Tobacco Barns and Porch Decor

Sep 30, 2012

This past weekend marked the arrival of my favorite time of year. I am a fall fan for sure and have been enjoying everything I possibly can about preparing for this time of year.

A few weeks ago I went in search of something new to use for my front porch décor at the house. While on the hunt, I came across a bunch of tobacco baskets and knew instantly I would use one as the anchor for my new display.

One of my favorite harbingers of this season is when the barns used for smoking tobacco start emitting their seasonal scents. I am sure there are many non-natives who have a story about seeing a smoking barn and wondering if they should dial 9-1-1. I know I took pause when I first saw one; a quick call to a “local” allayed my fears.

Smoking season is here again and I adore scent that fills the air. In fact, my favorite scented candle is called Bergamot Tobacco, which sounds a little off-putting if you are not familiar with the intoxicating scent of tobacco being smoked in preparation for sale.

After procuring several of these baskets, I became a little more curious about the process, so I called a friend, Anne Head, whose family has been in the tobacco business for many years; she gave me the low down. After harvesting the tobacco, leaf-by-leaf, farmers then tie the leaves together in bunches, hang them from sticks and place the filled sticks in the tiers of the tobacco barn. The farmers then commence to smoking/curing the tobacco to achieve the golden brown color. Tobacco baskets are no longer used, but would have been—at this point—loaded with the smoked leaves and taken to market.

As they are no longer employed for their intended use, folks have been finding alternative uses for them since the late 70s. I, naturally, look at them for their decorative qualities. They are attractive works of basketry art in and of themselves, but it is rare that I can leave a surface unadorned.

I immediately thought of my antique pitch fork, which I found on one of my flea marketing excursions in Germany, as the perfect accent for my developing fall front porch display. Unfortunately, it was one of those tools/toys my son found irresistible as he was reenacting the mob scene from Beauty and the Beast or later, the battle scene at the end of Braveheart; which is likely why I found it in pieces on a hill in our backyard. Plan B—find another pitch fork.

Another fall arrangement I’ve fallen in love with is one that Patty Stinnett encouraged me to try. She found our inspirational picture on Pinterest (yup—I’m talking about Pinterest again); it involved turning a vintage floor lamp into a planter. As I have entirely too many dysfunctional vintage floor lamps—I decided to try this project.

I used a floor lamp that had a place for a center bulb and three arms for additional lights. I then altered a hanging wire basket so it would slide down and rest on the arms. I used a coconut shell liner and then added my plants. The inspiration picture showed the planter filled with gorgeous succulents, but I was using my planters to decorate for a fall themed function, so I used mums with ornamental kales and cabbages. I also added an aqua-colored canning jar in the center in order to add candlelight to my floor lamp planter. I used plastic tie-wraps to secure the baskets to the arms of the lamp. They are a little tippy, so I don’t think this is something I would recommend this project for a house full of little ones or frisky pets. I will, however, be adding one of these to the display on my front porch. Once again I am sorry I don’t have a picture of the finished product, but I promise to add it to the blog.

I hope you are enjoying the smell of tobacco smoke, the sight of mums popping-up everywhere and, of course, the cooler temperatures. I’ll have a few more ideas to share next week.

chicken condos

Sep 9, 2012

I am not sure how closely you follow the goings on at our City Council meetings, but I just heard that the new ordinance (ord 6-2012-13) permitting Clarksville residents to have chickens (only 6) in their backyard just passed its second reading. Way cool!

I’ve always thought it would be interesting to have a few chickens. I am especially fascinated by Ameraucana and Cochin varieties. The Ameraucana lays lovely eggs and the Cochin is just lovely—looking almost regal with its feathered legs. The thing I love most about the prospect of raising chickens, however, is building one of those coops that appear as though you’d host your own tea parties in it. I would love it!

Have you had the occasion to see some of these structures? If not, I will refer you to the internet. Pinterest is a good start; I’ve got my own board I titled “In the Henhouse.” They are charming and could actually increase property values in many neighborhoods—including ours!

My interest in chickens actually developed while we were living overseas. When we moved to Germany, one of the first things I did was attending the course for drivers’ license training. It was in this class I was taught to treat chickens with reverence, as we were informed that should we be unfortunate enough to run over and kill a German farmer’s chicken, we would have to compensate said farmer for the chicken. But that’s not all—we were informed we could also expect to pay said farmer for the anticipated progeny of the deceased chicken. As chickens continue laying eggs into the teens, this could be a very expensive incident. Thus, I became very alert to and aware of chickens.

Also, we were frequent visitors of the zoos in Germany (our kids were that age)—our favorite zoo was south of Heidelberg and had the best exotic chickens! (The kids would drag as to see the chimps and lions; I would drag them to the chickens.)

By now, my neighbors are probably a little worried about chickens moving in, but they need not. I said I would love to have one, I’d also love to have a 2 karat, sapphire cut diamond, but . . . well, okay—chickens are more likely.

I understand many folks feel it is a crazy notion to want to raise chickens “in the city limits” but let me quell some of your fears. By adhering to the restrictions established by the ordinance, your neighbor could raise chickens and you would likely never know. They are quiet birds—generally just clucking, save a few squawks when laying eggs. Most city folks wanting to raise chickens do so for the eggs—crowing roosters are not part of that plan, nor are they permitted. The issue of the odors associated with the birds is virtually non-existent considering the limit on numbers. Chickens must be tended daily and responsible owners know they must keep a clean coop in order to keep their hens healthy. Plus, the poop is great for gardens, so your chicken raising neighbor will likely have a flourishing garden, as well. If you’re nice to them you will likely benefit from their efforts when they leave eggs and zucchini on your porch!

Do you prefer hardcopy or e-books?

