Blueberry Picking

Last weekend we drove up to Harriet's Bluff Blueberries, a u-pick organic blueberry farm, to pick blueberries.

We've had a couple cool nights this spring and they claimed they had a smaller crop this year so we weren't sure what to expect.  We got out to this farm and there wasn't another person in sight.

There was a little shelter built with a scale and a sign that basically said pick what you want, weight it, and leave your money in the drop box.  How cool is that?

It was nice to be out somewhere and really feel like you were in the woods rather than on a commercialized farm with a bunch of added tourist attractions.  A lot of apple orchards are like that.  (Although I wouldn't have minded a cider doughnut!)

If the cool weather did the crop any damage, I sure couldn't tell! There were about 70 rows, 50 bushes per row, all different varieties.

We picked for probably an hour and a half and ended up with 25 pounds, yes twenty five pounds, of blueberries!  We overestimated the amount we'd need to some jam and cobbler apparently.

I've made two batches of blueberry jam but have been looking up other ideas for the rest of my berries (about half!).  Any suggestions?

Ferns

When we visited Savannah a few weekends ago I got a little antsy to add new ferns to my porch.

The ferns in Savannah thrive under the shade of the big oak trees and with my house being north facing, they do really well on my front porch as well.  The maidenhair ferns on the steps above are probably my favorite.  I love their delicate drape.

I potted four maidenhair ferns around a caladium.  As much as I love maidenhair, it's not the easiest fern to keep alive.  Because of how delicate it is, if you forget to water it (or mist it) you might be left with crispy leaves.  I speak from experience!

Birdsnest ferns are pretty foolproof- their thick fronds make them a little more forgiving than the maidenhair.  

Club moss is a nice delicate contrast to the birdsnest.  It's a moderate grower so it won't get leggy and overgrown in a matter of weeks.  I got a few questions on the club moss when I posted a picture on Instagram.  Planted by itself, it's pretty boring. 

If you're looking for something drapey to add to your window boxes maybe go for creeping jenny or sweet potato vines- they both love full sun (this moss would fry in direct sun) and look great in window boxes.

I have a few poppies potted on my back porch.  They're kind of a pain to grow and one gust of wind blows the petals right off.  But they sure are pretty while they last!  Love the colors in this mix.  These would also be a pretty addition to the back of a window box.  The foliage on these is not great so to hide them behind other plants would be perfect- only the pretty blooms would show.

The other day I stopped into a little flower shop to see if they had peonies.  They usually have a few blooms that are outrageously expensive but I'm obsessed with flowers and can never find peonies so I pay their stupid prices.  I went home with my 3 stupid expensive peonies and was happy that I even found them.  Then I went to Whole Foods the next day.  Whole Foods has great flowers but mine never has peonies.  You know what comes next right?  Not only did they have peonies, they had 5 blooms for $10!  Because they were such a bargain, I had to buy those too.  I think I'm done with the expensive cut flowers for a little bit.

Happy Birthday, Todd!

Today we're celebrating Todd's birthday!  It's become our tradition that I make him a 12 (give or take a layer) birthday cake- this is the third one I've made. (Here is the first one and second one.)

 When we first started dating he told me that his grandmother would make a cake with several layers- he didn't have the recipe and all he could really tell me about it was that it had a gritty chocolate frosting.

Although still yellow cake with chocolate frosting, I tried a new recipe this year.  I used The Smith Family's 12-layer cake recipe and added Bakerella's chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting. I've never made a cake with a ganache of sorts in between the layers and I had some major sliding issues.  I put wooden dowels into the middle of the cake and let it sit in the fridge for a little while then removed them after the layers had set.  That seemed to help a lot.

To be honest, I think I prefer a basic yellow butter cake recipe.  The Bakearella chocolate frosting was really good and I'd make it again in a heartbeat.  The cake was so dense it reminded me a lot of pound cake (but I think had too much of a flour taste) and the frosting between the layers wasn't nearly as thick as I'd liked.  Todd loved it and even if he didn't, he would never admit it.  One year I'll get it just right!

Day trip: Savannah

Todd got a new car this weekend and what better way to test out that 40mpg's than to take a day trip up to Savannah!  The last time we went to Savannah (my very first time), we got there just after dark and I wasn't really able to see much.

 After 4 straight days of rain down here, everything was bright green.  I think the rain kept the crowds away for the weekend too which was nice.

 Our first stop was The Paris Market which is one of my absolute favorite stores.  Nevermind the fact that I want everything in there, the displays are so inspiring.  They blow Anthropologie out of the water.  I didn't take pictures this time because there were literally 100 people in the store.  Here are pictures from our last trip.

We hustled over to Whitaker Street to visit a few more shops (per the suggestions of Twitter) before they closed.

One Fish Two Fish is a great home decor and jewelry shop.  They have a large selection of Dash & Albert rugs, monogrammed necklaces, and other fun jewelry.
 

The homeowners in Savannah do such a beautiful job with their front entries.  The ferns and moss thrive under the shade from the big oak trees.  I have a bunch of ferns on my front porch because my house is north facing- I got a few ideas while walking around yesterday.

