Mermaid Party ~ Peach and the Willow Style

Spoiler alert! I love Mermaids! After all, I’m from Florida where mermaids were first discovered! (Ok…not true. But if you’ve ever visited Weekiwatchee you know what I mean!) I also think I’m married to a “merman” but that’s a story for another day.

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~HOUSE REIMAGINED~ How one client turned downsizing into “upstyling” and fell in love with her home all over again!

Read more: ~HOUSE REIMAGINED~ How one client turned downsizing into “upstyling” and fell in love with her home all over again!

My client (and dear friend, I might add) had just sold her big, comforting home in New England. It was a place where she had been a happy wife and raised two beautiful daughters, now grown and adulting on their own. It was a home where, like so many of us, she had amassed an assortment of beautiful furnishings, china, books, fine art and incredible handmade rugs from the Middle East. A place where she had thrown countless birthday parties, dinners and celebrations; a home full of collections and memories and stories from a life well lived. Desiring to be more centrally located to both of her girls, she found herself downsizing and purchased a sparkling new, two story townhouse in Franklin, TN. She also found herself wondering how she would incorporate her cherished belongings from her previous home and life with the new furnishings, colors and interior aesthetic that she wanted to incorporate as a fresh new perspective on this new chapter of life. This is how we achieved just that and helped her fall in love with her surroundings all over again…

We situated a new formal dining table and chairs and an oak buffet console from her previous home at the forefront of the house for two reasons. They play double duty as reception/foyer space, as well as dining space, setting the tone for the home’s relaxed yet glamorous interiors. It’s a striking moment and highlights the homeowners love for beautiful art and objects. The sleek marble and metal table is the perfect transition between old and new, creating an updated classic style. The blue feature wall creates a stunning backdrop to the artwork and the soft brass metals add subtle sparkle to every vignette.

The living and kitchen areas are relaxed and warm and are accentuated by an unexpected trellis wallpaper in the kitchen, elevating the space to new heights! The gold leaf cage pendant lights are whimsical and elegant.

The library is the homeowner’s favorite room in the house, as it incorporates some of her late husband’s most cherished books, artifacts and memorabilia. It’s deep and luscious and the perfect balance of masculine and feminine, bright and moody, leather and velvet. It’s also home to her precious china and stemware collection housed in a stunning cabinet, something she really hoped she’d be able to keep! It works perfectly here between the dark bookcasing and creates a striking contrast and focal point. All furnishings were brought from her previous residence and were either reupholstered or refreshed with pillows. Win win and win some more!

The Peacock Powder Room…Vibrant, Alive and Happy!!!!

The Guest Room is one of three bedrooms in the home and this one is “stay in bed all day” swoon worthy…!!!

Let’s Venture Upstairs to the Primary Suite…

The home incorporates a variety of blue, green and grey shades throughout its interiors, allowing the homeowner to feel the energy and excitement from the use of color but also relaxed and calmed by their soothing, watery hues.

I’m so grateful that my friend enlisted my help in this beautiful place and that she has found a new sense of home in her fresh surroundings. Thank you, Allison, for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful process!!!! Thank you to her daughter, Ashley, for being our muse and design collaborator and speaking life, ideas, organization and sweat equity into this project.

Grand Millennial Dining Room

Soft layers create this maximalist dining space. The client’s vision began with her grandmother’s dining table, wooden ladder back side chairs, china and china cabinet. We then mixed in florals, abstracts, custom upholstery and pecky cypress details to create a luxurious room that is both old and new, masculine and feminine, classic and modern and 100% Grand Millennial!

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My Two Most Requested and Crowd Pleasing Summer Party Appetizers!

Hello beautiful peeps! Who’s ready for some happy summertime eats???!!!

I recently threw my sweet husband a 60th Birthday Party at home…Louisiana Style! Steven and a couple of his best friends from New Orleans boiled more Louisiana shrimp and crawfish than you could “shake a stick at,” but I also included some additional party menu items for guests to enjoy. I had so many requests for the Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip and Orzo Salad recipes that I decided to share them here on my blog! Disclaimer: I will do my best to replicate the Orzo Salad for you. Not only did I not get a picture of it (it’s a really pretty salad, btw), I didn’t really follow a proper recipe for it. I just sort of “made it up”. But that’s the beauty of the Orzo Salad…you get to improv it depending on what’s fresh at the market or what’s in your frig! The Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip? Absolute no-brainer party dip for any time of the year!