26AUG12
A cursory peek at my new followers on Pinterest tells me I piqued the “pinterest” of many of you. That’s wonderful! I think this is a great website for quickly and easily finding images of items which reflect your style. I love that I can search images and, instantly, I have hundreds upon hundreds of images to peruse; google has already done the work for me!
I have always enjoyed research. I used to love spending time in the library looking for resources for my research papers, feeling like Indian Jones when I was able to unearth references I was sure no one else had cited in all the years of term papers written at Lenoir-Rhyne College (now a University, but old habits . . .). In fact, I enjoyed research so much I had thought of becoming an attorney, but after receiving my BA in History, I took the track of paralegal instead. Upon landing my first job as a paralegal, it didn’t take long for me to realize there was a lot more to lawyering than research—umm, no thanks. Researching product for home décor is a lot more fun, so here I am.
Do you remember my suggestion of keeping a notebook for your home decorating ideas? Well, it occurred to me that Pinterest is probably the “notebook” for the next generation; perhaps for this generation. While I do enjoy it and think that it is nifty, it will never replace my idea book. Just like an e-reader will never replace my need to hold a book on my lap and flip through its pages.

I think that is why one of my favorite publications is a quarterly about blogging. Yup—a magazine about blogs! It’s called Artful Blogging. Like all Stampington & Company publications, it is produced on a beautiful, matte paper (love the feel of the paper). The content is submitted by bloggers and simply provides some insight into how they approach their blogs, but it is gorgeous! They also furnish photos, which are often the best part of many blogs. I like it because I feel like I spend my entire day in front of a computer screen. I need tactile interactions with more than my keyboard and mouse!

Another of their publications is Where Women Cook, which shares stories and images of the kitchens—some commercial, but most are the household variety—of the women who elevate the simple act of meal preparation to an artful level, either as a domestic goddess or a professional chef. What you find as you flip the pages of this publication are real kitchens—kitchens which are truly used and abused. You can tell these kitchens are not kitchens designed to impress your bunko group—they are real, hard-working kitchens whish have evolved with the talents and needs of the chefs or families that use them. You see kitchens decked-out in the finest, most desirable professional series equipment, as well as kitchens fitted with a basic four-burner, electric stove and crock pot on the counter. As an added bonus, the articles usually include several recipes.

Another reason to love these magazines is their minimal advertising. There are no “made to look like articles” advertisements about kitchen appliances or the latest sleep aid on the market. And, unlike most websites and many blogs, there are no pop-ups which you have click on the precision-pin-point-spot to close, lest you open another window to learn more about why you should refinance your house now. Stampington & Company publications are intended to inspire and that they do. After reading them, I am motivated to do stuff—to make something or to reorganize my craft area.
So, yes, I love perusing the Pinterest site for images and ideas, but nothing beats the feel of a good decorating book or magazine. I much prefer being able to flip the pages to the “sliding” of images across a screen.
You can pick-up many of the Stampington & Company publications here at Hodgepodge, but they are also available at book stores and the magazine racks of many supermarkets.

Pinterest

19SEP12
Change is in the air. I’ve actually been able to leave the house on a few occasions and not had the life sucked from me as I hit a wall of humidity. We even opened the windows last weekend! Perhaps we can look forward to a little less heat and humidity as we wind-up summer. Even those of you die hard summer fans have to admit this one has been brutal. Can I get an “Amen?”
Well, regardless of the love of summer held by many, most can agree that fall here in middle Tennessee is wonderful. It is always my favorite season (no matter where I am living), and I am looking forward to it more than usual this year. I’ve already decided my fall wreath and porch décor will be out as soon as Darren finishes his improvement project. I am no longer waiting for the official end of summer. It’s not like I am wearing white shoes after Labor Day, for heaven’s sake; I’m just putting out a wreath and vintage pitch fork!
According to most of the activity on Pinterest, it would appear many agree with my efforts to put summer behind us.
What’s that? You’ve not heard of “Pinterest?” Well, my dears, let me help you down the road of more lost hours than you can count . . .
Pinterest is yet another social media network. As a member you have the ability to create your own “pin boards” where you can grab images or videos you find on the web, say while browsing your favorite blogs or websites, and save them to your own boards. Think of it as an online idea book. You name your own boards and, as near as I can tell, there is no limit to the number of boards you can have. I, for instance, have 40 (wow! That many? Really didn’t know that until this moment.) boards, but a friend of mine has 89! I will not name names, but let me assure you, she is on Pinterest a lot! (I love pointing fingers to distract from my own issues . . .)
To give you an idea of how you use it, I’ll share some of my boards. I have a board named “I eat, therefore I am” where I post recipes I’ve found. Now I don’t have to have a log in for epicurious.com and other foodie sites—I just post them all to Pinterest. I also have a board called “The Crafting I’ll never get to” where I post, well, craft ideas. Then there is my “Patina, Please” board, where I post ideas about furniture painting inspirations.
The beauty of this site is, you can (almost) always find the source of the image, therefore you can always find it for yourself. This virtually eliminates those endless hours of hunting for that cool platter rack you saw on someone’s blog. Now you can figure out they got it at, oh, say Hodgepodge, or they just downloaded the image from a google search. Either way, the question is answered.
As near as I can tell, you still have to request a membership, but I think a member can send you an invitation, too. So, if you are a fellow “image addict” and would like to while away the hours putting together your own idea boards, drop me an email (address is below) and I will send you and invitation. If you are already on Pinterest, I hope you find me and follow! I am at: Pinterest.com/paigetk

two-by-two

August 12, 2012

Preparing for two kids to leave for college is like survivalist preparations. You double-up on everything and pack it in big plastic bins. The only difference is they will have running water, so we can leave bottled water off the list; that, and ammo. Two birds leaving our nest.

Recently, Facebook has been awash with pictures of the children of friends as they approach the school bus for the first time or as they trudge ahead of Mom, laden with a fully loaded backpack. Most photo posts are accompanied with comments such as, “I’m going to cry all day,” or “I can’t believe time is going so quickly!” All I could think was, “Looks like freedom to me!”

