Touched

We Southerners don’t give much thought to being raised in an orphanage; we’ve always been surrounded by family. It’s who we are. But imagine for a minute that all those family members are a mystery to you.  The concept got me thinking about something we all need to do. Something so important in our family history, I’m embarrassed to say I never thought of it before yesterday.  But yesterday, think of it I did.  And I decided to take action.

There comes a times when you realize your surviving parent won’t be alive on this earth forever.  I mean we all know that already, but one day, the reality of it will really hit you deep in your belly, will render you faint, and take you to your knees.  Last Sunday, a friend at church shared with me that when her surviving parent passed away, she knew for the first time in her life what it feels like to be an orphan.  I never thought of it that way, but it made a lot of sense.

So let’s say your last parent is gone, and you’re now left to sort through all their belongings, decide what to keep and what to let go.  That’s what made me realize: I don’t know the family history of many of my mother’s cherished antiques, accessories, and sets of bone china.  I don't know who's hands have touched them or whose lives the antiques have touched. What did Mom buy through the years and what came down in the family?  I’d never paid attention, but there’s a reason.

I grew up with warehouses, storefronts, and homes filled with English and American antiques.  Daddy's family were antique wholesalers who imported container loads of antiques from England, and bought estate lots of American antiques throughout Georgia and Alabama.  All the homes I grew up in were decorated around English, Colonial, and Early American antiques, and Mother still has a farmhouse full of them right here in Bville.  It also occured to me that when Mom married Pop, her second husband (Daddy died young), some pieces came into the family with him -- he's a decsendent of the Hatfields of West Virginia (yes, the same ones who feuded with the McCoys for generations.)  Which ones have been handed down in our family, which came down through his, and which were acquired? I haven’t a clue.  So I set out to learn and record the provenance of each piece that by fate, ended up in my Mom's and Pop's home, and under their dominion.  There are hundreds of items to be entered. It’s going to take untold number of hours, and fill several journals.  Time to begin.

To be continued…….

Peasant Wellington

There's a lady in Mocksville, NC, population 5,051, who is pretty smart.  Her name is Bea Long.  Bea came up with a really great idea and posted it on a site called Just A Pinch, who gave her a blue ribbon for her idea, and where I happened to see it this very day, because I'm on the email list for Just a Pinch. It's one of those recipe sites where real people send in their recipes.  They aren't professional chefs, or caterers or line cooks, and they're definitely not TV celebrities.  Most of them have never worked in food & beverage.  Just real people cooking real food. 

"Why not just make it with meatloaf?"
   

Bea Long admitted to the whole world right there online, that when she makes Beef Wellington, it sometimes doesn't get done enough for her taste.  If you don't like your meat with the blood running like I do, that could definitely be a problem.  So Bea decided one day, "Why not just make it with meatloaf?"  And I for one, am glad she did.  Truth be told, I just had one of those slap your forehead why didn't I think of that moments.  Little jealous, Bea.

Anyway, our hats are off to you, Bea, for your inspirational idea.  And readers, Bea says use your own favorite meatloaf recipe, if you prefer, then follow her instructions from there.
Here's the link to Bea's recipe:   Meatloaf Peasant Wellington Recipe
Tell her I said Hello!

Roses are Red, Sweaters are Blue

There’s a lot of talk on St. Valentine’s day about expressing our love everyday, and not having one or two special days.  I’m not sure I totally agree with that – wouldn’t our love then become washed out or even mundane?  Doesn't it need a jump start now and then?  We need special days.  

Romance was not lost on my former husband, but in all the years we were married, he never got me flowers for Valentine’s Day.  I grew all our flowers, thus the house was perpetually filled with vases of them. I'm not big on candy, so there's not a single Valentine's Day that really sticks out in my mind.  Every Christmas, however, he gave me a very special navy blue sweater.  J liked the way I looked in navy blue.  The sweaters were individual works of art from various designers whose very names earn them millions of dollars. Those kinds of things were important to J.  But the names in the sweaters didn’t matter.  The fact J picked them out himself, did.

J had impeccable preppy taste, so the sweaters he selected were classics – right out of those ads you see in magazines of lackadaisical rich kids sitting around on sailboats or equestrian fencing, casually wondering what to do with themselves, and not having to do anything but sit around on sailboats or equestrian fencing.

