Painting the Kitchen

Published, Jan 25,2015

Well, I don’t know about you, but I enjoyed our recent and brief respite from the bitter cold last weekend. We were visiting another one of Tennessee’s “top five” cities—Knoxville. Yet another gymnastics competition took us to their downtown area, too. In fact, all of Tennessee’s “top five” host these competitions—oops, make that four-and-a-half out of the five.

There is a small, pre-season competition which is hosted by Clarksville Elite, but they hold it at the Foy Fitness Center on the APSU campus. It doesn’t begin to compare to the scale and scope of the meets held in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, though.

I just think it’s strange that a city that boast about its convenient central location, that we haven’t done something to take advantage of that location. I am sure greater minds than mine are working on it. I’ll just worry my pretty little head about domestic matters—like making hotel reservations and researching places to dine and shop while we’re attending the next event.

As for other domestic matters, I have once again tackled the less than enviable task of painting the kitchen. This is a process that was much needed, but became impossible to ignore after our recent renovations.

I don’t think I mentioned is before, but I asked Glen (our contractor for this project) move the cabinet surrounding our refrigerator about six inches to the left. It’s something I thought of a while ago, but doing so would have exposed an area of the floor which was not covered by the laminate floor that my husband and I had installed. The thought of trying to retro-fit the flooring into that exposed space was too daunting, so we waited.

We have a side-by-side refrigerator, which I normally wouldn’t have considered, but it met my single requirement: it was the largest capacity I could find which would fit into the space available. It fit, but (a little detail one should apparently consider) the door on the right hit the door jam on the adjacent wall and wouldn’t open. That’s when we came-up with the solution of removing the door jam and cutting it to a length that allowed the refrigerator door free movement—sort of. It still hit the door to the laundry room whenever we had to open it wide enough to open the crisper drawers.

Eight years of door banging had me ready to jump on this possibility of moving those cabinets when we had to replace the flooring. Glen told me it would be an easy fix, so I added it to the list. What a difference the move has made. The space we lost—to the left of the cabinet—was a concern, because I stow a rolling cart, which holds my stand mixer, there. Now it protrudes into the walkway a little more, but not enough to matter to anyone.

The repositioned cabinets gave us more room to open the doors on the refrigerator.

 

The new flooring and laundry room also provided an opportunity to make a few more changes to the space, too. I brought home a piece of furniture I had in Hodgepodge, but had been keeping in storage; it was always one of my favorite pieces and, consequently, I didn’t discount it when I closed shop. (My subconscious mind obviously had plans for it.)

My subconscious desire—the black bookcase/cupboard.

So, I told you all of that to tell you this: I started painting the kitchen again. When I moved the white cabinet from the kitchen into the laundry room, I took that opportunity to paint the wainscoting, trim and wall before positioning the new bookcase there.

the white cupboard in it’s new location

 

Fortunately, I love the color of our kitchen, so I am just going to freshen-up the look with some cleaning and the same colors. This way, I will be able to take my time—thus far proven, as I began the process just after Thanksgiving—without having to be met with an offensive contrast of colors. Of course, this could also work against me when I consider my ability to procrastinate.

One last note, since I apparently have a few things on my mind and the time on my hands to consider them . . . at length . . . I’ve decided to begin blogging again. This may not mean much to you, but it is a big thing for me. I consider it an obligation, of sorts. If you tell your readers you’re going to do something, then you need to do it. So, if you like reading about our renovation projects and general shenanigans, you may want to check it out. I will also be providing a few more photographs than space allows here in “The Leaf.” By the end of the weekend, you’ll find me at www.hodgepodge-home.blogspot.com.

A personal note—thank you to the friends who encouraged me to get back to my blog. I appreciate the support and confidence.

“Falling” Productive

This is the column I wrote for The Leaf Chronicle, which appeared in the Sunday, Oct 20, 2013 edition.