I remember when I started sending the kids to school. I don’t remember ever really being sad about school days. I do remember thinking things like, “Wow, grocery shopping is going to be much easier now,” or “Maybe I can get the dining room painted now!” But sadness wasn’t really part of it. I guess there was comfort in knowing that I would see them again after school. The freedom was good, but it was temporary and that was also good.

Now I am facing a much more permanent “freedom” that is making me feel a little off-center.

Our eldest daughter was gentle with me. She started her college career here at APSU about two years ago. At that time, she decided to continue living at home. It has been great (for me), but now she is ready to live in the dorms. We are very excited for her and hope that she is able to fully enjoy the university experience now that she will be living on campus. But part of me is now-so-secretly glad she will still come home for the occasional meal or maybe to do laundry.

Our son is a different story. He is off to eastern Tennessee, where he will attend UT Knoxville. (eep!) This one will be a little more difficult. He will eat all of his meals and do laundry (I hope) in Knoxville—now through fall break (hold on . . . yes, there is a fall break, Oct 11- 14) or (eep, eep!) Thanksgiving. He will not be taking a car with him, so any efforts to retrieve him for a weekend will require hours of travel there and back; not likely to happen with my schedule.

So, our youngest has a lot of pressure on her. She will be home alone for three years. We’ve already told her she is going to have to pick-up the chore slack (hee, hee), but what I don’t think she is expecting is how she is going to have to pick-up the entertainment slack, too. I really enjoy their company now. We have interesting conversations—talking books, issues and the like with comfort and ease. I actually like my kids and look forward to the daily rundown during our dinner conversations.

I find that I really like my adult kids. In fact, I recommend skipping all of that other stuff and just adopting fully grown, well-behaved adult children. Since, however, the youngest requires a little more time to enter the next phase of life, I will follow through with our commitment to raise her.

Alrighty then, I guess I better get back to packing—you can call me “Noah”—everything is going, two-by-two.

Just When I Thought I was Accomplishing Something

Motivation is a good thing. Sometimes we have external motivators; others, we create for ourselves. Last week I created my own when I told your lovely readers about my woeful neglect of my home. My confessions resulted in a level of activity around my house I haven’t been able to claim since Christmas!

Last Sunday I woke-up and began my usual level of cleaning—it’s my day to clean our bathroom. Whoopee! Then I decided to take it to the next level and began dusting the family room. Pleased with my efforts and results I moved, duster in hand, to the office and through the entry hall. Having exhausted the heroic efforts of my little dust grabbing cloth, I then shifted gears and headed outside to salvage some plants that have not already surrendered to the heat.

That is when I found my husband, diligently toiling away on the house. You see, several years ago he began his one man crusade to preserve our old house. His first major project was our roof. The front of our house has a standing seam metal roof, which we want to try to preserve. When we noticed some leaks, we immediately began researching methods for preserving a metal roof. Darren settled on a product that he painted onto the roof. For a week, he was perched on a rented cherry picker with a rubberized paint product and mesh tape. He worked diligently, all-day, each day of his “vacation” to salvage the roof of G.B. Wilson’s house.

Now, during his break between jobs, he is back to the tedious job of scraping 130 years worth of paint off of the wood siding of that same house. This is an on-going job. He has slowly, but surely been working his way around the house, heat gun and spatula in hand, removing the paint which has been baking onto the surface of our historic home.

 

(this is the before—at the bottom of the pic; after scraping—the mid, yellowish tone; and after the primer has been applied.)

I feel sure I have mentioned this before, but just in case you missed it . . . I love our house. I’ve wanted to own an historic home for longer than I can remember. Mom and Dad brought us up on “This Old House;” we were watching when Bob Villa was cool.

Funny story: Darren and I were living in Richmond Hill, GA when Steve Thomas and crew were renovating a house on an historic Savannah Square. My sisters came to visit us for St. Patrick’s Day—a pretty big day in Savannah. Well, we went out and did what you do on St.Patrick’s Day; by that I mean we ate corned beef and potatoes. What?!?

Anyhoo, we were on our way home (don’t worry, my sister, who doesn’t eat corned beef OR potatoes) was driving and we had the brilliant idea to drive by the project house. Next thing I knew, we were pulling-up and the sisters were running up the stairs for a photo! We couldn’t wait to share this photo with Mom & Dad! Of course we were hoping Norm would walk out of the front door and pose with us, but alas, he was a no show. We were this close to fame!

Okay—so back to present time. Darren shares my love for historic homes, but I don’t think he really wanted to be this involved or perhaps, he thought I’d be doing more to help. I make my contributions, but I can assure you, I do not have the “sweat equity” Darren has invested. My help involves interior paint colors and furnishings. I do help with a few of the maintenance projects, but they really don’t stack against scraping paint in desert heat!

(Here is my dedicated man, heat gun in hand, scraping under the eaves.  He’s a keeper.)

Barn Weddings and Barn Sales

Last week I helped a client decorate for her daughter’s wedding reception. It was an absolute honor to be included in such an important way, as I knew this bride had been looking forward to her big day for quite a long time.

The setting was a barn (hurrah!) in a valley with a picturesque creek running through the bucolic scene. As the setting was so lovely, there was very little for me to do to add to the natural appeal of the surroundings, but I was happy to try.

The bride and her mother have been gathering many of the items they wanted me to use for the table settings, so my part was relatively easy—all I had to do was arrange everything for the reception. I did make a few decorations to use, too. My absolute favorite was the garland I made using the pages from a book. It was something I had been working on for a while, but never getting it quite right; then Calla Ketchens (from Ingredients on Strawberry Alley) wandered through during Art Walk and had an idea that sparked my solution. I went home after Art Walk and knocked it out—from scratch—in a little over an hour!

