This morning I am @......

My house.

I am soon going to be all over the place but had a moment to reflect.  I think due to all the drab weather and absence of blooms, I am noticing color everywhere I look.  This morning I cooked an egg from one of my girls and just had to show you the color of the yolk.

I have been obsessed with yellow lately and as I took a bite of this yummy egg, I was reminded of all the fabulous, naturally occurring colors in nature.

I topped it with some of my Guava Smoked salt from The Meadows, www.atthemeadow.com...

You can't tell from the picture but it is a beautiful taupe/gray that would be gorgeous on any wall.

My father in law made these beautiful salt cellars for me...

The one on the left is my favorite ecru color.  

Some of my girls.

My cat, Miss O, is helping me this morning.

And now it's time to take my crazy girl, Shorty, for a walk.  Do not let this picture fool you.

One last sip of my coffee..

The best flavor ever!

Especially when it is in a mug by Jennifer Bates.....

You will meet Jennifer next week.  Her pottery can be found at Scout For The Home but next week she is going to take me inside her studio.

If every morning could be this relaxed, we would all be in a better place!!!!!!

Have a great day!

This Weekend I was @.....

My family's home in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

I had a lot of really big plans that did not come to fruition because time simply flies when you are catching up with your family.

We are approaching the one year anniversary of the the tornado that destroyed Tuscaloosa.  While I don't visit often, it doesn't get any easier seeing the damage done.  You are reminded as you approach Tuscaloosa, half an hour away at the Mercedes Benz plant.  And I still get disoriented, driving down 15th street, because most of the businesses, and homes, that dotted the long stretch of road are gone.

I planned to focus on the historical homes of Tuscaloosa and the Westervelt Warner Museum of Art.  Those who aren't familiar with this museum have no idea that the collection contains works from Mary Cassatt, Winslow Homer, Albert Bierstadt and John Singer Sargent, just to name a few of those we have studied in Art History classes.

The other goal of my visit was to help my sister assemble a cookbook.   She married into a large family steeped in traditions and has been flooded with recipes and photographs from family members.  I thought it was only appropriate for her to create this cookbook since she and her husband live in the home that has been in his family since 1945.

The home was actually constructed in 1830 and was one of the only homes remaining after the burning of the University of Alabama. It is also Tuscaloosa County's only antebellum home that has been in continuous use since it's construction.   My sister and her husband have recently completed the restoration of the homes original footprint.

While I felt a little guilty for not sticking to my original plan to visit and photograph various places, I didn't realize until driving home today that I was eating, sleeping and relaxing in one of the historical antebellum homes of Tuscaloosa.  It is amazing how we can sometimes overlook the obvious.  

Here are some photos from my weekend and a few of the pages we put together for the cookbook.

 My sister, Leigh Ann, and her husband, Ken, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in the restored home.

Ken's mother and father celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in the same home and the same room, years before.

The cover of the cookbook and an old photo of the home my sister now lives in.

The home now, I took this photo on Thursday.

A picture of Ken's Grandmother and Grandfather on their 50th wedding anniversary, in front of the staircase that is still the main staircase in the current home.

One of the old pecan trees that line the long drive.

I had a great weekend and I hope you all did too!

Today I am @......

Right now I am back @ my computer.

I have a story I want to tell about coffee and I am going to do it in a few segments.  I really hope you find it as interesting I do,

Coffee Talk Part I:  The Farmers

Do you know the origin of your coffee and better yet do you know who actually planted it, harvested it, roasted it and put it into your mug for you?

A few months ago I met a coffee aficianado named Matt Ludwikowski.  He has to be one of the most infectious people I have met in a really long time.  He is a Barrista at Octane Coffee and recent Champion of the 2012 Southeastern Brewers Cup, coffee not beer.  What a lot of people might not know about him is that he recently returned from El Salvador where he picked, dried and roasted his own coffee.  Those are only three of the steps a coffee cherry goes through before it enters your cup.  I will cover that in another segment of Coffee Talk.

Matt in El Salvador

A lot of us are concerned about the treatment of animals on farms where our meat or poultry come from or the use of pesticides on the vegetables we eat but there isn't a lot of emphasis on the people who actually grow these vegetables or take care of the animals on these farms.  Companies like Inteligentsia (www.intelligentsiacoffee.com) actually live and work along side their farmers 365 days a year.  Their intention is to ensure better pay for farmers, better working conditions, sustainable farming practices and a better coffee product for you and me.

Did you know that the farmers of a lot of the mass produced coffee are paid just a few cents for their labor while a single pound of coffee is sold for $12?

