My Latest Find

For over a year now I have had a "thing" for tole lamps.  They taunt me...everywhere I go I look/search for one....for no particular spot either!  A few weeks ago I found a green tole lamp and loved it, didn't buy it as I really had no where to put it.  Last week my antique buddy and I decided to go to a new place and upon arrival we both agreed it looked a little more like a yard sale than a antique store.  Don't judge a book by a cover or a store front by their window display!  We were walking around and not really finding anything until she spotted it.  With one big "Tamyra you have got to get this" I turned to look and there it was.  A tole lamp that wasn't too big, happened to be the right color and the price was reasonable to say the least!

The Garage {Before}

In my post about putting the film on the french door in the garage I eluded to what a disaster the garage was.   You might wonder why it was such a disaster...here is my excuse. We left the house in Savannah that had an attached 2 car garage and also a detached 1600sq ft. garage(with an apartment).

Replanting of Auburn's Oaks

As you all know, we live in Auburn, Alabama home to Auburn University.  I believe that I’ve mentioned that we ( Honey & I) are also alumni of Auburn University.  Through out the college campuses around the country, all are steeped in tradition and Auburn University is no different.  Our beloved tradition of rolling the Auburn Oaks with toilet paper has been around long before my days as a student.  In 2010, Auburn won it’s second National Championship and it was a grand day!  But shortly after the win, a person that I will leave nameless poisoned those 83-85+ year old oak trees.  We, the Auburn Family felt the loss in such a way that can not be described or explain.  Countless attempts to save our trees were made but, we all knew after reading about Spike 80 ( the poison) that those attempts would not be enough. 

John’s Bedroom Reveal

Honesty is the best policy.  So the reason John’s room has never been shared before is pretty simple,  it just wasn’t worthy of a post.  Short of his actual furniture everything else was pretty much piece mill.  Stuff I found here and there for a good price.  And that worked…he didn’t need a super nice bedding set to make Lego’s on or put his dirty shoes on. 
Here is a before pic.

After seeing countless blogging friends using buffalo checks, I knew that was something  that would work for his room.  Then in one of my Charles Faudree books I thumbed across a page with the most beautiful wallpaper and more of a chocolate buffalo check.  After searching the Internet over and over I admitted defeat in the area of finding a similar buffalo check. What I went with was a duvet cover and shams from Ikea.  They are definitely a lighter shade than I originally had planned on but it surely does work

Happy Blogging Anniversary to Me

It occurred to me a couple hours ago, in the car rider pick up line at the jr high that today 2 years ago I pressed publish on this blog.  It seems absolutely unreal to me that 2 years have passed.  While I sat waiting for the bell to ring it gave me time to think about all that blogging has brought to my personal life.
When I first found out about blogs, I faithfully read Kim's Savvy Southern Style and Yvonne's Stone Gable, their style was very much like my style in terms of decor.  It was my pleasure to meet both of them my first year at Haven.  They were my must meets that year at Haven.  They even posed for a pic with me.

French Door with Privacy Film Applied

When we moved into our home there were so many things that I wanted and needed to change.  The garage was dark and dreary.  We have changed and done things as we could.   Over the next few weeks I hope to share the progress of our garage.  Since the garage has no windows the only source of natural light is a single french door.  The french door needed something for privacy but I didn't want to install a blind since that would affect the natural light.  So I put a sheer on a magnetic rod that I had kept from our first house many years ago.  It looked alright...in the beginning.  But 7+ years of bugs and numerous spiders it looked pretty bad.

Lazy Lasagna Soup

A couple weeks back I attended a Pampered Chef party hosted by a new friend.  It was your typical party where we cooked and ate and cooked some more.  The party had a theme of soup and slippers, so the name tells you that we had soup for supper!  What was great about the party was indeed the soup that we all collectively prepared.  Truthfully, I’m somewhat of a fussy eater and as we prepared the soup I kept thinking…there is NO way I’m eating that.  But then a party goer just like me fixed a bowl and it looked pretty good, so I too got a bowl of it…a small bowl.  I took a bite and immediately when back for a larger serving!
Not sure why it is is called “Lazy” Lasgna Soup so I’ve shorted it to Lasgna Soup.  I decided that you all absolutely had to at least read/hear about this fabulous light soup so I’m gonna share my version of it.

1 jar of Classico Pasta sauce(flavor of tomato and basil)
1 small onion chopped
2 cans of beef broth
1 pound of turkey Italian Sausage
2 cloves of garlic minced
6 oz of radiatore pasta (really any kind of pasta would work)
1 small zucchini slice very thin
snips of fresh basil (optional)

First, you need to remove the sausage casing if you found it in sausage form, I found it(at Publix) with the casing and once without both tasted the same. Crumbling the sausage, add the onion, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Brown until there is no pink left.  I like my meat chopped up very fine so I use a chopper like this on all ground meats!

Sweet Home Antiques Tent Sale

What an absolute pleasure it is to tell you just a little bit more about Sweet Home Antiques.  Their tent sale is one of the single most anticipated events in all of West Georgia and it happens TWICE a year!

Sweet Home Antiques

For the last year and a half I’ve been popping over to Pine Mountain, Georgia to feed/fuel my love of antiques.  I will forever be in the debt of my friend, Nadine for taking me over there for the first time in the Fall of 2013.  That's Nadine with Dawn, the store manager of Sweet Home Antiques.

A Southern Delicacy: Smoked Gouda Grits

Growing up in the South it is a must to love grits.  Grits have always been one of my most fav things to eat.   I have to admit that I had only eaten grits as a breakfast meal, the whole notion of Grits being served for dinner with Shrimp was completely foreign idea…enter the move to Savannah in 1996.  Surely every fine dining establishment in Savannah serves Shrimp and Grits. 
This post isn't about Shrimp and Grits but, rather my newest and the most delicious way to enjoy this southern delicacy.  Gouda grits came to my attention some 3 or 4 years ago while at our monthly church breakfast.  After practically licking the bowl clean right there in front of everyone, I knew I had to “learn” how to make this dish.  For days I scoured  Pinterest and compared recipes of the varying ingredients and compiled my take on Gouda Grits.

These are the ingredients/brands I use.