As I sat down at the computer to write my column for this week, I posted my confession on facebook. I was there (on facebook) and elsewhere looking for inspiration. I had several suggestions for topics for my article, but mostly just some friends aiding and abetting my delinquency. I did have one friend who made a suggestion which was along the lines of what I was thinking already, so Ruta, here you go . . .

I am finding, as I usually do this time of year, that I am rather productive. There is something about fall that motivates me; even the rainy days. I’ll take a rainy day in October over a sunny day in August every time! Perhaps it is the cooler weather, the fresh breeze blowing through the shop and the house or the excitement of the coming season. Whatever the reason, it seems to come in the nick-of-time each year.

At the shop, I’ve finally started clearing out some of the “stuff” I’ve allowed to accumulate over the years. I’m boxing up some of my creative supplies to take home or donate. I’ve found I don’t have a lot of time for creative activities while at work—well, at least not this type of creativity. This will have the added benefit of clearing some shelves so we can lay-out our Christmas inventory and get it ready to move to the floor in a few weeks; yes, I’m sorry . . . I’m a retailer.

At home, I’ve been trying to accomplish some of the same. I’ve got a donate box, a storage box and the trashcan! As I transition to my fall décor, it is the perfect time to do a little weeding. Of course, this is a slower process than at the store; things are pretty clear cut there—get it on the floor to sell, donate it or throw it away. At the house I slow down. There’s so much more to consider. I’ve got children getting ready to move out of the house—eventually—so I have to consider things which might be useful in their first apartments.

Then, of course, I have to consider the Antiques Road Show. I know you know what I mean. You’re looking at that pitcher that Aunt Ethel gave you for your wedding. You’ve never used it—not even to hold flowers. This time it’s getting donated, but . . . as you place it in the box you notice the marking on the bottom. What does that say? “W. Germany.” Then you’re thinking, where did I hear something about that? If there is a “W” that clearly means is once belonged to the former President, right??? No, that wasn’t it. Think. Right, it means “West Germany.” That place no longer exists! I’ll bet it’s worth something! Wouldn’t that be a shame to donate it, to later watch as some stranger shows-up on the Antiques Road Show with the pitcher Aunt Ethel so thoughtfully chose for you?

So, umm, yeah. Back to how productive I’ve been.

While my daydreams tend to gain some footing, I still feel like I’ve made great strides at the shop and at home. I’ve been slowly adding decorative fall accents throughout the house; they will be firmly in place until after Thanksgiving. Christmas does not encroach on our orderly observation of holidays at the house. (Heck, I’m lucky to have the tree decorated by December 25^th!)

Since I like to share ideas for transitional décor you might want to use in your own home, I’ll close by sharing a picture of the mantel in our dining room. This is one of my favorite places to focus our seasonal décor for several reasons. It is the first room I see when I walk out of our bedroom, it is where we do most of our entertaining and I can also see it from the room where I spend most of my waking hours—the kitchen.

Several weeks ago, I was ready to remove the summer accents I had used to adorn it for the season, but not quite ready for Indian corn and pumpkins, so I decided to add some items that would carry through until Thanksgiving, while giving a nod to the fading summer days. I started with a few books stacked on their side—choosing those with colors that reflected my transitional theme. Then I added brown pillar candles and a hand decorated emergency candle (similar to the one I gave instructions for last week), as well as a few rusty iron accents. The final touch—the hydrangeas I dried a few weeks ago. I left them in the aqua ball jars, because the colors worked so well with the shades of blues and greens in the hydrangeas. I loved this display so much, I was hesitant to take it down for my full-blown autumn mantel, but I do look forward to using the dried blooms again next year.

Next week, I’ll share more pictures of my home and how I decorate for this most wonderful time of year.

The first day of September—color me happy!

My column for The Leaf Chronicle, originally published Sep 1, 2013.