Clearly Matt got my attention and I have been on a coffee tasting binge.  Here are my favorites so far:  One Thousand Faces Coffee, purchased at Whole Foods, I think the name of the roast was "Aromia" my dog chewed up the bag.  Another one I have been enjoying is Batdorf and Bronson "Skye's Mountain Blend".  They have a shop in Decatur.  www.batdorfcoffee.com

I have been trying to drink more coffee at home in order to support more humane coffee companies and I am really enjoying it.  There is an occasional latte purchased from one of the chains but nobody is perfect.

Go look at the Intelligentsia Website and I really enjoyed Counter Culture's website too, www.counterculturecoffee.com.  Also be sure to go see Matt at Octane Coffee on Northside Drive but don't ask for a "Frappucino" or a "Caramel Machiato", there is no such thing there, and that's not a bad thing!  Branch out.

Stay tuned for the next segment.

Today I am @....

Today I am at large meaning who knows where I will end up by the end of the day but I just had a huge spark of inspiration and had to put out a teaser.  Carson of Carson McElheney Landscape Architecture went live with his website today.  I am of course biased because he is a friend but he also is responsible for my sister-in-law's fabulous yard and grounds.  carsonmcelheney.com is the link to his site so go check it out and stay tuned because I want to show you a picture of this fabulous tree he installed for another client of mine and also tell you about those fabulous boxwoods you see in all of his pictures.

Last night I was @......

If you haven't been to this restaurant yet, I highly recommend it.  Last night my husband and I had dinner here with friends and loved everything we ate and drank.

Some of you who read my blog know Monica Murphy-Perez, formerly with Materials Marketing and now with Renaissance Tile.  This restaurant is the collaboration of Monica and her husband August, her brother, Matthew Murphy, the Chef, and another couple, Carla and Tim Shannon.

The restaurant is located in Lilburn at 1066 Killian Hill Road but once you enter the restaurant and market, you feel like you are in Decatur, Midtown or any other hip restaurant location.  Monica is responsible for the beautiful Interior Design and has created a very stylish yet comfortable place to have dinner.  Go to their site to see pictures of the restaurant, www.tbmrestaurant.com.  

We had a drink at the bar first and received great service and recommendations from our bartender.  I wanted a white and he recommended the Attems, Cupra Ramato, (Friuli, Italy).  I now have a new favorite wine and you can purchase a bottle there in the market.  

The rich color comes from leaving the skins on the grapes.

We started with a board of cheese and cured meats: soprassetta, coppa, and prosciutto.  The blue cheese was my favorite, probably the mildest I have ever had.

We were luckily joined by Monica and August and got to talk with Matthew the chef as well.  My panko crusted flounder was outstanding, served over a bed of Orzo, Mushroom and Lobster Saute and a shellfish bisque.  

Desert was too attractive to pass up, Key Lime Pie and Cheesecake topped with blueberries.

This is the Key Lime Pie with the frothiest meringue I have ever seen.  You can see the Cheesecake on their website, my picture looks just like theirs but is giving me an error.

I had a great cup of coffee, they brew counter culture coffee, which is a sustainable, organic, fair trade, artisan coffee experience, www.counterculturecoffee.com.  Stay tuned for more coffee talk in my upcoming post.

Kristen was our server and was great, the entire staff was friendly and I can't wait to go back.  Three Blind Mice has been around for 2 years and there was not an empty seat the entire time we were there.  I would say that is a really good sign but please go try it out for yourself.

Cheers!

Today I am @.......

My computer.

Today I am working on a friend's website to showcase his carpentry.  Phoenix Millworks is the name of Cameron Thurman's business and I only have a fraction of his work to put on his site.  We are going to be taking some photos of other work in the near future but he and I both were anxious to get something out there for people to see.  I will give you a teaser for now but you will have to wait to see the rest when we finish his site. Give me a week or two.

                             

                                                     

He has built furniture, created beautiful doors and crafted beautiful bathrooms and kitchens, like the one pictured above.  Be sure to friend him on Facebook at Phoenix Millworks, or if you are ready to hire him for a job, call him, 404-384-1295.

Yesterday I was @......

Scott Antique Market, an open house for Southern Gal Bath and Body and I ended the day at the Shutze Awards.

I normally go to Tucson, AZ for the Gem Show to stock up on jewelry supplies but was unable to go this year.  Nancy told me to try Scott Antique Market, there is a man who is there every month selling beads, etc.  Well I found him and SUCCESS!!!!  I have a new best friend and lots to hold me over until the next gem show.  Check it out.....

