As a result, the humble yet nourishing black-eye pea saved surviving Confederates from starvation.  The peas are said to represent coins.  More coins, more Starbucks!
Greens:
Greens represent wealth and paper money, as they are flat and green like U.S. currency.  Any greens will do, but in the South the most popular are collards, mustard greens, turnip greens, and cabbage.  I’m having lots of turnip greens and hopefully some extra paper money will come my way!
Pork:
Throughout history, owning pigs and livestock was a symbol of prosperity, so today pork is eaten in the hopes of prosperity and a bountiful harvest in the coming year.  Pigs are also a symbol of progressing into the year ahead since they move forward using their snout to root for food.  Here’s to hoping the Honeybaked Ham I’m having will bring prosperity.
Cornbread:
Cornbread symbolizes gold and is used for soaking up the pot likker from the greens.  When wheat was a rarity in the South, Southerners made cornbread as a regular meal staple.  I love cornbread  with my New Year’s Day meal...going for the gold!
Happy New Year to everyone and wishing you good health, happiness, and prosperity!

Christmas Tablescapes

As the Christmas season is almost over, I’m sharing some of my holiday tablescapes.  I don’t have a formal lifestyle and am surrounded by a small family, so everything is low-scale and very casual these days.  That’s okay with me!
“Truck Yeah!”  Red trucks are all the rage right now and this one is a cutie I found at JC Penney.  The truck plates are from Pier 1 as are the red script napkins.  Of course, gingham goes with everything so I layered the two napkins together.

“Baby It’s Cold Outside.”  I have had these snowmen plates for years and layered them with galvanized charger plates from Kirkland’s and black gingham plates from Pottery Barn Kids.  The black buffalo check napkins are from The Sew Savvy on Etsy.  I used the “Baby It’s Cold Outside” ornaments from Hobby Lobby as napkin rings.  The centerpiece is from Pier 1.

This is my “All I Want for Christmas is Rae Dunn” scape.  I have been collecting Rae Dunn pottery for awhile and I’m pretty much addicted.  Once you start with this stuff, you can’t stop.  If you are a new collector, good luck out there!  There are a ton of people who buy it all up and then list it online for ridiculous prices.  I will just take my chances of finding the pieces on my wishlist at TJ Maxx and Homegoods. My favorite pieces have the “tall skinny letters” like the ones below.  Seriously, when you find a piece you are looking for, it’s like JACKPOT!

I found these tartan charger plates at Michael’s for under $2 each!

Yes, more Rae Dunn, please!

Thank you for stopping by today and Merry Christmas to everyone.

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits

This morning I heated up some biscuits from Callie’s.  I am planning on serving these as appetizers on Christmas Day—stuffed with pimiento cheese, chicken salad, and ham.  Whenever I travel to Atlanta, I love stopping in at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits. Their biscuits are made by hand and you can add ham, pimiento cheese, etc.

You can buy Callie’s frozen biscuits from their bakeries, website, or now from The Fresh Market Groceries.  I got the Cheese and Chive Biscuits and they are so soft and flaky.

Served with naughty or nice egg nog...it’s a perfect mid-morning treat.

My biscuit of choice when I visit the bakery is the cheese & chive with the shredded ham.  Oh my goodness, they are fattening for sure, but a real Southern delicacy!

Callie’s also has a bakery in Charleston, so do yourself and visit them if you are ever in one of these two Southern cities.

Christmas Beverage Bar

Sharing photos today of my Christmas beverage bar.  It's been real cold here in Georgia and hot chocolate and coffee drinks are my go-to beverages of the day.  Yes, I like to change out my Keurig for the seasons and this cute red one will be on deck through Valentines Day.  I knew when I saw the red buffalo check banner at the Target Dollar Spot that I just had to have it. Gingham and buffalo checks go with everything.  I found the red truck on sale at JC Penny and love using it in my vignettes.  It's loaded down with Starbucks peppermint mocha pods.

Flocked greens are all the rage this Christmas, so I ordered the flocking kit on Amazon.  After it arrived, I decided I wasn't in the mood for all the flocked mess that I would make.  I got some snow spray from Michaels and sprayed the greens with the snow spray.  Very easy and not so messy!

The tiered tray was on sale at Hobby Lobby so I brought it home to add to my collection...a tiered tray for every tabletop is a must, right?!

I found the cute red truck napkins in a little shop in Senoia, Georgia.  That reminds me...the store had their Christmas decked out with red truck decor and it was adorned with a big red truck at the top. SO cute!

As I'm writing this, I'm enjoying a hot cocoa and watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.  It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Christmas at The Roost

This year I told myself I wasn't going to decorate so much for Christmas.  Well, I started taking stuff out of my storage room boxes and just kept on taking out more stuff!  I do love to put out Christmas decor, it helps to get me into the spirit.  Like everyone, I have a lot going on right now, but I won't bore everyone with the details.  Mama always said, "Nobody wants to hear your day-to-day troubles!"
Here are a few of my Christmas "cheer me up" photos:
The front porch...just like last year.

Inside the front door area (aka foyer)--This is also known by my husband as "the only place he can sit down!"  The bench and rack are from Kirklands.  I absolutely love shopping at Kirklands during Christmas.  They have the cutest Christmas decor!  The slim tree has no theme...it is decorated with ornaments I have collected during my years of traveling.  A sweet lady in Senoia, Georgia painted the "Stay awhile" canvas.

My petite kitchen is decorated with red accent pieces.  I love red for Christmas through Valentine's Day.  Of course gingham and buffalo checks go with everything.