I still have 7 of those sweaters. The only reason I don’t have all ten of them, is because (1) was accidentally splattered with bleach, (2) shrank in the dryer, and (3) ran off with a few socks and didn’t even send a postcard.  But the 7 navy blue sweaters I still have -- range from a GAP ribbed knit pullover that had a distressed salt-air look even when J bought it 20 years ago, to a hand knit boutique cardigan that looks great with pearls and a skirt.  I cherish each one individually, and I still wear all of them.

Don’t they remind me of divorce and pain, you ask?  No, they remind me someone loved me enough to specially pick them out each year.  It was one thing in this crazy,  mixed up world, I could depend on.  J and I may have gone our separate ways years ago, but no one – not one single person in my entire universe since, has gone to the effort to select a classic navy blue sweater ~~ especially for me.
 

                                                       

Ask Jo!

Ask Jo! is a column written by Jo White, Interior Decorator, DIYer, Personal Chef, Exterior Designer & Garden Planner, and avid birder.  You may send your questions to blairsvillager@gmail.com, or ask them on facebook.  All questions will be answered, and some will be chosen at random to appear on either/or Blairsvillager.com and Facebook.  Although each question will be answered with a professional solution, a lot of light humor will be injected just for fun!


Saturday, February 1

A wonderful fellow interior designer from Arkansas contacted me today.  I know exactly how she feels -- we designers can quickly address other people's decorating challenges, but sometimes have trouble addressing our own!  I've always thought it's because we're exposed to so much, love too many styles and ideas, that it's hard for us to zero in on anything for ourselves.  I experience that more that I'd want to admit!

Designer from Arkansas wrote:

Love visiting your space on the net, Jo.  I found you through a referral on HOUZZ and was pointed in your direction.  I too am an interior designer and I bought this little cottage when my mother died in October.  I moved from a BIG house to this little house and less than 1200 sq. ft., but the inside is wonderful.  It was built in 1948 and recently completely renovated with 9ft. ceilings, two bedrooms, two baths, and a huge kitchen with island.

Am providing you with a photo (private) -- I love the inside and the location, but I really, really dislike the OUTSIDE as it is now.  How can I make this little place darling -- I can take other people's projects and do wonders -- but my own house leads me to complete FRUSTRATION!  PLEASE, please, please give me the help I need so I can move beyond my "stuck" position.  Can this house be saved????

JO WHITE:

Always nice to brainstorm with a fellow designer!  First, I want to say how sorry I am about your mother.  I post funny stories and photos of my own little 85 year old mother on my JO WHITE facebook wall.  We Southern girls really love our Mommas, don't we? I know you are missing yours.

Thanks so much for visiting my site, and YES! -- by all means -- there are a few simple, inexpensive things you can do to the exterior of your cottage, in keeping with cottage charm.

1) I would keep the front door black, but paint the shutters white, and paint your covered concrete porch black or white, or a black and white pattern similar to the one I used on Dove Cottage (click on Dove Cottage above).

2) I would then install trellises on either side of the porch, such as these Black Expandable Bamboo Trellis -- and grow morning glory, climbing roses, wisteria, or clematis on them.  On either side of the front door, in your black planters, drop in planted azaleas, inpatients, or hosta, with an ivy underplanting, that will take a little shade, since they're on the covered porch.  These changes will draw the eye to your front porch entry to make it the focal point.

3) If you want window boxes, I would keep them to the windows on either side of the front door portico, again, to keep the focus in that area.  I've been recommending (to great applause) attaching two galvanized aluminum buckets under each window, so all you have to do is drop already-planted flower baskets in them from the retailer or nursery, and you can change them out for different seasons or a different color plan.  You don't have to plant anything, and if something dies, lift the basket out and replace it.  You can paint the buckets white, or leave them the silver aluminum color.  It's a great alternative to narrow window boxes!

4) On the front window on the opposite end from the entry, I would hang an attractive awning, possibly in a black and white toile.  The beauty of this, is an awning is the simplest thing in the world to make -- It's a hemmed flat piece of fabric run on rods, with extension arms -- (see the striped one I made for Dove Cottage).  This can be cut from a table cloth or shower curtain, and if needed, can be treated by spraying with a clear coat finish -- it's simple!

This will be a good start -- you're a designer, so all you need are a few guidelines, and you can let your imagination take you the distance.  I'm so excited for you to have such a lovely cottage -- I'd love to see pics after you've done a little work!