Party Menu

Boiled Shrimp and Crawfish w/Conecuh Sausage, Potatoes, Corn and Mushroom

Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip w/ assorted crackers

Orzo Salad

Watermelon Salad and Cucumber Salad

Tomato Tarts

Marinated Cheese and Vegetables

Remoulade Crema

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Red Beans and Rice

Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip

  • 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
  • 2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 1 c. mayonnaise
  • 2 1/2 c. finely chipped onion (about 3 medium onions)

Instructions:

  1. Soften cream cheese. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
  2. Place mixture in a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned on top; about 50 minutes
  3. Serve hot with corn chips and assorted crackers. This dip is delicious even after it cools to room temp!

Sabrina’s Orzo Salad

  • 1 (16 oz) package orzo
  • 1/2 red pepper; finely chopped
  • 1/2 yellow pepper; finely chopped
  • 1/2 green pepper; finely chopped
  • 3 stalks celery; chopped
  • 1 vidalia onion; finely chopped
  • 4 oz sun dried tomatoes; drained and chopped
  • 1 small pkg. grape tomatoes; halved
  • 1 (10 oz) pkg frozen edamame; thawed
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil; chopped
  • 3/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

Vinaigrette:

  • 6 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

  1. Prepare all vegetables except basil and place in a deep bowl. Set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette.
  2. Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified. Drizzle HALF of the vinaigrette over the vegetables, and toss to coat. (Save the remaining vinaigrette for the orzo pasta.) Cover and chill at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours, tossing occasionally.
  3. Prepare orzo as directed by packaging. (Pasta should not be al dente for this salad. Once drained, pour into a serving bowl and add about half of the remaining vinaigrette; tossing gently. Chill until ready to assemble.
  4. To assemble, combine chilled and marinated vegetables and orzo into one large bowl; toss with basil and parmesan cheese and taste. If your salad needs a bit more vinaigrette or salt, add it here. May be served chilled or room temperature.

This bright salad is full of flavor and can be interpreted with blanched green beans or asparagus in place of the peppers; chickpeas instead of edamame! Enjoy and happy SUMMER!

We loved celebrating our #1!!!!

A big thank you to Karen Russell, Victoria Iacono and Julie Pflug for contributing some of the photos in this blog! xo

Calling All Girlfriends, Gal Pals and Galentines! Let’s Have a Party!

“Life is too short not to say “I Love You” often, to save the fine china or to skip the whipped cream! It’s too short not to play dress up and drink champagne with your girlfriends on a Tuesday night!”

Sabrina Pflug

Planning a fun party for the girls can really be executed anytime of the year, but I find it especially festive to throw an “over the top” girly party around Valentine’s Day!…a Galentine’s Day Party, if you will. Add a theme to your party and the fun can begin before guests even knock at your door! With only one guideline for party attendance, guests were asked to arrive dressed in their favorite Sex and the City character. So in the days leading up to the event, friends were scouring their closets for their best Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda outfits! So. Much. Fun.

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My “IT” Color for 2020!

Sherwin Williams Pewter Green Kitchen

You know that kiss you can’t get enough of?…that bite of perfect dark chocolate?…that new Hulu TV series?  I get it (and don’t tell me I’m the only one with cravings!)…sometimes you just need to “binge out” unapologetically.  But beyond this obvious list of indulgences, you know what I simply cannot get enough of as I start this exciting new decade???  My new kitchen color!!!!  It makes me so stinking happy!  Throw in the kisses, the chocolate and the tv series and I’m practically certifiable! Continue reading

Cabin Fever in the Heart of Nashville

Westview Cabin Mantel

Indulge me for a moment and thumb through the pages of your mind…back to a time when you were a kid and you’ve just left summer camp…a camp you really, really loved…or maybe even a vacation.  Once back home, nothing seemed to properly console you from your feeling of want…wanting to return to your newfound friends, your frivolity and exploration and the excitement you felt in “your place”!  This is the feeling I experienced when this project ended! Continue reading

Home, Heritage and One Kick Ass Crawfish Boil

Can you say Crawfish?!

Yeah…I said it.  No matter how much I love Jesus and try to refrain from curse words and “ugly talk,” the words “kick” and “ass” put together in one satisfying adjective make for the quintessential emphasis to a point.  At least, in my book…

Our recent trip to New Orleans with friends was (dare I say it again?) kick ass in EVERY way! Continue reading

Peach and the Willow Dip

“I’m sorry.  I don’t think I heard you correctly.  I thought I heard you say you were taking a veggie tray to this weekend’s Super Bowl party.  My bad.  (slight pause)  Wait, what?!!!!!  You’re saying I heard correctly?  So you’ve gone all nutty on me????   Do you realize what you’re doing…what you’re saying???  A Super Bowl party is no time to break out the cold, raw vegetables with some blasé  ranch dressing!  We want fattening, heart rate spiking, testosterone raging, artery clogging, finger licking, tongue smacking, belly rubbing  football food, for goodness sakes!  Dude food, if you will!  Come on man!”

Sad, but true.  Every last bit of hyperbole. Continue reading