Don’t you love collaboration? That is one of the many reasons I love where my shop is located. I feel like I am constantly surrounded by creative people. From the business owners and the folks that run the galleries to the folks that volunteer their time to make the downtown a viable and vibrant place to spend time—creativity and creative thinking abound!

Speaking of creativity and barns . . . have you heard about barn sales? They have been popping-up all over the Midwest for years. I liken them to flea markets on ingenuity steroids! The displays are out of this world—inspiration and originality are everywhere!

My sister, Kendall, and I have been entranced by these events ever since we found out about them through one of our favorite blogs. That was about three years ago and ever since we have been trying to find one close enough to attend. There is a biannual barn sale in Hartville, TN that we have been trying to attend, but we have had scheduling conflicts. Fortunately, our search has come to an end! The HayLoft at Port Royal is the first (as far as I know) barn sale in our County! (I think it’s our county—I went to see it, I drove into and out of KY . . . I think.) The dates and times are Oct 19 – 20, from 10 a.m. til 6 p.m., but you can enjoy a sneak peek on the 18^th from 4 – 7 p.m. (there’s a $10 charge for the sneak peek, but there will be food and entertainment as well). There will be repurposed vintage items, handmade jewelry, revamped furniture, handmade clothing and regional art. Folks, this is going to be fun! The HayLoft can be found at 551 Port Royal Rd, Clarksville, TN 37040 (guess that settles the “county” question . . .)

How lucky can a girl be? First, the opportunity to decorate for a wedding reception in a barn, followed shortly by a barn sale! I just hope they’re still smoking the tobacco when I get there! That would be the equivalency of a barn trifecta!

July 29, 2012—Minor Accomplishments (accolades welcome . . .)

This week has been as crazy busy as any other, but I feel like I am actually getting things done. Don’t you hate those wheel-spinner days/weeks/months?

I feel like real progress was made in several areas—including the house, garden and shop—but mostly the shop. I have been able to pull together a summer sale, the likes of which I have never had before, at least one new window display (as of the writing of this column) and I was able to do some painting. I finished some small projects and put a few new things on the floor for sale.

The beauty of getting stuff done at the shop is that I will have virtually hundreds of people walk through and notice the changes. Regular customers will comment, “Oh! You’ve changed the window—let me go look again!” New customers will compliment an arrangement or a particular vignette. It’s all very satisfying. Not so much at the house. At the house, if anyone notices a new arrangement or newly hung picture, I am lucky. It is much more likely that someone will ask, a month down the road, “When d’we get that?”

That’s why I find it so funny when I over hear people saying, “Oh, I bet her house is wonderful.” Basing this supposition, naturally, on the attention to detail and display they see in the shop. My response, when they actually make this comment to me, is generally, “Not so much.”

I generally explain that I spend more time at the shop than my house and, when I am at the house, 7 of the approximately 10 hours are spent with my eyes closed. I don’t pay much attention to decorating my house anymore. Of course, the shop not only gets my attention, but also that of my friends/staff that help me; they do not come to my house, neither to arrange displays nor dust. (I’ve asked, they won’t do it.)

There was a time when the house and the décor filling it was all I thought about and did. I was constantly working on projects—whipping-up a couple throw pillows, making curtains, dinner and doing laundry, too; now . . . not so much. If I do have a novel idea for my house, it usually doesn’t happen until the relative season has nearly passed; bunnies arrive in May, patriotic bunting in August, you get the picture.

I guess that’s why, minor successes such as walking the dog AND pruning the Nandina before my chiropractic appointment makes me want to climb on the chicken coop (that I wish I had time to build) and crow!

July 22, 2012—

It’s not the heat . . . it’s the humidity. I think if we’ve learned nothing else in the month of July—this we now know.

I have assumed the “summer-doo.” My stylists advise against it, but I simply cannot run a hair dryer in this heat, nor can I wear my hair down; consequently, I will wear my hair in a damp knot at the base of my neck until the temperatures cool down. By the end of summer, my scalp with likely mildew, as my hair is almost never dry, thanks to the humidity. (Pretty picture, eh?)

Coping with the heat isn’t so bad. I was actually feeling my age with the dry beginning of July thinking it is no wonder so many folks retire to Arizona. The heat without the humidity is bearable. My gardens, however, did not fare so well.

Our dear friend, Travis, was kind enough to tend our home, pool, dogs and cat during our vacation. He intended to water the gardens, as well, then we were hit with the mandatory water restrictions and we knew we would like return to Death Valley. A pretty accurate description of what we found. Travis watered when he was able—based on the schedule established by the City and his work obligations—but the combination of heat and lack of water really took a toll on the lush gardens we left.

I was especially sad, because Mom had spent a great deal of her time here working in the yard. She finds that time—watering, trimming and weeding—therapeutic. She tended to the things I rarely get to do in the garden. She deadheaded the withering blooms, trimmed back my mums to avoid an early bloom and cut-back old growth on some of the more established plants. This freed Darren and I to finish the wine bottle garden, to thin-out the floppy undergrowth of the Crape Myrtles and other chores. The gardens were looking great.

My goal is to get this established so we can mulch it—as it is now,

everything just washes down the hill.

 

As is typically the case when one returns from vacation, I have had so much catching-up to do at the shop, I haven’t had any time for efforts to salvage the plants that remain. I did manage to cut-back the remnants of a beautiful hydrangea, which was already recovering from a lost battle involving high winds and a gas grill. It was a sad day, but I managed to salvage a few dried blooms to display in a vintage sap bucket.

The blooms I was able to salvage. 

I almost prefer dried blooms to the fresh.

 

I am one of those people who hates to cut flowers out of my own garden. I prefer to enjoy them in the garden. Hydrangeas are the perfect bloom for people like me. You can enjoy them on the shrub for an entire season then, as they begin to fade, cut them for drying. I enjoy dried hydrangeas almost as much as the blooms on the bush.