The pot rack with gingham bows, garland, copper pots, and cookie cutters.

Christmas aprons are pressed and ready to wear.

Joyeux Noel!  Christmas on the stove with some MacKenzie Childs, Rae Dunn, and a cute snow jar & towel set from Target Dollar Spot.

More festiveness on the kitchen counter.  I am NOT one to keep a empty kitchen counter top.  I'm absolutely NOT a minimalist.  No ma'am, I like cozy counters.

I'll be back later with more Christmas decorations from my little home.  Have a wonderful weekend y'all!

Joanna Gaines

Finally sitting down this afternoon and looking at the latest Magnolia Journal magazine from Chip and Joanna Gaines.  What a gorgeous photo of Joanna on the cover.  I recently read that Jo is 1/2 Korean, 1/4 Lebanese, and 1/4 German.  She is just a natural beauty!

Like a lot of people, I'm a bit obsessed with Chip and Joanna Gaines and the Fixer Upper show.  The farmhouse look is everywhere on Instagram and I love it but I don't live in a house on a farm.  Also, I am not a DIY person and won't be installing shiplap, barn doors, or subway tile anytime soon.  However, I love that they are driven by their faith and family and I do try to add some of Joanna's looks to my cottage-style decorating.
I am sad that this will be their last season but happy that I can now purchase the Hearth and Hand products at Target.

Visiting the to Magnolia Market in Waco is on my 2018 bucket list...it's just such a long drive from Georgia.  Might need to fly into Dallas or Houston.

We could stay in this beautiful rental "The Magnolia House," designed in Joanna's classic style...for a cost of $695/night.  Lord have mercy!

I have their book The Magnolia Story but still need to get off the internet and take the time to read it!  Joanna's new book The Magnolia Table, a collection of the Gaines family recipes, will be out in the spring of '18 and I can't wait for that one!

So yes, it is a cold and dreary day here in Georgia.  There is even talk of S.N.O.W. tomorrow!  Burrrr, missing the balmy days in Florida.
I will close with my favorite saying of the day from Coach Willie Taggart,
"Y'all have a great day if you want to!"

Lilly-fied Christmas Tree

I still love Lilly Pulitzer, but being honest, I just don't buy as much as I used to.  The styles are way too short for me now and are really geared for the young girls.  That's okay, because I have enough Lilly that I never need to wear the same outfit twice between Easter and Labor Day!

I have always had a Lilly-fied Christmas tree and last year I found a cute pink tree in the At Home store.  It was a display and the lights were dead, so I added the Lilly for Target gold lantern lights and also some pink flamingo lights.

I decorated it with Lilly Pulitzer ornaments and pink and green bulbs.  Of course, the topper is my monogram.

I have removed a lot of the pink in my home decor but the office is still decked out in everything pink and green.  I'll be back later in the week with more of my Christmas decor. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

In year's past, I have prepared a meal for an army of people but today we are having a low-key Thanksgiving since we are caring for our mama.  I have prepared some of her favorites and hope that she will enjoy the meal.

I'm also sharing with you some photos of our little home's autumn decor and tablesettings.

As soon as the last dish is washed and put away later today, I will immediately be in a peppermint-everything mode!  I have scaled back from the days I when I had 10-20 decorated trees inside our house.  This year I will only have four trees.  Small house = less trees/less work!

I hope everyone has a very blessed Thanksgiving.  Count your blessings, name them one by one!

Miss Coco

I would like to introduce to y'all my new dog.  We got her from a sweet family in Warner Robins.  They were looking for a loving home to adopt her because of some health issues in their family. I had a friend who heard about this and called me immediately.  

Some of you might remember my late Yorkie, who was also named "Coco."  (Yes, I name all my Yorkies "Coco," just like I have named every kitty I've ever owned "Kitty Puff.")  We had not gotten another dog since the last one died five years ago because my husband said he didn't want a dog and cat in the house anymore--one or the other, but not both.  *insert roll-eye emoji*. Well, he was out of town during the weekend this pup became available, so I took that opportunity to bring her home with me and was sure that he would fall in love with her.  I mean, Kitty Puff is 17 years old and I didn't want to keep waiting.  Of course, he loves her 100%.  She is the sweetest thing.  Not a floor dog.  No ma'am, she's a lap dog and snuggle bunny.  

And yes, I saved all the late Coco's clothes!  Here she is...

It's a dark and rainy day in Georgia.  I have gotten out my Thanksgiving decor and am now working on Christmas decor, but I'm not skipping Thanksgiving y'all!  

Count your blessings, name them one by one.  Count your blessings, see what God has done!

Hey Y’all!

It’s been a long time since I last blogged. I’m back. Who knows for how long.  Not sure I remember how to do it anymore. Not even sure I can write without using hashtags or emojis.  I definitely need to clean up the sidebar and get a new header. Might need professional help!

I took a break from blogging because life was getting a little hectic.  You might remember we left Florida and moved to Georgia—bought a little house across the street from mama’s house. My mama (Miss Pauline) has Alzheimer’s and we wanted to keep her in her own home as long as possible.  Mama is now 94 years old and doing as well as can be expected.  She has several caregivers and that helps a lot.  I spend a lot of time running back and forth across the street—the neighbors only see me wearing sweat pants and carrying bags of stuff!

We also got a new Yorkie recently.  Her family had some health issues and wanted her to go to a loving home. She is 4 years old and just precious. We renamed her after our belated Coco and just love her!

So, when time permits, I’ll be blogging about my outfits, Miss Coco’s outfits, home decor, and my barely-existent social life.