I got to see a lot more of Savannah this go round.  I wish I could mix Savannah and Charleston together- Charleston's restaurants and shopping and Savannah's parks, wider streets, and smaller crowds (in certain areas).

We had lunch at Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons.  Thankfully there wasn't much of a wait but I've got to say...I wouldn't wait hours to eat there.  I think the restaurant has become such a tourist attraction that it's taken away the charm that a good southern restaurant is supposed to have.  The way they gather people together, give you a ticket, send you up an elevator...it was like being at Disney World.  If it had been more crowded, I would have expected them to pull out those velvet rope dividers at the buffet.  And the food was just okay (biscuits had no flavor).  Next time we will definitely be doing to Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room which seems a little more authentic. 

What are your must dos & must eats in Savannah?

Spring Home Tour

This past weekend we went on a spring home tour in one of the historic neighborhoods in our city.  It happens to be our favorite part of town and where we spend a lot of time eating out and shopping.

The first two homes on the tour were the largest (but pretty small in comparison to some of the other homes in the area) and my least favorite.  I feel like, to some extent, your decor should go with the period of your home.  This home was a little gaudy for my taste (and most of the decor looked too 90's).  I also don't care for the trees in the front- they look like corndogs.

They had a legitimate ballroom.  Marble floors, (fake) columns, a huge crystal chandelier, etc.  Why would any normal person need that?

 I did love this little outdoor area though.  I love the ivy covered wall which gives it a ton of privacy because it's on a main street.  I also love the small pool and fountains.

The living room from this one was nice.  I don't always love such modern decor, especially in a historic home, but I think the contrast in this one is nice.

This little home is quite a change from the two large ones before it so I wasn't sure what to expect.

 But I loved it! It's practical, fun, and cozy.

Great sink, great counter tops, great faucet. 

Cozy family room off of the kitchen.

The formal living room is right off the front door.  It like the dark wood against the bright white and yellow.  The wallpaper is fun too.

 

Such a fun baby's room! I wasn't sure how I felt about the colors when I first saw it but now that I look back at the pictures, I really like it.  I think it went well with the rest of the house (which is really important to me).

This house was my favorite.  

I walked back into the kitchen 3 times to take pictures. 

It was pretty difficult to take pictures with all of the people walking around but one thing I loved about this kitchen is the fridge (on an opposite wall) and dishwasher were covered with cabinet doors.  It make the kitchen look so cohesive.  There was also a built in bookshelf in the corner- perfect for cookbooks.

Just a really comfortable house.  I could see myself living here (and not changing a thing!).

There were several homes that I didn't take pictures of.  The crowds of people made it really difficult and it with about 12 homes on the tour- I got tired of lugging my camera around.  The home of a younger couple (she was an arist) looked straight out of Anthropologie and I regret not taking my camera into that one!

The last stop was the gardens of this home.  I didn't want to leave!

The path lead around the right side of the house, under a huge old magnolia, and through a little courtyard with a fountain.

This little guest house is so cute.  I'd love to have a home with a guest house.  There was also a separate potting shed.  I want one of those too!

Such an amazing yard.  The wisteria vines growing in her yard were as big as tree trunks.  The owner wasn't around so we weren't able to ask how long she had been working on this yard but it's a long time- that's for sure!

For Sale: Historic Properties

Ready to sit and dream a little?  There is a website, Historic Properties, that has listings of, well, historic properties for sale.  I love to look at the homes and imagine what they used to be (and what they could be). Some of them are still expensive but some are ridiculously cheap and if they were anywhere near my city, I'd snatch them up in a heartbeat.

Here are some of my favorites:

This 5000 sq ft Greek Revival in Comer, Georgia is $250,000.  A little formal for my taste but still striking.

This one is just 40 minutes from Atlanta! It has 9 fireplaces, almost an acre of land (with pecan trees!), and it's only $195,000.  That'd be worth the 40 minute drive if I worked in Atlanta.

Or maybe you're in the market for a lighthouse?  This one one built in 1886 is for sale in Connecticut!

I love the simplicity of this one.  It was built in 1797 (can you believe it!!) and is in Washington, Georgia.  I think half of the town of Washington is for sale because there are about 30 listings there.  Gorgeous goergous plantation home for $178,800.

 This one. THIS ONE!  It was built in 1884 for a mill operator.  The inside is equally beautiful- the details! It's ONE DOLLAR.  If it weren't in Indiana, I'd be calling a transport company tomorrow. 

I don't know much about this home in Bowling Green, Missouri but a 4200 sq ft house for $131,900?  I'd take it. 

This one in Flemingsburg, Kentucky is begging for some window boxes.  It looks like it belongs in the Northeast.  It's only $89,000.

Hello, Ina Garten, are you in there?!  This one is completely ridiculously expensive but come on! Built in 1765 (!!!) it's about 7400 sq feet......and $895,000.  If you'd like to donate to the Buy Me a Historic Home Fund, I'll let you stay in the guest room whenever you want.  But I'm going to need you to add a few extra pennies so I can buy sheep.  That yard needs sheep.