One exception to my “no cutting” rule is my herb garden; those I’ll cut. When I go to gather herbs for cooking, I often return with a handful of herbs for the window sill above the sink. I keep an array of vintage bottles at the ready to serve as vessels for these clippings. I love the purplish blossoms found on our rather prolific oregano. Another favorite is basil—even without the blossoms. Technically, you shouldn’t allow your basil to blossom, as the leaves will taste bitter, but I love the smell and look so I usually let a few blossoms form, then trim back leaving the bottom two sets of leaves. It will renew itself several times throughout the season.

 

I hope the rest of our summer is a little more temperate, but I will attempt to grin and bear it regardless, because we are so fortunate to enjoy all four seasons here in Middle Tennessee. In the meantime, I think I’ll call Mom and offer an opportunity to come enjoy more therapy.

July 15, 2012—the vacation

(Disclaimer: I actually wrote this last week, but due to my lack of technological expertise, I was unable to send it. Please forgive it’s late arrival.)

I am sitting on the porch of my second favorite place in the world, enjoying my second to the last sunrise (which I enjoyed mostly from the comfort of bed, but then reminded myself that there would only be one more, so up I hopped). My brother-in-law is the only other one stirring—wait, there is the squeaky door . . . my son appears with a bowl of cereal in his hand.

All week we have been enjoying what I call the excessive relaxation of vacation. Yes, it is relaxing to be away from the shop and the house, but sometimes it is a little excessive. The food and drink is definitely excessive—I am sure everyone is regretting my choice of a bikini for our time together. We are excessive in our attempts to squeeze-in so much togetherness (there are those among us who need their alone time, if you know what I’m saying). But all-in-all, I’d say it has been another banner vacation for the family.

With the last night of our time together drawing nigh, I am forced to acknowledge the limitations of our vacation. My sister, Nikki, is recovering from a recent surgery (-ies, actually) and, naturally, my father’s presence is sorely missed. Nik is doing her best to keep-up with us, inevitably overdoing it at times, but I think we’ve all done a good job of keeping her in check. Dad’s presence is all around us: the music he loved and his quotable quotes—usually declared by one of the grandchildren—are most frequent reminders and conjure happy memories. I do miss being able to turn to him as ask him: about the history of the river; to identify a fish, bird or plant; how to fix the broken box spring on one of the beds. As promised by all of my friends, however, time is taking away the hurt and helping smiles overtake the tears.

One thing Dad loved about coming to this new cabin is seeing the new, quirky decorations Robyn and Craig have chosen for their home-away-from-home. They have procured some of the most unique items to adorn their home on the “rivah,” and there is always something new. This year, they added papier mâchê figures, most about 3 – 4 feet in height, to the rafters of the main room. They are all representative of their love for country music and the blues. They told us they were able to purchase them from a restaurant that was redecorating.

Each time we visit, my sisters and I talk about what we would do if we were able to have a cabin to our own. It is one of our favorite things to do—plan fantasy homes and decorate them. We consider our favorite plan to be a compound of sorts with a central living and kitchen area and separate wings for each of the families. (I did mention this is a fantasy conception, right?)

Anyhoo, I think the décor in your home-away-from-home should be casual, but you still need to consider practicality and comfort. A large, well-planned kitchen is essential, as we must all be able to be in there at the same time. A large, screened porch with plenty of seating is wonderful. Beds are nice, too—at least one for each of us.

As for the décor, I think my place would look much the same as my house. Old, worn furniture—no pressure to be careful with finished surfaces. Everything would be washable. Hardwood floors are a must. I am sure I’d have the water themed toss pillows and painted signs such as, “What happens at the cabin, stays at the cabin,” but I am thinking I’d have to issue a moratorium on additions to the décor without my prior approval. So, at the risk of sounding ungrateful, when you are invited to my fantasy cabin, please bring gifts of consumables—nothing I will feel obliged to display, please.

Paige Thomas King is owner of Hodgepodge, Where You Gather Your Home, at 125 Franklin St. Email her at paige@hodgepodge-home.com or visit her blog at www.hodgepodge-home.blogspot.com.

Jul 1, 2012—Vacation Packing

How do you pack for vacation? I think I pack very differently when I am packing for vacation, as compared to when I am packing for a business trip. I wonder if this is a widespread phenomenon or my unique, ill-prepared approach.

The cool thing about my job is that I give the appearance of having it “together” by virtue of the fact that I can arrange a mantel or create a coherent display in a window. All you have to do is peek over my front desk or behind the curtain into my backroom to know it is an illusion (not a very good illusion, at that). If messy desk is evidence of a creative mind—as those of us with messy desks are desperate to believe—then I am approaching the Einstein-esque genius! But we were packing . . . (Attention Deficit Disorder is something else altogether).

When I’m taking a business trip, I make a list—choosing outfits for each day, adjusting for maximum use of one or two pairs of shoes. I usually have it all ironed and ready to pack in the car or suitcase at least one day in advance. I think it’s more difficult to pack for vacation. I always have so much I want to “pack-in” during my time away (every bit of that pun was intended), I feel the pressure to make sure I have everything I could possibly need with me. Business trips are straight forward. Also, there’s less guilt in going away for business. Vacation time is just so dang self-indulgent!

As I compose this column, we are at t-minus 12 hours and I’ve only put a bathing suit in my suitcase! I will be here at work another 7 hours. There is laundry to do, last minute runs to the grocery store for en route supplies, and a refrigerator to clean! You do the math. No don’t . . . I’m stressed enough already.

What I always marvel at as we prepare for vacation trips is how the family divides-up the necessary chores. Now that the kids are of that somewhat useful age, I think I lull myself into a false sense of security that they’re taking care of the things I once did. They do their own packing, including the preparatory laundry. They no longer require entertainment devices the size of large coolers. Now, they’re happy with an IPod and a few books. They even pack their own snacks for the road.

