A Garden Party!

Every Spring I get so excited about putting out my plants (Denny is really the green thumb in the family ) and we love getting up early on a Saturday morning and going to the Farmer's Market that is a kaliedescope of all things beautiful and natural.

Of course we shop for all the fresh veggies and fruits we want to have that week but we love to look at the artists at work on their paintings and hand crafted jewlery.  Last year we bought incredible banana trees from a family and for a thank you they gave us their gorgeous spring baby lettuce that we were tempted to devour before we got home!!

Being surrounded by the natural goodness of Arkansas farmers gets me to thinking about .....what else, throwing a party!!

The Spring Garden Party

My garden party is not what you are thinking...it is not prim and proper with little tea biscuits and cucumber sandwiches, which by the way I really do like.  My garden party is one of involvement from my guests.

My invitations are veggie and fruit seed packets.  This sets the tone of a relaxed and intresting evening.  If you receive the package for carrots then that is what you are to bring to the party.  Peppers, then you bring that. I think you get the picture.

Before they arrive I have my giant stock pots set out . One with fresh, flavorful chicken broth and the other with delicious beef broth.  Now the fun begins.  We all gather, sip wine or a little cocktail and prep our bounty and add it to the stock pots...

While it simmers we snack on my best hummus dip with, yes, more fresh veggies.  I love this idea of little veggies wrapped up and served to each guest.  

I serve a big basket of several types of rustic breads with flavored butters and pestos that I have made from the herbs Denny has planted for me.

It is a simple party and that is why it is so much fun...everyone takes turns stirring the soups and I am not sure if they aren't doing a little taste testing too!

Fresh fruit and cheeses for dessert is just the right touch and sometimes I even serve frozen grapes on a hot summer night. 

My early planning begins by planting herbs in small colorful ceramic pots and these are my table decorations and they are also my favors to my guests for all their hard work making my party a success !!

Try this and see if you don't have fun.. I have even done this with children...best way I know to get them eating their veggies.

What ideas do you have for the tables?  Red and white check?  Denim?  How about those nostalgic blue and white speckled tin bowls and bandanas tied around the spoons........make those spoons big!

Until Next Time!

Sandy 

What I Adore about a Door!

The front door...

Not only a place where your fellow UPS man will drop off your anxiously awaited brown boxes, but also a place where you, your friends and family will walk through to enter your home.  It's a first impression to your house and often adorned with beautiful wreaths, paint colors and hardware... but most often forgotten.

I have been on the lookout for some of my favorite "first impressions" and below is what I have found and what I LOVE.  Enjoy! 

Love the pop of blue with the burnt orange stucco.  Amazing and makes such an impact!

Very neat Dutch Door!  What a great idea!

I love the lime green with the large frosted glass address number! 

Turquoise doors are so beautiful and I love the "aged look" on this one...

Amazing use of magenta paint! 

LOVE this glass paneled door which adds a fresh look to the facade of the house!

This is so easy to do!  Red paint and a custom velum order with your numbers, which is super cheap! 

This is a great classic black door.  Many people don't realize how great black doors can look! 

I love the lines of this door...actually...I love everything about this door! 

Until Next Time!

Sandy

A Lake House Makeover on a Budget! Step One...The Paint

I am completely in love with the thought of taking something old and turning it into something new, fresh and updated! Anytime I see an old piece of furniture or accessory, my wheels start turning and I start to think about how I can change it up!

Living in Hot Springs gives me the opportunity to do some amazing houses on the lake.  While a lot of these houses are my client's only home, some are second homes and with that, comes a much smaller budget.  I enjoy small budgets just as much as I love the larger one's because I get to be creative and dig deep to find some really neat ways to transform the home on a smaller scale.

Throughout my blog posts, I will be showing you some of my favorite things to do to transform your home through some easy DIY projects and ideas.  Don't have time for DIY?  Well of course I can help you out there as well.  You can call me any time!
My first tip I am going to give you is the biggest bang for your buck and the fastest approach to make a room look totally different...Paint!

If you have enough money for a couple of rollers and a few gallons of paint, you are in business!  I always say that light and airy is a good way to go if your room has been dark and drab for so long!  I also love salmon's and golds to add richness to a room.

Love this before and after from www.pinkandpolkadot.net

 Before

After

If you want to add interest, you can always tape out and paint a 10-12" vertical or horizontal stripe in the room alternating a matte and an eggshell for a subtle change or a few shades up or down from each other for a more drastic change.

Don't be afraid to throw in another size or color as well such as these:

Also, since we are talking about walls...I have been loving wall decals lately.  These are a cheap and very easy way to add some flair to your room and the best part of all is that they peel right off with no damage when you want a change!

Whether it's a small bathroom or a large family room, the first step to any space transformation is your paint!  Pick something you can live with for a while and you won't believe how different your room can look in just one day!


Until Next Time!

Sandy

Entertaining by Design - Girls and Gossip!

I recently saw a photo of this swanky living room and it reminded me of some of my favorite times...A night with the girls!

There is nothing better than having a small group of girls over and sipping on wine, chatting about the latest gossip and snacking on some fabulous finger foods!  If I were to have a girls night this week...this is what I would do...inspired by this fabulous room above! 

I would start out with an assortment of chilled white wines and champagne.  Be sure to set out your best stemware for the girls! I love Riedel glasses and love the way they feel.  My favorite glass is their original benchmark glass...the Vinum, but I am loving the shape of these Vinum Extreme glasses as well!

You must have linen cocktail napkins, which you can get locally or at Williams Sonoma or Pottery Barn.  There are so many fun choices out there that can be customizable! 

I love to serve on pretty plates.  I adore these lovely handmade tapas plates that I found on Etsy. 

For those who do not want an alcoholic drink, make a beautiful fresh raspberry lemonade by using frozen concentrate of both with sprite and pour it into pretty pitchers with raspberries and thin sliced lemons floating on the top! 

I love finger sandwiches and think these are a great option:

Tomato basil sandwiches

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 bunch green onions roughly chopped

1/2 teasp salt

10 fresh basil leaves  (more for garnish)

1 loaf thinly sliced white bread

1/4 teasp fresh ground black pepper

1pound bacon strips cooked and crumbled

• Cut the tomatoes in thin slices and place cut side down in a single layer on a paper towel.  In a bowl of a food processor combine the cream cheese, green onions, salt and basil and pulse. 
• Spread a small amount of the cream cheese mix on a slice of bread and cut into three fingers, crusts removed. 
• Top each piece with a layer of tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, crumbled bacon and basil leaf.. Note: I make the cream cheese mix the day before and prepare the bacon and basil early then assemble.

Salmon roulade

• Smoked salmon coated with a garlic and herb cheese mixture like alloutee's.  
• Minced red onion and capers,  salt and pepper. 
• Roll up and sprinkle with lemon zest. 

Cucumber sandwiches

• In processor blend 1 package of cream cheese with two peeled and seeded cucumbers, 1 to 2 cloves of garlic and 1/4 small sweet onion
• Add quite a bit of fresh dill and process until creamy. 
• Season with cayenne, salt and pepper.

Note: This can be made into sandwiches or spread on lovely crackers with a sprig of dill on top.

Until next time!

Sandy