I was like a kid in a candy store.  Those of you who have been to Scott or as many call it, Scotts, know how large of a show it is.  Imagine that but with only beads, gemstones and anything you could imagine required for jewelry assembly.  Now imagine that but in every hotel in Tucson, every convention center.  The show is so big that all of the vendors occupy all of the hotels and other spaces in the city for over a week.  Some vendors will even be set up in more than one location.  Needless to say, I do my research each year so I know what I need and who I want to get it from.  Otherwise, you get completely overwhelmed and spend all of your money the first day at the first stop.  Been there done that.

I immediately came home and started putting things together, here are three of my new necklaces and a pair of earrings.

Don't be too impressed, I just put some hooks on these leaves I bought yesterday but I like them and received several compliments last night.

Left: Brown/Black wooden bead necklace with an asian motif pendant that I bought in Tucson several years ago.  It has been on a lot of different necklaces but I think this is the final destination.  $90

center:  Coral bead necklace.  I am crazy about coral and yellow right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  $100

right:  Canary Glass Beaded Necklace  $80

Aren't the colors awesome?

On to an open house for Southern Gal Bath and Body.  My friend Tricia Fazio started making her own soaps in her kitchen and now her products have expanded into an entire line of body products and candles.

Her prices are great, and she does not use any of the harmful ingredients most of us have been reading about for the past several years; parabens and sulfates to name a few.  I have copied her info so you can read more about the products.

 Soaps with or without fragrance, the fragrances she does use are very pleasant and not overwhelming.

Above is Sage and Lemongrass, Chardonnay and a Detox soap that contains activated charcoal to pull out impurities.  That one is my favorite !!!!

 In this picture she has chai tea, Chocolate Espresso and in the center, Red Currant.  If any of you have ever had a candle by Votivo called Red Currant, you will love this soap.  She also has made a candle in Red Currant and she nailed that fragrance. 

 Here is Bare Unscented and Basil, Sage, and Mint

Hopefully you can click on and enlarge this to read it.

 Lip Balms

 Soy Candles, this is the travel tin but she also makes the larger version in glass.  I believe Soy candles are better for the planet but I don't have a source on hand to back that up.

 Body Lotion

 This body polish is killer and it doesn't leave a residue in the tub!!!

 Bath salts and Body Wash

 I used one of these yesterday and it really is moisturizing!

I think Blogger is trying to tell me I have reached the limit of photos I can upload so be sure to go to Southern Gal Soaps/SGS Body Products on Facebook and like her.  I am sure you will also find more info there about her products as well.  I have an info sheet on her Aromatherapy Sea Salts that has a lot of great info on the different types of salt.  I am a major salt snob so I am glad she is talking about the salts she uses.  Let me know if you don't see that on her facebook page and I will post it later. She is working on her website but until then, if you want to buy some of her products you can  email her at tfazio99@yahoo.com or contact her on facebook.

Now, last but certainly not least, The Shutze Awards.  What a great event it was last night.  A sincere congratulations to Peter Block for his award on Hotel Particulier and the Farmhouse he designed in Jackson Hole.  That makes 4 Shutze awards he has won he is going to need a trophy case.  Also congrats to Laura DePree on her first Shutze and to Jeremy Smearman of Planters.  

It was so awesome to see all of the familiar faces and wonderful people that I have had the fortune of meeting over the years.  Chris Wakefield of The Outdoor Lights, theoutdoorlights.com, Brad Heppner, Architect, bradleyeheppner.com, Jeremy Smearman of Planters who by the way designed the most killer chicken coop for the project he received the award for, plantersgarden.com.  Wright Marshall of Revival Construction, revivalconstruction.com, John Howard of Howard Design Studio, howarddesignstudio.com, you should look at his facebook page. He keeps it updated with progress shots on all of his projects so it is really cool and he did the garden design for the Hotel Particulier with Peter Block, peterblockarchitects.com.  Charles Calhoun of Calhoun Design and Metalworks, calhounmetalworks.com who does the most beautiful things with iron, Morgan Harrison of Morgan Creek Cabinetry,morgancreekcabinets.net, and Carson McElheney of Carson McElheney Landscape Architecture, carsonmcelheney.com.  I have listed all of these people and their websites so that if you or someone you know needs any of these services, you can pass their names along, they are all the finest in their field.  

Well I had a busy weekend and I am ready to hit the ground running tomorrow morning.  I hope you all had as enjoyable and enriching of a weekend as I did.