My love/hate relationship with our Mulberry tree continues—having just gotten over the black flies and berries, we are now dealing with the falling leaves (which will continue until February). The gardens are a mess—weeds are rampant in the flower bed and the perennials are getting leggy. The lack of rain has wreaked havoc on the gardens and yard; yet I am crazy about this time of year!

Our “above ground pond” is closed for the season, so that is one less thing to worry about. Pretty soon we will be able to open the windows and enjoy the fresh air. Soon, mums and pumpkins will adorn front porches all over Clarksville. Yep—soon it’ll be fall y’all!

In typical fashion, however, I am loathe to push the seasons. Owning a retail shop makes me hyper aware of the changing seasons. You will note that most retailers already have their Halloween décor on the shelves—fall colors, in the form of faux leaves and pumpkins, having been added in July. I have always pushed back at the suggestion that I need to do the same thing at my shop, but I have had to succumb ever so slightly.

I think that, by August, everyone has had enough “summer” and most consider the start of the school year the start of the fall season; however, the warm weather will stick around for a while, so let’s conjure some ideas for making a transition.

This is the perfect time to cleanse the decorating palette. I like to move into neutral tones before I introduce the rich colors of the harvest season. The neutral items will then provide a great base for the future riot of orange, gold and red.

Here’s how I will start. I have a tobacco basket on the front of my house—where I often hang my wreaths. I put it up last fall and decided to use it as the “base” for all of our entryway décor since then. Until recently, a swag of herbs with a garden trowel and bird’s nest was hanging there, now it is the backdrop for an armful of dried oats, gathered together with a knot of burlap. In a few weeks, I will add a pennant banner to hail the harvest season (I’ll be sharing tips on how to make your own next week). For now, the neutral oats will set the tone—then I will add pops of color and seasonal references.

Dried flowers and grasses are a great way to make changes in the house, without pulling out the pumpkins and gourds just yet. Hydrangeas are my favorite dried flowers and my friend, Ruta, just gave me tips for the best way to dry them. If you have a bush with blooms you are still enjoying, now would be a great time to cut a bunch and bring them inside to dry. (If you don’t have your own hydrangea bush, wait until it is dark and sneak into your neighbor’s yard to cut his.) Don’t harvest new blooms—choose the blooms that are already starting to feel papery. Cut a good length of stem and remove all leaves. Then place the blooms in a vase that is filled to about 1/3 full. Add your blooms—don’t overcrowd—then enjoy them until the water evaporates. You should then have beautiful dried blooms. Keep them out of direct sunlight during the drying process and afterward.

Feb 10, 2013--Pleasant Surprises

Mid-February and mid-fifties!  Are you kidding me?  I want winter weather.  I want at least one, really good snow day when we’re all forced to stay home in our PJs, watch movies and bake cookies.  You know you want one, too.

Instead I’m watching in dismay as my daffodils bloom and my winter urn arrangements appear incongruent in this tropical oasis.  (Slight exaggeration, but it helps to emphasize my point.)  As I sit typing my fingers to the bone (more emphasis), the 10 day forecast is predicting more of the same.  I see no snow days in my near future.

I do see, however, some baking in my very near future.  This week I will bake my first King Cake for Fat Tuesday.  We don’t really make a big deal about Mardi Gras around the King Kompound—it usually means Pancake Supper at Trinity Episcopal and that’s about it.  This year, however, I promised my patrons some King Cake, so I better get busy!

Last year we went to celebrate Mardi Gras with my sister and brother-in-law in Northern Virginia.  They host a grande fête each February and one of their guests brought a couple dozen cupcakes, each embellished with a plastic baby figure—like the one found inside a proper King Cake.  I absconded with at least half-a-dozen, so I am set in that regard.  What I need to find, though, is a recipe.  I’ll also be making Pralines for the first time.  I’m actually looking forward to it and will let you know how I make-out.