We do have to remind them to grab the sunscreen, beach towels and other items for the “greater good,” but they do tend to their own needs pretty well. Our youngest is a planner. She has been packing in her mind for the past month. She will also be especially helpful in selecting approved outfits for her older brother; he, in exchange for her efforts, will promptly commence to mismatching or completely disregarding. Our eldest is responsible for making sure we have enough tie dying supplies to create unique apparel for each of our party of 15—one of our few pre-planned, organized activities. Oh, and in case you are wondering, it is my husband’s job to clean the car prior to the trip; the kids and I look at it as clean palette on which to create.

The truth is bathing suits will be the attire for the majority of the time. I really don’t plan to pack much more than that. I’ll be wearing my travel outfit, which should suffice for the required runs to the grocery store while there. So, I guess I’m really packed already—I just need to grab a few magazines, a book, my camera, my laptop . . .

June 24, 2012—lazy, hazy days

According to the official calendar of the King Kompound (aka: the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System calendar) we are about four weeks into our summer. Thus far, as Nat King Cole used to sing, I’ve had plenty of the “crazy,” but very few of those “lazy, hazy days.” But I guess that’s just life.

The seasons determined by the tilt of the earth on its axis have very little bearing on the level of activity in most of our lives. Sure, there are the occasional happenstances of a seasonal nature which ramp-up activity levels (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc.), but for the most part, life is always pretty crazy for us. I try to keep things in perspective, but sometimes it is difficult.

I know that the reason we are busy running kids to-and-fro is because they are healthy, active kids, therefore they have things to do. The reason our schedule is full is because we have jobs, church and civic commitments—all good things. But sometimes it feels too crazy and you just want to stop the roller coaster ride and get off!

Pretty soon we will enter another phase of our household life—two of the three kids will be in college (one here at APSU and the other is heading to UT in Knoxville), so we will have a little less activity in the house. Thank goodness this is gradual or I’d be experiencing “lazy, hazy” at a home for the mentally deficient!

 

 

 

In the meantime, bring on the crazy with our upcoming family excursion to the aforementioned (my column from April 22nd) second favorite place on earth. The area is known as the “Northern Neck” region of Virginia; it is located on the northernmost peninsula of three located along the Chesapeake Bay. We will enjoy boating, fishing, hammock rocking, great food and even better company. This is how it is going to play out . . .

We all pile in the “family truckster”—a 1993 Suburban, held together by prayer and our dear friends at Auto MD on Seven Mile Ferry Road—and head east. We stop driving when we see water. We will start the fun at Nikki and Bill’s (my sister and brother-in-law’s) RV they leave at a park there. It is big and comfortable, but will fill-up quickly with our family of five, Nikki’s family of five and Kendall’s family of four. Needless to say, Mom will be skipping this part of our adventure.

She will join us on day 3, when we move to the cabin our cousins so generously allow us to borrow now and again. It is much more spacious and allows us to spread-out a little more, but we will have equal amounts of fun at both locations. The additional bonus at the cabin is the fact that is right on the Nomini Creek. We walk off the porch and within a few steps we are on the dock. From there, children will perform their antics (which they believe resembles “diving”), kayaks will be launched and Uncle Bill will push-off more times than we can count to pull a tube or throw some fishing lines. Our biggest concerns all week will be: is it jellyfish free zone and do we need more ice for the coolers.

Cue the “lazy, hazy” and check my pulse.

June 17, 2012—Father’s Day

This has been an emotional week for me.

As I write my column, Darren is in Knoxville with our son for his University of Tennessee orientation. Haedyn is our second to go to college, but the first to leave home. Hunter, our eldest daughter, is a student at Austin Peay. In an effort to save money, she has lived at home for the first two years of her college experience. She announced this past spring that she wants to move on campus. While we’re excited about these moves for our children, I can’t help but have a little anxious pang of panic at the two of them leaving in unison. I mean, who is going to get Hannah to gym? (Just kidding—sort of.) I’ll miss them both terribly and not just because they’re great chauffeurs for their sister.

 

I guess, however, before we move my eldest children out of the house, we should address the fact that it is Father’s Day. Those of you who read my column regularly—right after the obituaries and the comics—will recall that I wrote about all of the great stuff I learned from my mother for mother’s day. It would follow that I would write about all I learned from my dad for Father’s Day, but as the tears are welling in my eyes even trying to start this, that will have to wait until next year. Suffice to say for now, that he is, was and will always be the most influential man in my life. He showed love to our entire family, which extended to our friends, and so many more. I miss him every day.

Instead, I want to share a little bit about the guy I’ve watched become a father.

My husband, Darren, was raised by his mom. She and Darren’s dad divorced when Darren was very young. Darren didn’t know his dad very well until later in life. They spent some time together while he was growing-up, but he wasn’t an everyday dad. We did get to know him—he was a great Grandpa—and we miss him tremendously, as well.

I would be lying if I said it didn’t worry me about what kind of dad Darren would be. My Dad was such an integral part of my upbringing and influence, which caused me to wonder if Darren had received the same sort of nurturing, guidance and support. I need not have worried; twenty years into this parenting thing, I can’t imagine a better partner with whom to parent.

Darren is the yin to my yang—especially with regard to parenting. He is more disciplined than I, in many regards, but they all serve as good examples to the kids. He is physically active. He believes in the maximum, “everything in moderation.” He demonstrates to the kids that you can enjoy those vegies sautéed in butter, but you need to make sure you’re balancing it with exercise. He has taught them they are responsible for their actions or the lack of action. He has a great sense of humor and the kids appreciate it—especially that kind of humor that mom often chides as inappropriate.

As the son of a single parent, he learned to be self-sufficient at an early age. He has instilled the children with the same ethic. I admit it—I was taught many things as a child and young adult, but I probably fell back on my parents for support more frequently than Darren did. I know his mother expected a lot of him and guided him in many of his core values.

As a 22-year Army Veteran, he has demonstrated the importance of service to your country, as well as the pride found in a working hard and loyally wherever you are. Yes, he was gone for a lot of the early years as our family was developing, but influence was and is ever present. The kids knew, throughout his deployments and our many other separations, his first priority was his family.

I think he has been an amazing dad. I am fortunate to have shared this parenting experience with him.

Next week, however, all bets are off and things will be back to normal; he’ll be fodder for another kind of column!

June 10, 2012--Color me happy and the pool clear!

You will be happy to know that the Center for Disease Control is no longer rapping on the front door, wanting to move my kids into foster care due to our inability to keep a clean pool. We can claim a huge success this past week—the pool is clear and safe for human use. It is also, according to our dog that prefers water out of anything other than her water bowl, pretty tasty!

We worked every day for about ten days trying to bring it around. Thanks to our handy dandy new scooper net (nearly bent the pole with a few of those scoopfuls of leaves), our vacuum and lots of bleach, we’re back in business. Disclaimer: the writer of this article does not claim to be an expert in pool cleaning or anything else for that matter. Please consult your local experts if you’d like to know how it’s really done.

So now we are ready for a pool party. I love my Adirondack chairs which we relocated to the mini-deck adjacent to the pool. The only thing missing is a palm tree, which I pointed-out, in a rather obvious manner to my eldest (I’ve got a birthday quickly approaching).

Color me happy and the pool clear!

I think I mentioned that my mom has been visiting with us ever since Haedyn’s graduation, but I don’t think I mentioned how much I am loving having her here. Well, I am!

Ever since she left after her extended visit last Christmas, I have been missing her—for a lot of reason, not the least of which is her companionship. My husband travels a lot and it is so nice to have a grown-up to talk to in the evenings. I have been sick this week, so I’ve not been much fun to be around, plus Mom has started wearing a special mask to deter the germs—it’s a little off-putting (as they say in facebook-ease, “winky face”).

As you may have guessed, I am a pretty social person. I like having people around to bounce ideas, to share the events of the day and the such. My kids are great and listen to far more than I am sure they want to—I think it’s because they’re afraid I’ll assign a chore if they get up and walk away!

Which brings me to another great thing about having her around—she is so helpful! I now see why that whole “housewife” thing caught on. They’re nice to have! Not that she does my laundry or dusting, but if I forget to defrost, I can call her and ask her to take something out of the freezer. She is the queen of salad prep! She gets the salad ready—my least favorite dinner chore! (Washed and ready bags of salad were invented for me.) She also helps keep the kids on task—she reminds them of the chores they promised to accomplish. She is actually saving me a lot of frustration. I don’t know what it is about kids and summer “mush head.”

 

Well, in case you didn’t know the other half . . . we’d like to have her move here. So if you see her, talk-up Clarksville. Don’t tell her I wrote this . . .

June 3, 2012—no more braces and tadpoles

I am sitting in the orthodontists’ office waiting for braces to be removed from the eagerly anticipated straight smile of my youngest daughter. While we do this, my eldest daughter took responsibility for opening my shop and my mother is at my house, having arrived this past weekend for my son’s graduation from high school.

I mention all of this because I have spent the weekend reveling in memories of times past. The things we thought would never come to pass, have. Life has a way of moving on—especially when you’re not paying attention. You spend so much time planning for the events of life, that sometimes it is difficult to grab the memories as they are happening. Most of the time, I feel blessed that this all seems so gradual, but lately, I’m feeling a little rushed.

We had a great weekend with family and friends in town for the graduation celebration. It was difficult for our son to arrange a time to have his friends over to celebrate, though; everyone has their own family obligations. So, we’ve decided to attempt a get-together for this weekend.

In anticipation of his party—and just because it’s time—we uncovered the pool last weekend. We were torn about getting started because there were hundreds, probably thousands of tadpoles swimming in the murky water atop the cover. I know I’ve mentioned our war-without-end against the mosquito population in our backyard. Well, how do you justify killing thousands of potential mosquito predators? We couldn’t, so Darren carefully transferred as many as he could to one of our galvanized tubs and we proceeded with the unveiling.

Mind you, we knew this wasn’t going to be any easy opening. In early fall our first cover tore and some muck slipped into the pool. Not having the time to remove it and clean the pool then, we slapped another cover on top and hoped for the best. Well, we got what we expected. The pool was filled with leaves and several larger tadpoles; the water color resembles the river down the hill. Yuck!

As this pool was my big idea, I took responsibility for the bulk of the cleaning. I spent most of my holiday scooping leaves and vacuuming muck. I am sorry, there are a few tadpoles that did not survive the pull of the filter pump. We’ve allowed it to settle for a couple days and today we will vacuum it again. Hopefully we can vacuum again tomorrow and then start hammering it with the chemicals.

As I said, this pool was my big idea. Remember about 6 years ago when President George W. Bush announced a tax rebate of $1100 for each kid we had claimed on our taxes? Well, I thought we should use this money for something fun for the kids. Heck, they were the reason we were getting this windfall, right? Having recently returned from Alabama where we had visited friends with an above-ground pool, I had started thinking differently about them. Not the friends—above-round pools. I am ashamed to confess, I’ve always had a sort of prejudice about them, but unlike some, I’ve been able to admit that it was a mistake to discriminate against them—especially considering that’s all we could afford. Suddenly, they were attractive and possessive of much potential. A few strategically placed tropical plants and no one would notice the metal siding, right?

So, that’s how we came to have a pool in our backyard. Thanks to President Bush and my husband’s weakened sensibilities (he was deployed at the time) we have a splash pond.

I have to admit, at times like these, I regret the purchase. But in a week when it is clean and we’re floating in circles, cooling off after yard work, I’ll be gloating about my brilliant decision to install a pool.