As we’re going to run headlong into Valentine’s Day, too, I’ve worked-out some plans for that, too.  I really want to go see “Always . . . Patsy Cline” at The Roxy, but we are a going to have to wait until next week for that.  Rather than fight the crowds to dine-out (rest assured, we do our fair share of that), I think I’ll make a nice, romantic dinner for the three of us (you will remember we still have one bird in the nest).  I’m going to make Coq au Vin—it was the first “fancy” dish I ever made for Darren.  I don’t think, to be honest, it was the hook that caught him, but I remember the excitement of preparing such a special meal very fondly!

Does cooking do that for you?  Do you hold onto those memories like I do?  I can tell you the first time I made a lot of meals.  For instance, the first time I made Stromboli I failed to remove the paper casing from the salami, so with every bite, Darren was discreetly pulling the casing out from between pursed lips.  (That one was after we were married, so he gave me the appropriately hard time!)

I really enjoy planning and preparing meals, which is another aspect of my creativity that has been thwarted over the past few years.  Every now a then I have bursts of culinary creativity, but they are far too infrequent.  When we were trying to figure out what to do with some leftover ham the other night, I told Darren that I would use it to prepare Spaghetti a la Carbonara.  His response, “But I didn’t pick-up any of that at the commissary.” 

“Harumph!” said I.

So, last Wednesday, I came home from work and immediately set-about  browning the onions and mixing the half-and-half with some egg yolks.  Thirty minutes later, he was pleasantly surprised that I was not only still able to cook from scratch, but that the results were rather tasty.  (Added bonus, I used a lot of leftovers and we needed nothing additional from the commissary!)  I think I need to surprise him, as well as myself, a little more frequently!

I hope this week holds pleasant surprises for you.

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.

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

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.

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!

may 13, 2012—Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day! I envision you (the mothers reading this) lying comfortably in bed, eating the breakfast which was lovingly prepared for you, reading your favorite (wink, wink) Sunday column!

The more likely reality is that you’ve been up for hours, cleaned all of the dishes left in the sink and had to go pull the paper out from under someone’s art project (thank goodness they were, at least, using paper!). It is hard to figure out how to celebrate these Hallmark™ holidays, isn’t it?

My mother is still some distance away. I can’t do much for her for the holiday, but she isn’t very easy to “do” for anyway. She doesn’t sit still when other people are doing things. I like to think I inherited that trait, but I feel like I sit a lot more than she does.
I thought I’d use this opportunity to share a few other things I’ve learned from my mom.
I learned how to make a bed. She taught me all about hospital corners and why you put the top sheet on “jelly side down.” She also taught me that my day starts better when I make the bed in the morning. I don’t remember her bed ever being un-made. Now, I don’t remember actually adopting that philosophy until I was married with children, nor do I get it done every day, but I really do feel better when it’s done.

I learned how to set a table. She taught me how to fold napkins—where the “loose” corner is to be located in relation to the plate. I know the knife blade faces the dinner plate. While growing up, we ate dinner at the table, in the kitchen—no TV, except the occasional meal in front of the Disney movie of the week. We’ve continued the same practice. I am proud of that.

My mother taught me to separate my whites from my darks. We were expected to help with our laundry around our house and our kids have been doing their own laundry, for the most part, for at least four years. I taught them to separate, but my husband taught them to throw it all in together. I can’t compete with that.


Mom taught me to sew. One of the best gifts ever! The ability to sew saved me tons of money on the clothing I needed for my first job out of college, slipcovers for the hand-me-down furnishings for my first apartment and the numerous curtains I’ve made for our numerous homes!
At this point, I think it’s only fair to tell you that my mother was as home economics major in college. She taught for a year, then had me (lucky gal) and stayed home with me and my two younger sisters. Later, she kept the books for our family business, but she was home. She kept a close eye on us and, while at the time I didn’t think it was all that great, I appreciate it now.