May 27, 2012—friends, truffle pigs and alfredo sauce

As I was leaving the shop tonight, I was chatting with Kimberly Santiago, a local artist who has written and published a book, A Collage Playground. I am fortunate to have her as a tenant in our historic building on Franklin Street—you can actually find her studio on the Strawberry Alley side of the building—but even more fortunate to call her “friend.”

Just a few years older than myself—I don’t think she would mind me saying that (one of the many reasons to admire her)—she has allowed herself to become my sounding board and confidant. She is willing to collaborate with me in business matters and share her experiences as a mother, wife, and business person. Everyone needs a Kimberly, but to be honest I’ve surrounded myself with her kind—Jane, Rogate, Monica, Sherri and Sheila are the tip of that proverbial iceberg—friends whom have ventured into business ownership and are willing to share experiences. I can’t imagine making it through my days without them.

I hope you have someone like them in your life. We all need friends to help keep the checks and balances of our lives.

 

So, right, back to the story . . . as we were leaving the shop, we were admiring the weather (as women of our age are prone to do—far more frequently than I care to admit) and wishing we hadn’t spent the entire day inside. We both agreed that the appropriate next move would be to make every effort to complete the work we anticipated at home—preferably on the patio.

 

As it has been a particularly stressful week, I immediately started formulating the plan. I’d start boiling the water for the pasta, then start the grill, grab my laptop and begin writing my article on the patio. So far, it’s working. I feel much better. Letting go of some of the stress of the day just by being outside on what is quite likely the final day of comfortable weather for the foreseeable future.

 

Even with all of the mulberries on the ground and the inevitable flies which accompany them, I am relaxing. Then our dog, Brogan, begins snarfing up the mulberries, which will lead to a stinky dog, if you know what I mean. Since he sleeps in my room, I beg and plead with him to stop—finally convincing him to lie down. He, naturally, lies down in the grass, where he can continue the snarfing, thinking I cannot observe his surreptitious efforts. Stress is returning, but still manageable. (My daughter refers to it as “truffling,” as he reminds us of those videos we’ve seen of Truffle Pigs hunting for their prize.)

 

 

Then my mind waders . . . Oh look! Is that a Robin or a Towhee? And would you just look at those swallows? I wish they would fly down around my head, arms and legs—they would find plenty of their prey feeding on my blood. Do I have time to add that final layer of paint to those Adirondack chairs? Then the clanging of the lid on the pot of vigorously boiling water returns me from the day dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back inside, the kitchen has really heated up with the boiling pot of pasta water. I add the whole wheat pasta to the water and start warming the Alfredo Sauce. It’s out of a jar, but practically gourmet, as I swish around a little white wine to loosen the sauce still clinging to the jar. I finish grilling the chicken breasts and turkey smoked sausage. We love this meal—especially on a busy work/school night. I chop the chicken and sausage, toss it into the sauce. My daughter helps whip together a healthy green salad and we sit down to a semi-family meal (my husband is out of town). We enjoy good conversation and a few laughs. I find myself sitting there, feeling a little self-satisfied in the knowledge that this is something we do nearly every night of the year. The stress is almost all gone; I then remember I haven’t written my article.

 

 

Rats! What will I write about . . .?

May 20, 2012—Packing for Picnics

This past week at the shop, we changed one of the windows to reflect the colors of warmer temperatures and associated activities. Namely the Downtown Market, Jammin’ in the Alley and Jazz on the Lawn—all great events which have recently made their seasonal return to Clarksville.

These events help us turn our minds to the wealth of activities and entertainment available in this community; added bonus—they’re free! It costs you nothing to come down and explore the market (www.clarksvilledowntownmarket.com) with the kids. The staff at City Parks & Rec has done a great job of recruiting quality vendors, as well as entertainers, awareness participants (such as the Humane Society) and providing activities for children. During Jammin’ in the Alley (the third Friday of the month, through August), you are encouraged to come with your own chairs and picnic food or to enjoy dining with one of our downtown restaurants. Then the folks at Beachhaven Winery invite you to join them on their grounds for free entertainment; again, you can bring you own food and non-alcoholic beverages.

If you’ve got plans to shop the market, you may wish to take along a shopping tote or basket for your loot. There is so much to see and buy, make sure it is large and sturdy!

If at all possible, you may want to find a basket that will do double duty—something you can use for market shopping, but will also serve as a sturdy carry-all for the items you will take along to the picnic events you’re bound to attend this summer.

When packing your picnic baskets this year, let me encourage you to consider stepping-up your list of “usuals.” Instead of using paper plates and napkins, why not consider investing in lightweight melamine plates and cloth napkins? They are sturdy, attractive AND reusable. The same is true of light, inexpensive flatware; the kind with plastic handles is available in a variety of bright colors and helps to elevate the event.

Blankets are great for picnicking, but colorful tablecloths are just as effective and weigh less than blankets. Chairs are nice, but rather cumbersome. You could use purchased seat cushions—use the tie-on straps to create a carrying handle—or enlist floor cushions for more comfort. If you try the floor cushions, you can wrap an old belt around a couple to make them easier to carry.

There are a few other items I would include (and leave in) my picnic basket: a wine bottle opener, salt & pepper shakers, hand sanitizer, candles in containers, a lighter and bug spray.

Some additional thoughts as I was snapping photos around the shop . . . these linen, roll-up utensil storage wraps are great for carrying (as well as storing) utensils.

 

These rag-style rugs make a great, easy to carry surface for picnicking, too.

A few ideas for really impressing your fellow picnickers, you can pack some “Southern Style” stemware—they come complete with lids to keep out pesky bugs and prevent spills on uneven surfaces. If you can find a vintage tool carrier, it will be the perfect transport caddy for your glasses. This is a bit of an extravagance, but well worth the effort—if for no other reason than bragging rights!

I hope to see you at some of these events this season. I’ll bring the bug spray!