In addition to the practical talents Mom gave me, she also gave me her motherly wisdom. Mom taught me, in 5^th grade, I didn’t have to kiss Troy if I didn’t want to—even if my best friend Julie was kissing her boyfriend. She then taught me my heart will get broken, but I will survive. She taught me how to make a dollhouse out of a box when I didn’t get the Barbie Dream House I thought I HAD to have. She taught me that lying is wrong and she will always find out . . . always. She taught me home perms are a bad idea and little girls (meaning anyone under 15) shouldn’t wear make-up or high heels.
She encouraged nearly any artful pursuit—including painting our neighborhood fire hydrants for the bicentennial celebration of our Nation. She also helped us set-up our own voting booth for the very heated election of the same year.

There is so much more, but this is a good start to the list. So, for everything my mother taught me—which I intend to pass-on to my daughters and son--I want to publically thank her. (Especially since I am sure I publically embarrassed her on more than a few occasions—note the high heels before 15 rule and lying.)
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.

May 6, 2012--finishing the chairs

Well, last weekend did not turn-out quite as expected. 
I started Saturday morning with some of my fine downtown business friends.  We volunteered to put the flowers the City had purchased into the planters on Franklin Street and Strawberry Alley.  I want to take a moment to thank Mitchell Cherry (Ingredients), Sara Esterby (The Runner’s Hub), Anne Head (Rogate’s Boutique), Linda Shephard (Edward’s Steakhouse), Clifton Whittaker (Downtown Artists’ Co-op) and Ryan Bowie (The Roxy) for coming out to lend a spade for the beautification cause!  The flowers are lovely; plus, it shows the dedication your downtown businesses have for a holistic approach to the Downtown Clarksville improvement efforts.

Now that I’ve got the public service announcement out of the way, I can get on with my whining.
So, shortly after we were done cleaning-up the mess of flower planting, I came into the shop to do a little work before heading to the flea market.  That’s when it happened.  I made the simplest of movements—one I do every day—and pinched a nerve in my back.  Oh, the pain!  After first promising God that would take better care of my temple if he would allow me to return to an upright position, I began the process of standing erect again.  It took what felt like an eternity, but I did it.  Though in pain, I still needed to go to the flea market, so off I hobbled.
After a semi-quick tour of the market, I headed home with what little loot I could manage, knowing that when I returned, I wanted to paint our Adirondack chairs.  After Darren realized I wasn’t to be deterred, he helped me move and flip the chairs and I managed to get the first coat on both of the chairs.  I don’t remember if I mentioned it, but he had already coated them with a stinky coat of oil based primer in white.
 

Being that white is a difficult color to cover AND I like the layered look, I decided to apply a “mostly covered” coat of the Provence.  Now, in case you’ve missed it, the best thing about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™  brand decorative paints is the fact that you don’t have to prime or sand.  The priming was done by my husband before I had decided to use this paint on some outdoor furniture.  That being said, however, I was able to use this paint right on the oil based primer (usually you have to use oil based paint over oil based primer).  All I had to do was wipe away the leaves and other debris and start painting.  Applying the Provence in a haphazard manner, I left quite a bit of the white exposed.

If I hadn’t gone on to reinjure my back later that evening (go figure), I would have applied the second coat within a few hours or on Sunday.  As it turns out, I wasn’t able to add that second layer of paint until Thursday morning.  I believe I had mentioned I would use French Linen, but I decided on Country Grey instead.

Country Grey was applied in a technique we call “drop and drag,” to achieve a touch of the color here and there. 

The final finish looks as though several layers of paint—applied through the years—have worn with age.  Instant patina!
Now, instead of standing out like a pair of brand-new Keds® among some mistreated Chuck Taylors®, they blend with all of our other old, rusty and chippy patio furniture.  I am smiling!

If you’ve got plans to paint some furniture or do some other improvements to your outdoor areas, I’d love to hear about it!


PS--Now that I have been living with the chairs for a few weeks, I've decided to add a wash of french linen over the chairs.  The color is too "beachy" for our natural surroundings--I need to tone it down.  I'll post an updated photo when I am done.